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DAKOTA CITY UEltALl)
JOHN H. REAM, Publisher.
DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA.
ENCOURAGING BRIGHT PUPILS.
Parents and educators everywhere
will bo interested In tbe experiment
now boing tried In the Cincinnati
public schools of establishing a class
room tor especially bright pupils,
which would appear to bo the logical
accompaniment of the classroom for
backward pupils. The proposition
that It Is as unfair to hold bank tho
apt or clever child In tho ranks of
the mediocre as It Is to speed the dull
pupil to a paco he cannot maintain
appeals as reasonable and common
ease. It will be arguod with much
force that tho system which mokes
provision for caring for the backward
pupil cannot be Justified without pro
vision is made for accompanying the
needs of those who can odvonco moro
rapidly than the average says tho St
Pnul Pioneer Press. Tho proposition
Imply provides for tho application
to schooling of the plan, that Is gen
erally adopted and followed In the
business world, where wago scales,
essness of promotion and all tjio ad
rantagea are bosod on the ability of
those employed to advanco rapidly In
one lino or another. This has not
been tbe rule In tho school whoro the
system has been adjusted to meet tho
requirements of tho averago pupil,
with special provision made for those
below tho average. The not result of
this system has boon retardation, for
which tho pupils oro not to blame.
The Cincinnati educators havo decid
ed that tho old system of trying to
make all children nt tho same edu
cational pattern Is unsatisfactory in
general and particularly unfair to tho
bright pupils, who are to be glvon spe
cial attention under a moro sonslbli
and equitable method.
la putting Its baa ofl the "cmrnioi
drinking cup," tho Now York Board
of Health Is doing a good thing. Tho
public drinking cup Is a carrier of In
fection and the habit of using an In
dividual drinking vessel under all cir
cumstances might bo good to acquire
Thero are folding cups of metal, rub
ber end even of paper, which ono can
keep about tho person without dis
comfort uud can get at tricing ex
pense. Scarlet fever, diphtheria, Influ
enia and oven tuberculosis aro trans
mlssablo, and aro frequently trans
mitted, through promiscuously used
water glasses and teacups.
Tho famous auto export who broke
his neck In an effort to establish now
speed records might havo glvon his
life In a better causo. A man. It Is
true, can easily find out if human
manufacture can stand the terrlflo
train put upon It by these speed ex
periments, but If ho llnds to tho con
trary tho knowledge Is seldom of any
use to him, nor doos Its acquisition
serve oven tho minor purpose of being
a warning to others. Tho need of tho
ago is to learn moro how to enjoy life,
rather than faster ways of rushing
through It
England Is worried over tho $76,000,
000 annual destruction Inflicted by
rats. Most thinking peoplo, aro, and
what worries most is that tho meas
ures for wiping out tho pests aro re
ceived by the rodents with cheorful In
difference. A Now Yorkor named Joncn hon
asked permission of tho courts to
change his name. It behooves the
1,000,000,000 bearers of that honored
monicker to arise In protest
A Texas man sold 187,000 snakes
last year for prices ranging from 25
cenU to 13.50 eooh. Nobody can Justly
complain that tho price of snakes Is
high.
A French physician Injected radium
lato a worn out old horso and made It
frisky as a colt Thore Is hope for
our ancient racehorses and baseball
players.
A scientist says that a normal man
has large foot and a normal woman
mall feet This seems to settle the
question outside of Chicago.
An Iowa profossor claims that cold
weather In spring Is good for tho fruit
crop. Evidently tho wolf cry from
Qcorgla wat, a falso alarm.
A Harvard professor has solved the
riddle of tho sphinx, but It is safo to
assert that he doesn't know why the
harem skirt is.
Wealthy men cannot always do as
they pleaso. A Judge wouldn't allow
Cornelius Vanderbllt to crosB his legs
In court
Lot us not abolish tho cat Just yet
Doctor Young tells us that the rat is
the original and busy oonvoyor of
germs.
New York reportB tho theft of J15,
000 worth of hair. That's what comes
of leaving it around on tho drossor.
A New York official makes tho state
ment that cabs in that city aro being
driven by criminals. It must be ho
has Just taken his first lido In ono.
Tbe fool who rocks tho boat Is
breaking Into print again. Let us
hopo the fool killer will finish bis Job
beforo the canoeing season opens.
Shapespeare"i 21,000 words have
ever been so effectively used since
fete day.
STORIES of WALL STREET
Ufe Matrimony
Syndicate
-By JAMES H.
hi
Copyright, by
MONO tho many deals, al-
A ways spectacular and most
Umos remunerative, engi
neered through the maze
of Wall stroot by Josoph
V. Barr the Dick Turpln
1 ' ' of Flnanco, as scandalized
financiers Insisted him to be tho ono
of which Barr hlmsolf waB proud
est was that ho over roforrod to laugh
ingly as tho "corner In matrimony?'
