The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16
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"I dustry, master or millions, sal III l l his office in Wall street and look savagely across his desk at Oscar s. Helmwood, president of the great Helm wood Brass company, as the latter halt ingly and shamefacedly told hls story There was not sign of sympathy in the bankers face. He felt only bitterness and contempt for the man before him. When Helmwood finished MT. Pierrepont glared at him for nearly half a minute before speaking And when he did speak every word scared the heart of his visitor.
 q thought you were a business man." the great banker said. T find you are fool"
 Mir. Helmwood went out Into Wall street crushed in spirit. In his own city and his own state he was looked upon as a man of the highest rank, but he appeared so s=biectly miserable as he climbed the ascent to Broadway that even some of the eallous persons who hurried by turned and glanced at him inquiringly, if not com- 'passionately. But MT. Helmwood did not know or care how he impressed persons in the street There are some shocks that numb one portion of the brain and leave another section alive. He could think only of his misfortune. Within week all his brilliant prospects had been wrecked. He had been deceived. made ridiculous and brought to a condition that almost was disgraceful in his eyes. lie had been so proud, so confident, so secure in his posi- ton that the possibility of betrayal or de- feat never had occurred to him. And now, as the details crowded back into his mind, he could not but feel that MT. Pierrepont's dismissal of him with the re- mark T find you are fool," was justi- fed
 As MT. Helmwood journeyed home n 1n had ample time for reflection. He could imagine how absurd he would appear in the eyes of the men in his busi- ness when the news got out and how seathing would be the criticism to which he would be subjected He real ized, too, that he would have to re- sign the presidency of the company which bore his name and give up his fine home and live more modestly. N hat he could do to maintain his fam iiy, accustomed as they were all their lives to luxury, he had no idea He orly had enough money to meet a few years expenses and as he thought of the future he almost was in a panic. Only week before he had been fgur- ing in millions. Now he felt like a pauper. One grain of comfort and only ore was left 10 him. His name was clear. He had been guilty of no dis honorable act His error had been ogregious, inexcusabIe almost, but it was an honest one. He had been trust fl and had been hoodwinked. It made him furious to think how meanly he had been taken advantage of. and he clenched his fists in his rage until the nails cut the flesh. A little thing sf metimes relieves the overwrought nerves. MT. Helmwood looked at the palms of his hands for few moments before he was conscious that there was little blood on them. He drew out a handkerchief, moistened it a bit and then wiped away the blood. After ttat he felt calmer
 The Helmwood Brass company was -fhe biggest in the east, and Oscar g. Eelmwood was considered the foremost iran in the business. He had force, en- thusiasm and ina gination. At one time he had owned nearly two-fifths of the stock in the company, but his holdings had been decreased materially Once he had sold a portion of his stock in order to invest in an outside project that seemed most promising, and al various times he had disposed of shares in order to indulge the whims of an ex- travagant wife who had no thought of the value of money. It mattered little how large or how small were his hold ings, for he dominated the company, and had from it's organization. What he recommended the directors ordered The company prospered, its dividends came regularly and all concerned were content.
 As close student of the trend of industrial affairs MT. Helmwood was one of the first to see the benefits that would come from merging the brass interests of the country. He knew the character, the capacity and the value of every plant. To bring all the we'll equipped ones into one organiza- tion meant control of the trade, the