Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-11
HOT RUN FOR THE MONEY
Rise and Fail Of a spender whose
Pace was an Unusually
swift One,

In searching around for the remnants Of
the loot taken from the Illinois Central
railroad by means Of padded car repair
bills in Memphis and Chicago, the com
pany's sleuths pounced upon a bank bal
ance OF $4,000. supposed to be the fag end
OF the fortune OF Henry c, Ostermann,
head and front OF the looting combination
Up like a rocket, down like a stick
epitomiEes the career Of Ostermann. One
day he blazoned on the front pages OF the
papers from New York 10 Frisco with pic
lures OF $50 bills used as cigarette light
ers. champagne bottles In silver hooped
pals Of ice, and portraits of the spender
himself in all the poses or his reckless
prodigRlity, and the next day he couldn't
get q stickful Of notice In the eighth col.
umn Of the thirteenth page OF the daily Of
any self-respecung managing editor in any
city OF the fifth magnitude on the con-
tinent
Ostermann was broodlng over ideas and
nursing ambitions the days he was wear
ing a conductors cap and he made good
with a car coupler. II was an excellent
device. The railroads liked e. company
came next in order for the manufacture OF
the patented coupler. Mr. Ostermann be-
came the president OF the corporation. He
| turned in his uniform and his punch and
stood before his former associates as a
man OF genius and a leader OF industry.
/ The business prospered greatly, Chicago
began TO notice this new concern, located
in the city as It had been only short
time. Larger enterprises began to beokon
| to Ostermann.
! Result a great car repairing industry at
Memphis. Tenn. That concern prospered,
] ~
railroads gave him lots OF business The
Illinois Central was one Of the best Gus
toners And Just here begins to glisten
the slime Of the trail There has been a
good deal in the papers lately about the
methods by which the Memphis company
drew large sums from the railroad GER
poration. There were bills for repairs
padded. It is said on the witness stand by
the bookkeepers, to the extent Of 1000 per
cent. Things were decidedly looking up
! for Ostermann. There were certain off
cials OF the road who were ''ln right" and
their pockets, IL is understood began 10
| bulge The former conductor had invented
a coupler but when the tickle goddess OF
fortune began to scatter gold in his lap
he was not equipped with any sort OF g
| brake, and his spending pace suddenly be-
came greatly accelerated.
He first displayed his prowess in Walla
Walla. Walla Walla took notice because
Walla Waila is not quite SO Injured to thu
spectacle Of LAYING spending as Broadway
Three days he went the dizzy pace In that
western town, and people gasp yet when
his name is mentioned. 1t Is stated upon
'cnt authority that a party of Walla
Walla solid men made choice between see
Inns .l,l static exposition and seeing Oster-
mann In action and that they chose the
latter They were just about to start for
the exposition when they heard the great
news, and they stayed to see the show
right at home.
A 500 bill torn in half and one-half given
to the orchestra leader as an earnest that
the other half would come IL he satisfied
demands at Qstermann's little private
dance, bellboys scrapping in the hotel lobby
| for the right 10 answer the Ostermann call
land get the Ostermann tip, these would
have been below par as head line occur
rences in New York, but then Walla Walla
is not New York,
Last November Ostermann blew into De-
trolt and started in to make that town sit
I'D and take notice. At the cashiers desk
he flashed a 1000 bill, and gave the clerk
a FLYER for the trouble OF making change
he ordered champagne for the crowd-and
the crowd grew rapidly-at the bars about
town, he liked the color Of the flame OF
the twenues with which he lighted hi
cigars and he was in the midst of very
good time, indeed, when. alasl and alack!
Mrs. Ostermann appeared upon the scene
and ordered him to go home at once
Still looking for larger worlds to con-
quer, Ostermann next tried to dazzle Chi