T8 street called It tho "doal In
Suburban Trolley," and ranked It
Siong the lessor accomplishments of
e daring western operator. But
Barr, who had a more lntlranto knowl
edge and Juster appreciation of tho de
tails, clung to his "corner In matri
mony," and placed It first
Perhaps tho fact that he shared the
glory and tho spoils with two part
ners, one of them the only woman,
young or old, ho oTer onthused over,
wayed his Judgment
At tho beginning of tho wlntor sea
son, the stock exchango house of Wil
lis, Barr & Co. had oponod a branch
office at Palm Beach for the conveni
ence of Its customers who woto win
tering at tho Florida resort John Mar
shall, whoso father had boon one of
Ban's stanchost frlonds In the old
Chicago days, was transferred from
tho New York office, whoro ho had
been placed by Barr after the fathor's
death, In straitened circumstances, to
the Palm Beach branch.
John Marshall, who
was always
"Young John" to Barr In spite of his
six feet of aggrossivo manhood, had
viewed this ostracism with conflicting
emotions. Whllo ho recognized tho
opportunity presontcd, under Barr's
keen eyo, to prove bis ability as man
agor of the office, a stopping-stone to
hlghor place, there were personal rea
sons, which, however, wore not entire
ly personal, slnco ho believed thorn to
bo shared by ono other, for which ho
would gladly havo accoptod New York
even as a wlntor resort.
To Palm Boach ho went, feeling
moro or less llko a martyr, but the
season was hardly under way bofore
he received a convincing proof of the
virtue of solf-donlal. It was in the
form of a noto, In a wldo, mannish
hand, from Elizabeth Rogers, tho
daughtor of Morton Rogers, tho presi
dent of the United Trust company, and
head of tho Urban Traction systom,
announcing hor near doparturo for
Palm Beach In company with her
mother.
John's thoughts on receipt of tho
note underwent a scries of fluctuations
curiously llko thoae of some harassed
stock under tho manipulation of Joseph
W. Barr.
For Morton Rogers had views as to
Elizabeth's futuro which had so far
failed to run parallol with those of
John. Tho president of tho Unltod
Trust company, a bulwark of tho old
school of flnanco, had opinions of Jo
seph W. Barr which Included, impar
tially, evoryono connected with the
western operator.
In his estimation anyono who ac
coptod employ with Barr might fairly
bo regardod as ono of tho crow of a
plrato, ready at tho word of command
to scuttlo and qulto sink tho fairest
hip afloat on tbe financial boss.
Whllo all this was a mattor of regret
to John it troubled htm los than it
might havo hnd Ellzaboth seemed to
tako a different vlow of tho situation.
Bho was a young woman of riotous In
dependence and determination, who
might bo counted on, undor provoca
tion, to tako hor father's stubborn will
as sho had often taken flvo bars in a
flight across country with hounds.
She accepted tho young wosternor
frankly as a good comrade. She llkod
him because ho novor sawod his
mount's mouth Into bleeding patches
o that she might got In at tho death
first; ho won If ho could. Ho worked
earnestly to beat hor olghteon up on
tho links, although It was seldom moro
than two Anally, for hor drives and
brassle shots woro those of a St An
drewn' professional.
On tho night beforo his dparturo
for Palm Boaoh, John had called on
Elizabeth, and undor the Influence of
tho coming separation had snokon
moro frooly than usual of their plight.
"It's no uso, Boss," ho snld, finally,
n mock dospalr, aftor thoy had touchod
lightly from many sides tho parental
firmness. "I've got to put through
some kind of a deal that will establish
me as tho Napoleon of finance, and
then I'll win recognition I don't cans
for tho monoy."
"t Intend to bo n Byndlcato morabor
In that same deal," rotortod Elizabeth.
"Yes, It will bo a syndicate of two
babes in tho ilnnnclitl woods," said
John. And thoy luughod, perhaps not
qulto heartily.
As It turnod out, howovor, It was a
syndicate of three, and ns for the
babos It Is difficult to bollovo that Jo
seph W. Barr over tolorated swaddling
clothos of any sort
Throo weoks after tho arrival of Mrs.
Rogers and Ellzobeth at Palm Beach
thero carao nn unwolcomo telegram
rom Morton Rogors. Tho banker was
coming for a ten days' visit with his
family. It was n messago which
brought Elizabeth and John, Incident
ally, to tho point of sedition.
Curiously enough, tho coming of tho
bankor was coincident with the arrlvnl
at tho rosort of two othor financiers,
Henry T. Wilson of Philadelphia and
Androw F. Raines of Now York. Even
moro curious, however, was the fact
that Messrs. Wilson and Ralnos woro,
with Morton Rogors, tho Important In
terests In tho Urban Traction system.
