Stock signed by Henry Keep as treasurer and initialed on stub by Jacob Little. 25 cents Washington revenue stamp on front. Jacob Little, one of the top speculators and manipulators of the stock market in the 1850's. He was one of the most prominent speculators in Erie. Little won and lost "Nine Fortunes". Henry Keep (1818-1869) was a financier, born in Jefferson county, New York, in 1818; died in New York City, 30 July, 1869. After suffering many hardships through poverty, he worked his way to Honeoye Falls. Near Rochester, New York, he was employed as a teamster, and, having saved a small sum of money, invested it during the financial crisis of 1837 in depreciated currency, which, upon its subsequent rise, yielded him a handsome profit. He then bought Canadian banknotes at a discount from residents of the American frontier, and cashed them at par in Canada. In this way he amassed sufficient capital to establish a bank at Watertown, New York, and afterward founded several other country banks. He then removed to New York and became largely interested in railroads and railroad stocks. In 1861-63 he was treasurer of the Michigan Southern railroad, and for six months of 1866 was president of the New York Central Railroad. From June 1868, until the time of his death, he was president of the Chicago and Northwestern, controlling manager of the North Indiana, and president of the Cleveland and Toledo railroad. Henry became known as "William the Silent" because of his uncanny secrecy surrounding his investments. On July 8, 1853, the Ohio and Indiana companies merged, and on February 7, 1855, the Northern Indiana and Chicago Railroad and the Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad were merged into the Northern Indiana Railroad. On April 25, 1855, that company in turn merged with the Michigan Southern Rail Road to form theMichigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad. In October 1867, the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad leased the Cleveland and Toledo Railroad. The CP&A changed its name to theLake Shore Railwayon March 31, 1868, and on February 11, 1869, the Lake Shore absorbed the Cleveland and Toledo. On April 6 the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad and Lake Shore merged to form theLake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, which absorbed the Buffalo and Erie Railroad on June 22, giving one company the whole route from Buffalo to Chicago. The main route passed through Dunkirk; Erie;Ashtabula, Ohio; Cleveland; Toledo;Waterloo, Indiana; and South Bend. An alternate route (the Sandu Item ordered may not be exact piece shown. All original and authentic.