The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-06-09

And the banker grasped for them.
He had been pouring millions into a
vast scheme for the control of the
traction systems of three big western
cities; family tradition had driven him
into the building Of a palace at New
port; his extensive racing stable. his
greater pride, had been running heav-
lily behind at the various meetings.
II he sold 10000 shares of his own
stock at ITO 1t would mean $500, 900 in
cash to him at once, and he felt that
he could regain it as soon as this all
surd bubble of melons and dividends
had been pricked. No one but Car
ruth would know, and he was bound
to silence by self interest.
Bowman sighed little. He turned
to the waiting broker.
"Carruth," he said, slowly, "if the
market will take It, you may sell co.
600 shares for my personal account.
I'm finally bear on my own road,
you see." and he tried hard to force
q laugh to 60 with the Jest.
Carruth hurried back to the floor,
and before the close, by the aid of the
favorable rumors regarding the road,
had put out $4,000 shares. The sales
for the day were over 10000 shares,
and the stock closed at 10, the high
est figure.
Friday brought forth long, detailed
stories in the morning papers of great
things impending in st. Louis South
ern, to all of which the roads mana
gers, including Bowman, had refused,
30 ran the stories, to give denials. 1t
was limited by one paper that the re-
cent activity in the stock had been
due to buying for control by a compel
Ing road, the Mississippi Central.
The stock at once became the fea-
ture of the trading. 1t opened at
11OA, one-half of point over Thurs
days close, on a sale of 1000 shares
| by Carruth's brokers. This was taken
by broker acting for Pierce, as was
the block Of 5000 shares which follow
ed it at 110A. By noon over 100, 900
shares had been traded in and Carruth
| had put out and Pierce taken in 10000
| shares of Bowman's stock.
From noon on the st. Louis post was
a pin-point in a seething mass of hui
5000 shares Carruth hurled the rest of
the bankers stock at the market, ex-
pecting to see 1t break any moment
and anxious only to get 1t out at the
high prices. But it didn't break. It
went steadily up in spite of the fact
that the bears were selling also. Even
| denials by the news bulletins of mel
on cuttings and purchases for control
by the Mississippi Central, the story
Pierce had set af1oat, went I'M
needed.
When an explicit denial of any deals
or anything else of favorable nature,
sent to the floor by Bowman at Car
ruth's request, 20 minutes before the
close of the market, failed to check
the rise, Carruth became uneasy. He
had telephoned the banker that as his
stock had been put out it would check
the excitement and start the decline If
statement were issued, and instead
Of this the excitement was increas-
ing and the stock still climbing.
And now for the first time Carruth
began to analyze the buying of st.
Louis. Hurried conferences with his
brokers resulted In a compilation of
the names of the buyers, and he found
that day after day the stock had ulti-
mately gone to less than a dozen
houses. With resistless logic he went
on quickly to a realization that he had
sold into a bag which unseen hands
had held open for the stock. The co.
0GO shares of treasury stock; the Co.
nm sh H. H.
in all 10000 shares-and then he re-
membered the break of the stock to
1914 two weeks before. Rigged-the
whole market had been rugged. A
snare had been laid and the control
of the road
Two minutes later he was painting
out his story to Bowman, who was Just
stepping into his carriage to be driven
uptown. In his office, again, the bank
er listened, silently, to the story of
his undoing, for something told him
that the cunning hand behind it all |
had won, won irretrievabIy.
1rretricvably? The word brought |
him to soldierly erectness.
"Carruth," he said, steadily, you |
have my orders to buy all the st. Louis |
Southern tomorrow you can get There |
Is no limit as to price. shall cable my
Paris connections, and my own re-
sources are at your command. 1t may
be that we are mistaken; tomorrow
will tell, but we must be ready to fight
in any event"
There came a timid knock at the
mulltoned door. The two men looked
at each other.
Come in" called the banker, qui-
city.
"Ah Begs pa'don, Mistah Bowman.
It's urgent message firm Mistah Car
ruth's offs" and the old negro usher
bowed apologeticaIly.
Carruth tore the message from the
wrapper with trembling fingers.
Mr. Bowman, it's a call for the re-
turn tomorrow morning of 10000
shares of st. Louis borrowed to de-