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Frederich Engels, of Marx and Engels, in a letter of October 28, 1880 to Harry Kaulitz mentions "Mr. Burleigh," Most, and "tittle-tattle in the Central News." From page 38 of the collection Karl Marx, Frederick Engels: Collected Works, vol. 46, Marx and Engels: 1880-1883 (New York: International Publishers, 1992). The index of this book in Google books identifies Burleigh as Bennet Burleigh.
And yet Mr. Burleigh dabbled in capitalism:
The Printing times and Lithogapher: An Illustrated Monthly, Volume 7, April 15, 1881, Page 103
The Automatic Telegraph Company (limited) has been formed to carry out an agreement between the Central News (Limited), and Mr. F. Farrar, of 2, Buchey Hill-terrace, Camberwell, on behalf of the company, for the purchase by the latter of certain letters patent connected with " improvements in the transmitting and receiving apparatus of printing telegraphs," together with all wires, instruments, and plant used in the working of the same, for the sum of £10,000, to be paid by the allotment of 2,000 fully paid-up shares in the company. By the agreement, the Central News is to supply the company at their registered offices with all general news collected by them of a description similar to that hitherto supplied to their club subscribers, at the rate of 10 per cent, of the amount paid to the company by subscribers receiving news. '' So long as the company shall duly and diligently prosecute and carry on business of a news collecting and automatic transmitting agency, the Central News (Limited) shall not, except at the request of the company, supply any person or body (other than the company and Her Majesty's Postmaster-General for the time being) with any intelligence or news for distribution by the means of automatic telegraphic instruments for the purposes of a news agency." The capital is £100,000, in £5 shares. The promoters, who have taken one share each, are W. Saunders, Ludgate-circus; F. Duff, Ludgate-circus; S. M. Richards, 141, Fenchurch street; J. Moore, 14, Philbrick-terrace, Peckham-rye; W. P. Forbes, Evergreen Lodge, Wanstead; B. G. Burleigh, 4, Heron-road; and R. J. Burnside, Monkstown, Dublin. Directors are not yet appointed; their qualification is the holding of 100 shares. The offices of the company are at 4, Ludgate-circus.
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A later mention of the promotion activities of the Central News:
The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, Volume 80, August 31, 1895, Page 269
The Whitehead And Sultan Gold Mines, Limited.
A favourite device of the "smart" promoter is to float an "exploring" company with a high sounding title, and then, a few months after, to bring out, under its aegis, and with a great flourish of trumpets, other promotions, if possible even more indifferent. This is what has happened with regard to the Whitehead and Sultan Gold Mines, Limited. On 6 July, not two months ago, a company called the Gresham Gold Exploring Syndicate, Limited, was floated, and it is this old-established concern, whose name is printed in heavy type at the head of the prospectus, which now appeals to the public for subscriptions to the Whitehead and Sultan Gold Mines, Limited. Investors, of course, are unaware that the Gresham Syndicate is an organization of mere mushroom growth, and doubtless they imagine it to be a fine old city corporation; it is none the less a fact, however, that it is not only a very young company, but a company which does not appear to be on too sound a footing. Much the same can be said of its offspring, the Whitehead and Sultan concern, which is capitalized at no less than 150,000, and is formed to acquire two of the "valuable gold mining properties" with which Coolgardie, in West Australia, abounds, according to the company-promoter. There is nothing in the prospectus but the usual stereotyped references to "free" gold, and "visible" gold, which references experience proves to be utterly unreliable. It is said that since the formation of the company a cablegram has been received which states that "there is (sic) over 7000 tons of ore in sight" which will yield 4 oz. to the ton; but we know that cablegram—it comes from Coolgardie. The directorate of this company does not inspire us with any confidence; with one exception, the gentlemen are all what we may call West Australian company hacks. The exception is Mr. W. P. Forbes, who has only two of these West Australian ventures to his credit. But Mr. Forbes assists in the direction of several other concerns which exist outside the charmed circle of Coolgardie—notably the Cheque Bank, Limited, the affairs of which do not seem to be in an over-flourishing condition. The Chemists' Co-operative Society, to which we have on several occasions referred, is another. Mr. Forbes is also connected with the Central News, Limited, which we believe we are correct in stating is to some extent responsible for the promotion of this Whitehead and Sultan company. The Central News, Limited, has had some unhappy experiences in regard to the promotion of public companies. The Whitehead Company, the Column Printing Company, the General Phosphate Corporation, and the Sapphire and Ruby Company of Montana, do not exactly add to "the pleasures of memory," but then news agencies have never been successful in dealing with limited liability finance. It is an old saying and a true one, that the cobbler should stick to his last.
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The Statist: A Journal of Practical Finance and Trade, Volume 32, October 21, 1893, Page 470
Attributing his failure to loss on promoting the General Phosphate Corporation (Limited) and injury to his business through having to go to Canada in 1892 to assist the Company, Mr. Sando, commission agent, a Norwegian by birth, submitted accounts (which it was stated required amendment) showing liabilities £23,832 and assets £23,916. The petitioning creditors were the Central News (Limited), claiming £636.
--end
Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, Volume 81, February 22, 1896, Page 200
Corsair Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited, Capital ^250,000; Kurnalpi Gold Exploration And Development Company (W.A.), Limited, Capital ^275,000.
It is difficult to find anything new to say about Companies which give one little or no material to work upon, and we should have been grateful to the promoters of these concerns if they had condescended to tell us a little more about their offspring. Mr. Herbert Moir, of the Sapphire and Ruby Company of Montana, Limited, and Mr. W. P. Forbes, of the Central News, are, we understand, interested in the Corsair Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited. Messrs. Steadman, Van Praagh & Co. are described as the solicitors to the Kurnalpi Gold Exploration project. We strongly advise our readers to have nothing whatever to do with either of these Companies, or with any company which is promoted secretly and does not issue a prospectus.
