The Portland daily press., 1863-03-10
MISCELLANY.

From the Commercial Bulletin. March eth.
The Gold Excitement in Boston Last
Thursday.
The sudden fluctuations in the price of gold
on Thursday, created an immense excitement
In this city among all classes of the communi-
~.
The price of gold has been talked of so
much In the newspapers, and so freely quoted
BY every petty shopkeeper, as to have become
familiar 10 even the purchaser of a pound of
butter or tallow candle. Much of the enor-
nous boarding that has been practised, is clear
ly traceabIe 70 the alarm thus created among
ignorant people. Those who have doubts OF
It, would have been convinced by the scenes
In the exchange and money brokers Offices, in
this city, on Thursday. For months past the
sprice OF gold has been an excuse for petty
dealers in even the commonest articles OF do
nestle production, the value Of which has been
but slightly enhanced, to put on thirty to forty
per cent. advance.
Ask the price of a common piece ofearhtern-
ware made herein New England: "Forty-two
cents."
@But never paid but twenty-five
@Yes, madam, but gold is up you know
drives English goods out of the Market
folks have TO use these now"
the mschi cry simple, and labor plenty. Price
. candle, or silk dress, ball OF tow twine,
or . French dinner-set, a string Of red behring's
or cashmere shawl, and you meet the same
argument,-the high price of gold.
II Is not TO he wondered at, then, that the
masses, taught thus to look at the specuIations
In the precious metal with interest, hold on for
. big premium, and rush lnadly TO the exchange
Offices At the first indication OF tumbIer
We received dispatch from our special
New York correspondent at about IL on
Thursday, and accordingly stepped down to
State street at IL. to "see how things looked
Even at that hour, everybody that had saved
ten dollars in gold seemed TO be visiting State
street 10 sell it.
How the news became so quickly and so
generally circulated was marvellous; for the
brokers' Offices were thronged, and the scenes,
dialogues and transactions were most amusing
Lxborers, Irish servant girls, sharp operators,
clerks, small, tradesmen.-in fact, all sorts OF
people besieged the buyers and sellers Of mon
ey with all sorts Of questions. and ended in
selling out then boards in all sorts OF amounts
The weIl-known banking aud exchange Of
nee OF j. w. Davis 4 CO., was the theafer of
quite number Of amusing scenes. Mr.. Davis
does an extensive business In buying and sell
ing money, aud as be rs always ready TO buy
or sell at some price or other, his office was
sort Of headquarters ior this business.
A charcoal man, whose entire suit notwith-
standing the high price Of rags, would have
been dear II i've dollars, enters.
.What dye give for gold?"
3One hundred and sixty-fve."
@Ah! be-gora, LII not sell for that anyhow"
(Erit)
(Re-enfers, after fifteen minutes absence. dur
ing rhich time he had visited several other
Establishments.
@Shure I'll take sixty-fve for that gold.n
(Astonishment Of half dozen sellers of
Uhom Darts clerks are buying at sirty-tico.)
sCant take it now, sir, at over sixty-just
had Geographic dispatch from New York"
(CAsrkie Of sellers ojer the sartng of t,co
per cent?
aAhi bad luck TO it, I'll go back TO Misther
Clapp for the sixty VAIN he offered me-" tEx-
a.
After the lapse of a few moments enter char
cosl dealer once more, with flush of anxiety
showing through tine coating Of coal dust on
his yisage.
.Arrah! yee's may take the goold av me
for hundher and sixty,if yen give no morer
.Cant give thar now, sir; take 1t at a hun
dred and fiffy-fve."
.Disil q bit tenraged); shure didn't We offer
me q hundher and sixty only five minutes
ago?"
Yea, but you refused, and the price has
fallen since.n
Pat In despair draws forth an old mitten
from some hidden recess in his garments, takes
out his twenty dollar pieces, and receives
his roll oil greenbacks, but hangs about the
place Ms 10th To depart; he hears offers, sales
made, sees money, slips of paper, notes and
memorandum pass back and forth over the
brokers' counter for ten or dozen minutes,
while q stream Of people are going and COM
Ing; finally he beckons the broker to him, and
in = confidential whisper says,
~Couldn't We be afther maxim the price ye
gave me ffty-six9"
sNo! II you are dissatisfied I'll sell you
back your gold at fifty-fonr."
Perhaps even this singular transaction might
have taken place, IL at that moment one OF the
trade had not popped his head in with:
"Hallo, Davis, here's thousand gold I'll
sell you Tor atty" which seemed to make Pat
shy Of any further transactions.
As the day advanced, however, and fresh
kilograms arrived from New York, another
Get Of customers made their appearance on
the street. Their inquiries seemed to be for
sums Of quite respectable amount, and as
they came into the field, the price appeared
TO mount out of the reach in q most aston
ishing msnner.
Vat will you geef me for Ave tousand gold
Misllter Davish ?"
"Give you fifty-three.'
Bah | will geef you ifty-nve for ten tou-
sand"
Have yon any to sell p
Ya'ss leetle-say vive or six tousand"
Well, I'll give fiity-eight for ten thous
and"
All! no. l shall not sell him."
"Sixtyw
No, rather buy.'
"Sixty-two."
will call again" Going out|
Sixty-fve for your ten Thousand"
No! l radher tink shall hold on-yot
have got der news from New York, Mishtel
Davis
And the sharp buyer left having been una
BILE 70 catch the broker on the sudden change
In the market.
The fuctuation in the price Of gold during
the day was remarkable. 1t was quoted il
New York, in the morning at ii o'clock. a