Young, Spectacular

John J. Teal has been railroad clerk, bank cashier, candy maker, shipper. In none of these capacities, however, did he return to the U. S., last week, with a $5,000,000 contract in his pocket. He came as president of the young and spectacular Fox Bros. International Corp., barely over a year old, holder of Turkish and Spanish construction contracts worth $107,500,000.

Fox Bros. International burst upon a slightly surprised business world last November by announcing it would build and equip railroad repair shops at Kaisarie, Turkey, for $2,500,000. The Para Corp. (Berlin),it was understood, had some share in the deal. But this was only an appetizer for Mr. Teal and Edward Clarence Strohm, chairman of the board and practically sole owner. Partners in the reorganization of the Newtex (New England, N. Y. and Texas) line, partners in the purchase of the exporting firm of Fox Bros, and Co., partners in the creation of Fox Bros. International, Stockholder Strohm and Operator Teal sought larger fields.

They rushed an engineer to a subsidiary in Paris, another to Angora, a third to Kaisarie. At Angora they thought they saw a land of golden opportunity for U. S. business enterprise, and they accepted the Turk's word for $60,000,000, payment for a vast railway project, spreading 750 miles between Kaisarie and Tourhall, between Sivas and Erzerum. Angora wanted to open up the rich mining regions. Operator Teal assured the Council of Ministers his young corporation could finish the job in seven years, offered better terms than competing European firms.

Still, the enthusiasm of Stockholder Strohm and Operator Teal was unsatisfied. As agent provocateur, Mr. Teal went to Madrid, offered blithely to build, not a railroad, but a broad highway along the 260 miles from Madrid to Irun, where France, Spain and the Bay of Biscay meet. Royalty and the Dictator watched with patriotic, possibly financial, interest. The figure named was $40,000,000.

Fox Bros. International apparently will build anything, anywhere. Last week. Operator Teal announced he had jumped from railroads, highways, into the air. He will construct a $5,000,000 airport at Seville, the base of a transoceanic zeppelin line to Buenos Aires.