The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-03-03

fairs were under the contrOl
Of an able ministry, headed by the
venerable Count Halfont. The Duke
Of Perse. for years Il resident of ST. Pc
tersburg and Il fnancier of high stand
ing. bad returned to Edelweiss 10
after the distressing death OF the late
Princess Yetiyc and her American hus-
band. and 10 him was intrusted the
treasury portfolio.
The financing of the great railrOad
project by which Edelweiss was 10 be
connected with the siberian line in the
north fell to his lot at a time when no
one else could have saved the little
government from heavy losses or even
Bankruptcy.
The opening of this narrative finds
the ministry preparing 10 float a new
100000 gavvo issue Of bonds for con.
struction and equipment purposes
Agents of the government were ready
to depart for London and Paris to take
up the matter with the great banking
houses. st. Petersburg and Berlin were
not to be given the opportunity TO Cob
bic ny these extremely fine securities
This seemingly extraordinary eXclu.
sion of Russian and German bidders
was the result of vigorous objections
raised by an utter outsider. the Ameri
can. John TulliS, long time friend and
companion of Grenfall L"rry. consort
TO the late princess.
TulliS was ii strange man in many
particulars. He was under forty years
of age. but even ut ihat rather imma-
ture time Of life he had come to be
recognized as ~ shrewd. successful
financial power in his home city, New
York. At the very zenith Of his pow
er he suddenly and with quiXotic dis
regard for consequences save up his
W business and came to Graustark
for residence. following a promise
made to Grenfall Lorry when the lat
ter lay dying in a little inn near Brus-
sells.
They had been lifelong friends. TUT.
lis jestingly called himself the little
princes '~morganatic godfather" For
two years ne had been a constant resi-
dent OF Graustark.
His wide awake. resourceful brain.
attuned by nature to the difficulties OF
administration. lent itself capably to
the solving of many knotty financial
puzzles; the ministry was never loath
to call on him for advice and seldom
disposed to disregard it. An outsider,
he never offered Il suggestion or plan
unasked. 10 this single qualification
he owed much Of the popularity and
esteem in which he was held by the
classes ana the masses Socially he
was a great favorite. He enjoyed the
freedom Of the most exclusive homes
In EdelWciss.
There was but me man connected
with the government 10 whom the pop
ulafity aud influence Of John Tullis
proved ~distasteful That man was the
Duke of Perse. On more than one
occasion the cabinet had chosen 10 be
guided by the sagacity OF John Tullis
In preference to following the lines
laid down by the astute minister Of
finance. The decision to offer the new
bond issue ia London and Paris was
due to the earnest. forceful argument
of John Tullis-outside the cabinet
chamber, TO be sure. This was but
instance In which the plan Of the
treasurer was overridden. He resent
ed the plain though delicate influence
Of the former Wall street a Tullis
had made 1t plain to the ministry that
Graustark could not afford to place it.
self In debt TO the Russians. into whose
hands sooner or later the deStinles OF
the. railroad might he expected to fall.
The wise men OF Graustark saw his
point without force NJ argument and
voted down in the parliament the
dukes proposition TO place the loan In
st. Petersburg and Berlin. Fol this
particular act ~ trespass upon the
dukes official preserves he won the
hatred of the worthy treasurer aud his
no incousiderabi bic following among the
deputies.
But John Tullis was not In Edel-
weiss for the purpose Of meddling
with state affairs. He was there be-
a.. h. $1,000 40 ytn,l MAINTAIN t.