Page:John O. Meusebach - Answer to Interragatories.djvu/23

 by me, stared us now in the face, and it was in my own interest to let it have its way and let it break out openly, because I had to claim a considerable indemnification in case the Company should fail. But considering that the emigrants had trusted to the promises of the Company, that their welfare was at stake, and that, perhaps, an unforeseen delay had happened in Europe, in not notifying me of new credits opened, I felt it my duty—and nothing more than my duty—to hold out, to keep the "de facto" insolvency secret, and not let it break out openly "de jure." No outsider, nor any of the employesemployees [sic] here, did know fully the desperate situation of the financial department. But any man of business can feel the embarrassment to be stopped by total want of means, at a time when quick and energetic action was unavoidably required. It is not an enviable situation to be forced into the position of that Roman General Fabius, nicknamed "Cunctator," of whom an old verse tells us:

The whole business had now to be carried on on a credit.

If the insolvency had been known, all credit would have disappeared at once.

I went to Galveston to see after the disembarcation and moving of the emigrants, who had to be divided into camps at Galveston and Indianola (Carlshaven). Those shipped to Indianola were to be moved upwards first, as soon as teams and provisions could be procured. If we had had only $20,000 or $30,000 (of the over $100,000 due us), here at disposal, we could have bought and loaded a train of 100 wagons with emigrants, and another train of 100 wagons with provisions, started them to the colony, at that time yet in the hands of Indians, and unloaded them