Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-06
SELLING BLUE SKY TOLD
OF BY HASKIN TODAY
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

25 per cent. Lane. being somewhat
closer to the insiders than the
| others, received 80 per cent. That
is, out of every hundred dollars
which he secured for Il share of
stock he got IS. After the insiders
! got theirs" it is quite evident there
ould not be q great deal left to so
| into the actual construction and
equipment of the plant, but the in
vestors were not supposed to in
Quire too closely into that.
| Picked Out Rural Community
| Experience had taught Lane that
| he could work most successfully in d
rural community. accordingly, he
picked out a small town in a rich
farming district, satisfied himself
| that there was plenty of money
| there, and mapped out "A careful
| campaign. Pursuant to this plan he
went to the town, registered at the
one and only hotel and spent two
days in driving about the adjacent
country. He made no acquaintance
ontside of the hotel proprietor and
the man who drove him and he
gave them no information about his
business. Then he went away. A
few days later he returned and re-
peated the performance except that
this time he made some carefully
guarded inquiries about farm values
in that section.
BY the time he made his third
visit to the town, Lane was some
thing of a man of mystery to the
people there-he had whetted their
curiosity. On this occasion he went
to the town banker and said that
he sought advice in a very confiden-
tial matter. He had some little
money to invest in farm lands, he
said, and would not have anything
to do with real estate agents, pre-
ferring to transact all his business
through the bank. Naturally the
banker was interested and Lane was
soon on good terms with him, dis
cussing land prices, investments,
politics, and what not, but chiefly
investments. In the course of this
talk Lane told the banker of a for
tunate investment he had made in
the stock of the original industrial
plant mentioned, which had paid so
per cent the first year. He had
documentary proof OF this. The
bankers mouth fairly watered. He
would like to get hold of some of
that stock! Lane said he didn't
blame hinl--he'd like to get more OF
il himself, but, OF course, there
company was being organized and he
had been promised as a very great
favor that he would have Il small
block of that stock, which would
probably be even more profitable
than that of the first company.
Lane went away again and when
he came back Il week later the
banker did not want to talk about
farm lands--all he wanted to know
about was the stock in that new
company and couldn't Lane get him
in on that deal? Lane said that in
asmuch as the banker was going to
do hims favors he would see what
he could do for him, but it would
have to be a dead secret, and he
knew that at best the banker could
get only a few shares, an dali that
sort of thing.
After keeping the banker on ten
terhooks for several days, Lane fin
ALLY secured" a small block of the
stock for him. Later he had good
news-they were gong to double the
capacity OF the plant, and there was
more stock for those already in.
Lane was trebling his own invest
ment and he'd take care" of the
banker and such of his friends as he
would Vouch for.
H4J NOAh Ne1s OOA4O W tl4e1b tAliAos
said Lane, in telling the story. "Of
course, Mr.. Banker had told all his
relatives and friends about the good
thing and I didn't have to sell them
a share CT the stock. They fell over
themselves to take it alls away from
me. l was doing them a favor in
letting them have it, and when /
left that town If 1 left a dollar in
loose change there * was because
the man who had 1t had forgotten
where he had hidden it!"
That. it may be said, is selling
blue sky!