Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 12, No. 33, December, 1873Various
Science
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 12, No. 33, December, 1873
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
The element of distrust, however, aroused by the suspension of
the Brooklyn Trust Company, and subsequently that of the New York
Warehouse Company, in connection with the failure of Francis Skiddy &
Co, and another old-established mercantile house similarly situated,
had not died out when the suspension of Kenyon Cox & Co., involving
that, also, of the Chicago and Canada Southern Railway Company, fell
like a thunderbolt on Wall street. This failure derived its importance
from the fact of Daniel Drew being a general partner in the house,
although originally he had gone into it as a special partner with
$300,000 capital, and from its being the financial agent of this new
but important enterprise--a line of large extent, and involving very
heavy expenditures in construction and equipment. Kenyon Cox & Co.,
as financial agents, and Daniel Drew individually, as a director and
officer of the company, had approved its contracts and endorsed its
acceptances. A large amount of the latter became due on the 13th
of September, and a million and a half of them in amount would have
matured within thirty days afterward; but on the morning of that date
the firm formally suspended, and the joint obligations of the
house and the railway company went to protest. Fortunately for the
bondholders, the road had just previously been completed, although
much still remained to be done to put it in the condition originally
designed. Here comes the rub and the cause of the whole difficulty.
The company depended for its means of construction on the sale of its
bonds, as so many companies before it had done. The sale of the bonds
in this country fell far short of the expectations of the financial
agents, and they were equally disappointed in a market for them
abroad. They were thus caught in the unpleasant position of being
pledged to heavy obligations with little or no money coming in to
meet them with. Failing their ability to pay these out of their
own pockets, or relief in some way from the company, the result was
inevitable. As, however, Daniel Drew was believed to be a man of great
wealth, notwithstanding his loss of nearly a million and a half by
the North-western "corner" in November, 1872, the failure of his house
created much surprise and distrust. All new railway undertakings
and the bankers identified with them were immediately regarded with
suspicion, and that suspicion was fatal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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