This coincidence did not escape
John, who tolographed tho news of tho
meeting of tho traction men to Willis,
Barr & Co. In the firm's clphor, and
received an answer bidding him to be
alert for developments. So far as
GANNON, Jr.
Btrt8mlUi.
John could loam, however, there was
no prolonged conferences of tho three
men, although they were much to
gether In public
At the end of the appointed ten days
the banker left for tho north, and on
tbe following day the young people,
who had soon little of each other dur
ing his visit, shouldered their golf bags
and set out for an afternoon on the
links.
When they had holed out on tho
ninth groon, Elizabeth, who had for
some tlmo been In tho grip of a mood
that pusslod John sorely, suggested
that they rest for a moment. Once at
cose on the soft turf she opened tho
pocket of her golf bag nnd withdrew
from It with an air of mystery two lit
tlo packets. Turning back tho stoves
of hor Jersoy, after tho recognized can
ons of legerdemain, she held up tho
packets before John's wonder-Oiled
eyes.
"I havo here In my hands," she bo
gan, la tho staccato of tho variety
stage, "two llttlo packages "
"Has anyono in tho audlonce a high
hat?" called John, bowing deeply to
the amasod caddies, who wero pitching
pennies near by.
"Ono of them," continued Elizabeth,
bestowing a withering look on tho en
thusiastic young man, "is a map pf
Wostchoster county, and the othor a
copy of a telegram sont by Morton
Rogers of tho Urban Traction system
to tho road's counsol "
"Whew-oo-o," whistled John, serious
this tlmo at least
"Both of them," went on the girl, In
the stagy voice, which was breaking
Just a little now, "my contribution to
tho syndlcato that is to crown John
Marshall as tho young Napoleon of
flnanco."
"Boss, what In tho world do
moan what does this mean?"
you
"It moans I'm a traitor to my dad.
Oh, John, isn't It horrlblo. But you
must promise mo ono thing. I don't
care about your old doals I want you
to got all tho glory you can, because
well, Just because but I Just insist
that you promise not to mako dad toso
any money."
"I do riromlso," said John, vory
oarnostly, "I promise oven without
knowing tho consequences oven If I
lose tho glory."
"That's a good boy. Now you toll
me what these things mean. I've puz
zled ovor thom for days."
"Why, tho map shows tho streets
and roads of Westchester county by
Jovel they've marked the lino of tho
Suburban Trolley system In bluo, and
hero's n long, red lino from tho ter
minus of Uio Suburbuu dowu Bingham
avonuo to
"Lot's seo tho telegram, Bess. Urn
urn. Thttt'B right listen: 'Go ahead
with Bingham franchise; (signed)
M. R.'
"That's It Tho Urban is going to
got a franchlso to lay tracks up Bing
ham avonuo to connect with tho Sub
urban system hero whoro tho bluo
lino ends, Boss, see? Tho red lino
shows whoro tho now road will run.
"That moans thoy'ro going to buy
out tho Suburban, elthor In tho open
mnrket or from tho big holdors pri
vately. Maybo thoy'vo bought it al
roady "
"No," broko In tho girl, who was
looking ovor his shoulder. "I know
they haven't bought It yot Thoy'ro
waiting to see how tho franchlso is
coming out Thoy're asking for It In
tho namo of a fictitious company."
"Bess, I don't know about this. If
anyono olso know what wo know thero
would bo troublo in plenty for tho Ur-
Dan ana your fathor. Its a protty
dangerous experiment "
"You promised dad shouldn't loso
anything. It's only famo wo want, you
know."
"Yes, but by Jovl I'vo got it
We'll send for Mr. Barr. We'll tell
him frankly Just why wo wnnt to put
through this llttlo doal If you don't
mlud his knowing about you and mo,
Bas. You know ho was an old frlond
of my fathor. Ho'll help us out. Ho
Jiut pines for doals llko this. Ho'll put
It through without harming a hair of
anybody's hoad. You don't mind his
knowing, Bess, do you?'
"No-o. Not If you toll him but
that makes throo In our syndlcato,"
she added, with a pout
"But ho's only our brokor tho syn
dicate's broker," declared John, laugh
ingly. "Besides, If wo went It alono
wo might end up by ruining your
father. Whow-oc-o," and he whistled
softly, awo-Btrtckon at this phase of
tho deal.
Ellznbeth's oyes twinkled mischiev
ously as thoy reatod on tho woo-begono
faoo of tho young man. Then:
"Sic sompor tyrannls," sho whis
pered, blushing tremendously.
"Bully," crlod John and tho watting
caddlos sot off In high dlngust at tho
unprofessional conduct of theso two
who pretended to play golf.
