The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-11-06
JOAQUIN Miller in Wall Stree

Last spring received a letter ~ q
the editor of the chief London nag
azine asking me to write him az ar'
ticle to be entitled "a Week in wall
Street."
knew nothing whatever of NAL
Street then. l resolved, howevef. 70
oblige my friend. / went into Nal'
Street at once to get the desired FL
formation and experience.
This was six months ago. nave
Just got back. | have not yet wrIIfPn
a line of that article. But i've
material enough to write a hook H'g-
ger than Macaulay's "History q
England" l know all | want 70
know about Wall Street. And II gu
will pardon the digressiens lfsx
add that | am getting bald-headed.
Finding but little interest in this
great maeDstrom of excitement with
out taking part, l, under the advice
of my broker bought little Wa
bash. / bought Wabash 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 wee. Indeed, on
the very banks of the Wabash river
| have seen my father furrow the
field for corn in thespring, while my
mother followed after, dropping the
corn in the furrow while three little
boys toddled after, myself among
the number, and covered the grain
that lay in the squares of the mellow
earth. And so it was with a touch
of tenderness that 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 move upward from the first.
1t was not SO dull now. How inter-
esting it all was L called the click
of the "ticker" the pulse and heart.
beat 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, feyeriSh and dull. 1t
was like poem.
4 had now an interest in the pros
perity of the land beyond senti-
ment. l was a part owner in the one
hundred Thousand miles of railways
in America. From that day foffsl I
studied the geography 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 l could quote the
opening or closing price of half the
stock on the list.
How patiently 1 held on to the
tape along with the other timid and
hopeful little lambs We would ex.
change opinions, encourage each 9th :
er. and lay great plans for the future.
We became very confidential, our
little knot around that "ticker;o 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 SEEM
ed at last, when and where l had
least expected it, l was to make a
fortune without either care or toll.
| am perfectly certain that in those
few weeks | grew to be n better man.
AT last closed out. | had in my
hand more than ten thousand doll
lars. | 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.
l sat down and tried for days to
decide what to do. Coolly, deliber.
ately, and after as much and mature
thought as l am capable of, went
back to Wall Street with my money.
had no use for ten thousand dol
lars. l had great use for fifty thous-
and. l hug myself in satisfaction
now, to remember that | thought
not 50 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 l wanted to build home, a
city. l would gather about me the
dear spirits of old. In some sweet
spot where there were woods and
cool waters, a warm sun and prolific
soil, we would meet and build city
"a city of refuge-where every Bo-
hemian might come and have a
home, rest, peace, plenty, SO long az
he or she should live or care to stay.
| even drew up plan of my city,
and framed Il few brief laws for its
government. I named it Utopia.
On returning to Wall Street | chose
three different brokers-one "bull''