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COULDN'T MEET CALLS. Big Banking House of C. H. Venner Co. Financially Embarrassed. BOSTON, Oct. 1.-The financial worlds in Boston and New York were startled yesterday by the announcement of the failure of the well-known banking house of C. H. Venner & Co. The report of the failure, however, was at once contradicted by a member of the firm in Boston, who claimed that the embarrassment was only temporary, and that the house had suspended payments for a short time on acCount of heavy calls on the New York house. Mr. Mills, of the firm. made the statement that he could not tell the amount of the liabilities, but it was rumored on the street that they are between $3,000,000 and $5,000,000. The firm of C. H. Venner & Co. was organized in Boston about twelve years ago, and has quite a remarkable, if not notorious history. About six years ago Mr. Venner was prominent as an opponent of the method of extension of the Atchison system. He had then 500 shares of stock in the road, the par value of which was $500,000, and he claimed that the extensions, if continued, would ruin the corporation. The main line of the company was used as a basis from which to start branch lines, and on all the material used in the construction of these lines, which was carried over the main line, the regular freight tariff was charged. Payment was made in the bonds of these branch railroads, and naturally the earnings of the company increased materially, but when the roads were completed the Atchison road owned a large proportion of the bonds, and there being no more material to transport, the earnings increased and the crash came. Mr. Venner forsaw this event and before the smash he disposed of his interests and stood on the outside and smilingly watched the result of the failure to accept his advice.