Josoph W. Barr tilted back his chair,
adjustod his foot comfortably on tho
oponod drawer of his desk and read for
tho third tlmo a cipher message which
tho telegraph clerk of Willis, Barr &
Co. had pust brought In to him.
"It's from youug John at Palm
Beach, Willis," ho explained to his
partner. 'Tho boy has stumbled Into
something In connection with Urban
Traction, but ho's dovlllsh lncohorent
Wants to como up hero or mo to como
down thero 'personal,' ho says, and
'can't send details by wire.' "
"Why don't you run down to Palm
Beach, Mr. Barr! You haven't had a
day off In monthB. Perhaps tho boy is
lonesome nnd he may have some
nowB worth while.
"It'll do you good, amyway." added
Willis "Thorer nothing doing bore I
JUBt now."
"I'll do it" said Barr, with quick de
cision. And the same evening found
lilm slipping away to tho south.
With tome confusion of words but
with straightforward manliness, John
told Barr tho uttermost dotnlls of tho
"syndicate's" scheme He did not fall
to lay baro tho real purpose of tho
deal, nor did he forget to mention his
promlso to Elizabeth that her father
should Buffer no actual loss.
Ho touchod this part of his commu
nication ,co tactfully that tho egg
shaped llttlo brokor, who had been
striving with Increasing difficulty to
keep countenance, finally broke Into a
galo of laughter.
John's faco grew long. He was
half inclined to be offended nt such a
rocoption of his plans. But llttlo by
llttlo, ns ho watched broczo after
breeze of mirth swoop his chlof, tho
roal humor of the wholo situation bore
in on him, and ho was soon paying
laugh for laugh.
"I can't help It, John. Damn 1
Just can't," cried Barr, mopping up tho
tears which coursod down hlB fat
cheeks.
"Me a buccaneer a pirate an old
Captain Kldd butting into a deal as
Cupid. A"n3 monoy, monoy every
where, and not a solitary whlto chip
for me." And ho went off Into an
other spasm with John In close pur
suit. Tho eyes opened at last, shining
with good will, and a fat, friondly hand
went out to John.
"Young John," said the lltle brokor,
quietly, "you'vo got to havo that girl;
sho's worthy your father's son. We'll
put this thing through so shlp-shapo
that old Rogers will bo proud of both
of you. For we'll buy tho Suburban
for him cheaper than he could get It
htmsolfj and I'll gamblo ho'll bo a
friend of mlno, too, when It's all over.
Now, that's enough of that I want
you to tako mo out and Introduce me
to tho girl."
Thoy found Elizabeth hidden away
In a corner of the big piazza. Sho arose
to moot them, and John began, a bit
diffidently:
"This Is Mr. Barr, Bess Miss Rog
ers" "The syndicate's broker, Miss Rog
ers," Interrupted Barr, with such a se
verely professional air that both the
girl and John forgot the little awk
wardness of tho situation and laughed
heartily with tho llttlo man.
When John left them a fow minutes
later thoy woro deep In a discussion of
tho valuo of various girth cinches for
cross-country work.
An hour passed, and Barr, arrayed in
knickerbockers and n very Jaunty golf
cap, bustled Into John's office.
"Whoro aro your golf sticks, John?"
Ho was almost breathless from his
haato. "We'vo Just tlmo for eighteen
holes beforo sunset."
"I'm sorry," began John, "but I've
got theso accounts to fix up "
"Nobody's asked you to go," said
Barr, grimly, grabbing tho golf bag.
"I've got to attend to some details of
tho syndlcato mattor with Miss Rogers.
Does this cap look all right? Had to
borrow It of tho boll boy.
"Straight now is it O. K.?" queried
tho llttlo man, anxiously, pushing tho
cap from ono ear to tho other In an
oxecs of zeal.
"It's flno," laughed John. "You look
llko tho sultan of Sulu. By Jovo! I'm
getting Jealous, I am."
"You'd bettor bo," pantod Barr. And
John watched him hurry away to meet
Elizabeth on tho lawn. Ho mado a
swooping bow, with tho llttlo cap In
hand, to tho laughing girl, and thoy
passed from sight
Barr camo In to John at dinner that
night all aglow with tho oxerclso of
tho gamo.
"She beat mo ono up," ho said, rue
fully, as ho solicitously tucked the
napkin In around tho expanse of linen
uxposod by his dinner coat "Ono up
and by a girl, too; don't you ever
ttoll that to John Willis or her dad. I
toll you, John, I feol llko a now man.
I'm half Inclined to reform; to mend
my wicked ways. If I thought thero
was ono chanco In a million of finding
that fountain of youth that Ponco do
Leon looked for around hero I'd do It,
too. I'd get In tho running with wou.
