davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19
CHARTER
Of the Southern Oil and Gas Com
pany.

State of Louisiana. Parish Of Cad
do: Before me, Clifton L. Davis, tn"
undersigned authority. a notary
public in and for Catido Parish.
Louisiana. at my office III the City Of
| Shreveport, La, came and appeared
on the date hereinafter written, the
following: C.. u. Keen. G. w. Lane,
r. w. Norris, s. b. Hicks, J. NJ. Lee
and Frank J. Looney, all residents OF
Gaddo Parish, Louisiana, all to me
we'll known, who declared to me in
the presence of the attesting wit
nesses, that they desired to form
and constitute corporation under
the laws of Louisiana, and that they
do hereby form themselves and
their successors into a corporation
and constitute same in compliance
with the provisions and subject to
the restrictions Of the laws of the
State Of Louisiana governing cor
porations and under the provisions
Of the articles of incorporation
hereinafter set forth.
ARTICLE |.
The name of this corporation
shall be Southern Oil and Gas Com
pany; by this name it shall have
power and authority to have and
enjoy succession for period OF
ninety-nine years; to contract, sue
and be sued; to make and use a cor
pOrate seal and the same to break,
alter or amend at pleasure; and
Under this same name to hold, re-
ceive, purchase and otherwise ac-
quire, to own, convey, sell or other
wise dispose of, to lease, pledge,
mortgage or otherwise hypothecate
property, real, personal and mixed.
ARTICLE II.
The domicile of this corporation
is declared to be the City of Shreve-
port, La.
ARTICLE III.
The nature of the business to be
carried on and the purpose for
which this corporation is estab
lished are as follows: To bore oil
wells and gas wells and distribute
and sell the products OF oil and gas
wells. To transport same through
pipe lines, either for the use of this
corporation or for hire. To buy and
sell lands, leases, OIL gas and min
eral contracts of all kinds whatso-
ever. to lay pipe lines and if neces-
sary to appropriate property for
same; and to sell and supply gas and
oil, either under municipal fran
chise or otherwise, and generally to
do any or al Things necessary for
the purposes of this corporation.
ARTICLE ".
The corporate powers Of this cor
poration shall be vested in a board
of directors composed of five stock
holders, a majority of whom shall
compose a quorum. The directors
shall elect a president, vice presi-
dent and secretary-treasurer, and
shall prescribe the duties Of each.
Election of directors shall take place
the first Monday in October of each
year. The first board of directors
shall be as follows: C. D. Keen. C.I
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19
CHARTER
OF the observation-disclosures Oil ana
Gas Company. Limited.

