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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1907)
THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAN, MONDAY. NOVEMBER 4, 1907. 3 REMEDY SEER IN CREDIT CURRENCY Nation Needs Monetary Sys tem That Will Meet De mands of Business. VIEWS OF CHARLES FOWLER Chairman Congressional Banking Committee Tells JIow Expanding Currency Can Be Brought About. How It Works Elsewhere. NEW YORK, Nov. 3. That permanent relief from the present monetary string ency can only be had through a system of credit currency adequate to meet the re quirements of trade and redeemable In gold coin, was the opinion expressed to day by Representative Charles Fowler of New Jersey, chairman of the Banking and Currency Committee, which will at the coming session of Congress endeavor to have a law passed providing for credit currency issued by the National banks. Until such permanent relief Is made pos eible by legislative enactment, Mr. Fowler asserted, the situation must be met by the Issuance of clearing-house certificates, cashiers' checks and due bills of busi ness houses and manufacturers. "The underlying business conditions," he said to the Associated Press, today, "are essentially sound, as evidenced by the increased earnings of railroads and the fact that the values of our agricultural products this year are $500,000,000 more than last year (which was the highest year In our history), and are bringing to our people about $7,000,000,000, but public confidence has been greatly shaken and credit seriously affected, therefore, every patriotic citizen from the President down, should do all in his power to restore that confidence which is essential to National prosperity. Money Tied Up in Industries. "The cause of the currency stringency Is that there is scattered broadcast throughout the country, at the Mints, in the wheat, corn and cotton fields. In the pockets of the people, or locked up, about ll.3no,00, of the reserve money of the Vnlted States, most of which, under a proper condition, would be In the banks, serving as reserve. Temporary relief will bo through the forced use of current credit in the form of clearing-house certi ficates, cashiers' checks and due bills of business houses and manufacturers during the next 90 days. The permanent cure must come through a system of credit currency expanding and contract ing with the ordinary demands of the smaller trade, precisely as checks and drafts do in the broader field of com merce. "We have proceeded far enough into the present financial crisis to get a pretty clear perspective of the real situation. "First The condition is now general, reaching every nook and corner of the country. "Second, if the gold certificates, the United States notes and silver certificates, or the reserve money which the banks from the country have sent Into the agri cultural districts of all sections to settle up the year's business, I say, if these reserves now scattered broadcast over the land were in the banks where they properly belong there would have been no money panic this Fay. Expands With Reserve Fund. "The proof of this assertion Is conclu sive. During the past four months there has been sent from the banks into the country districts approximately $300,000,000 of currency. Of this amount $250,000,090 approximately was reserve money, which, if it were now in the banks would serve as a basis of more than $1,250,000,000 cred its or loans and the present crisis would have been averted. "This result could have been accom plished without Increasing our bank re serves to the extent of a single dollar, without increasing the liabilities ot the banks of the country to the extent of 1 cent. "1 challenge any man to controvert this statement, and submit the following as absolutely conclusive proof of the asser tion: . "If the banks in which the $250,000,000 had been deposited had been authorized as they should have been, to create bank note credits as well as bank book credits, and they had proceeded to convert this $J50.000.0M of hnnk book credits Into bank note credits, the banks would not have been affected in any degree or In any way whatever, and the whole country would have been amply supplied with cur rency with which to transact all the Fall business. Method Is Simple. "How could this have been done? Sim' ply by authorizing each bank to Issue cashier's checks, payable to bearer, which Is a current credit, that is, credit that passes by mere delivery, requiring no indorsement. By this process the $250, W'O.OOO of bank book credits would have been converted into bank-note credits, and as the reserves required for both forms of credits should be the same,, there could have been no change whatever in the situation. The bank debt Is the same, the amount of the reserve is the same. It has been only a matter of book keeping. "An Issue of credit currency adequate to meet the requirements of trade and currently redeemed In gold coin. Is a principle followed by every civilized counT try In the