But you can't teach an old dog now
tricks and I guess I'll havo to stick by
tho old ones. Wo'vo got tho black flag
covorcd with whlto this trip, though,
and wo'ro going to mako a swift voy
age, and a rich ono, for tho girl and
you and I'll havo my fun out of It
"Damn I'd like to bring up along
side that trcasuro ship of old Rogers
cleared for action urn um 'thirteen
mon on a dead man's chest' But
wo'vo promised, John, wo'vo promised
to bo good. How I wish your dad
could havo lived to seo that girl I
"Well, I'll Juwt hang around here for
a fow days to got this moral tono
cinched I'd be afraid to trust myself
Just yet around Wall street with nil
thlB Urban dynamite In my clothos
and thon I'll sail north under tho
whlto flag. I'll wigwag you In to the
finish."
"It's tho mo3t inoxpllcablo tiling, Mr.
Rogers," doclared tho porploxod coun
sel of tho Urbjyi Traction company to
tho bankor. "Hero not ten days ngo
tho Tammany pooplo practically as
sured mo that thero wou'd not bo tho
slightest difficulty In gottlug tho Bing
ham avonuo franculso through at tho
usual ratos, of course and now thoy'ro
worso than lukowarm; they soem pos
itively against tho franchlso."
"Porhaps It Is a question of moro
monoy?" hazarded tho banker.
"No, I think not. 1 suggested tho
possibility of nn Increased campaign
contribution, but It did no good. I foar,
Just a bit, thero Is sorao schemo undor
way to tako advantage of tho thing
themselves; perhaps tho Suburban peo
plo havo loarnod our plans and aro try
ing to forestall us?"
"It's not that," declared tho banker.
"I think you'll find tho gang Is simply
holding us up, as usual. As for tho
Suburban, I'm moro than evor con
vinced that wo woro wlso to put off
buying the stook In tho markot until
the franchlso was settled. You'd bet
ter koep up tho negotiations with the
Tammany peoplo a whllo longor be
foro applying openly for the franchlso.
They'll como around with a proposition
of some kind, probably."
But tho Urban counsel could make
qq hoortwav tc'O the Tamamny doodIo.
They were playing tho game as it had
beeti planned out for thom by their
good friend Joseph W. Barr, whoso
storling q alltlcs as a plunger at tho
race moots had endeared htm to a
score of powerful district leaders who
fro ntd the tracks. To them, and
particularly to P. J. Mllllgan, who held
tho city below Fourteenth street In tho
hollow of his Itching palm, Barr had
outlined a course In regard to the fran
chlso which satisfied each desire.
In tho meantime, Barr had started
his campaign for tho control of the
Suburban Trolley company. Tho com
pany's capital was twenty million dol
lars, nnd tbe stock was selling in tho
markot at ninety dollars a sharo, on
tho dlvld nds of four por cent paid by
tho road. To control the company it
was theroforo necessary to obtain
something ovor one hundred thousand
sharos, which nt market prices meant
a cost of over nlno million dollars.
It was no part of Barr's plan to pay
any such sum for the slock. His care
ful investigation of the financial condi
tion of tho Suburban convinced him
that the stock could bo put down to a
flguro whoro tho ono hundred thousanfl
shares should coBt llttlo moro than
eight million dollars, and of this
amount eighty por cent, or six million
four hundred thousand dollars, could
bo borrowed on the stock, purchased.
Ho had promised John that tho road
should bo bought much cheaper than
tho Urban would havo been compelled
to pay, and It was a matter of profes
sional pride to even oxceed this prom
ise. Tho inquiries into tho Suburban's af
fairs had disclosed such a decided loss
In earnings through competition of a
recent extenson of tho elevated sys
tem, that a reduction of the four per
cent, dividend was lnovltablo at tho ap
proaching dividend meeting of the di
rectors. This, of courso, would assist
In putltng down tho stock to seventy
five, whero Barr coolly determined It
should go.
In addition, the little man, whose
sources of Information wero a mattor
of amazement, had discovered that the
president of the Suburban, who was
also ono of the largest Individual stock
holders, wns the hoad of a brewery
which was teetering on tho edge of
bankruptcy; a fact which, In connec
tion with a brewery, startled Barr
ovon moro than tho unfortunate presi
dent's namo, which was Schllmblnger.
To bolster up his brewery President
Schllmblnger had borrowed money on
his forty thousand sharos of Suburban
stock from two trust companies. Ho
had borrowed to tho last cent, and
Barr smlkJ softly at tho pleasing pros
pect of "shaking out" tho forty thou
sand shares when Suburban tumbled.
With theso facts In his possession,
Barr had commissioned various bro
kers In his employ to pick up Suburb
an stock at tho "market," which meant
tho prevailing prlco of ninety. He In
tended to "averago down" this price
later by purchases at lower figures.
This preliminary movo netted him
somo six thousand shares, and then ho
put under way a raid on all tho trac
tion group of stocks, which served the
double purpose of depressing Suburban
and yet of concealing tho real move
ment against It.
