The Law at Springer's Corner. .that a receiver may be appointed to take charge of the assets of a corporation when it is insolvent or in imminent danger of in solvency. Anderson contends in his bill that this corporation is threatened with insol vency, and he makes charges of gross incompetency in the management. While the Minnesota statute is not binding on the equity side of the Federal court, it would nevertheless be some guide to the court in passing on this application. This application smacks of absurdity and blackmail only in the fact that Anderson is the owner of so small a block of stock. But his suit is brought on behalf of all others similarly sit uated; the stock of this corporation is much scattered, and it may well be that other stockholders would intervene and join in the prayer. They might do that from motives of blackmail or from pure crankiness. At any rate Anderson could contend that the large blocks of stock are held or controlled by the board of directors and that the mis management he complains of would never be attacked, if not by a small stockholder. It may well be that the failure to reinsure these risks and our consequent losses in the recent fires would be considered by Judge McLean as proof of these charges of incompetent
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management." Mr. Shields, another of the board, asked: "What is the object of this man in threaten ing us with this litigation?" Floyd answered: "I am inclined to think it is an attempt to levy blackmail, but we have no evidence to that effect." Mr. Atwood said: "If this matter affected me individually and none else, I would fight this man/ at any cost. I would not be held up and robbed. But we must remember that we represent a large body of stockholders, and we must look at this situation dispas sionately with a view to their interest. We can probably buy this man off for a few thousand dollars and it is better to do so than wreck a business in which upwards of a million dollars of capital is embarked. I move that Mr. Floyd be empowered to br Anderson's stock, that the treasurer be au thorized to expend any sum up to $15,000 for this purpose and that the sum paid be charged to profit and loss." The motion was seconded anr1 carried and a day or two later Anderson took the train for St. Louis. He was no longer a stock holder in the Provident Fire Insurance Com pany, but he took with him in lieu of his stock a draft for $12,500.
THE LAW AT SPRINGER'S CORNER. BY GEORGE O. BLUME. THE country court-room at Springer's Corner was filled to the door with vil lage folk; some industrious and some idlers, but one and all eagerly asked each other: "How's Hiram coming out with Horace? which same meant the case of Hiram Higgins v. Horace Estabrook for the alienation of the said Higgins' wife's affections. Big Nathan Smith yawned and then remarked to Eben Baxter: "How'n thunder kin a man sue
fer losin' his wife's 'fections, when the ol' woman never cared nothin' 'bout him?" "That's what gits me," rejoined Eben; "but on the other hand, ef some one should come 'long and win my Lindy's 'fections ther dam age couldn't be cal'ated. I'd hev ter git out ter work an' thereby sustain erreparable in jury, as Hiram calls it. But howsome'ever—" Here the conversation was cut short by the arrival of Squire Huckins, the country mag