world except our own. "Mark this: The banking power of the United States in 1S90 was about five bil lions, and now exceeds sixteen billion dollars, or equal to the entire banking power of the world In 1S90, which Mulhall placed at $15,950,000,000. Today the bank ing power of the entire world, outside of the United States. Is only $21,952,000,000 and of this amount 20 per cent, or more than J4.000.000.0CO. is In cashiers' checks or current credits that Is. credit currency and yet. while the United States has three-sevenths of the banking power of the entire world, it has not one single dol lar of currency bank credit, although the four-sevenths of the world's banking power has the advantage of $4,000,000,000 current credits or credit currency. "On the same basis we are entitled to have $3,000,000,000 of currency credit or rredit currency. Mould Increase BarjUAReserves. "If this principle were broadly adopted In. this country, as It should be, our bank reserves might be Increased about 20 per cent and our banking liabilities remain practically the same. "Can any one give a single reason why we should use a check book to order and not use a current credit on the same bank In which we draw our checks? Is not the cashier's check Just as good as our check upon the same bank Indeed far better when protected as it should be by a guar antee fund deposited with the United States Government many times more than ample to insure Its redemption In gold coin? "if the banking institutions of th country could exchange one billion dol lars of cashiers' checks for one billion of reserve money now floating around in the mines, wheat, corn and cotton fields, and this one billion dollars were auded to the one hilllon In the banks on July 1. 1907, our bank liabilities would be in creased about 8 per cent, while our re serve would be increased 100 per cent: and Instead of our advantage reserve being about 10 per cent it would be 20 per cent and this end alone is sufficient to justify the adoption of the principle of current credits. Adopted by Other Countries. "Scotland has a credit currency Issued by the banks that expands and contracts twice a year at the rate of $1.22 per capita or $500,000. "The same ratio would give the United States about one billion dollars of credit currency, but we have not one cent of credit currency though we need it more than any other country in the wprld. "France has a credit currency issued by the Bank of France which Is con stantly expanding and contracting throughout the year at the rate of $1.73 per capita or $67,600,000. "The same ratio would give the United States $150,000,000 of credit currency. "Canada has a credit currency Issued by the banks that expands and contracts at the rate of $3.29 per capita every Fall, or $25,000,000. , "The same ratio would give the United States $280,000,000 of credit currency. But we have It not." T VOTE NOT TO DRAW MONEY FROM CHICAGO BANKS. Mouthy Agitators Are Promptly Squelched in Exciting Ses sion of Federation. CHICAGO, Nov. 3. (Special.) Confi dence in the soundness and Integrity of the banking institutions of Chicago was expressed by practically unanimous vote of the Federation of Labor today in an exciting session, during which the alarm ists and mouthy agitators were promptly squelched by the conservatives. The vote followed immediately on motion by Secretary Nockels that any union hav ing a checking account with any bank should institute receivership proceedings If cash payments were refused for any check properly drawn and signed. Im mediately the storm broke. "You had better go carefully on this subject," shouted George J. Thompson, of the Cigar Makers' Union. "We don't want to start any panic. The banks are Bound and they are doing the right thing In refusing to allow money to be drawn Indiscriminately and put out of circula tion." "We must protect the banks to protect ourselves," said J. M. Vail, of the Paper Hangers' Union. "You fellows who are shouting panic and want to see rioting may get all you want of It if you Btart anything." Several other speeches were made along the same lines, the conservatives plainly telling the agitators that the banks were protecting the people against their own folly and should be upheld and thanked for the splendid service. Only two votes in the great gathering were against the expression of confi dence. D'ES BEFORE ANGRY MOB Negro Murderer Escapes Lynching by Drowning in River. , KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 3. In view of 300 people. Jim Davis, a negro, who had shot two negro women early Sunday morning, leaped from the railing of the Tennessee River bridge Into the water, 100 feet below and was drowned before ha could be rescued. Pursued by two Deputy Sheriffs, Davis climbed to the top of the railing and pulling a pistol from his pocket, fired five times In the air, scatter ing the crowd which was trying to prevent him from suicide, and then, counting one, two, three. Jumped head loremost. In his last words before leap Ing Davis declared