The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-09
Wheat King Enroute From
Trinidad, Col, to Chicago,
Gives Out Remarkable In
tervieW on the Situation.
VIGOROUSLY DEFENDS
COURSE HE PURSUED
States That He Was Not
Afraid of His Life But Left
Chicago for Sole Reason Of
Escaping Reporters.


one thing which deplore that has
come as a result Of my operations In
wheat and that is the effect it has had
on the people by increasing the price
OF bread" said James A. Patten, the
Chicago Wheat King. who passed
through Kansas City this afternoon Oh
his way from Trinidad to Chicago. Mr..
Patten declared that he was not a
speculatOr; that speculation had essen
TALLY no part in any of his opera
tions, and that he had simply foresecn
conditions and taken advantage of the
most favorable situation that has oc-
Cured in years.
4 did not leave Chicago because
was afraid he said in answer to q
question. "but simply and solely to get
away from the newspaper men. There
is not the least truth in the statements
that my life was in danger. 1t has
never been SO to my knowledge, and
have not taken any precautions for
safety. can see no reason why SO
much controversy should have been
created on my account.
Laughed at Him.
My firm is, and always has been,
one Of the largest cash dealers in
wheat. l have never made any secret
OF my operations-don't now. Last
October told everyone that what has
happened would happen. advised
my friends to buy wheat because the
amount Of exports was rapidly short
ening the home supply. They laughed
ct me and. especially on Wall street,
was ridiculed
My holdings at no time have been
more than 100000 bushels. 1t
Just happened that for once in my life
! was able to predict accurately. ANY
one else following the market reports
In the daily papers could have done
the same thing, and there is no doubt
In. my mind that If l had not followed
UP my advantage some one else would
and the same conditions would prevail
today in any case. Since the world
began the law of supply and demand
has been known to man. 1t is case
Of demand exceeding the supply. What
was more natural than for me to make
the best of SO apparent an opportun;-
typ
10 In Good Health.
Mr.. Patten appeared in good health
and said that he had been much re-
freshed by his vacation. Il did moth
ing but eat and fish and take things
easy. Of course. i had more or less
trouble in steering shy Of the report
ers, but that didn't make SO much diff.
ference out there"
Some objections were raised by peo.
pie In the vicinity Of the Bartlett
ranch to Mr.. Patten fishing out OF
season. mr. Bartlett procured an
opinion from the attorney general OF
the state before he did any fishing
eaid the grain man. 1T was practic-
ally the same as man killing his own
cattle. The preserves were on his
property and the fish were in artifi-
cial lakes. But say they did bite
some; never saw such trout fishing.
Why one of our party actually got two
big trout on one cast and that Is unus-
ual at least for this time of the year
There is rule on Mr.. Bartlett's ranch
that not moro than thirty TROUT may
be caught In one day. I know that
Mr.. Bartlett would be the first mar. .to
protest against any violation of the
gamee laws, and II gentleman as his
guest should do SO. he would not be
likely to be again invited