The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-04-20
WHAT WALL STREET DID.
A CoNvICT's STORY.

held good position as clerk with
a firm in William street, which 1 shall
call Wilson, Carter & Co. / became a
boarder in the family of a relative and
continued with him four years, when
some changes in his business determined
him to remove to San Francisco. / now
took lodgings and commenced, for the
| first time, what is called bachelors life.
1t was somewhat dull at first, admit,
but by degrees l made acquaintance,
and it offered far greater attractions
Nay, more, l had now secured Sc fully
the good feelings of the heads of the firm,
that was frequently guest at their
tables; and it is only justice to myself to
assert that if 1 did not gain their conf
dence, it certainly did not arise, on my
part, from any lack of zeal in their ser
vice. One day when l was dining at the
house of the senior partner, l met a Ger
tain Mr.. Robert Thornton, one of the
principal clerks in a large insurance
Office. He appeared very gentlemanly,
intelligent man, and had evidently seen
great deal of life. We left the house
together, and as 1 found ne resided but
short distance from me. and the night
being fine, he offered me cigar, we
walked home together.
On the different subjects we conversed
on during our walk, the one in which he
appeared to take special interest was
speculating in stocks. Curiously enough,
while employed for nearly five years
within a few blocks of the stock ex-
change, where knew fortunes were con-
stdntly changing hands, 1 had never felt
tempted to try my luck. My employers,
indeed, were strongly opposed to it, and
| had heard at least one of them de-
neunce stock speculation as gambling of
the worst kind But l knew, too, that
other merchants of equally high standing
laughed at them for this, and Thornton,
soon found, was well stored with argu-
ments to prove it every whit as legiti-
mate as the most humdrum dealings in
pork or -four or nails.
1t so happened that sudden and con-
tinued rise in Erie had caused great
furry in the street, and my companion
named several acquaintance who had
cleared from $4,000 to $4,000 by lucky
investments during the last week.
g 1 could make as much as any of
them," he exclaimed, " if only had
thousand or two to start with. know
precisely how to do it, and if could
find man to put in the money I'd make
a small fortune for us both inside of
fcrtnight."
1t was impossible to listen to him un-
moved, especially as 1 knew from the re-
ports in the newspapers that investors in
Erie were making extraordary sums.
Consequently, when he asked if knew
anyone at all likely to go in with him,
said:
Perhaps l might"
What youp' he cried I'm de-
lighted. Can you raise thousand ?'
{" Yes; two thousand, if necessary"
Bravol your fortune is mader'
But see here" said /; in the first
place, we must keep this thing quiet, for
L don't care to have my employers know
it, and in the second place, you must
post me up, SO l shall know exactly what
we're about"
"All right P' said he; that's easily
managed. And as you put in the funds
I'll be satisfied with one quarterof what
we make, and if we should lose, which is
impossible, however, I'll stand half the
loss"
By this time we had reach ID my lodg-
ings and, going in together, l gave him
a-check for 81, 900 on the bank where
my small patrimony was deposited. A
memorandum of our agreement as to the
division of the certain profits and the
impossible losses which we anticipated
was then drawn up, and my mere &C
quaintance gayly took his leave, saying
"Mark my prediction Thernton &
Go. will corner the street yet.
smiled at this, but did not realize
its absurdity SO clearly as l have since.
BY far the most interesting part of the
newspaper the next morning was the
financial article, and | bought The first
edition of the Evening Post to see the
stock quotations. l could not leave my
desk during business hours, but dined
with Thornton and found him in high
state of excitement. He urged me to
invest another thousand but / refused,
though greatly tempted by his represen-
tations. The next night he made pro-
digious effort to look cool and uncon-
cerned as he laid before me package of
greenbacks amounting to $I,750.
"There," said he, 81 doubled your
thousand in two days, and could have
done the same if it had been two thou
sand or ten thousand. You might have
made 81 500 as easy as $3.50.
] looked grave as l reflected that this
was undoubtedly the fact.
What have you done with your
$3.50" inquired.
Bought Erie, of course. III treble
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