that he had killed 2! people. EXPLOSION KILLS SEVEN (Continued from Page 1.) heard about 4:30 at the camp. No thought was given It, for blasts are of hourly oc currence along the route of the new rail road. DEATHS DUE TO CARELESSNESS' Coroner's Jury Fixes Blame on Those Who Lett Powder Mine. GOLDENDALE. Wash., Nov. 3. (Spe cial.) County Attorney William T. Darch, who, with the Sheriff and the Coroner, went to Hewitt's Landing, about five miles below Lyle. to investigate the cause of the explosion at Cochran & Woldson's Camp No. 1, on the North Bank road, which resulted In the death of seven men on Friday of last week, reports that the accident was caused by a Hindu work man striking an unexploded blast with his pick while working on a drain ditch. The charge exploded was one of a series of coyote holes put In last July for the purpose of blowing rock. A large portion of the rock bluff on the right of way at that place was ex ploded by electricity, and it is thought that this blast failed to explode by rea son of some defect in the wiring. A crew of ten Hindus were working at the place where the blast went off, and five of them were Instantly killed, four being blown Into the Columbia River, their bodies not being recovered. One of the remaining five is seriously injured and the others are slightly injured. Charles Refed, a Swede, the foreman, who had taken charge of the crew that morning, was blown about 100 yards by the force of the explosion, and his body was terribly man gled. Henry Hunkelor, the car-repairer, was also killed. Neither of them has families, so far as known. Hunkelor is said to have a sister residing at Spo kane. A Coroner's Jury was impaneled, and, after going over the ground at the scene of the accident, it was decided that the accident was due to the carelessness of some person or persons unknown. After the Inquest the body of the Hindu which was found was turned over to his coun trymen. His fingers and toenails were taken off, to be sent back, to his native country, and the body cremated and the ashes cast Into the waters of the Colum bia River, according to their religious faith. Hanan shoes keep ,rour reec dry. that's. Seventh and Washington. Rosen- Rosenthal! fit the feet. run i it n UP IN NEW-YORK Flow of Gold From Europe Does Much to Restore Confidence. PLAN MONETARY REFORMS Elastic Currency Found to ' Be Necessary Bank Note Issue Is Likely Trust Companies Need Sounder Working Basis. NEW YORK, Nov. a Last week was given over to the work of rehabilitation of financial conditions and much prog ress was made, although there remained many elements of disorder in the situa tion, owing to the dislocation of ex change facilities in the money and com mercial markets. This was Inevitable from the shock of the preceding week's events in New York. But the situation has been well In hand and success was met In limiting the range of the disturbance and in the initiation of measures to insure correc tion and settlement. Of these the most vital was the large amount of gold se cured from foreign countries for im portation now afloat toward New York. The gold engagements have reached the neighborhood of $30,000,000, and this week this broad stream will flow into New York banks. The feeling that this supply was en route has done much to fortify confi dence, but the actual reviving effect on banking and money operations awaits the arrival of the gold. Meanwhile the ex ample set by New York In the adoption of clearing-house certificates for the payment of the balances between the banks has been followed by the great money centers and. safeguarded the banks. Further Important -relief is looked for from the facilities extended by the Controller of the Currency for the in creased bank-note circulation. Bonds to Back Up Notes.. The Government bonds are made avail able as security to take out additional bank notes and this will afford largely Increased resources for supplying the ur gent requirements for currency, which forms one of the severest trials of the situation. The conditions which have had to be met in the recent crisis have given a strong impetus to the movement for providing increased currency, and are ex pected to Induce early action by Con gress to authorize new forms of bank note issue. The experience of the coun try in a period of high prosperity and active business and industry and with the banking position sound and solvent in coming almost to a deadlock for lack of means to make banking resources quickly available for the needs of the circulation, has made a deep impression in inculcating the needs of an emergency circulation which can expand quickly in time of need. In another direction, it is practically certain that measures of correction will be adopted for the trust com panies in New York which proved to be the weak link in the financial chain. Here, again, the solvency of institu tions did not avail to meet sudden de mands of depositors without recourse to the banks for assistance, the assist ance thus rendered proving the