The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1924-02-07
BEN |. COLLINS REPLIES
WESTERN UNION LETTER
FORMER MANAGER DEFENDS RE.
CORD IN LETTER TO THE
STOCKHOLDERS

Ben l.. Collins, of Spokane, formerly
manager of the Western Union Mining
company, has issued a letter to the
stockholders Of that company in which
he defends his record as manager
against the implied charges contained
in a letter from the executive commit
tee of the Western Union mailei TO
the stockholders last December, and
which was published in the Miner.
The length of Mr.. Collins letter makes
it quite impossible to reproduce it in
full, but most of that part of il which
refers directly to the letter sent out
by the executive committee is reprint
ed as a matter of fairness to the former
management. In the course of O. pre-
liminary statement, Mr.. Collins says:
Disappointed, But Took His Medicine
when l was forced to give up my
position as secretary manager of the
Western Union Mining company, Oc-
tober l, 1928, it was the bitterest dis
appointment of my life. Yet, l so
disliked to deal in cheap persorali-
ties and quarrel with men with whom
1 WI NtA anu OO44oAQEASu my A4AlnQof
that 1 decided to take my medicine
without whimper. But on Deem
Der "a, 1928, the executive committee
joined in a letter to the stockholders
devoted almost entirely to a personal
attack on me. and my record while
Connected with the Western Union
Mining company. l feel it my duty to
make answer to every paragraph in
that letter, that you may see things
in their true light and know some of
the injustices l have been up against.
My record, with the assistance of
J. f. Burbank and r. F. Collins, while
connected with the Western Union
mine may be summed up as follows:
We sold the treasury stock through
out Washington, Idaho and Oregon;
drove more than 10000 feet OF tiln-
mel; made a producing mine out of a |
prospect; got the affairs of the cor
pOratiOn in such shape that all the |
stockholders who wanted to do so |
could sell at a handsome profit. All |
this was done by levying only four
small assessments of one-half cent !
each. We would welcome a thorough |
investigation and comparison of our |
record with the present managers |
record in the many properties with /
which he has been connected. After |
the great fight is over and success
seems assured we find plenty of men |
ready to step in and attempt to dis
credit all that has been done and cry
out, sec What we have done thus
trying to make heroes of themselves
by belittling the work of the men
really responsible for success. The
executive committees letter was so
coarse 7 have no fear but that you
have already figured out its motives"
Has No apology for Advice.
Taking up the letter from the ex-
ecutive committee by paragraphs, Mr.
Collins says. in part: Among the
are many of our person
al friends whose financial condition
was such that they dared not hazard
the possibility of assessments. When
It became apparent that control would
pass into other hands and an assess
ment would probably follow, we ad-
vised them to sell for which we have
no apology Many sold at prices
ranging from 2216 to SO cents per
share. The same people who advised
YOU to hold your stock and buy more
have criticised us for advising you to
SELL Notwithstanding this advice
nav be offensive to those with less
personal obligation to you than our
selves we will under no conditions
waive our rights to advise you to buy
,r sell your stock if in our judgment
L is best for you to do so.
Regarding previous reports of +
strikes and promises that dwindled
nto insignifcance, 1 wish to state =
hat my record as secretary manager =
S well known to all of you and to
oelittle all former strikes is a slap in
he face of hundreds of the stock :
holders who visited the mine, among y
hem all the signers OF said letter. So :
ar as 1 know. not a complaint was p
,ver heard until the letter of Decem- q
,er "a, 1923. was written. Shipments
If ore with gross values of nearly
200 900 don't mean anything to the
present management. p
In my opinion the fair and open T
minded check to locate the owner g
hip of the stock has very little bear q
ng on its present ownership, for as l A
Understand it the so-called check was [
made in October when you were ask q
ID to list your certificates to help in il
m audit of the books. 1t is known a
o the committee that there has been o
,eavy buying and much stock has h
hanged hands since that time. t
after notifying you that an audit h
vas to be made in a way and at a II
ime to create more or less suspicion
f they had wanted to be fair to me o
nd frank with you they should have k
aid in their famous letter of Decem- n
,er "a, that the books had been au- r
H.