And yet Mr. Burleigh dabbled in capitalism:
The Printing times and Lithogapher: An Illustrated Monthly, Volume 7, April 15, 1881, Page 103
The Automatic Telegraph Company (limited) has been formed to carry out an agreement between the Central News (Limited), and Mr. F. Farrar, of 2, Buchey Hill-terrace, Camberwell, on behalf of the company, for the purchase by the latter of certain letters patent connected with " improvements in the transmitting and receiving apparatus of printing telegraphs," together with all wires, instruments, and plant used in the working of the same, for the sum of £10,000, to be paid by the allotment of 2,000 fully paid-up shares in the company. By the agreement, the Central News is to supply the company at their registered offices with all general news collected by them of a description similar to that hitherto supplied to their club subscribers, at the rate of 10 per cent, of the amount paid to the company by subscribers receiving news. '' So long as the company shall duly and diligently prosecute and carry on business of a news collecting and automatic transmitting agency, the Central News (Limited) shall not, except at the request of the company, supply any person or body (other than the company and Her Majesty's Postmaster-General for the time being) with any intelligence or news for distribution by the means of automatic telegraphic instruments for the purposes of a news agency." The capital is £100,000, in £5 shares. The promoters, who have taken one share each, are W. Saunders, Ludgate-circus; F. Duff, Ludgate-circus; S. M. Richards, 141, Fenchurch street; J. Moore, 14, Philbrick-terrace, Peckham-rye; W. P. Forbes, Evergreen Lodge, Wanstead; B. G. Burleigh, 4, Heron-road; and R. J. Burnside, Monkstown, Dublin. Directors are not yet appointed; their qualification is the holding of 100 shares. The offices of the company are at 4, Ludgate-circus.
--end
A later mention of the promotion activities of the Central News:
The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, Volume 80, August 31, 1895, Page 269
The Whitehead And Sultan Gold Mines, Limited.
A favourite device of the "smart" promoter is to float an "exploring" company with a high sounding title, and then, a few months after, to bring out, under its aegis, and with a great flourish of trumpets, other promotions, if possible even more indifferent. This is what has happened with regard to the Whitehead and Sultan Gold Mines, Limited. On 6 July, not two months ago, a company called the Gresham Gold Exploring Syndicate, Limited, was floated, and it is this old-established concern, whose name is printed in heavy type at the head of the prospectus, which now appeals to the public for subscriptions to the Whitehead and Sultan Gold Mines, Limited. Investors, of course, are unaware that the Gresham Syndicate is an organization of mere mushroom growth, and doubtless they imagine it to be a fine old city corporation; it is none the less a fact, however, that it is not only a very young company, but a company which does not appear to be on too sound a footing. Much the same can be said of its offspring, the Whitehead and Sultan concern, which is capitalized at no less than 150,000, and is formed to acquire two of the "valuable gold mining properties" with which Coolgardie, in West Australia, abounds, according to the company-promoter. There is nothing in the prospectus but the usual stereotyped references to "free" gold, and "visible" gold, which references experience proves to be utterly unreliable. It is said that since the formation of the company a cablegram has been received which states that "there is (sic) over 7000 tons of ore in sight" which will yield 4 oz. to the ton; but we know that cablegram—it comes from Coolgardie. The directorate of this company does not inspire us with any confidence; with one exception, the gentlemen are all what we may call West Australian company hacks. The exception is Mr. W. P. Forbes, who has only two of these West Australian ventures to his credit. But Mr. Forbes assists in the direction of several other concerns which exist outside the charmed circle of Coolgardie—notably the Cheque Bank, Limited, the affairs of which do not seem to be in an over-flourishing condition. The Chemists' Co-operative Society, to which we have on several occasions referred, is another. Mr. Forbes is also connected with the Central News, Limited, which we believe we are correct in stating is to some extent responsible for the promotion of this Whitehead and Sultan company. The Central News, Limited, has had some unhappy experiences in regard to the promotion of public companies. The Whitehead Company, the Column Printing Company, the General Phosphate Corporation, and the Sapphire and Ruby Company of Montana, do not exactly add to "the pleasures of memory," but then news agencies have never been successful in dealing with limited liability finance. It is an old saying and a true one, that the cobbler should stick to his last.
--end
The Statist: A Journal of Practical Finance and Trade, Volume 32, October 21, 1893, Page 470
Attributing his failure to loss on promoting the General Phosphate Corporation (Limited) and injury to his business through having to go to Canada in 1892 to assist the Company, Mr. Sando, commission agent, a Norwegian by birth, submitted accounts (which it was stated required amendment) showing liabilities £23,832 and assets £23,916. The petitioning creditors were the Central News (Limited), claiming £636.
--end
Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, Volume 81, February 22, 1896, Page 200
Corsair Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited, Capital ^250,000; Kurnalpi Gold Exploration And Development Company (W.A.), Limited, Capital ^275,000.
It is difficult to find anything new to say about Companies which give one little or no material to work upon, and we should have been grateful to the promoters of these concerns if they had condescended to tell us a little more about their offspring. Mr. Herbert Moir, of the Sapphire and Ruby Company of Montana, Limited, and Mr. W. P. Forbes, of the Central News, are, we understand, interested in the Corsair Consolidated Gold Mines, Limited. Messrs. Steadman, Van Praagh & Co. are described as the solicitors to the Kurnalpi Gold Exploration project. We strongly advise our readers to have nothing whatever to do with either of these Companies, or with any company which is promoted secretly and does not issue a prospectus.
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