/ nf tho I OIIiSiaua- Arkansas Ui anu
C,s Comnanv Limited.
state of Louisiana. Parish Of Cad
do: Be it known that on this the 6th
day of September 1913 before me,
Otis W. Bullock. a notary public III
and for Caddo Parish. Louisiana,
;, duly commissioned and qualified
personally came aud appeared >. H.
llppIncol,, acting l"f hi'fis''' ''''u
as The agent ana attorney -'''
Tor the i"IloNlllR peFSohS' 'o"S' -
>. Sl''l 81 Ashtlo"h' hIh' h' - '"'
i non ot ASIldnWn' AFk" i. W i1''H VI
y NN'i'l"Nil' Arh" l. '''l' ~
down, Afk" i. IL. MoFfeIl ol ~"
down, Ark" =. N. Lewis ol N,,'' T.
:, AK" r. II, l"dd o. ieNal hd'''' ~
: as >. II. h'pPi'ro't ~ ~ ,t''' =
La. X. T." Brown OF laiias, ''N'e'
!. =. west ol ''ai''A' i'N"a' VIZ
declared mat aNaIi'ilS themselves "
me pFoNlsloiiS ol tile laws " 'Ho
!. state Oh Lou'S'aia reid''N' " ~
= formation ol to'lofdtl"fa' w :
nave loFhled ahn 40 ''ii9'''''''
Ilh'f1StINcS, aH wen as "lf 't''e' p''-
sons VINO may hereafter become da-
SocIated WIN tiehi' l'i'o 'ol p''
llon ana bodN pol'tlc, ana hdNt
1 adop'tl DIS 'i'','r c''"t''T ''i'' ~ "
Incorporation d" 'ol'o"s' 10" :
ARTICLE |.
The name and STYLE Of this cor
poralion shall be he Louisiana
Arkansas Oil and Gas Company,
Limited, and under that name shall
have and enjoy succession for a pc
riod of fifty years. unless otherwise
sooner dissolved as hereinafter SET
= forth, and shall have power to con
tract. sue and be sued, and purchase.
own and lease property, real and
personal, and to sell, mortgage,
pledge and hypOthecate same; TO
make and use "A corporate seal,
name and elect directors, managers
and agents, and 10 establish Such
:. bylaws, rules and regulations Tor
the management Of the affairs OF
said corporation as they may deem
necessary, and to alter the same nj
pleasure: also to make and Issue
bonds and other evidences Of debt
and 10 secure the same by mortgage
or otherwise.
ARTICLE II.
: The dOmiciIe of thus corporation
shall be in the City Of Shreveport,
Gaddo Parish, Louisiana. ana us
; iegal CITATION ana ot'eF 'eE'l pl u
o'eS '''''i ~ ~ ~ -
'0''' 7',' ''''
AM i'''.f' H.
ilie o'Je't ana i'''l i'''9'2 80
"hlcii thl9 'oil l'oi "'''ai - '7'''-
l'si'e" ana 'ile i'"'ile u l'"9''''0 ~
De carried oil ny 1t a. 'e wv '''' g" ~
Dc as lo'Io"s' " "'N''op JILL Zoo
or o'iler l''ihefals o'i 'ns 'op'' "
o"lleo VI 'oii'' olieu ny 1t VI o,"''
corporations Vi peio'iis III t'ie '7''''
VI i'ou'si''i" VI o'9o" ''' u" '''o -
ol''eu 0t''es' ~ vi III "'i'' anu ~
sen TIE pfou'i'' 'io'' ei''i 'oi W 'oi-
s'r'ic'' i'a'litaU, anu olei ''o pup
iihes lor convey 'ns o'i' sao - 0'''e'
Pfooucts from aue'' "eii9 " ''>
part Oh the olii'ed o'a,eo' ~ y" W
houses ana oIi'er STRUCTURES ''e'to
sarS lor CARRYING oi It's business
ana III eeherai 10 10 al. aus i'''t'-
safH VI eApe"ieii' i'i ''ie ''oi "''oi'
OF It's ah''rs.
ARTICLE ~.
The powers of this corporation
shall be vested in a board of direc-
tors composed of nine stockholders,
four of whom shall constitute. a
,quorum to transact business. The
I IL Il.
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19
w. A. STEPHENS.
f. M. CLINE
OTIS w. BULLOCK,
Notary Public Caddo Parish, La.

Having examined the foregoing
act of incorporation and finding
nothing therein contrary to law, ]
therefore approve same. Thus done
and signed officially on this the 6th
day Of September A. y. 1913.
w A. MABRY,
District Attorney First Judicial Dis
lrici of Louisiana.
Endorsed: Filed and recorded
Sept. 6, 1913. so. WILLIAMS.
Deputy Clerk and ex-Oilicio Deputy
Recorder.
State of Louisiana, Parish of cad
do: hereby certify that the above
and foregoing is a true and correct
copy of the original act, as the same
now appears on file and of record in
my office. Given under my hand and
seal of office this 9th day of Sept.
1913. S. o. WILLIAMS,
Deputy Clerk and ex-Officio Deputy
Recorder. Sept. 25-
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19

infOrmallty IN organization nav" The,
effect of rendering this charter null
and void
ARTICLE VI.
Al all elections each ahareAof
stock shall be entitled to one vote;
stockholders may vote by proxy,
duly authorized in writing, the rep
resentatives of a majority of The
stock present shall constitute
quorum.
ARTICLE VII.
This charter may be changed al
tered or amended, or dissolved II 4
meeting convened for that purpose
with the consent of threc-tourlhs 0t
the subscribed stock of tile con-
pany represented al such me"ine.
Forty days notice III writing of such
meeting and the purpose for winch
il is called shall be given each
stakeholder by mail, TO be directed
to his last known poStolliCe. Notice
Of such meeting shall be published
in a newspaper published at Sireyc-
port, La. In case of dissolution Of
this corporation by limitation or
otherwise. its affairs shall be IIqul-
dated bv three commissioners Sc
lected by and from the stockholders
of said corporation at a meeting
called after due notice for that Dur
pose.
bone and signed at my otlce in
said Parish and State, in the pres
ence of The undersigned legal WI
nesses, who sign with me, said no
tary, and said appearers, on thlS Tie
day and date first above written.
JUDGE ]. s. STEEL.
b. J.. MAHON.
j. w. LONG.
l. T. HALE.
!. r. MORREI l..
o. X. LEWIS.
F.. H. TODD.
r. r. BROWN
r. G. WEST.
by S. R. Lippincott.
Attest: s. r .LIppINCOTT.
w. A. STEPHENS.
F. NJ. CLINE.
nrrIC w DIT 7 nffk
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19
ARTICLE VIII.

