, 1880-11-19
Joaquin Miller in Wall Street.

bnc elSOI VI Cue Cultl LUlluOn magazine
asking me'to write him an article EMIT.
led "a Week in Wall Street."
l knew nothing whatever of Wall
street then. [ resolved, however to
obEge my friend. 1 went into Wall
street at once to get the desired inform
alton and experience.
This was six months ago | have
got back. | have not yet written line
of that article But l have material
enough to write book bigger than
Macaulay's History of England.
know all want tc know about Wall
street. And if you will pardon the d.
gression, l may add that l am getting
bald-headed.
Finding but little interest in this
great maelstrom of excitement without
taking part, /, under the advice of my
broker, bought a little Wabash. !
bought Wabash because it was the first
stock on the list which | could distin-
guish from the mass of two hundred
names. And / came to remember it be
cause | 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 for corn in the Spring
while my mother followed after, drop.
ping the corn in the fu' row, while three
little boys todded AFTER myself of the
number, and covered the grain that lay
in the little squares Of the mellow earth
And so it was with n touch Of tender
ness that l bought Wabash, and became
one of the eager party holding on to the
tape, watching, waiting the turn Of for
tunes wheel.
She did not betray me. My stock
began to move upwards from the first
1t was not so dull now. How interest.
ing it all WAS. ! called the click of the
"ticker" the pulse and heartbeat Of the
nation. If the land was healthy and
prosperous, the pulse beat high and
buoyant. If the land was threatened
with drouth, short crops or misfortune
of any kind, the pulse was low, feverish
and dull. 1t was like poem.
had now an interest in the prosper
ity of the land beyond sentiment. l
was a part owner in the one hundred
thousand miles Of railways in America.
From that day forth studied the geog,
raphy of my country as never before.
My little uptown room in the fourth
story was lined with maps of American
railways. In less than week. could
quote the opening or closing prices of
half the stock on the list.
How patientlyI held on to the tape
along with the other timid and hopeful
little lambs. We would exchange opin-
ions, encc urage 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 it seemed
at last, when and where l had least ex-
pected it, was to make fortune with
out care or toll. l am perfectly certain
that in those few weeks | grew to be a
better man.
At last | closed out. | had in my
hand more than ten thousand dollars. l
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 to do. Coolly, deliberately, and
after as much and mature thought as |
am capable of, | went back to Wall
street with my money. | had no use
for ten thousand dollars. | had great
Use for fifty thousand. 1 hug myself in
satisfaction now, to remember that l
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 shore of the vast vest sea
| wanted to build a home-a city, [
would gather about me the dear spirits
of old. In some sweet spot where there
were woods and cool waters, warm sun
and prolific soil, we would meet and
build city--a city of refuge-where
every Bohemian might come and have a
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 for its govern.
ment. | named it Utopia.
On returning to Wall street | chose
three different brokcIs-one a "bulI
house, and one a "bear" house, and one
conservative" house. By this l