Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-06-09

UUU BnAfeS ne naQ SOLO IOr bowman,
in all 10000 shares-and then he re
membered the break of the stock to
93M two weeks before. Rigged-the
whole market had been rugged. A
snare had been laid and the control
of the road
out his story to Bowman, who was jus
stepping into his carriage to be driver
uptown. In his Office, again, the bank
er listened, silently, to the story o.
his undoing. for something told him
that the cunning hand behind 1t all
had won, won irretrievably.
Trretrievably? The word brought
him to a 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. l 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
mullioned door. The two men looked
at each other.
Come in" called the banker. qul
city.
"Ah Begs pa'don, Mistah Bowman
II $ urgent message firm Mistah Car.
ruth's offs" and the old negro usher
bowed apologetically.
Carruth tore the message from the
wrapper with trembling fingers.
Mr.. Bowman. it's call for the re.
turn tomorrow morning of 10000
shares of st. Louis / borrowed to de-
liver on the first of the new issue
sold for you. 1t means that pressure
Is now to be put on us, for they know
we can't deliver the new stock for 80
days. The call is from Frank Sci
dem"
Who does he trade for usually?
Do you know" Bowman interrupted.
"Why-Joseph w. Barr-Willis.
Barr & Co., you know"
yes" Bowman answered quietly.
Il know-now."
1t will be long before the memory
of the following day passes from the
street, where traditions are cherished
as tenderly as are love letters In old
lavender.
BY four o'clock on Friday Pierce and
Barr knew that they had 100000 shares
of st. Louis safely in their hands. To
make the control secure beyond ques-
ton they hurried a trusted messenger
to Jersey City, where he caught fast
train for st. Louis, and bought, at an
almost fabulous price, block of 5000
shares which Barr's Chicago friends
had located.
With the messenger under way they
issued calls, through their brokers, for
all stock borrowed of them, In order,
as Barr said, to get all the cards In
the deck. 1t was one of these calls
which had reached Carruth in Bow
mans office.
The calls went to houses all through
the street, and the recipients read them
over again and again, spelling ruin
out of the brief words which demand
ed the return Of something they had
sold before they had 1t. Like Car
ruth, they realized, now that It was
too late, that Barr had all the stock
there was afoat.
Before the opening Of the exchange
the messengers who had been sent
hither and thither looking for stock to
borrow returned empty-handed and a
SILVER OF fear ran through the street.
For the great Northern Pacific cor.
ner, when that stock went to $1,000 a
share under the bidding of crazed
shorts, was fresh in the memory of all.
From 113h, where 1t opened. st.
Louis Southern scared to 100 before
the first go minutes were ended, and
men fought, like beasts In bear pit
for raw meat, for the pitifully few
shares that came from London and
elsewhere.
Carruth, with Bowman's wealth and
the millions of gold of the banker
European connections behind him
fought like man gone mad, but he
too. knew 1t was hopeless fight. The
market was swept bare of st. Louis
Southern.
At 1870 1t touched 124 and ru.
mors of failures were flying fast
around the floor The strain was tell
ing on men, and one trader, who was
short 1000 shares, went suddenly
quite foolish, babbling like a little
child. 1t was not pleasant thing
to see.
1t was the beginning of the end
however, for at HAS the president
of the exchange appeared In the
rostrum and, when the crazed mer
had been at last quieted, announced
that John Willis, Of Barr & Co. had
assured him that there would be nc
corner, and that st. Louis Southern
could be borrowed freely of his firm
by those who were urgently In need Of
: the stock. A hoarse cheer went III
from the raw throats of the weariet
crowd.
Early that evening. when darkness
was sitting down on the street and old
Trinity's spire stood out against the
western sky like gigantic index
finger of the spirit of the street, IL
the Offices of w. P. Martin & Co. thers
met the old and the new owner o
the st. Louis Southern railroad. Mar
tin & Co. had already arranged for tbs
sale Of Bars holdings to competing
western road at price that later pu
another s10,000.000 in his plundel