strain that precipitated the crisis. Strengthens Trust Companies. The Clearing-House banks for sev eral years have voiced their discontent with the trust companies' position, which was due to the great growth of these institutions and their under taking of purely banking functions in the acceptance of large deposits sub ject to check and to payment on de mand without obligations to maintain cash reserves in the proportion en forced on the banks. Efforts of banks to coerce the trust companies in this regard led to the withdrawal several years ago of most of the trust com panies from the privilege of clearing through the banks. Under the opera tion of last year's New York state law, the trust companies had been obliged to accumulate a reserve of 15 per cent of their deposits, but of this only 5 per cent was to be held in cash in their own vaults, 5 per cent being al lowed to remain on deposit in the banks, where it figured, of course, in the reserve of those institutions, also, and o per cent was allowed to be in vested in designated securities. With the depender.ee of the trust companies on an emergency reserve in the banks demonstrated as It has been by recent' events, the enforcement of additional reserve requirements that will separate trust companies either by central au thority among themselves or in con Junction with the Clearing-House banks or by enactment, is expected to result as a consequence of present ex perience. Stock Market Active. In the stock market, the disturbed financial conditions naturally found some reflection, and there was some clearing away of wreckage, such as is inevitable from a convulsion like that which swept the markets the week be fore. Operations were hampered by the obstructions to the working of the machinery of the money and exchange markets. In spite of these obstacles, however, there was buying for cash and for investment on a scale such as ts not recalled by the oldest observers. This demand is for both home and for eign accounts. Principal interest from the standpoint of the stock market now turns to the outcome of events in the general situation. THREE KILLED; SIX HURT Georgia Passenger" Train Collides With Freight Wreck Burns. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Nov. 3. Fast passenger train No. 3, on the Queen and Crescent, going at a. high rate of speed, collided headon with a freight train one mile south of Morganville, Ga., this morning. Three men were killed, nine seriously Injured and about 20 passengers sustained more or less painful Injuries. The dead are: C. B. SPENCER, engineer of Birming ham. BUD APPERSON. of Trenton, Ga. JOB YOUNG, negro fireman. The more seriously injured: H. W. Elliott, Jr., freight engineer, leg broken. ' J. M. Tomlln. white fireman, bad brulaeit. nTnnifii ultla Joe Young, negro fireman, cut and bruised. Ed Jackon. express messenger. W. A., Frlerson,, mail clerk, bruised and cut. John Street, mall clerk, bruited and cut ' Three coaches, mall, express and second class passenger, were all burned. All the mail and express mat ter was entirely consumed. The passenger train was over an hour behind time and it is said by of ficials that they were running more than 70 miles an hour as the track at this point la exceptionally fine. Re sponsibility for the wreck has not Vet been determined. THREE DEAD IN MARYLAND Freight Trains Come Together on the Baltimore & Ohio. CUMBERLAND, Md., Nov. 3. Two men were killed, a third is missing and one man was injured as the result of a wreck today when an extra west bound freight train on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad got beyond control and collided with another fast freight on the Cranberry grade, near McMillan, W. Va., about 70 miles west of here. The dead are: JACOB W. GERLACH. brakeman. W. E. HAMIL, brakeman. The missing man is Martin J. Fal lon, an engineer of Piedmont, W. Va,, supposed to be under the wreck. SETTLERS B ABOUT 3000 ARRIVE IN SPO KANE AT ONE TIME. Come From East -Under Colonist Rates and Wait Till Last Day Be fore Leaving, Hence the Jam. SPOKANE, Wash., Nov. 3. (Special.) Nearly 3000 homeseekers, bound for every part of the Pacific Northwest, arrived in Spokane today by the vari ous roads. They are traveling on tickets sold in the Eaet under the col onist rates, which expired October 31, and the army of today is made up of those who waited until the last day of grace to begin' their journey. Train No. 3 on the Northern Pacific consisted of 25 coaches filled to the steps. It traveled in two sections. Twelve hundred souls, railroad offi ciate estimate, were inside the coaches. When the colonists alighted at Spo kane to stretch their weary limbs, the big depot was unable to hold the swarm. Traveling men from St. Paul, who witnessed the embarking at that point on October 31, say several hundred were left behind. They fought to get inside the gate and train officials were compelled to carry children from the cars in order to force the parents to get off and make room for those re maining. Portland. Seattle and Ta coma are the destinations of hundreds Of these colonists, who seem to be prosperous and not lacking refine ment. RIDDLE HIM WITH BULLETS Louisiana Town Aroused by Killing of Policeman by Negro. TALLADEGA, La., Nov. 3.