BANKERS AND MERCHANTS 349 



In December the Bankers and Merchants was 

 listed on the Stock Exchange and thereafter I 

 had fun with my colleagues. For I held all the 

 free stock and could make the price what I 

 pleased. However tempting the quotation I 

 dangled before their eyes, they could not avail 

 of it. Outsiders began to take an interest and 

 the stock became active while the pool members 

 chafed and propositions of settlement came my 

 way. I placed my shares as collateral with con- 

 servative old institutions which never called their 

 loans and leaving full bank balances for my busi- 

 ness took my family to the west coast of Florida 

 where for three months I hunted and fished, aft- 

 erwards visiting the Pacific coast. 



Overtures were made to me by letter and eight 

 months after the stock had been pooled to block 

 the sale I advocated, it was sold to me upon 

 terms which called for the payment of no cash 

 whatever. 



My campaign which began with the purchase 

 of the pooled stock in eight months extended the 



