The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-02
Joaquin Miller in Wall Street...A Poet.
as SpeculatOr. ~

as Spectator. .-5.., .
Last spring received a letter from
the editor OF the chief London mapazin;
asking me to write him an article to bt
entitled "A Week in Wall Street,
L knew nothing whatever of Wal
Street then. l resolved, however, te
oblige nay friendss1 went into Wal
Street at once to get the desired in
/. formation and experience.
This was six months ago. L have iusi
got back. l have not yet written line
OF that article. But l have materia,
enough to write book bigger than
IMacaulay's History of England"
know all want to know about Wal
Street. And, if you will pardon the di-
gression. | may add that I am getting
bald-neaded. eia X. ,-s..t
Finding but little inte.est in this great
maelstrom of eXcitment without taking
part, |, under the advice of my broker,
bought little Wabashss I bought Wa
bash because it was the first Stock on
the list which could distinguish from
the mass of two hundred names. And
came to remember it because had been
born on its banks, as it were. Indeed,
on the very banks of the Wabash River
/! have seen my father furrow the field
tor corn in the spring, while my mother
followed after, dropping the corn in the
furrow; while three little, boys. ;toddled
after, myself of the number, and COW
cred the grain that lay in the little
squares of the mellow earth. And so it
was with touch of tenderness that [
bought Wabash and became one of the
eager party. holding on to the tape,
Watching, waiting the turn III of fortuhes s
wheel. Gua r~45esf --afs,.-.
She did not betray me. My stock
began to move upward from the first.
1t was not SO dull now. How interests
ing it all was! 1 called the click of tile
ticker" the pulse and heart beat of
the nation. Ii the land was, healthy
and prosperous, the pulse beat high and
bupyapt. = If the, land was threatened
with dfouth,s short crops, or misfortune q
OF any kind, the pulsewas low, feverish
and dull. 1t was like poem.
! had now an interest in the prosper
ity OF the land Beyond a. sentiment.
was a part owner in the one hundred
thousand miles of railways in America.
From. that day forth studied the ge-
ography OF my country assnever Before.
My little uptown room in the fourth
story was lined with maps of American
railways hSless than asveek l could
quote the opening or closing prices of
iraf the stock on the listsnfs .ssrab
How patiently held on to the tape
along with the other timid and hopeful
little lambs! We would exchange opin-
ions, encourage each other and lay
great plans for the future. We became
very confidential, oar little knot around
that, 6 ticker;'' and when of our set lost
money he had our honest sympathy.
They were pleasant days, these first,
for stocks went up steadily, and it
seemed at last, when and where haH.
least expected it, was to make fort
une without either care or toll. 7 am
perfectly certain that in those few weeks
| grew to be q better man.
At last closed out, l had in nv hand
more than ten thousand dollars. had
not invested so many hundred. What
scribe had ever been SO fortunate!
Stocks still advanced 1t seemed as if
they would never stop going up.
| sat down and tried for days to de-
eide what, to do. Coolly, deliberately,
and after as much and al mature
thought as am capable of, Invent back
to Wall Street with my money. Ifhad
no use for ten thousand dollars. had
great use for fifty thousand. hug nv
self in satisfaction now, to remember
that thoughtvnot 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 shore of the vast west
sea wanted to build home-a city. II
would gather about me the dear spirits
of Old In some sweet spot where there
were woods and, cool waterss a warm
sun and prolific soil, we, would meet
and build q city--a city of refugee
where every Bohemian might come and
have a home, rest, peace, plenty, SO
long as he. or she. should live OF care to-
stay. l even drew up d plan of nv city.
and framed few brief laws for it's gov
er'nrfent.9 I named it Utopia. 18yfJ 7
On returning to allyStreet 1 chose
three different brokers-one 't bull''
house, one a :" bear house and one a 4
20 seonsefvative .ahousG sfsp this q hdped.l
to get all sorts of opinions. got them.
With my =" bears 4 sold St. Paul.
short. There was talk of rust, grass
hoppers, rains. Hoods. St. Paul would
y Lumtae " to the center. 1t had already 4
advanced from eighteen to sfxtysHne. !
sold at sixtyaine, seventysand seven
ty-one. s..a.,.,-~ -. 4
With the {. bulls / bought Pacific
Mail. No danger of grasshoppefs ON I
Pacific Mail No drouth, no floods or
rust! Pacific Mail had fallen from sixty
TWO and would surely go back up to |
eighty. ! bought Pacific Mail and sat |
lownto wait for it to go up and st. |
Paul to go down. 1,- i
Things began to move my way. l |
began to work vigorously on the plans
.of my city..s had arranged to bringy1
ny dear old parents away from lie far
West wilds of Oregon. where they had |
iwelt fora quarter of a century. Theyll
lad never seen the great city.xNow
hey should see it, hear the mighty
preachers and sail-on the Atlantic.
, How life widened outi 1 had an in
crest now in every ship that sailed.;t
The flow of money to or from the land |
vas tonne of vital concern. All ecomz. /
nerce was as rich with interest to me
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