Evening star., 1930-11-30
FLEMING OBSERVES
HIS BOTH BIRTHDAY
"Pop" Is Well Known and
AffectionateIy Regarded
in Financial Circles.
BY EDWARD C. STONE.

I. A. Fleming, former financial editor
of The Star and probably the Oldest
writer on finance in the United States,
was 80 years old yesterday.
In honor of the unusual event he
has invited his newspaper and banker
friends to a reception at his home,
2700 Connecticut avenue, from to z
this evening.
Mr.. Fleming has had a most re-
markable career as a newspaper man,
having been an active journalist for
more than so years: Born In Chicago
on November 20, 1850, he lived there
for So years, and for 80 years stood
in the front rank of Chicago's f1nan-
cial writer's. Pop" as he Is addressed
by his close friends, was only Is years
Of age when he began his career OF
preparing newspaper copy. handling
grain quotations on what Is now the
Chicago Board of Trade. His ability
and energy rapidly asserted themselves,
and his inside knowledge Of the intri-
cate workings Of the grain and stock
markets soon brought him into proml-
nence.
once Star Athlete.
In his younger days Pop" was very
fond of sports and In the '70s was a
star base ball and foot ball player,
being an athlete over 6 feet tall and
weighing l97 pounds. He was a per
sonal friend of "Pop" Anson and Billy"
Sunday and other diamond kings OF
many years ago, his professional
club often coming in contact with the
professionals He played against AnSon,
and Charles Comiskey played on a
team which Mr.. Fleming managed, the
Liberties. Net to this day has he lost
his interest in the fortunes Of the two
Chicago major league clubs, although
his allegiance has naturally been trans
ferred to the Washington Senators.
In the light of the recent popularity
Of night foot ball, 1t Is interesting to
note that Mr.. Fleming arranged the
first night gridiron contest ever played
in the Chicago coliseum, between In
diana and Wisconsin Universities. the
game being played for the benent OF
the two colleges.
During his long career in newspaper
work in Chicago, Mr.. Fleming mace
many friends among the captains OF
finance and obtained scores OF news
stories ahead of other less alert finan-
cial writer's. In those days the elder
Armour and Marshall Field were at the
height of their fame. Probably the
most memorable news beat" Mr.. Flem-
ing ever secured. was the first story
bringing to public attention the famous
Letter $4,000, 900 corner in wheat 20
or more years ago. News regarding the
corner" followed some Of the most
sensational trading sessions ever wit
messed on the Chicago Grain Exchange,
and Mr.. F1eming's Information about It
was flashed to all parts OF the world.
Obtained Other "News Beats"
The sensational speculation of the
Moore brothers was another famous
story which Mr.. Fleming covered alone
for the Chicago Journal. w. H. and
T. H. Moore were corporation lawyers
and started bull movement in Dia-
mond Match and New York Biscuit. It
was In 1896. Match was pushed up TO
225 a share and Biscuit to 1870 and 200.
Trading became so wild that the Chi
cago Stock Exchange was closed until
settlements could be made which pre-
vented the fall of many financial
houses. In the final adjustments 1t was
reported in Chicago at the time that
the sponsors of the stocks had lost $l5,-
600 900, very large sum IN those days.
Leaving Chicago, Mr.. Fleming became
editor Of the Minneapolis Times. The
paper was suddenly bought by another
paper and Mr.. Fleming next found him
self writing for a syndicate Of trade
papers. Coming TO Washington he rep
resented for a time % Of these papers.
After he had become well established
here, his former employer in Chicago
happened to come here. They met one
day, Unexpectedly. on Pennsylvania
avenue. with the result that the f1nan-
cial writer joined the Washington
Times staff.
Guest at Seven Conventions.
Asked to take the financial editorship
of The Star when he was SO years old,
Mr. Fleming considered the offer the
greatest tribute of his career and went
to work on the paper on December 81,
1918. Since retiring from the daily
field some years ago he has kept in
the harness by writing Sunday feature
articles on finance. Mr.. Fleming has
always had the interests Of the Dis
trict Bankers Association at heart and
has been a guest Of the organization
at the last seven conventions. He has
attended every out-of-town convention
ever held by the association. with one
exception, illness keeping him away
from that one.
While in Chicago Mr. Fleming always
represented the late c. w. Barron,
owner of the Wall Street Journal, at
the annual meetings Of many big
corporations. Mr.. Barron held at least
one share of stock in a host of the
most important corporations in the
United States so that he might always
have q representative present to OBJ
tain first hand all the annual reports.
Some of the corporations were not as
open in their business methods then
as they are now and some Of these
meetings were suddenly adjourned when
the officials we're presented with proxies
from c. w. Barron, which admitted a
representative in person.