The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-13
"Preposterous. sir, preposterous! y


Jason Stead, the Pittsburg man of affairs
sat back in his Office chair and waved his
Y hands with an air of fnality.
The proposition is entirely too big for
the! Shemongo Valley Traction Con- 3any,' y
he continued "To be frank with you, ]
should say that it is out of the question for
Two sufficient reasons: the company has not
been making money and the stockholders
have sunk all they intend to sink in it."
But, what are you going to do about it?''
asked johnson Trinler. do you intend to
let it wreck itself and lose all the money you
have already sunk?'
We have decided to close out our holdings
to the Northern Traction Company They
have the capital to take care of the enterprise
& and with their own system in connection they
can make it pay returned the older man.
This is news to me-about selling out,
responded Trinler.
The details are just now being arranged,
although we have considered the thing for
some little time. Mr.. Sticiney and are
4 going over them today. The Northern
people have an option, which expires We'd
nesday night, and we have fully decided to
close. In view of that, Mr.. AVA"
"Trinler."
Mr.. Trinler, in view of that don't sup
pose there is any use of our discussing the
subject further"
johnson Trinler did not suppose there
was either and after moment or two in
narbled corridors he found himself wander
ing down a busy street, welcoming the cool
3 air upon his burning brow and rejecting
upon what he called internal luck"
IA short time before his hopes were high
and his enthusiasm was bubbling over for
I he had felt sure he could convince Jason
Stead, the wealthy capitalist, that it would
be nothing short of good, common business
sense for the stockholders of the traction
company to raise some money for the con-
struction of branch interurban line through
the Silwell mining valley. Such venture
was the one big salvation of the Shemongo
Valley Traction Company. The branch line
would, of course, cost great deal of money,
but millions were nothing to men like Jason
Stead when there was excellent probability
of getting high return on an investment
"A branch line through the Silwell valley, con-
Meeting thirteen busy mining towns, meant
q splendid revenue and the saving of the
traction company from what appeared to be
almost certain disaster.
So that is why old Stickney was so anx-
ious to get away last night" unused Trim
Ter to himself "a scheme to unload. l didn't
suppose he had the nerve to do anything like
that. I'll bet old Mortimer Wells is behind
\ it.o
Trinler's eyes wandered over sign COW
cred Office building across the street. Singh
out one, he reads Merritt and Kidwell,
Stocks and Bonds"
Bondsl The idea struck him in flash
thought of that before? Richard T. Merlon
Pittsburg multi-millionaire, held practically
all the outstanding bonds of the Shemongo
Valley Traction Company and the bondholder
was, after ALL the real power behind the
throne. In exactly fourteen minutes Trinler
was being ushered into the marble and ma
hogany banking Office of Richard 7. Merlon
ON the strength of having written across his
business card:
Business of the Shemongo Valley Trac-
don Co."
Mr.. Merlon," said johnson in COOL
earnest, business-like manner, 81 am Office
cashier of the Shemongo Valley Traction
Company, which, as you know, is in rather
lettering condition, or at least appears to be-
] was one of the original promoters who were
feeced by the absconding Col. Payne. After
long and tedious work have obtained right
of way on the old Copeland farm, something
long given up as hopeless, thus making the
Silwell branch possible. 1 have tried to in
terest the stockholders, but have Just learned
that they have planned to sell out before
Wednesday night to the Northern people"
"The hell you sayT' exclaimed Merlon
flushing with anger at the mention of the
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