-As a result of the murder of Tom Thompson, assist ant chief of police, here last night, Fred Singleton, a negro, was riddled with bul lets by a posse early today. In the shooting. Policeman Otwell, a member of the posse, was shot in the leg. Single ton's body was brought to Talladega this afternoon and there was great excite ment. Two other negroes implicated in the killing of Thompson were caught and placed in the jail at Talladega for safe keeping. Thompson's murder was peculiarly atrocious. He had arrested three crap shooters who told him they knew where a big crap game was in progress and di rected the officer to the chemical plant. When the officer arrived there, he was fired upon simultaneously from several directions. It is feared that the intense feeling may result in further trouble. DYNAMITE SQUAD PROMPT New York Sappers Corps Answers "Three Fives" In Quick Tlme. NEW YORK, Nov. 3. After waiting 20-odd years for their "three fives" the "dynamite squad" of the fire department responded today to a test call and in regulation time was on hand with ammu nition enough to have blown up the city. The dynamite Bquad, or more properly the sappers corps, was organized in the early '80s. The members are lieutenants or assistant foremen- in 92 fire houses In Manhattan and the Bronx. - The 92 men are marshalled in four battalions. The duties of the corps are to dynamite build lng, when necessity arises to thus stay a conflagration such as visited Baltimore and San Francisco. Their services In their capacity have never been required, but today Chief Croker decided to test their efficiency. He pulled the dynamite alarm from a downtown box and In six minutes the first man, coming two miles by subway express, saluted his chief. At the heels of the first were the others, and not a man on duty failed to respond. "Not bad," commented Chief Croker. CRUISER BUFFALO SPOKEN Has Been Doing Patrol Duty In Bering Sea Waters. NORTH HEAD. Wash., Nov. 3. CSpe- cial.) The United States cruiser Buffalo, which has been doing special duty in Bering Sea with the Revenue Service for the past two months, was communicated with by wireless this e-ening oft Van couver Island. The Buffalo sailed from Bremerton Navy Yard In August with rush orders to proceed to Bering Sea to help the regular revenue cutters patrol the re stricted waters against poachers. The entire fleet of cutters was kept busy throughout the season, preventing the numerous Japanese fishermen from doing serious damage inside the limits. SEC. GARFIELDT0 ATTEND President's Cabinet to Be Repre sented at Baltimore Convention. WASHINGTON, Nov. 3. Secretary of the Interior Garfield, Gifford Pinchot, Chief of the Forestry Service, and F. H. Newell, Director of the Government Rec lamation Service,' are expected to attend the Congress of the National Drainage Association at Baltimore. November 25 and 27. The meeting will be in the McCoy Hall of Johns Hopkins University. Senator Flint, of California, author of the general drainage bill, will advocate the adoption of that measure by the Con gress. Most of the Governors of the Southern," Western and Eastern states, as well as Mayors of a number of cities have been appointed delegates to the congress. What Does a Woman Want to Know About a Corset ? First of all, whether It has beautiful lines lines according to Paris. Women have been alike ever since Eve Beauty is so absolutely essential to their happiness and success in life that they very wisely try for it. Next, is it a Corset likely to suit her partic ular type? Third, is it comfortable ? Fourth, does it wear well ? . Fifth, is it expensive ? What We Want Her to" Know About "La Vida" an "W.B 99 That they follow the Paris changes as the barom eter follows the weather. That there are over thirty different models of these two world-famous Corsets to suit at least as many figures. That comfort is a matter of meeting a Corset adapted to her figure and our expert fitters attend to that. That "La Vida" Corsets are stayed with genuine whalebone and are equal to an im ported Corset costing twice as much. "La Vida" Corsets cost from $5.50 to $10.50 -equal to foreign Corsets costing twice as much mostly import duties. "W. B." Corsets cost from $1.00 upward yet they have style features not found as yet on any other low-priced Corset. BOYCOTT FAILS IN HELENA PRINTERS DECIDE TO QUIT THE STATE FEDERATION. Other Labor Organizations With draw and Telephone Company Will Win Battle. HELENA, Mont., Nov.