Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-30
Joaquin Miller In Wall Street,

Joaquin Miller In Wall Street.
THE POETS RISE AND FALL As A sPsCCLAroR.
1.-THE November Californian.l
Last spring received letter from the editor
OF the Chief London magazine asking me 10
write him an article to be entitled "a Week in
Wall Street"
knew nothing whatever OF Wall street thsn
1 resolved, however, to oblige my friend. l
went into Wall street at once TO get The desired
Information and experience.
back have not yet written line OF that ar
ticle. But / have material enough to write a
hook bigger than Macaulay's History OF E1g-
land" know ali l want to know about Wall
street. And, II you will pardon the DEPRESSION,
i may add that am getting bald-headed
Finding but little interest In this great mael-
under the advice OF my broker. bought a little
Wabash. bought Wabash because it was the
Ilrst stock on the list which could distinguish
rom the mass OF two hundred names. Aud 1
came TO remember 1t because had been bora
on us DanhS, as 1t were. Indeed on the very
banks or the Wabash River 1 have seen my
father furrow the field for corn In the spring,
while my mother followed after. dropping the
corn In the furroW; while three little boys tod
died after, myself OF the number, aud covered
the grain that lay in the little squares of the
tenderness that 1 bought Wabash, and became
one OF the eager party holding on to the tape,
watching. waiting the turn OF fortunes wheel.
She did not betray me. My stock began to
now. How interesting it all was! called the
Click OF the ''ticker" the pulse and heart. beat
of the nation. II the land was healthy and
prosperous. the pulse beat high aud buoyant.
II the land was threatened with drouth. short
crops. or misfortune Of any kind, the pulse
was low. 1everlsh and dull 1t was like poem
had now an interest in the prosperity OF the
land beyond a sentiment. 1 was part owner
In the one hundred thousand miles of railways
In America From that day forth studied the
geography OF my country as never before. My
tn I,
lined with maps Of American railways. In le3s
than week could quote the opening or closs
Ing prices OF half the stock on the list.
-, How patiently held on to the tape along with
the other timid and hopeful little lambs! We
would exchange opinions, encourage each other
and lay great plans for the future. We became
very confidential, our little knot around that
''ticker;' and when one OF our set lost money
he had our honest sympathy. They were
pleasant days. these first, for stocks went up
steadily, and 1T seemed at last, when and where
without either care.or toll. l am perfectly Ger
tain that In those few weeks grew to be bet
ter man.
At last closed out 1 had in my hand more
so many hundreds What scribe had ever been
so fortunate! Stocks still advanced. Itseemed
as II they would never stop going up.
sat down and tried for days to decide what to
do. Coolly, deliberately, and after as much and
mature thought as am capable OF, Went back
to Wall street with my money. Ihad no use fer
Ucu tuUuSduu uOlldTS. L QdQ great use lOr Q1Cy
thousand. ] hug myself in satisfaction now to
remember that thought not SO much of myself
as OF my friends at this time. | could get on with
that sum well. But away out on the great, gold
home-a city. would gather about me the dear
spirits OF Old. In some sweet spot where there
were woods and cool waters, a warm sun and pro-
life soil we would meet and build city-a city OF
refuge-Where every Bohemian might come and
have home, rest, peace, plenty, so long as he
or she should live or care to stay. even drew
up plan OF my city, and framed few brief
laws Tor It's government. 1 named 1t Utopia,
On returning to Wall street chose three diff
ferent brokers-one bull house, one
bear house, and one conservatives house.
BY this hoped to get all sorts of opinions l
got them
with my "bears" I sold St. Paul short. There
raul would tumble to the center. It had
ALREADY advanced from eighteen to sixty nine
soid at slxty-nine, seventy and seventy -one
danger OF grasshoppers on Pacific Mail. No
ifouIh, no floods or rust. Pacific Mali had
fallen liom sixty-tWo, and would surely go back
up to eighty. bought PACIFIC Mail and sat
down.
Things began to move my way. l began to
work vigorously on the plans for my city. l
mad arranged to bring my dear old parents away
had dWeit Tor quarter OF a century. Tney
had never seen the great City. Now they
should see 1t, hear the mighty preachers. and
sail Oh The Atlantic.
How life widened out! had an interest now
In every ship that sailed. The flow OF money to
or from the land was to me OF vital concern All
as the poetry OF Homer. AT 10 O'Clock sharp |
found myself holding on to the tape, waiting TO
see If l mad grown richer or poorer through the
night. All day, till the hammer fell stood
with my finger on The pulse OF commerce.
How Old zone out? Oh! Wel was short
d Sc: Paul and long ofPaclfic Mail expected
Pacific Mail TO go up and ST. Paul to go down.
Iley Cid. and mad S2i 900. But that was not
emo ugh 10 build city With. l held on.
One day 1t was rumored that the rust asnot
20 ba1 III ST. Paul after all 1t beg in to start
said the Chinese had established an opposition
line tell you IL takes big man to sit on two
benches sra time. Ten to one he will spiIl
himself between the two just as sure as he at
Tempt it.
sold some st. Paul and bought more Pacific
Mail; bus all TO no purpose. They kept right
On. Then got out OF Pacific Mail at the lowest
gure IL touched, and bought Wabash. I began
TO FOUNDER. and got frightened l sold and
bought, and bought and sold. frequently saw
u the papers that was getting rlcn Ia Wall
street, and kept on working like beaver. The
end was only question OF time.
one day my broker TOOK me by the sleeve aud
ed me ike LAMB as was aside. My fun was
)ysr. Ard Utopia Is Indeed Utopia.
No one with so little money ever entered Wall
street uuder better advantages. Ali men were
Kind and good. / think no man there ever at
tempted 10 mislead me. But it Is simply i'm
possible to make money there, aud keep 1t. Let
NE mention here that during my six months
there paid my brokers In commissions eleven
thousand four hundred and twenty-five dollars!
THESE commissions alone will deVOur any posi-
be profits.
OF course, 1t is not a pleasant thing to admit
0ne'S sell beaten. But il this brief history Of
NY venture In this dangerous land Will dimin-
Sh at all that tired and anxious army OF tape
holders who waste their Shekel5, their days and
their strength In vain waitng-ghy, | willingly
bear the TeprOach.
tie to lose. AMI learned so much, having so
much 10 learn.
The Genesis of Clothing.
Clothing was derived, no doubt, partly from
1ayplDnnPDt hair rtrjp