This charter may be changed, al
tered or amended, or this corpora
ton dissolved by consent OF two
thirds of all the stock hereof at q
meeting called for that purpose af-
ter ten days notice in writing mailed
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19
ARTICLE VII.

No stakeholder Of this corporation
shall be liable for any OF the
acts, faults or contracts Of the same
for any greater amount than the
unpaid balance, if any, due on his
capital stock, and no informalities
in organization shall have the effect
Of rendering this charter void or ex-
posing any stockholder to any fur
ther liability than the unpaid bal
ance, if any, due by him for stock
subscribed.
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19
ARTICLE VI.

At all meetings of the stockhold-
ers of the corporation, except as
otherwise provided herein, each
share of stock shall entitle the
holder thereof, either in person or
by proxy, to one vote, and major
ity of votes cast shall control; and
ten days prior notice of such meet
ings shall be given by written no.
tice mailed to each stakeholder of
record or by publication in a news
paper published in the City OF
Shreveport, La.
The Caucasian., 1913-10-19

owned by him, nor shall any mere,
informally in organization have the
effect of rendering this charter nuIl
and void
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

she had often heard him referred to
as that brute or that fool" or that
drunken imbecile." II portrait OF
him existed. Fortune had not yet seen
1t. She visited his lonely grave once
year. In the Protestant cemetery.
and dreamily tried to conjure up what
manner OF man he had been One day
she piled her old Italian nurse with
questions.
Handsome? Yes, but IL was all so
long ago. cara mia. that | can not
describe him to you"
Did he drink" Behind this ques-
ton there was no sense OF moral
obloquy az applying to the dead.
'Sainted Mary! didn't all men drink
their very souls into purgatory those
unreligious days."
Had he any relatives,"
Il never heard OF any"
Was IN rich?'
NO: but when the slgnora. your
mother, married him she thought he
was"
II was not till later years that For
tune grasped the true significance Of
this statement. 1t illumined many
pages. She dropped all Investigations.
concluding wisely that her mother. II
she were minded to speak at all. could
supply only the incidents. the details
1t was warm, balmy, like May in the
northern ATTITUDES. Women wore
white dresses and carried sunshades
over their shoulders. A good band
played airs from the new light-operas,
and at one side OF the grand-stand
were tea-tables under dazzling linen.
Fashion was out. Not NIL her votaries
enjoyed polo. but 1t was absolutely
necessary to pretend that they did.
When they talked they discussed the
Spanish dancer who paraded back
and forth across the tea-lawn. They
discussed her Jewels, her clothes. her
escort. and quite frankly her morals,
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

There was one man more persistent
than the others. Her mother called
him Horace. which the major mel
lowed into Hoddy. He was tall. blond
good-looking, deyil-may-care, edu.
Gated. witty. amusing; and in evening
dress he appeared to be what it was
quite evident he had once been. a
gentleman. At first she thought II
strange that he should make her. in
stead OF her mother, his confidante.
AS to what vocation he pursued she
did not know. for he kept sedulous
guard over his tongue: but his past.
up to that fork in the road where man.
hood says good-by to youth. was hers.
And In this direction. clever and artful
as the mother was. she sought In vain
TO wrest this past from her daughters
lips. To the mother, 1t was really nee
essary for her to know who this man
really was, had been, knowing thor
oughly as she did what he was now
Persistent he undeniably was, but
never coarse nor rude. Since that
time he had come back from the
casino at Monte Carlo. much the worse
for wine. she feared him: yet. in spite
OF this fear, she had for him a vague
liking. a hazy admiration. Whatever
his faults might be. she stood witness
to his great physical strength and
courage. He was the only man. among
all those who appeared at the Villa
Fanny and Immediately vanished. who
returned again. And he. too, soon
grew to be part OF this unreal drama,
arriving mysteriously one day and de-
parting the next.
That a drama was being enacted I'M
der her eyes she no longer doubted !:
but 1t was as though she had taken
her seat among the audience In the
middle OF the second act. She could
make neither head nor tail to IT,
Whenever she accompanied her
mother upon these impromptu Jour
neys. her character. or rather her at
titude, underwent change. She
swept aside her dreams: she accepted
the world as II was, saw things as
they were; laughed, but without merri-
ment: TESTED. but with the venomed
point. 1t was the reverse OF her real
character to give hurt to any living
thing. but during these forced march
es, as the major humorously termed
them. and such they were in truth,
she could no more stand against Civ
ing the cruel stab than. when alone
in her garden, she could resist the
tender pleasure OF succoring a fallen
butterfly. She was especially happy
In finding weak spots In her mothers
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

