The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-02-19
rtaiar qd, i5dl : From Painnn'. MOnihls-
Elegant Tom Dillar.
CHATTER l..

Tom Dillar was known only to his aetudin.'
tanees as Elegant Tom, and he was well
entitled 10 the epithet, for he was elegant in
iooks, manners and style. He was one Of
those happy persons, who seem TO have
come INTO the world for the sole purpose Of
eating the sunny side Of ripe Peaches.;--
There were no defciencies in Elegant Tom
Dillar, and if one could have the ordering Of
his own antecedents, they could not be su.
perior TO Toms. Onthe side Of his father,
he was connected with the best English
families in ME State; and by his mother's
side, he cssld boast Of vhe purest Dutch des.
cent. He ifheri,ed a large fortune from his
father, and, whatw much better, a healthy
constitution and o handsome person, Being
independent In his circumstances, he was
not educated for a profession; but, being
np, to learn, he was taught good many &C.
complishments that are not generally be.
slowed on American youths. He could
dance much better than most professors Of
that elegant art, and in music he WINS some
thing more than proficient upon the guitar,
the piano and the violin. Then he had
inc voice, = delicioss tenor, and those who
had IN, good fortune 10 hear him sing, used
to boust of it as though piece of far1fuck
had befallen them. Tom was good. natured,
too, and as amiaee as though it were neces-
sary for him 10 conclliate the world, that
his presence might not be considered an in
trusion. But, Of all men, he was least likely
to be considered de trQp in the world ff
He went abroud, and came back as ami
able and unpretending as he went, but with
Nsofe accomplishments than he carried away.
He was invited everywhere, and he might
have married any girl he chose to honor in
that manner; bur, us often happens in sNch
cases, he seemed never TO have been touched
in his heart by any:of the beautiful creatures
who surrounded him. There was Fanny
Ormelu, the only dssghter Of the great auc-
tioneer, who, they used to say, was dying
for him; and it is said that her father was so
fearfel 9f the effects of Toms indifference
on his daughters health, that he was gully
of the indie Icacy Of offering to settle hun.
dred thousund dollars on him if he would
mnrry her. But Tom had never known
what it was to went ssoHey, and like on
honorable, high minded man as he was. re-
fused to sell himself, even at so high figure,
and 10 SO beautiful purchaser.
They say that old Ormnlu was 50 exas-
perated and indignant at Toms refusal, that
he swofe he woald huve satisfaction for the
insult;, and he was as good as his word. He
did not challenge Tom. nor indeed, permit
him to Know tina, he entertained any iIl.will
against him; for, il he had, he probably
would not have been able to accomplish his
purpose. Ormulu was cotAmefcial gen.
tleman, and his monncr Of getting satsfac.
tion was purely business ttrasactieni In
fact, the old fellow did not uhdefstahd any
thing else. He set himself deliberately to
work to ruin Tom, by getting away all his
money. As this would have been the Sc
verest punishment that could have been in.
aicted upon himself, he naturally and very
sensibly imagined that he could inflict no
1 greater injury upon another than by making
him bankrupt. y..g,.
Now, Tom was not q spendthrift, nor
gambler; but then he was the merest child
in business matters, and had no idea about
money transactions beyond drawing his divi
dcnds every six months, and contriving to
make his income Just meet his expenditure
Tom had often wished that his income was
larger, for he had long been ambitious o
owing a yacht, but was unable to indulge II
, that costly enjoyment; SO, when his young
friend, Pete Van Slicer, of the firm Of Vai
4 1Slicer, Son g. Co., the great stock brokers
? of Wall street,.one day said to him, as il b!
4 accident, "Tom, how would you like to en-
ter into "a little speculation, by which yo'
might make hundred thousand dollars, o
sol" Tom opened his eyes, and eagerly re
4 Avn y y ) il y
piled that he would like nothing better.
Pete then carelessly remarked, that Boz
So.andsso had made nearly double that sur
few days before, by q corner in Harlem
!, and tlla. he could put Tom in the way 9
making at least that amount by q speculp
ton in Pottuwattamy Coal Stock. Ton
, not being familiar with stock operations
! asked how it could be done; whereupo
Pete explained to him that certain partie
lhaying sold long in the stock were going I
I. get up d corner, which would compel th
shorts TO bny Ia, and that the stock woul
]. fbegin 10 fise, and there was no KNOWN
d where ii would stop. What Pete propose
q that Tom should do, was to buy it while
/. was down, and when the rise should reac
II it's height, to sell oat and pocket the profit
g a"Can ! rely on the rise taking place'
e asked Tom, who had not very clear MOTTO
ISL vf the nature Of transaction. s1,s g,t. u,
i'll iaT'rust 10 me J" replied Pete, with know
E ing wink, which seemed to Tom so full
ID sagacity, that he concluded to trust 70 hlr
e and accordingly gaye,an order to the firm |
;hI Van Sl'cer Son u Co.. 10 purchase for b
i. account, about ten times as many shares
!, The Pottawattamy Coal Stock as lie had Il
m money. TO nav for, Pete undertaking 10 car