- 3. As a re sult of the boycott campaign which has been waged for several months by the Montana federation of Labor against business houses and Individ uals patronizing the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company, four of the strongest labor unions In Helena have withdrawn from the' state or ganization. Helena . Typographical Union, No! 95. today decided to divorce itself from the organization, which during the past week has been de nounced by the Independent, in a series of editorials, as an outlaw organiza tion commanded by "modern road agents." Howard O. Smith, secretary of the Federation, Is a member of the Typo graphical Union and the action of the printers today takes away his member ship in the state body. Smith, with Alexander Fairgrleve,. president of the Federation, were recently enjoined hjf the Federal Court from continuing their boycott tactics, and since then the cooks and waiters, the bartenders and the teamsters have withdrawn from the organization, which now, on account of the disfavor with which its boycotted campaign has been received. Is threatened with disruption. BIG MAJORITY' FAVORS STRIKE English Railway Employes Are Ready to Stop Work at Call. LONDON. Nov. 3. At a meeting of railroad men held tonight at .Bert Hall and attended by deputations from all parts of the United Kingdom, Richard Grocers who run short take orders for next day's delivery to satisfy the insistent demands of all who appreciate the Purity and Quality of DAMASCUS CREAMERY BUTTER at the usual price of SOc the two-pound roll. More first class dairymen are daily sending cream to us, so that we confidently expect to be able to supply from day to day the new patronage offered us. Ask your Grocer. l CREAMERIES '.t ""t . rS 'OKTLAN0 mONO CURR!NSW afca- Corsets Bell. M. P., general secretary of the Amalgamated Society . of Railway Serv ants, and leader ot the strike move ment, announced the result of the ballot taken among members of the society on the question of a strike. Mr. Bell said the society had 976.943 members at the end of September and that many of the men who had joined recently joined in the ballot. He announced that 88,134 pa pers had been returned, of which 76.S25 were in favor of striking, while 8773 were opposed to so doing. The remain der of the ballots were spoiled, but a 'majority of these were in favor of strik ing. Continuing. Mr. Bell said that the ex ecutive committee of the society was well satisfied with this result, but it had resolved that no further reference should be made to the situation pending the in terview November 6 between Lloyd George, president of the Board of Trade, and representatives of the society. He said he hoped the mandate would not be put Into operation, but he was satisfied that If It became necessary to take the step, the men would stand by their colore. The meeting passed a resolution heart ily pledging its support to any action the executive committee might deem neces sary. DEPOT IS BROKEN INTO Thieves Go Through Parcel Room at South Bend, Wash. SOUTH BEND. Wash., Nov. 3. (Spe cial.) The baggage room of" the Northern Pacific depot was broken into sometime during Saturday night by sneakthleves,-who looted the parcels stored there. The room was turned topsy turvy and three trunks had been carried across the railroad track and the con tents strewn about. The messenger's road safe, which contained nothing but reports, etc., must have been taken by the robbers as a souvenir, as It has not been found. The amount of dam age cannot be ascertained, as the trunks have not been Identified and consequently it Is not known what was stolen. Eat Government-Inspected meat. KILLED IN DITCH CM GREEK CAUGHT WHILE TRYING TO STOP A LEAK. Companion Also Burled, but Is Dug Out Alive Tliought lie Will Recover Gieek Popular. ECHO. Or.. Nov. 3. (Special.) Last night at 11 o'clock, while George Pan topulos and a man named White were trying to stop a leak in the Government ditch about a mile below town, the bank caved in, burying them beneath several feet of earth. Pantopulos was killed and White se verely injured. They were not found until the day force of ditch-walkers went to work at 6 o'clock Sunday morning. In response to a tele phone message, the Coroner stated that an inquest was not necessary, and the funeral of Pantopulos was held Sunday from the Methodist Church and the re mains interred In the I. O. O. F. Ceme tery. Pantopulos was a Greek, and very popu lar with his associates. He left prop erty valued at $2500. which will go to his wife and children In Greece. White was taken to the Hotel Echo and placed in care of Dr. Dorn. Hopes are entertained for his recovery. Theater Manager Shoots Himself. PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 3. Gustavus Wegefarth, lessee and manager ot the opera-house, and president of a company which -Is erecting the new William Penn Theater In this city, attempted suicide at his home today. Mr. Wegefarth, with his son. were ehtertinlng friends at his home, when he left the party and went to his bedroom and shot himself. The members of the party found him lying on the floor with three bullet wounds In his head. He was taken to a hospital, where an operation was performed and It is said he has a possible chance of re cover'. Recently, it Is said, business troubles have caused him much worry.