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

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 ONCE.
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 It. Like Car
ruth, they realized, now that 1t was
too late, that Barr had all the stock
there was afioat.
Before the opening Of the exchange
the messengers who had been sent
hithsr and thither looking for stock to
borrow returned empty-handed and q
SILVER Of fear ran through the street.
For the great Northern Pacific cor
ner, when that stock went to 81 900 q
share under the bidding Of crazed
shorts. was fresh in the memory Of all.
From 1874, where 1t opened, st.
Louis Southern scared to 100 before
the first go minutes were ended, and
men fought, like beasts In a 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 bankers
European connections behind him.
fought like a man gone mad, but he,
too, knew It was a hopeless fight. The
market was swept bare of st. Louis
Southern.
At 1870 it touched 1874 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 a 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 men
had been at last quieted, announced
that John Willis, of Barr & Co, had
assured him that there would be no
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 uu
from the raw threats of the wearied
crowd.
Early that evening, when darkness
was sitting down on the street and old
Trtntty's spire stood out against the
western sky like a gigantic index
finger of the spirit of the street, in
the offices Of W. P. Martin G Co. there
met the old and the new owner of
the st. Louis Southern railroad. Mar.
tin & Co. had already arranged for the
sale of Barr's holdings to a competing
western road at a price that later put
another $10,00O,000 in his plumber
chest. Bowman had come in re-
Spouse to an invitation from Martin
& Co., who wanted his now minority
holdings for the same road.
Barr was sitting on the corner of a
iat-topped mahogany desk, against the
glowing side of which he was drum.
ming an air with his boot heels, when
Martin introduced Bowman. He shut
fed down clumsily and stretched out
his moist hand to the little banker,
whose unshaven face, as Barr saw.
was haggard with exhaustion.
Mr.. Barr" Bowman said quietly,
you have bought a good railroad
and you might have ruined me-and
did not" 1t was an acknowledgement
and almost a question.
Well" said Barr, hopping his face
under the stress of the thing, you
made the road, didn't your" And
then with burst of pride in his mag
nanimity he answered the unasked
question:
Damn It," he said, earnestly, as If
this must make it clear to Bowman.
damn it, guess I've got some milk
of human kindness left"
Copyright. Street & Smith,