Tho raid on tho tractions began on
Monday, "three weeks after Barr's re
turn from Palm Beach. It was accom
panied by many lurid stories of an
tagonistic measures to bo taken by tho
municipal authorities regarding fran
chises, collections of back taxes, suits
to compel big expenditures for changes
of motlvo power to electricity, and
other Inventions calculated to bring
dismay to holders of traction stocks.
And all these fulilus, by the graco of
P. J. Mllllgan, woro backed up by tho
oxpreBslvo silence of the Tammany
city authorities.
Through theso stories, and by tho
sheer Impact of tho thousands of
shares of traction stocks hurled at a
frightened market, Burr drove prices
down notch aftor notch, until on Wed
nesday nil tho tractions wero away off.
Tho usually sedato Urban had lost
four points, nnd Suburban, tho object
of tho drlvo, had fallen eight points,
dropping from nlnoty to eighty-two In
throo days, whllo tho llttlo man's bro
kers gathered in sixteen thousand
shares.
On Thursday morning, as Barr had
foroscen, tho Suburban directors mot,
and reduced the dividend on the com
pany's stock from four to two per cent.
On tho floor of tho Exchange, follow
ing this announcement, an avalanche
of traction stocks, loosened from their
moorings by Barr, struck tho market,
and the entire group fluttered toward
lowor figures like a mammoth balloon
dospolled of Its gas.
Barr was hovering ovor tho ticker In
his inner office, mopping his faco as
usual, when the announcement came of
tho Suburban dividend cut. He scanned
tho tape until It printed off a three
point drop In tho stock, and then clap
ping his hat on his hoad ho made his
way down Broad street to the offices
of President Schllmblngor of tho Su
burban Trolley company.
Onco In tho presence of that har
assed German gentleman ho camo
straight to tho point.
"Somo clients of our house, Mr,
Schliin blngor, havo commissioned us
to try to get your holdings of Suburb
an Trolley. I don't know that you care
to sell, und I tried to toll them that I
didn't think too much of the stock ns
a purchase It's lower now, as I pre
dicted, than tho figures thoy aro will
ing to pay you "
Barr fumbled about In his pocket a
moment, and drew out a check.
"Yes. You'vo got forty thousand
shares of stock. It's deposited as col
lateral with trust companies for loans
amounting to oxnetly throo million two
hundred thousand dollars. Tho stock
Is soiling now, or was ton minutes ago,
at soventy-nlno, which makes your
forty thousand shares worth forty
thousand dollars less than tho amount
of your loan. If tho trust companies
haven't already sold you out, because
of your exhausted margin, on behalf of
my clients I offor you this certlflod
ohock for your oqulty over tho three
million two hundred thousand dollars,
you'vo borrowed."
Barr put tho llttlo ploco of papor in
tho trembling hand of Schllmblnger.
Tho man's fnco lighted up with Joy.
"It's ono hundred and twonty thou
sand dollars," he said slowly,
"Yes," said Barr bitterly; "twloe too
much. It's four dollars a sharo above
tho markot, but they would pay It"
"My brewery It again mo saves
ach Golt hoI dank." And quick tears
welled to tho eyes of thlB other Esau,
who bad so nearly despised his birth
right for the red pottage of Suburban,
Ho would have wept on the bosom of
Barr had not tho llttlo man so hustled
him through tho process of signing pa
pors and telephoning tho anxious trust
companies.
That evening when ho had received
reports from his brokers, Barr found
that tho syndlcato was now in posses
sion of a llttlo over seventy-sovon thou
sand flvo hundred sharos of Suburban.
This Included the forty thousand
shares from Schllmblnger and fifteen
thousand shares his brokors had gar
nered during the day. He sont off a
telegram to John, summoning him to
Now York, and arranged to fill his
placo at Palm Boach.
Thon, as If to sponge tho slato clean
of sentiment, ho called In two of his
confidential brokers and arranged for
a savago attack on tho wholo market
"I want Suburban to go to seventy-'
five by noon on Saturday," ho sold,
with a vicious snap, and I want you
to get thirty thousand shares of the
stock by then."
When the Exchango opened on tho
following morning thero was a well
doflncd rumor on the floor that a "big
lntorest'" In Suburban wa3 about to bo
sold out by a trust company, which
had loanod him vast sums of money on
tho stock. Tho rumor gained birth as
it wont, and Its ramifications soon in
cluded a startling array of reports of
failures, defalcations and general
crimes against tho constituted order
of things.
