The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-09-29
Rival Interests in Hooking
Will Clash.
STOCKHOLDERS WILL MEET
Eastern Men Keep Plans in
the Dark.
Meeting of Ohio Holders of Stock
Will be Held Tuesday to Devise
Some United Action for the Pro-
lection OF Their Interests.

meeting of the stockholders of the I
Hooking Valley Railway Company,
which will be held next TUESDAY
morning at 10 o'clock in the genera, !
offices of the company in the Spahr
Building, will develop several large
sized sensations and may result in
prolonged legal fight by the side of
which the struggle of the State Of
Ohio and the Hooking Valley Railway
will be a small affair.
For some time there have been
rumors that all would not be serene
at the meeting, but no one took much
notice OF the rumors, as the control
Of the Hooking Valley has been so Sc
curely held by the trunk line syndi-
cate that opposition has always been
supposed to be futile. However, with
in the last two weeks s,orm clouds OF
momentous proportions have devel-
oped and within n few days some inn
portant action regarding the future OF
the company IL is expected will be
taken.
The opening gun in the public fight
was fired yesterday when H. f. West
| fall an attorney in the Columbus
| Savings and trust Building sent out 10
! local stockholders of the company, n
| call to attend a conference TO be held
! in his Offices this afternoon at 2
o'clock for the purpose of consider
ing the advlsability of recommending
some plan for the cooperation of
| stockholders in the steps which may
be deemed necessary for the protec-
ton of their interests. Tho call, it is
stated, is made necessary by reason
of the near approach of the annual
meeting of the stockholders of the
company.
Just what will be told the stock
holders, who attend this meeting and
the real purpose of the call could not
be determined yesterday. as Mr.. West.
fall was out of the city, and Mt his
office It was stated that nothing mora
definite was known in regard to it. Ii
is rumored that large eastern inter-
ests are leading the fight against the
present management and 1t is known
that demands have been made within
the last week upon, the officers of the
railroad company for the taking OF
certain action in regard to the past
management of the financial affairs OF
the company.
connected with the company that no
notice was taken of the these de.
mands and that recourse will now be
had to. notices upon the individual
directors. What these demands were
is not definitely known. except thai
they have to do with certain transac.
tions. which have been ratified bS
the board of directors in regard to
] nF I,n nj ir
relation to agreements with Other
roads. From all indications the foun'
dation is being carefully laid for 9
legal action, in which no step will be
taken without it's effect having beer
fully considered.
1t has leaked out in the last few
days that at the annual meeting OF
the Kanawha and Michigan, which is
controlled by the Hooking Valley, al
Corning last June, the parties be.
, hind the present agitation against
the Hooking Valley had representa-.
tive present, who objected TO all pro
ceedings taken at that meeting, de-
claring that they were irregular, and
served written notice to such effect
upon the officers Of the meeting. No
/ notice was taken of these protests, II
is said, and II is now thought that
this was q formal action to protect
some rights in the existing contro'
vcrsy.
Local brokers have been busy with
in the last month searching for STOCK
OF the Hooking Valley and large pre-
miums have been offered for the COM
mon stock certificates. The original
stock was wanted and not the receipts
which were issued for stock depos-
tied win j. p. Morgan & Company
under the agreement for the consoli-
datlon of the Hooking Valley and the
Kanawha and Michigan some three
years ago, which agreement has been
several times extended because of the
injunction secured by the state
against the consolidation of the Hook
ing Valley and the Kanawha and
Michigan. There is but little of the
stock not deposited outstanding and
while until recently j. p. Morgan &
Company have surrendered the stock
certificates on demand within the
last week, the firm has refused to give
/ up any of the deposited stock.
It is said that this trust agreement
is clearly illegal and that on lega
proceedings being taken from the
firm would have TO surrend the stock
vet this action has not been taken
but may be before the annual meet
ing, II 1t is found necessary There
are a number OF stockholders of the
company in Columbus and large
amounts of the stock are held IN
Cleveland, the Hickox estate and the
: Burke estate being especially large
, holders of the common stock. The
control of the Hooking Valley, un'
less reports of the purchase by th'
Hawley interests be true. is held by
the Panhandle, the Chesapeake and
Ohio, the Lake Shore, the Erie and
the Baltimore and Ohio, the Pan
handle owning $2,312,000 of the com
: mon stock and each OF the Other
: roads owning $1,156,o00 of the com
mon stock.
The matter of the contest has as
! sumed such proportions that 1t is said
, a conference of the officers of tho
Hooking Valley and others interested
in the present management was held
! in Cleveland Monday for the purpose
of taking steps to counteract any
moves made by the opposition but
what was decided upon is, OF course