the dark beauty OF high-class Span
lard. possessing humor. trenchant COM
ment. keen deduction and application:
worldly, cynical. high-bred The stu
dent OF nations might have tried in
vain to place her. She spoke the
French II The Parisians. the Italian
OF the FloreLstpes. the German OF the
Hanoverians. and her English was the
envy OF Americans and the wonder of
the Londoners. The daughter fell be-
hind her but little, but she was more
reserved B.
AS Fortune sat beside the young col
lcctor that afternoon. she marveled
why they had given him Percival Al
gernon. Jones was all right, solid and
substantial. but the other two turned
IL into ridicule. Still. what was the
matter with Percival Algernon? His
tory had given men OF these names
mighty fine things TO accomplish.
Then why ridicule? Was II due TO the
perverted angle of vision created by
wits and humorists in the comic week
lies. who were eternally pillorying
these unhappy pretixes TO ordinary
cognomens? And why this pillorying?
She hadn't studied the subject suf-
ficiently to realize that the business
of the humorist ia not SO much to
amuse as to warn persons against be-
coming ridiculous. And Percival Al
gernon Jones was all Of that II re-
solved itself into a matter OF values,
then. Had his surname been Mont
morency. Percival Algernon would
have fitted as a key to it's lock. She
smiled. No one but a fond mother
would be guilty OF such a crime. And
IL she ever grew to know him well
enough. she was going to ask him all
about this mother.
What interest had her own mother
In this harmless young man? oh,
some day she would burst through this
web. this Jungle; some day she would
see beyond the second acti What
then? she never troubled to ask her
self; time enough when the moment
arrived.
Il had an interesting adventure
last night, most interesting one"
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12
CHAPTER vi


moonlight ana Poetry.
A ball followed dinner that night,
Wednesday. The ample loungin&
room filled up rapidly after coffeet
officers In smart uniforms and spura
whose principal function In times OF
peace IS TO get in 0verybody's way,
rowel exposed ankles, and demolish
lace ruhles. Egyptians and Turks and
sleek Armenians In sombeT western
frock and scarlet eastern feS or tar
boosh, women Of all oolors (meanin4
as course. as Rpplied) and shapes anf
tastes. the lean and the fat. the tai
and short. such as Billy Taylor IL sala
to have kissed in all the ports, and
tail-coats OF as many styles as 10
seph's had patches. George could die
tinguish HIS compstFiots By the NJ -
the trousers round the inatep; tn
Engllshman had his fitted at ~.
waist and trusted in Providence fcs
the hang OF the rest This triiing de
tectiVs work rather pleased George
The women, however, were all Eve
to his eye; liberal expanses of beautt
ful white skin. the bare effect beinf
modified by string OF pearls ~ dis
monds or emeralds, and hair which
might or might not have been whoIl1
their own. He waited restlessiy fos
the temperance Of Mrs. Chedsoys
and her daughter. All was right viii
the world. except that he was 20 sas
altogether too soon. His loan ha1
been returned. and he knew that hL
former suspicious had been most m
worthy. Mrs Chedsoye had navus
received his note.
GRO BIZ coNTugUEnA
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

