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Show IS CHAMPION OPTIMIST x V William C. Drown, first vlco-presldent of tho rsiw. Now York Central railway system, Is nn Optimist. f aik Moreover, the tltlo should bo spelled with a cnpl- U tn' N lower caso letter would over do l . Vj Justlco to the great mantle of optimism thnt cov- Ji i&"-"iv$ tj crs Mr Drown ns a blanket. It Is an avalanche SaJ '-SmS n "lnt fn"B ovor mul around nnd about him llko Wi "'3 ' r) 1,10 '0,lmv hu naliltio or tho balmy nlr of spring. P'v, J Not thnt Mr. llrown ever lets His optimism V 'f-Si r Interfere with his business. Fur be It. Ilnthor, yfotXl? lie permits tho optimism to gild nnd reflno the JtAsvji sordid business necessity to hallow It and mnko fSSW'Cofv J a ur'"nt roRU color I'istond of tho dull gray iSfiwWwAvil llhn ,lial ' PrfBiimcU to bo Its natural hue. JffMaiiwffil M J" U' Pleasant pursuit of his calling as tho MwM 111 lllllly' high priest of optimism, Mr. Drown hns JiiBt announced that tho railroads of thn central west aro about to boost tho freight rates on January 1 next. He smiled pleasantly when ho said It, ns though It were Just the ono thing the commercial world had been waiting for nnd longing for during tho pnst six months. Of course, thoro wns an Immediate rcsponso In the way of a long-drawn howl from tho largo business Interests. What does Mr. Drown do then7 Docs ho crawl back Into his nolo of n prlvnto ofllco nnd refuse to boo nny of the reporters? Docs he como out with nn explanation thnt does nothing but retract? Does ho rush Into print with nnother Intorvlow thnt gives masses ot dry figures and compnrntlvo tnblcs? Not for n minute. On tho contrary, ho permits himself to bo quoted ngoln. Ho explains thnt tho business Intorests reully wnnt a inlso In rntes. They don't know It, but they want It bad. Now ho'a going to call a little meeting Just n conference of tho business Interests, Inter-ests, and explain to them JuBt why they havo been longing for the rnto boost. Ho Is going to mnko them llko the Idea. Whoreforo wo repent that Mr. Drown Is certainly nn Optimist. |