Almost the first transaction on the
floor was a sale of one thousand shares
of Suburban at seventy-eight, a point
under Thursday's closing price, and
of three hundred, five hundred and one-thousand-share
lots, which broko tho
prlco to seventy-six beforo the end of
tho first hour. The floor was convinced
of the truth of the story of drastic ac
tion by the trust company, especially
as the soiling came from brokers who
often acted for It
Thero was no way of telling that the
stock apparently hurled haphazardly
at the markot simply passed from
Barr's right hand to his opon left
through "wash" sales by brokers In
his employ. Even the brokers em
ployed did not know this, and tho re
sult was a big break in the entire mar
kot.
Tho tremendous selling, with tho
slump, had Its effect It brought forth
Suburban stock from the hands of In
vestors und speculators, who, thor
oughly frightened by the panicky ap
pearance of' the market, and the wild
flight downward of Suburban, threw
overboard a nlook which no ono
seemed to want at any price.
But at two o'clock thero came a sud
den change In tho market's courso.
From tho floor, John Willis hurried
over to Barr a note, which said:
"Brokers usually acting for Rogers
and Urban taking Suburban. Don't
dare sell nny moro stocks short, and
am buying back tractions to cover pre
vious sales."
Morton Rogers and his fellow asso
ciates In tho Urban Traction company
had watched for some days, with grow
ing amazement, the behavior of tho
traction stocks In which they wero In
terested. So long as all the tractions
hung together on tho decline, they had
agreed in attributing the movement to
a bear raid for quick profits. When,
however, Suburban Trolley cut away
from Its fellows on Friday, the Urban
people promptly camo to tho conclu
sion that the stock was being purpose
ly depressed by Tammany Interests,
who Intended to buy It low, and soil It
high after tho Bingham avenue fran
chlso had been granted.
Convinced that this was tho true ex
planation of tho weakness of Suburb
an, Mr. Rogers and his friends Immedi
ately formed a pool to buy the stock.
Thoy were perfectly sure that Tam
many Interests would not be buying
it unless thoy meant to grant tho fran
chlso. Tho pool was formed at ono
o'clock, nnd at two o'clock Its opera
tions had turned the tldo of the mar
kot. Suburban rallied from seventy
six to soventy-clght and one-half ut
tho close, and Its rally bolstered tho
wholo market, which had been fast
slipping Into a panic.
Barr had foared from the first that
tho low price to which ho intended to
drlvo Suburban would attract buying
by tho Urban Interests, and ho had ta
kon his measures accordingly. In less
than fifteen mlnutos after Willis' mes
sago reached him, two trusted clerks
were on tho way to Westchoster coun
ty with ordors to visit local holders
of tho stock and to buy It from them
at any price. It had cost Barr ono thou
sand dollars to secure a list of stock
holders of tho road.
On Saturday morning, before tho
opening of the Exchango, Barr's iem
oranda from his brokers and the two
clerks showed him to bo In possession
of a little less than ninety-eight thou
sand shares of Suburban. A short,
sharp battlo followed on tho floor of
tho Exchange for the shares needed
for control. Under the compotltlvo
bidding of his own and tho Urban
brokers tho stock scrambled hastily to
eighty, to eighty-five, nnd finally to
ninety. But tho street had boen swept
so baro of It that at tho close at noon
Barr was still a fow hounired shares
short of nctual control of tho Suburban
Trolley company.
Tho llttlo man smiled mystorlously
as ho exhibited tho results of his cam
paign to John, who had arrived that
morning trom Palm Reach.
"It's all right, John," ho declared.
"You can Inform Miss Rogors, official
ly, If you daro, that tho groat matri
mony syndlcato is about to cash In."
Lato that afternoon tho resplendent
but puzzled usher at tho door of tho
United Trust company performed au
tomatically tho duty of Introducing
Joseph W. Barr Into tho prlvato office
of President Morton Rogors. As tho
little man passod his window tho pay
ing toller whistler softly a few muelcal
bars which ho gravely explained to his
assistant wero from the opora, "Pirates
of Flnanco."
Whon tho frosted-glass door of the
prlvato offico had clicked after the dis
appearing form of Barr, business camo
to a prompt halt In tho United Trust
company. Tho third vice-president
and tho cashier sauntored over to the
desk of the second vice-president, and,
Infused with a similar desiro for com-
panlonshtp, tellers, clerks, messengers
and attendant.) drifted into little
groups.
Thero was an air of expectancy ovei
all tho groups. To complete tho soon
It needed only a half-crazed little Ital
ian to wave a red rag on a stick and
to point, frantncally, appeallngly, al
the private office, as if within it were
a thin train of powdor, sizzling, sput
torlng, glowwormlng Its way toword
its tremendous goal.
Tho explosion camo. It was a burst
of laughter that shook the frosted-glass
partitions of tbe prlvato office. It win
followed fast by others until, rather
sheepishly, the little group of auditors
broke up, and tho whcols of tho United
Trust company spun busily again, leav
ing unsolved tho riddle of tho private
office.
