The Washington times., 1915-07-20
POWDER IS MAKING
WILMINGTON RICH
People of Delaware Turning
Every Penny Into Stocks Of
du Pont Company.

Powder promises to make Whining
ton. Del. the richest city Of its size
in the world. The war In Europe IL
doing for investors In du Pont Powder
shares all that the genli did for Alledin
when the latter rubbed his memorable
lamp.
Wilmington has faith in its home in
dustries. and. according to reports. has
turned every dollar possible into du
Pont stocks. A a result. people In
moderate circumstances have become
we'll to do. the we'll to do have become
rich, while lucky dozen or so OF
wealthy citizens can now call themselves
millionaires-
Sensational advances in the price OF
ordnance securities have made profits
we'll over $3.50. .OOO. 900 for their owners.
The story Is told thus by Gordon
Mackay in the Philadelphia Press:
After the Government suit against
ne ag pSns the
Powder Company. the Hercules Pow
der Company and the Atlas Powder
I Company.
Common About 800.
'The du Pont Company Immediately
issued $1,000 in preferred stock. In
common tho issue was s2s, ss7 900. Today
the common Is selling around $3.50, maxi
! ing the increase in its valuation
| SIT, ,000, 900. On the preferred, present
quotations show an increase Of $3.OSS.OOO.
The number Of shares Is 100000 In COM
mon and l60, $50 in preferred.
"Two-thirds is held in Wilmington,
and in many cases the shares are owned
| by clerks In the company, laborers In
the plants and men Of slender salaries
associated in the du Pont activities.
THE Hercules Powder common shows
an increase OF s2l, 900, 600, while the pre-
ferred is worth 500. 900 above par. Sixty.
five to 70 per cent Of this amount is held
common, through the rise in value. now
| has increased 81 .00O,0 900.
"A Wilmington brokerage house in a
case In point shows the idea held Of the
continued rise IN value S OF the the stocks stocks;
| shares Of stock as bonus for perfect
ing an invention. ordered the broker to
sell his stock when 1t touched $3.50. The
held the stock. writing to his client that
he rss hss st:SSsysd client ;n turn ordered linn to
sell when $3.50 was touched. Again
came disobedience Of this command
he had not followed instructions. FL
nally the owner of the stock began to
see Into the future. He has left explicit
instructions that his stock Is not to be
sold until 1t reaches $l.05O per share, or
!
Will 1t Mean An Orgy?
"Behind this tale of finance based on
the war is story, too. of disappoint-
ments. Men who had an opportunity
| to purchase these stocks early in the
| formation of the various companies now
sigh over chances neglected. David
Marvel. who with his brother. Josiah
ranks among Delaware's shining legal
lights, is one of these. He told how he
could have bought Atlas for 80 when II
was first offered for sale. Now it has
touched PA and Is going up.
| THE present situation Is described
thus by Josiah Marvel.
| win this sudden wealth mean ar
| orgy run riot such as obtained in Pitts
! burgh after the great steel boom. OF
will 1t mean that our citizens who have
profited will invest their money to build
up the city and augment its industries
"'Of course with the du Points 1t will
to wealth. But how about the clerks
| vii! they continue to be artisans and
clerks and live as they have. or Yill
they begin carnival Of wealth? This
Is, a big problem for. Wilmington. I,
will have great bearing on our future
and we should prepare for It.
1T Is unique and epochal In the
worlds history. this Wilmington boom
Here We have been going along since
1888. when the town was settled in the
average manner of the average city that
has reached 100000 population. Now lr
three months we have reached a posi-
ton that makes us one of the richest. Il
not the richest city of our size In tn.
world. 1t Is a wonderful thing. wonder.
full and romantic fiction has conceived
no thing greater than our volatile
growth. It surely should be a fine thing
for us. but will 1t be? That's grea
civic problem for US to await a solution
and an answer" "