The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-02-08
THE BANKER AT ANTWERP
A PRE-TELEGRAPu STORY.

In 1914 there lived ut Antwerp q banker
who had passion for speculation, but who
invariably was unsuccessful. This ill.luck
became proyerbal his affairs fell into con-
fusion, and all Antwerp looked to see him
become bankrupt and retire from the pre-
cincts of the Exchange, when, suddenly, his
luck changed, and he gained in every opera.
ton he undertook as invariably us he had
uniformly lost. Nomatter how suddenly or
how violently the funds went up or down
in Paris, London, Vienna, or elsewhere, the
Antwerp banker was always gamer by the
movements of the money market, no matter
how capricious. In the course of two years
he realized large fortune, quilted Antwerp
with his wife and family, and established
himself for the rest Of his life in u charming
country seat. where he abandoned himself to
the delights of rural existence and tho cul.
tiyation Of flowers, which latter branch Of
Horticulture Ne pursued with an abiding en-
thusiasm worthy Of Dutchman.
The electric Telegraph was unknown at
the period in question:, and the clumsy sig
nails by which statesmen contriycd TO CON-
municatc with one another were only work
ed by the heads of the state, and for their
own behoOf, and Antwerp puzzled its brains
for some time in vain efforts to ascertain by
what mysterious art the ex-bankcr had man
aged TO turn the tide, and To win over to his
Interests the ii,vors of the blind goddess who
had hitherto been so decidedly against him.
In these speculations upon the changed fate
of the speculaiSsy Antwerp simply lost its
L.. "a for
wark that the seeming mystery was explain
cd.
IL had been noticed in Antwerp as a sim
gular fact that two drivers of stagc-coaches
belongiucto that city, had made, during the
lucky period of the bankers career, fortunes
which in proportion with their means, were
as considerable rs that amassed by the spec
u!ator. But no one thought of attributing
the improved position of the two coachmen
to the operations of the fortunate speculator.
Yet all three owed their good luck to the
same simple expedient.
fany of the townspcople had bethought
them of watching the doings of the banker,
they would have seen that every evening,
about nine o'clock, the latter took himself to
u little lonely cottage of his, standing in tho
midst of a garden. few miles IRON town.
There, in silence and secrecy, the banker re-
ceyed the visit of one or the other of the
coachmcn, t0 whom, after the exchange of a
few words, he handed basket, carefully
covered over with bit of tarpaulin. and
which was at once deposited by the coach
poultry, collected by him at the ncighborinS
farms, and to be sold by him at the towns
through which he drove his coach. As
soon as the coachman had taken his depar-
turc. the banker locked the cottage door,
and went up stairs To room fitted up as Il
piceon-housc, of whose existence nobody but
himself was aware, in which number OF
pigeons soon began to make their appear
ance, with tagging wings. inpatient to drop
into their nest.
The banker having stroked and petted
the weary birds and given them corn. gently
lifted their wings, and detached the little bill
lit conveyed to him by each unconscious
messenger. These birds brought to the spec
ulator news OF the exchange on all the prin-
cipal mark in Europe. Sent of daily
from London, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, &c.,
about four ia the afternoon. the home low
ing little Mercurics never failed to reach the
nests about midnight. After receiving the
intelligence thus sent him by trusty conicd-
crates in each capital, the banker locked the
door of the cottage, and returned to his own
dwelling, ready to operate next day on the
Antwerp Exchange with certain success.
The carricr.pigeon is now superseded by
electricity. hut the Bclgans have not re-
nounccd their old partiality for this bird,
aud pigcon.aces still give rise among them
to numerous gatherings und heavy bets. On
these occasions the pigeons are carried IN
basket TO certain distance, and are then
waited for ut given spot by their owners,
the bird which arrives int winning the prize
exactly as in the case with horse races. Re-
ccutly, at one OF these pigeon races held at
Mullncs, feathercd courier, let loose at six
A. NJ, Mt Tonncrre, in the department OF
the Yonne, France, reached MalInes at
twcnty.six minutes past eleven. Not quite
so quick as light or sound, but very much
quicker than steam could have made the
journey.