Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-19
WRITTEN UN1oNl
The Ventures and Adventures Of Charlie Gould;
A ROMANCE OF THE STOCK MARKET
WRITTEN FOR THE RECoRD-Us1oN.l
BY EDWARD =. oAHILL.

I =
seemed to get. The professors were again
called on to feel the bumps of the mine,
but the more they felt the less their prog
nostications were trusted. Then came the
following telegram
vrsGISIA, September 3d.-The report of water in
| the Lone Jack mine is utterly without foundation
Ore on the face of the drift the l900foot level
| richer than found on the Comstock and if so
showing at the side Of the vein, what must it be
| when crosseut is run
| Somehow the famous cross-cut did not
seem to make much progress and was still
talked Of in the future tense. Indeed
there were some unbelieving wretches who
were found to say that after the cross-cut
had got in three feet it had got into por-
phyry horse, which is an animal of a
mulish, cross grained disposition. They
further remarked that operations had
been suspended in consequence, and that
the shouting was merely kept up to cover
the unloadingprocess. Whether this was the
case or not, on the receipt of this telegram a
sudden, unaccountabe panic seemed to
take possession of all holders of mining
stock, and more especially of those in
terested in the Lone Jack mine. The Van
ity Fair and Caporal shares dropped al
most out Of sight and quotation, there to
slumber until wanted for another deal, and
the great, Old Judge stock, hitherto the
main stay of the market, seemed shaky.
Lone Jack dropped from l3S, at which
it was held on September I'd, to
| l25 at the morning session and
to ll3 in the afternoon. Men were
rushing wild-eyed about the streets, offer
ing their shares to anybody and everybody
who would purchase, and brokers began TO
call for money to protect margins for those
who had speculated in that manner. Char.
| lie urged Dawlish to sell at all hazards
after the close of the afternoon session, but
| the latter said it was too late for that day,
and they could Just as well wait to see
what the morrow brought forth. The next
morning came, and with it surging throng
of shareholders, who crowded around the
! brokers' offices, ready to sell at almost any
price that might be offered. The Lone
Jack stock opened at l02, but dropped al.
most Immediately to 81, to 90, and then to
80, seeming very weak at that figure.
Charlie Gould was compelled that morning
to 90 to distant part OF the city to make
collection, and did not get back until the
afternoon, when he went in search of Daw-
fish, who, when he saw him, hurried up
and said
" Where have you been, Charlie? I've
been looking for you everywhere. We
must strengthen our margin at once"
1" ! have been out to the Mission, making
collection. What is the stock quoted at
now? ?"
." 1t was quoted at IS few minutes ago,
and is sometimes higher and sometimes
lower" which was not true, for the move
ment had been altogether on the downward
grade.
- don't think there is any use throwing
! good money after bad. Let US sell out at
once, and save what we can, said Charlie.
On, that would be absurd we would
| get hardly anything in the present state of
| the market. We must cover our margin
at all hazards This thing can't last. The
! Old Judge crowd are bound to stand in
and save the market in self-defense, and
| Darkla has just now told me they would
! do so tomorrow. But we must have five
thousand dollars to make US safe. What
money have you got -
Nothing that would do any good.
believe l have about five hundred dollars
standing to my credit That would only
be drop in the bucket, and | don't see
my way to getting any more at present.
We had better drop it.
Not much, we won't If you can find
a thousand dollars, we can make it. l
have realized everything had in the world,
and have got four thousand dollars. See! J"
and he showed Charlie two rolls of green
backs, "There are four thousand dollars
that l raised by pledging my wife's prop
erty, and l am so confident | am right,
that [ am going to put it up. l thought
you said you had been collecting?"
Why, yes, said Charlie, "but that is
not my own money. l have a check for
five hundred dollars, which am taking to
the bank for deposit.
81 Let me see it, said Dawlish
"There it is. am just going to pay it
| in before the bank closes, and l have no
time to spare.
81 see it is indorsed by the firm %
80 es, have just come from the office. u
| Cant you give me this for couple of
| days There will be no need to cash it.
| My broker will take it as collateral, and,
with the help of whatever other cash you
may have, we viii pull through.
9 would rather give up all my interest
than do that. You are welcome to my in.
terest in the venture, if you want it, but
don't ask me to do that
Il tell you 1 need your help" said
Dawlish, angrily "Are you going back
on your old pard, after [ have pledged my
wife's little property to save us both {?
Surely, if put up four thousand you can
afford to put up one. There is no need to
cash the check. We can make it all right
inside of three days. Why, the money is
your own, for that matter. 1t Is only a
! nf x-n,-rca1f .rrba
most need the money
Charlie hesitated and shifted uneasily.
The influence which Dawlish had gained
over him was hard to fight against, and he
seemed in a manner fascinated by the gilt
tering eye which looked him through and
through. Charlie was young and unskilled
in the devious ways of such men. Daw
lish was, to all appearance, his closest
friend and his partner in more than one
business venture he was plausible in
speech and manner and his predictions
| had hitherto, for the most part, come true.
| Charlie owed his temporary wealth, as it
appeared, entirely to his advice, and this
carried with it a sense of Obligation, not
entirely obliterated by the ruinous hap
penings of the past two days. Now, to
crown all. came this man, alleging he had
pledged all his wifes little property, which
Charlie had never heard of before, and
nobly offered to bear four ifths of the bur-
den.
"Indeed, Frank, don't like to do this
thing. 1t will be sure to end badly,
pleaded Charlie, piteously.
"Oh, that's all right, old man you
are not going to back out now. Let's go
and take drink, and then you can get me
the money you say you have. !"
mo, l don't feel like drinking but
come in here and 1 will give you check
for the money"
'Thanks, old man, said Dawlish, when
he received the check. Don't be down
hearted. We will make it all right to-
morrow. You see if we don't" And then
they parted. Charlie remained standing
on the pavement anxiously looking after
Dawlish, and once started as if to call him
back, but he was already too far gone, and
Charlie did not like to attract attention by
sh0utinC IN an app.ranilv insane manner