The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1915-05-07
STOCKHOLDERS EXPRESSIONS
PICTURING CONDITIONS AS
HE SEES THEM.


notice by the St. Louis papers
that Mr.. J. A. Holmes, father of Mr.
Robert Holmes, is dead. This fact
coupled with so many expressions Of
eulogy Of Messrs. F. P. Graves and
Robert Holmes which have been
brought to my attention by the papers
Of ST. Francois county, prompts me,
as a stakeholder in the mining COM
panies with which they are connected,
to say few words, which / trust will
add some momentum to the move
ment started in the affairs of the St.
Joseph and Doe Run Companies by
our worthy friend, Mr.. Robert
Holmes. shall be brief as possible.
Most of the expressions from the St.
Francois county papers have come
from either employees or former en-
ployees of these companies and show
the sentiment to be universal from the
entire community of a people that are
grateful to those who formerly man
aged these companies so successfully,
both as regards the stockholders and
the employee.
The death of Mr.. Holmes leaves but
one, in the person of Mr.. F. P.Graves,
of the old regime who combined sound
judgment, economy and unrelenting
personal efforts with their money to
build up these great mining institu-
tions.
The competence and the worth of
these men who have all passed away,
except Mr.. Graves, is clearly demon
strated, it seems to me, not only by
the satisfied thousands of employees
of former years, but by the fact that
these companies owed not a dollar
at what may be termed the close of
their active management.
Does not the present condition of
affairs prove the incompetence of the
present management? At the time
the present management came into
power the companies had passed Gin
FAINT industry" period and had grown
into institutions of enormous proper
tons, we'll able to cope with all other
companies in a like or similar bust
ness. 1t required men of caliber, such
as Mr.. j. A. Holmes, whose judgment
and foresight enabled him to draw
aside from the manifold responsible
tiles, placed upon him by the boards
of directors of such institutions as
the Western Union Telegraph Co.,
the Bank of Commerce in st. Louis
and many other large companies, not
to mention the great lumber business
in which he was more directly tier
ested, and see the great possibilities
which lay beneath the ground of st.
Francois county, and to build the
great plants for the development of
these great mines and at the same
time acquire lands which will afford
wealth and employment untold for
generations to come. And while it
required these sort of men to so sue
cessfully establish these wealthy in
stitutions and place them on such
formidable basis. can say, without
fear of successful contradiction, that
it requires men with at least some of
these qualities, judgment and fore
sight to continue these companies on
a paying basis; which at last, is the
chief object of our investment, wheth-
er our holdings are great or small.
The degree of success which was at
tanned by Mr.. j. A. Holmes in his lum-
Der business, created demands on him
by other great business enterprises
that sought his counsel, aid and adj
wise. Many such might be mentioned,
though l will only refer to the Board
of Directors of the Worlds Fair at
st. Louis, which enterprise was so
widely known, and of which he was
member. And while | refer largely
to the capacity of the elder Mr..
Holmes, whose activities have come
home to the stockholders and employ
ees of the st. Joseph and Doe Run
Lead Companies, | would call atten-
ton to the fact that his success was
greatly augmented by the able as
sistance of his son, MIR. Robert
Holmes, whose connections and ex-
perience with large business has en-
inently qualified and fitted him TO take
upon himself all the responsibilities
of his father, the major portion of
which responsibilities he already as
sumed years ago, and while the death
of the elder Mr.. Holmes is greatly to
be regretted, the business of the
Holmes Lumber Co, will scarcely
miss him, so well will the policies and
success of the business be carried on
by the son.