Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-02-06

earlier editions Of al the evening 20
psrs before leaving my once. and lat.
er. either on the train to Greenwich
1 or. when 10 town. a. my club. to read
more carefully the later issues Of the
News and Star. On this particular
day, however. . succession Of matters
Of more importance prevented my
looking At 90 much a. q headline, un.
III. seated at dinner. in the club res-
taurant. ! saw on q window ledge BE-
side me one Of the more sensational
OF the afternoon dailies, and apprc-
priated II In lieu Of better companion.
ship.
II was one Of those journals which.
In catering TO the tastes Of the prole-
tariat, conceive II wise to minimize
their references to Wall street. save
only when a marked slump or q panic
points the moral of the unscrupulous
capitalist and his ;eiDous crimes.
When. therefore. long. bold.face type
attracted my eye with the announce
ment. Fall In Crystal Consolidated"
! started to read the subjoined article.
confident enough that some director
or directors had been spitted for bar
becue. And before had read nvs
lines | came UPON the name Of Robert
Cameron.
II was to believe this Introductory
paragraph. my friend WAS to Crystal
Consolidated what John d. Rockefel-
Ter was TO Standard OIL. yet In the
months OF our intimacy he had made
no reference to this connection; and.
though ] was thoroughly familiar with
the great glass trust" as It was
called. and with the name Of its multi.
millionaire master. strangely enough
had never connected the Cameron I
knew with this Cameron, the Captain
Of Industry.
i am." he had said. in all modesty.
largely Interested In a certain line Of
Industrial enterprises" That was all
l suppose ! should have known: and
yet no prophet 10 without honor,
save In his own country"
The newspaper article I now read
however. left no room for doubt on the
subject; and. incidentally in q single
sentence. revealed the secret Of how
Cameron had succeeded in escaping
that general recognition which Is usu-
ally the penalty Of greatness. he
mas never sat for photograph"
But. while this part OF the article
Interested. that which followed startled
and perplexed me:
Crystal Consolidated fell to 1O3
today" II went on. because Of a per.
sistent rumor that Robert Cameron
Is seriously III. in New England sani.
tarium. The greatest secrecy has been
maintained as to his malady and his
whereabouts by those who are In q
position to know. 1t has been ascer.
tained. however. that after spending Q
quiet summer at his country place,
Cragholt. on Long Island sound, near
Greenwich. he started on October II,
on his fast steam yacht Sibylla for a
cruise along the New England coast.
Ten days later the sibylla returned.
but Mr.. Cameron was not on board.
1t is known that he has been in
III health for months. and there are
those who now declare that he has
sought the seclusion Of an institution
for the treatment Of nervous diseases.
near Boston. his condition being crit
cal.
Inquiry. today. at his Fifth avenue
home In this city. and at his Connect.
cut country seat. was fruitless. Mr..
Cameron was at neither place. and the
servants expressed ignorance concern
Ing his present address.
AT the Offices Of the Crystal Con.
solidated Manufacturing company ana
at those of the missing nnancier's
brokers. Hatch 4 Hastings. evasion
was the keynote OF the answers to ali
questions.
Whether Mr. Cameron is a III an
Is reported. or whether he 10 quite
robust. the effect Of the gossip on
Crystal Consolidated was disastrous
A slump OF fifteen points in two hours.
this afternoon. wiped out many weak.
ly margined accounts. and spread ruin
among a number Of spectators who
fondly imagined this law-defyinr
trust. Of which Cameron 10 the sup.
porting Atlas, as firmly intrenched A
10 the government itself.
. Unless something definite 10 forth.
coming regarding Mr.. Cameron's con.
dition before the market opens tomor-
row. panic In Crystal Consolidated
10 predicted. II closed today at 1oaH
bid. lo3 asked: the lowest iigures re-
corded this year"
II startled me. because II showed
that at least a part Of the secret we
were guarding was a secret no longer;
and It perpiexed me because I could
not fancy through wha, channel these
somewhat distorted facts had Uttered