Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-12-18
REVENGE EXTRAORDINARY.
rFrom Every saturday.l


Overplus & Co.. bankerS; the time elev
en- o'clock in the morning; clerks busy.
partners worried, public confidence in
the stability of monetary concerns in
general. and of the aforesaid house in
particular, exceedingly shaky, sundry
large sums withdrawn quietly, and as it
were by stealth, by certain cautious indi-
viduals, whose Interpretation OF the signs
of the times WAS general panic, univer-
sal crash, aud widespread ruin. In fact,
uneasiness characterized every soul con-
nected with the firm Of Overplus & CO.,
from the most recent addition to the
stiff of employees, red haired, gaunt.
cadaverous Scotch lad, to the venerable
white haired cashier. Day by day. gold,
rich yellow stream of the precious me-
tai, flowed out from the bankers Golfers
20 be replaced by notes new and crisp
notes faded and thumb. marked, NOTES
crossed, twisted, crumpIed, notes from
five pound, to five hundred pounds, in
discrlminately cast together, represent
ing the exact depreciation of the credit
of this celebrated firm. As yet, howev-
er, nothing like run had taken place
upon the bank; these spaSmodic acts Of
too prudent clients were but heavy squalls
premonitory of the coming tempest, the
shrIIl whistle preparatory to the roar of
the hurricane, the cries Of the drowning,
the settling down of the gallant ship in
the tnrbid waters of bankruptcy. By
skillfuI pilotage and careful handling, the
vessel might yet weather the Storm
yet reach haven of safety. Neverthe
less, on this particular morning. affairs
looked exceedingly black, the horizon
was overcast with angry clouds, the mas
ter mariners held counsel together as to
the wisest course to pursue IN the pres
ence of impending danger.
Fifty Thousand pounds! too bad. too
hadi !" remarked the stately patriarehaI
head of the firm, leaning back YEARLY
10 his chair.
Black ingratitude!" exclaimed the
junior partner, a handsome. Intellectual
looking fellow, whose lips were CULVER
ing with emotion as, leaning over the ia
b!e. he scrutinized the check for the
above pamed sum, which bad been pre-
sented TO, payment THAT morning.
No gratitude where money is con-
cerned, Harley. The fellow is indebted
to our generosity for his very existence,
yet he shows no mercy"
by my life, if ever get a chance.
let him Look out,-Iil beggar bimT
cried the young man fiercely, his brows
contracting with anger, whilst he clench
ed his white hand in pugilistic vebe-
mence.
"sVengeance is mine, saith the
Lord r" remarked the old man solemn
". LET US rather strive to extricate
ourselves from orr difficulty than invoke
evil upon our fellow creatures. A few
mnre such drafts, and the credit of the
house will hardly sustain the shock.
Though outwardly so calm, so tran
gull, in the presence of threatening ruin,
the clear blue eye of the senior partner
expressed the intensity OF the grief brood
ing in his soul, as the first vibrations of
the earthquake which might hurl down
the splendid edifice reared by energy,
perseverance,, and unriyalied skill, seem
ed to warn him of the approaching ca
tastrophe. The tightness of the money
market, the impossibiity of negotiating
loans, sufficient TO meet the emergency,
the general condition of distress in finan-
clal circles, the disposition to hoard in
preference to speculate, sure symptom
of the deterioration of credit in seasons
of disturbance-all these causes combin-
ed to render the position of the firm one
of extreme peril should the present un-
easy, restless feeling of depositors as-
sumo the aspect of ruin. Whilst the
junior partner of the firm remained
ihoughtfully silent after the chief bad
spoken, a tall, stout man of ford com
plexion entered the room, exclaiming
"WelI, this is carrying the Joke too far
Here's draft from Gunton & Co. for
eighty thousand pounds. Confound
themw
An exclamation, almost a groan, es-
capped the lips of the senior partner,
whilst an audible backward blessing
burst from the lips of tae fiery ju-
nior. "The mean-spirited hounds =
These are the very men to whom we ad-
vanced twenty thousand, not a month
ago, to save their credit"
Have you succeeded in negotiating
the loan with Messrs. Mantel, Fergu-
| sons" asked the senior partner. calmly. =.
mo; they will not advance a silver
on any terms
The heads Of the firm regarded each
other in blank dismay.
"How long can we hold out, Fergu.
son 2" asked Harley OF his portly coadju
tor.
"Really can't say. If the mob rush