Credit Mobilier
mo-be'lier, in United States history, a corporation chartered to build railways. It was an early instance of graft on a large scale. The company was formed in Pennsylvania in 1863 with a capital of $2,500,000. The name adopted was that of a former French banking company with a somewhat similar history. In 1867 the stock was increased to $3,750,000, and the company undertook the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. For a few years enormous dividends were paid and the stock rose rapidly in value. When the exposure came it was found that many honored members of Congress--men who had voted large national bonuses to assist in building the railroad--were stockholders in the Credit Mobilier, and that the company had received outrageous prices for its work. In other words, the organizers of the Credit Mobilier gave stock to senators and representatives in exchange for votes that granted the Union Pacific securities wherewith to pay three prices for the building of the road. A committee of the Senate recommended the expulsion of one member; but no action was taken. A committee of the House recommended the expulsion of two members; but the House contented itself with votes of censure. A number of congressmen were, however, retired from public life; and a connection with this scandal (probably innocent for the most part) cost James G. Blaine the election to the presidency.
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Credit Unions
or co-operative banks, the members of which deposit savings, or invest in shares, and with the funds thus pooled extend credit to one another for individual, family, or business purposes. These local institutions sometimes federate into national institutions and so create powerful financial concerns, such as the Moscow Narodny (People's) Bank, which was doing a business of over a billion dollars a year before it was taken over by the Soviet Government, in 1919. In this country credit unions are of more recent origin, except in the form of building and loan associations, a form of co-operation which has existed in this country for the past two generations. The latter form of mutual credit differs only from the general credit union in that it has the specific object of helping its members finance building operations, while the credit union lends money for all purposes. Massachusetts leads in the formation of credit unions, there being over sixty in that State in 1920, with a membership of nearly 20,000 and assets of about $2,000,000. Seven other States have followed Massachusetts in official recognition of this type of bank, while North Carolina has passed special legislation for fostering such institutions among farmers. The Russell Sage Foundation, New York City, devotes much energy to the encouragement of the formation of credit unions, and published a number of pamphlets on the subject.
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Creed
CREDE, or CREDO, a summary of the articles or Christian doctrines of which the several churches profess their belief. In the Church of England three such creeds are accepted -viz., the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Nicene Creed. In the Church of Scotland the creed accepted is the Westminster Confession of Faith, to which may perhaps be added the Larger. and Shorter Catechisms. The Church of Rome accepts the same creeds as that of England does, but adds to them the creed of the Council of Constantinople.
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Creel
GEORGE, an American journalist and author, born in Blackburn, Mo., in 1876. Educated in the public schools, he served in an editorial capacity on several newspapers in the West and did much special writing for magazines, especially on social and economic subjects. He was appointed by President Wilson as chairman of the Committee on Public Information, on April 14, 1917, and continued in this capacity until March, 1919. He had charge of the dissemination of propaganda in Europe during the war, and perfected a very complete organization for the promotion of publicity.
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Creelman
JAMES, an American author born in Montreal, Canada, in 1859. Educated in the public schools of the Dominion, he later moved to New York City, where he served as a reporter and editorial writer for the New York "Herald." In 1890 he became the editor of the London edition and the year following of the Paris edition of the same newspaper. From 1892-1894 he acted as editor of the New York "Evening Telegram." During the Græco-Turkish, Cuban, and Spanish-American Wars he was a noted war correspondent. He was shot and badly wounded while fighting with the American forces for the capture of Santiago. From 1900-1906 he was editorial writer for the New York "World," and later for the New York "Evening Mail." He died Feb. 12, 1915.
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Creeper
in American ornithology, a small bird six inches long, with white under parts and upper parts of mixed colors, giving the general impression of brown. The brown creeper breeds from Maine and Minnesota northward, hiding its nest in a hole or behind a piece of loosened bark. It has a stiff tail which it uses, woodpecker-fashion, as a prop in climbing. It may be seen examining the bark of trees, an occupation well described by Chapman. The patient, plodding brown creeper is searching for the insects, eggs, and larvae which are hidden in crevices in the bark; after watching him for several minutes one becomes impressed with the thought that he has lost the only thing in the world he ever cared for, and that his one object in life is to find it. Ignoring you completely, with scarcely a pause, he winds his way in a preoccupied, near-sighted manner up a tree trunk. Having finally reached the top of his spiral staircase, one might suppose he would rest long enough to survey his surroundings, but, like a bit of loosened bark, he drops off to the base of the nearest tree and resumes his never-ending task.
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Creighton University
an institution for higher education, founded in 1879, at Omaha, Neb., under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1919 there were 130 instructors and 1,061 students. President, A. J. Burrowes, S. J.
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Cremaillere
The rack which winds the spring of the repeating train.
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