In life hocked about her. why. Il f.
| the eternal tribute demanded OF beau
ty. Here and there the men were not
all the daughter might have wished.
Often they burnt sweet fiattery at her
shrine, tentatively; but as she coolly
stamped out these incipient fires.
they ut length came to regard her as
one regards the beauty OF frosted
window. as thing TO admire and
praise in passing. One ache always
abided; the bitter knowledge that had
she met in kind smile for smile and
Jest for Jest, she might have been her
mothers boon companion. But deep
back in some hidden chamber OF her
heart lay a secret dread OF such a
step. dread which, whenever she
stroye to analyZe It, ran from under
her Investigating touch, as little balls
or quicksilver run from under the
pressure OF thumb.
She was never without the comforts
OF life. well-fed. welldressed. we'll
housed. and often her mother flung
her some jeweled trinket which (again
that sense OF menace) she put away.
hut never wore. The bright periods
were when they left her in the little
/ villa near Mentone, with no one but
her old and faithful nurse. There.
with her horse. her books and her
flowers. she was at peace. Week into
week and month into month she was
let be. Never a letter came. save
from some former Bchoolmate who
vas coming over and wanted letters
or introduction to dukes and duchess
es. II she smiled over these letters
IL was with melancholy; for the dukes
and duchesses, who fell within her
singular orbit. were not the sort TO
whom one gave letters OF introduction
Where her mother went she never
had the least idea She might be In
any Of the great ports OF the world.
anywhere between New York and
Port Said. The major generally dis
| appeared at the same time. Then.
perhaps. she'd come back from a
pleasant tram-ride over to Nice and
find them both at the villa, maid and
! luggage. Mayhap a night or two. and
on they'd go again; never a word
about their former Journey, uncom-
municative, rather quiet. These alb
sences, together with the undemon-
strative temperatures, used to hurt
Fortune dreadfully. It gave her a
clear proof OF where she stood, exactly
nowhere. The hurt had lessened with
the years. and now she didn't care
much. Like as not. they would drag
her out OF Eden for a month or two.
for what true reason she never could
quite fathom. unless 1t was that at
times her mother liked to have the
daughter near her as a foil
At rare intervals she saw steeleyed.
grim-mouthed men wandering up and
down before the gates of the Villa
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

which Of the four was by all odds the
most popular theme. All agreed that
she was handsome In bold way This
modification invariably distinguishes
the right sort of women from the
wrong sort, from which there is no ap-
peal to a higher court They could
well AFFORD 20 admit OF her beauty,
since the dancer was outside what Is
called tho social pale. for all that her
newest escort was a prince incognito.
They also discussed the play at bridge,
tho dullness OF this particular season,
the possibility OF war between Eng
land and Germany. And some ono
asked otherr who we're tho two we'll
gowned women down I'm front. sitting
on either side OF the young chap in
pearl-grey No one knew. Mother and
daughter. probably Anyhow. they
knew something about good clothes.
George was happy. He was proud.
too. He saw tho glances. the node OF
approval. He basked In kind OF
sunshine that was Asv. What an ass
he had been all his life! To have
been afraid OF women Just because
he was PerciVal Algernonl What he
should have done was to have gone
forth boldly. taken what pleasures he
found, and laughed with the rest OF
them.
There weren't two other women IA
all Cairo 70 compare with these two.
The mother. ahapalyy elegant, vita
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

Fanny. but they never rang the bell.
nor spoke to her when she passed
them on the street II she talked Of
these mon. her mother and the major
would exchange amused glances. moth
ing more.
II, rightly or wrongly. she hated her
mother. she despissd her uncle. who
vas ever bringing to the villa mon OF
money. but OF coarse nber, ostensibly
with the view Of marrying her on.
But Fortune had her dreams. and she
was quite content to wait
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

began George, who was no longer the
shy, laundering recluse They were
on the way back to town.
Tell It me-" said Mrs. Chedsoye.
He leaned over from his seat beside
the chauffeur OF the hired automobile.
(Hang the expense on a day IKE
this!) "A fellow brought me n rug
last night. one OF the rarest outside
the museums. How and where be got
II I'm not fully able to state. But
he had been In a violent strus1lo
somewhere. arms slashed. shins bat.
tered He admitted that he had gone
In where many shapes OF death
lurked. II was n bit irregular. I
bought the rug. however. Some ona
else would have snatched Il I'D n I
hadn't I wanted him to recount the
adventure. but he smiled and refused
tell you what It is. these eastern
ports arc great places"
How intsrssting!" Mrs. Chedsove,s
color was not up TO the mark. he
was not seriously wounded?"
"Oh. no. He looks like a tough In.
dividuAi. mean. a chap strong and
hardy enough TO pull himself out OF
pretty bad holes He needed the
money"
Did be give his manner asked FOR
tune.
Yes; but no doubt Il was assumed.
RySnns. and be spsiA st with an me-
Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1913-02-12

armor, and she never denief herself
the thrust. Mrs Chedsoye enjoyed
these sharp encounters. foi II must
be added that she gave ar good az
she took. and more often than not her
thrusts bit deeper and did not always
heal
Fortune never asked questions rela-
tive to the family finances. II she
haroored any doubts as 20 their origin.
70 the sour9o Of their comparative lux
ury. she nfVer put these Into speech.
sha AaA never seeA hat Sathas. bns