The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-05-29
To Point a Moral and AdOm a Tale

make arguments IN favor OF the gov
eminent ownership Of railroads. Mr..
Mellen himself limited at this in his
testimony as a remedy for such scan
dalous corruption as he and his fellow
directors Of the New Haven INDUCED
in. In the past when the managers
of some OF the large corporations were
caught buying up judges, courts and
legislatures they justified themselves
by showing that they were threatened
by adverse legislation or court de-
cisions. In the New Haven case no
such defense can be made. At the
time the skinning of the stockholders
began under Mr.. Morgan's direction
the New Haven was prosperous cor
poration. It's stock was worth nearly
three dollars for one, it had not missed
paying dividend for over forty years.
It was the favored corporation pet OF
every New Highlander, including judges
and Legislators. It was the one cor
poration whose stock had never been
watered. perhaps it was this high
distinction that excited the envy and
aroused the cupidity of the frenzied
fnanciers.) At this time Mr.. Mellen
was president OF the Northern Pacific.
Mr.. Morgan asked him if he would
take the presidency of the New Haven
at $4,000 per year. Mr.. Mellen was
delighted. He said he was fattered
by the notice taken Of him by the
great man Of money. At once, with
no excuse under the sun, the money
was taken out Of the treasury and
water, two dollars worth of water for
every dollars worth Of money, was put
in its place. 1t will scarcely be ac-
cepted as satisfactory that part of the
money was used to endow hospitals.
make donations to churches and or
phan homes and to pay for art collec-
tions to be given to the city of New
York. Which reminds US OF story.
The incident occurred in Germany
many years ago, where the custom OBJ
rains, or did then obtain, OF keeping
money that belonged to the church in
an old desk drawer. One night this
money, not a very large amount, dis
appeared, and about the same time
good man disappeared from the COM
munity. OF course it created great
scandal, but in time it was forgotten.
After many years he returned to his
native villege. With the ill-gotten
money he had prospered in foreign
land. In place Of the old, weather
beaten church he had robbed forty
wears before he erected magnificent
structure and after it was completed
he caused to be placed on it in con-
spicuous place tablet with this in
scription thereon: Erected by Hans
Duncker, who forty years ago took 400
gulden from the church Golfers and
went to America, where the Lord
helped him to prosper and amass
great fortune. With the profits on the
400 gulden he erected this beautiful
house of worship. Let him who can
do more than I have done for this
town remove my name and write his
instead" and then he lay down and
died. The people Of that town be-
lieve to this day that Hans Duncker
went straight to heaven, and traveller
visiting the town is shown the church
and the tablet that extols the virtues Of
one Of its citizens. know it is there,
or was there, because read it myself.
The name is changed, and the inscrip-
ton has lost some of its literary chas-
tity and mouth-flling rotundity in the
translation, having been written orig
inally in classic high German, which is
all but untranslatable.
New York is a great city and no
doubt Mr.. Morgan thought it should
have a great art gallery. In taking the
New Haven millions and investing
them in famous paintings, statuary and