Within that was presented tho pica!
ing sight of a thin, elderly gentleman
with Dundroary whlskors, engaged In 4f
vain attempt to keep on his Romas
noso eyeglasses which bounded oft ana
away with each of many poala of
laughter, and opposite him a fat, little
man, Intermittent engaged In inopplnf
his wet cheeks with handkerchlof ends,
and saying things which Becmed calcu
latod, very possibly, to prolong the,
mirth of tho other.
"My own daughter Elizabeth,"
gasped Mr. Morton Rogors, coming out
of a convulsion to fall hopelessly into
another.
"Yes and my boy John," groaned
Joseph W. Barr, almost smothering
hlmsolf in the mopping process.
"Bought control of tho Suburban for
eight million dollars sell It to me for
tho same wo expected to pay nlno
million five hundred thousand dollars
at least." And another galo bowled
ovor tho Urban magnate.
"Not quite control. You spoiled our
game on Friday. Lack two hundred
shares." And there was subtle flattery
In Barr's words. "You'vo got tho syn
dicate at your mercy."
"And the Bingham avonuo fran
chlso?" queried the banker, adjusting
his glasses at last.
"The syndicate put P. J. Mllllgan
short of twenty thousand shares of
stock and covered It threo points lower
on the break, netting him sixty thou
sand dollars. Here's his receipt:
" 'Where's there a cave to stow
away all this dough? Bingham' fran
chise goes through on Monday mora
dough from the Urban. Do you want
the city hall for a branch office?' "
"Hum um," commented tho banker,
doubtfully. " Moro dough from tho
Urban.' "
"Well," said Barr, reassuringly, "I
won't put In any bill this time."
"Good," said the bankor, with a sigh
of mock relief. "The syndicate's offer
is accepted."
"In toto?" queried Barr, with feigned
anxiety.
"In toto," answorcd tho banker,
"The young scamps."
Pleasing Story, Anyhow.
Fresh verification of tho popular be
lief that "a woman Is always at the
bottom of It" may bo found In the dis
patch of the Star yesterday which told
of tho Wright brothers, aviators, sand
ing a check to a lady who had aided
thom with aoro Ideas. The story
goes that In school with tho Wright
boys was a llttlo girl "who was In
their confidence, Incorporated her
Ideas Into drawings, drew tho plans
from which the boys worked, and in
after years assisted them in the same
way, and to whom they give credit
for much of their success." When n
man doos anything good or amounts to
anything hlmsolf, proper search will
reveal that a woman was In some way
concerned In the achievement Wash.
Ington Evening Star.
Her Keepsake.
Tho treasuring of keepsakes Is as
old as civilization. It Is based upon
tho reasonable Idea that an object
that has been In personal uso, such
as a glovo or a handkerchief, pre
serves some subtle aroma of tho per
sonality of Its former owner. An au
thor says that ho had a relative who
was a lady In waiting at tho court of
Weimar. Ho says sho always struck
him as an unemotional person, but she
had always about hor an unpleasant
odor that remained to tho day of her
death. When she died It was found
that she had around her neck a sachet
containing tho half of a cigar that
had beon smoked by tho Abbo Liszt
Tho woman had lunched with Liszt
thirty years beforo and had worn this
curious trophy over since, and 1U
strenuous odor had never waned.
Mfiko Substantial Barrels.
There are still somo things thai
thoy do better in Europe, and ono ot
them Is barrol making. Ask any big
Importer or doalor In spirits or wines
and he will toll you that nowhero olso
aro such casks mado as In France
and Germany. A trip through the
vaults of a big .v.hlsky nouso will
show thousands of gallons of Ameri
can whisky acquiring age and value
whllo resting In groat casks which
once held the wlnps of tho Rhino or
of France. Often thoy are elaborate
ly carved on tho heads which line tbe
long arched corridors. For somo rea
son, tho guldo explains, American
coopers will not put as much pains
In their work and their barrels will
not last
No Joko About This.
Col. John H. Carroll, tho St. Louis
railroad lawyer, camo out of his ho
tol In Washington the other day, red
In tho faco and thumping the side
walk vigorously with his cano.
"What Is the matter, colonol?" ask.
ed a friend who mot him.
"Matter," replied Carroll. "Why, It
has got so now In theso hotels that It
costs more for tips than it does for
food and room. This morning I
sent down a pair of shoos to bo clean
ed. Ono boy brought up one shoo
and five minutes later another boy ap
peared with tho othor and each ex
pected a tip!" Philadelphia Saturday
Evening Post
There Was a Reason.
"It's all very well for you to preach
economy," said his wlfo; "but I notice
whenever I cut down expenses that
you smoke bettor cigars and spend
moro monoy for your own pleasure
than at any othor time."
"Well, confound It What do you
supposo I want you to economize for,
anyway?"
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