Page:John Brown (W. E. B. Du Bois).djvu/314

304 so warm that John Brown at one time resigned, but he was immediately reëlected and this formal letter was sent him: "—We have all agreed to sustain your decisions, until you have proved incompetent, and many of us will adhere to your decisions so long as you will."

In these ways Brown was compelled to hurry and accordingly he urged his eldest son, who replied: "Through those associations which I formed in Canada, I am able to reach each individual member at the shortest notice by letter. I am devoting my whole time to our company business. Shall immediately go out organizing and raising funds. From what I even had understood, I had supposed you would not think it best to commence opening the coal banks before spring, unless circumstances should make it imperative. However, I suppose the reasons are satisfactory to you, and if so, those who own smaller shares ought not to object. I hope we shall be able to get on in season some of those old miners of whom I wrote you. Shall strain every nerve to accomplish this. You may be assured that what you say to me will reach those who may be benefited thereby, and those who would take stock, in the shortest possible time; so don't fail to keep me posted."

As late as October 6th Brown expected to "move about the end of the month" and made a hurried