Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1912 — Purtelle Had a Railroad Meeting Thursday Evening. [ARTICLE]

Purtelle Had a Railroad Meeting Thursday Evening.

Eugene Purtelle notified several people that he whs going to hold a railroad meeting at the court house Thursday evening. He invited them to come up and hear his latest. The newspapers were not asked to advertise the meeting , and the press was not asked to attend it. It was an unforgivable insult and it is impossible for us to report just what happened. In the first place, be It understood, the meeting was held just as he said it would be. He made good. There were three persons there besides the irrepressible Gene. We have been unable to find out just what happened, but did have it intimated that Gene still blames his failure here to the fact that the newspapers refused to recommend his stock for sale. Gene says that he has spent 125,000 or $250,000 or $2,500,000 or something like that in building railroads but that the newspapers have prevented him from succeeding in any of his enterprises. He is Btill willing to try it here if the people will put up the money and let him spend it.He was told on the. quiet by one of the three gentlemen present that the proper thing for him to do would be to bring a pot full of real money down here and get busy and thus secure the confidence of the people. Gene talks like a man who would do something if he knew how to do it and we have no doubt that any who wish can bay a few shares of his railroad stock and take a chance. Gene is said to have handed the newspapers a hot one and for fear the three auditors might not be able to give his stinging charge full circulation, we don’t mind pubiishngit. He said he thought we had been “fixed,” insinuating that we had sold out to the idonon railroad. Gene is more like a joke with each appearance in Rensselaer. He don’t even look like a railroad magnate to us any more. ' rv >ere is no testimony about his settling his unpaid checks and we understand that they are still outstanding or possibly resting in some more comfortable position. There is one distiQct advantage in Gene’s visits, however, he helps the newspapers out. on otherwise dull days.