The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-11-26

II ~ curious to note what men will do
to make money. Some months ago
there was quite n brisk speculation in
hops, there being rs usual two parties
the bulls and the bears-composed in
this case of the farmers, who naturally
wished prices to go up, and of the brew
ers. who just as naturally wished prices
to decline. The contest ragged f~uriously
In this city and elsewhere for many
weeks, as there was really a large
amount of money involved. A we'll
known circular, publishing the quota
tions Of hops here, gave great dissatis'
faction to the bulls, because its prices
were not up to their ideas; and. as the
commercial reporters had been in the
habit of publishing circulars, IL was re-
solved, ut a mass-meeting of the farmers,
not to subscribe for any paper that pub
lished the obnoxious quotations, and a
printed notice TO this effect was actually
sent to all the great daiiies of this city.
With the right or the wrong of this con-
troversy 1t is not our purpose here to
speak. Suffice 1t to say that hops can
stir up a tempest in more than n way.
Then again, some years ago, when IL
was proposed to put duties on tea and
coffee, there arose a mighty speculation
in these articles. One Spectator was
credited with holding about go, 900 bags
ofcoffee; and the speculation in tea was
equally important. At the time of the
famine in Bengal, Hindoostan, some
years since, there was great speculative
activity here In rice. and some heavy
losses as well as handsome gains were
scored. 1t was trading on the distress
edness of others, for the inhabitants OF
Bengal depend almost entirely on rice to
,...e.s- H. -.1 "a -,o..-.-I ALL
when the crop failed in that region and
demand for rice; but this was no worse
than specializing in breadstuffs, whereby
the poor are often the chief sufferers.
Again, at the time of the Russo
Turkish war. when Turkey was invaded,
it was the signal for immense transac-
tons in opium, which now comes
mainly from that country. And ever
now there is a large speculation in this
in progress, based on an anticipated
falling-off in the next crop. A number
OF large drug houses here and in
Smyrna, Turkey, control the bulk
of the stock, and have already
realized large profits on their
venture. Turkish prunes, at the
time of the war alluded to, were
also bought up largely by spectators,
and Tor q Wn1le proved profitable; but
ultimately this article OF speculation,
which few would think of in such q
connection, proved the ruin of more than
n strong house. Fortunes have beer
made and lost in indigo speculations
and, for that matter, this article has far
more commercial importance than
might at first be imagined. Then a few
years ago, when we had the potato-bup
invasion, there was u large speculation
in paris green, and the market advanced
materially. partly owing to the large
demand and partly through the exer
tions of Spectators. Another curious
speculation was that in canary seed
two or three years since, when it was
supposed that the crop would prove {
failure. A speculator, with a geniul
for statistics, actually prepared an esti
mate of the number of canary-birds il
the United States, and the quantity o
seed consumed per day, and consider
able money was really made in thii
strange venture. And yet the case
cited here are but a few among man,
that might be named where what would
be called curious sorts of speculation
really pay better than half the railroad
| or mining stocks that are foisted on
credulous public.-Frdnk LeSlie's Illus
rated Newspaper.