Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-06-02

train for ST. Louis, and bought, at an
almost fabulous price, a block of 5000
shares which Bars 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 it. 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,
shiver of fear ran through the street.
For the great Northern Pacific cor
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share under the bidding of crazed
shorts, was fresh in the memory of all.
From 1872, where it opened, st.
Louis Southern scared to 120 before
the first 80 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 man gone mad, but he.
too, knew it was hopeless fight. The
market was swept bare of st. Louis
Southern.
At 1870 it touched LA and TIL.
mors of failures were flying fast
around the floor. The strain was tell
short 1000 shares, went suddenly
quite foolish, babbling like little
child. 1t was not a pleasant thing
to see.
1t was the beginning of the end,
however, for at 11:45 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 up
from the raw Threats of the wearied
crowd
Early that evening, when darkness
was sitting down on the street and old
Trinity'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 & 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 Bars holdings to a competing
western road at price that later put
another $1O,OOO,O00 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 b
f1at-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 good railroad
and you might have rained me-and
did not" 1t was an acknowledgment
and almost a question.
We'll" said Barr, mopping 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 II
this must make it clear to Bowman.
damn it, l guess I've got some milk
of human kindness left"
Copyright Street & Smithl