Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-09
PATTEN ON WAY
TOWHEAT MARKET
NOTED SPECULAT0R RETURNS
TO WINDY CITY
TRIES IN VAIN TO DODGE NUMER-
Gus REPORTERS
Declares He Read Newspaper Stock
Exchange Reports and Was Able
Thereby to Control
Market
tBy Associated Press.I


TRINIDAD, Colo, May S.-Refreshed
from two weeks hunting and fishing in
the northern New Mexico hills, sun
burned and apparently greatly i'm
proved physically, James A. Patten, the
Chicago wheat operator, is today
speeding toward Chicago over the
Santa Fe railroad. He is due to arrive
there tomorrow morning about I'5O.
Mr.. Patten reached Trinidad at 5:4o
last night from the Bartlett ranch near
Vermeio Springs and went to a hotel
where he rested until train time. He
registered as ED Jones, Chicago, and
took every precaution to keep ms
identity from the press, pledglng the
hotel employees and also the trainmen
to secrecy.
The efforts of Mr.. Patten to conceal
his identity brought about some anus
ing situations and incidentally some
acrid remarks by the big wheat dealer
on the pestiferous mess of reporters.
When Mr.. Patten reached Tercio,
the branch terminus of the railroad
from whence two weeks ago he took
a stage coach for drive across the
snow blocked mountain passes, TWEEN
tv-five miles, to the Bartlett ranch, he
asked for a through ticket to Chicago.
The railroad agent, however only
wished to sell him local ticket to
Trinidad.
1T want a through ticket" insisted
Mr.. Patten. 81 want to get away from
the reporters. I came to New Mexico
to get rid of 'em," he continued to the
agent, land it did not do me bit OF
good. I've been bothered by them
every day in the mountains, after
thought had lost them"
Denies His Identity
Mr.. Patten importuned the aid of the
agent, the trainmen and the employees
at the hotel in Trinidad to keep re-
porters off the train and when a re-
norter accosted him and asked him If
he were not Mr. Patten he looked the
reporter calmly in the eye and assured
him he was not
The reporter looked at Mr.. Patten.
Mr.. Patten continued to look at the re-
porter and smiled genially.
"You are going back to Chicago, are
you not?" ventured the reporter.
''I am, young man; that is my home.
But l am not Mr.. Patten. You are mis-
taken in that"
When Mr.. Patten went into the din
ing room for dinner the reporter eau
tiously made his way to the hat rack,
picked up the hat left by Mr. Jones"
and found the name. James A. Patten"
on the band.
When Patten passed through KAN
sas City he was questioned by report
ers, and did not deny his identity.
Questioned about the wheat market,
Mr.. Patten declared he had never tried
to manipulate it, and that he had
bought because he had seen since last
October that the supply would not sat-
isfy the demand.
"At 40 time have I held more than
10,000,000 bushels" he said. 1T just
happened that for once in my life I 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 had not fol-
lowed up my advantage some one else
would have done the same thing, and
the same conditions would prevail to-
day in any case.
"I did not leave Chicago because I
was afraid, but simply and solely to
get away from the newspapers" said
Mr.. Patten when asked why he left
there several weeks ago.
There is not the least truth in the
statement that my life was in danger?"
he continued.