Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-14

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and with that thought constantly in MIND,
there was no need for a panic. The
| STOCK was worth, and should command,
| par Tho improvements, for which the
| reorganization had been made, were to be
carried out and others, vastly greater
were In immediate contemplation.
1t was hopeful speech, rousIng
| speech, reassuring speech, and Presi-
| dent Marley felt, when he sat down,
| bathed in self-approbation and perspira-
! ton, that there being six reporters pres
| ent by special invitation, he had raised
| the market value of his stock from ten to
| fifteen points
So impressive was his speech that lit
! tie Henry Peters, whose cheeks were
shrunken and PALE and whose wrinkle
framed eyes were bleared from the loss
of sleep, turned to his nearest neigh
bor' and said, with sigh of relief.
Tn glad didn't sell my stock day
before yesterday. 1 almost took thirty
| I'VE for It, but tho man didn't come
| back"
His neighbor, wattle-necked man with
crooked nose and tow-like hair, which
swept down his forehead and curled up
| over his eyebrows, said through his nose,
like the wheeze of a penny whistle;
'Nyahi everythings all talk"
UP rose Attorney Tucker, sharp,
nosed little man with beady eyes, and
the crisp business air which frowns on a
smile and hates a holiday
Let his fellow stockholders beware of
too much optimism lie, himself had
been, next to President Marley, the
largest individual holder of stock in the
company. He had sold all but an ex-
tremely small portion before the panic
and wished that he had sold the balance
for the outlook was very gloomy. He
Xx-ich 70 tie -t,r,
form of personal TRADE, but he did feel
II necessary to point out that the down
rail- and ultimate ruination of their COM
pany was due, not to msmanagement
but to political manipulation.
Let me tell you the TRUTH" he shouted
I'VE have with us today, at this very
meeting, a man of tremendous power and
influence; a politician of national re-
nown; one who is, at this moment, under
the searching eye of the law: an omnip-
otent friend and n relentless foe; and
this man has chosen, for reasons of his
own, to wreck, and devastate and turn
to useless rust the Ring City Street Rail-
way Company"
Every eye was turned to Sledge, but
that omnipotent friend and relentless
foe. without moving a corpuscle, gazed
straight ahead at nothing.
He Is no friend of the working manl'
swore little Henry Peters.
As If infuriated by his lmpassIveness
Attorney Tucker, who was paid by Sledge
for the purpose, fguratively ripped the
big boss up the back, skinned him alive
hung up his hide to dry and scattered
his ashes to winds, painting him as an In
satiable monster and chiefly calling at
tention to his habits of ruthless devasta.
ton, Wherever the present street car
company had a line, the new one would
nave one on an adjoining street, with
newer and better and swifter cars, and a
closer schedule, and, unless something
radical were done, he would not give
a continental cuss per bale for the stock
of the now rapidly dying Ring city
Street Railway Company.
A long low Sigh like the midnight
soughing In a churchyard, arose from
that meeting, as Attorney Tucker sat
down Little Henry Peters, with n llvid
race clutched the arm of his waffle
neclted neighbor.
IF that man had only come back 7
could have got thirty-five for my stocIt!"
he walled. I'm ruined. I shall lose nv
home! Frank Marley is a rotten business
man.
'Yeh" intoned the crooked-nosed one.
They're all thieves"
Jim Delaney, who, with a clear eve
ana a straight countenance, could make
louder speeches than any man in the
eighth ward. painted even n blacker mic
ture than Attorney Tucker. and when he
sat down he had bankrupted every stock
holder within the sound of his voice 1t
even seemed incredible that a street car
should be whizzlng outside. Little Henry
Peters sat numbly, with his hair clutched
IN his hands. If he could have swappea
his nine thousand dollars worth of street
railway stock for a jack-knife with two
broken blades, his conscience would have
hurt him; and every stockholder was in
his class Misery sat enthroned on every
countenance,
Daniel b. Atkins, q rising young law
year. with no capital but an empty con-
science and silver tongue, was the
first individual since Marley 10 offer
gleam of hope
He admitted all that the preceding
gentlemen had said, and believed. him
selr' that the company was reduced 10
pauperism unless something radical
could be done. He had believed this SO
thoroughly that he had laid awake
nights, trying to evolve plan for their
salvation.
He had evolved tia scheme whereby
the company could not only raise its
stock to par but place It at a premium:
whereby the company could become a
monopoly, and extend its business to
meet the growing demands of the city,
and become again per cent dividend
a
tremendous construction surplus. On
his own responsibility he had gone TO
the organizer of the rival new company,
and had labored with him for hours TO
persuade him to come to this meeting,
and lay before It a rather novel, but
life-saving proposition. Would the stock
holders permit him to introduce the en-
inent promoter and organizer Mr.. Boz
aam, who would present his proposition
in person?
The stockholders would. They said so,
with so Voclferous and almost fearful
a clamor that President Marley could
scarcely make himself heard to obtain a
formal vote on the proposition.
Mr.. Bozzam entered. with his hair not
too smoothly brushed nor his clothes
not so immaculate but that he looked
businesslike, and sat down quietly in
the seat courteously offered him by
President Marley. He was wide
shouldered man, with a pleasant coun-
tenance and a good forehead, who look
ed as IL he had muscles under his coat
and he was we'll liked by the concourse.
Little Henry Peters judged that he was
a keen business man, but square, and
said so,
''WaghP' nasaled the tow-haIred neigh
Dor. II wouldn't trust anybody"
How many shares OF stock have you
got7" asked little Henry.
"Three." boasted the wattle-necked
one MY brother-in-law give 'em to |
me-"
Mr. Marley introduced the caller in a