The Osceola times., 1882-11-04
the LUCKY MAN.
The Diary Of One Who Tried a Short
Cut 10 Fortune.
The Path Full Of Dinicuities for Himself
but Profit for the Brokers-ske'ehes Oh
the Ticker Six Months at Hard Labor.
New York sun.

locked il up. and remained away from the
street two years. was told by the bro
ker that it was mean trick, and that II
he had thought that l intended to snatch
the first profit that / made and take it
away, he would not have opened an ac-
count. His feelings seemed to be hurt
because knew when to quit He said,
with whirling motion of his hands, that
he thought was going to keep turning
my money over in stocks, selling and
buving, buying and selling. | was slow
poke, and having bought 100 shares of
Union Pacific, and having sold it when it
was three points up, with a clean profit
of about S275, my ambition was satisfied,
and only wanted to get my margin out
of the mysterious apartment behind the
glass doors, where gas lights burned all
day, and to 60 home. The broker was all
smiles when he got the margin; he SEEM
ed to be disappointed in me when he
gave it up; but / thought that S275 for
three days was enough TO satisfy any one,
and hadn't any complaint to make.
Two years later wanted to get another
1915 easily. took the margin and went
to another Office. 1t was in the back OF
the building, facing prospect OF white
walls and iron shutters. A ticker at the
wall kept up ccaseless racket unwind
ing wheel of tape. Some well-dressed
men sat around in q moody way. They
seemed to have had their nerved case
hardened in a fiery furnace, and they
shot cold glances at any stranger. A
husky-voiced man with sandy beard
watched the white ribbon with the in
terest of a small boy reading dime novel.
A canary bird high up in the area at the
janitor's window chirruped, and there
was also an occasional twitter of spar
row. The man at the tape now and then
called out, an. w. a quarter better
"Now they're Off" Presently he yawned
and said. "The market is dull
All were strangers to me, and as sat
waiting for the member Of the firm who
was in the Exchange, they eyed me and
/ eyed them. They seemed to have the
quiet air of rich men with big boxes in
the safe deposit vaults. They wore fine
clothes, especially shoes, but they were
as quiet as Quaker meeting When they
said anything it was trivial. Ibegan to
make a mental portrait of one for story
of man who never smiled.
The table was covered with financial
journals and files of finsncial papers /
looked through railroad manual, but,
having no head for figures, could not make
out anything in it that was interesting.
The financial journals were equally dull.
Upt that time thought that the phrase
"The excitement of Wall street" was
fiction.
All ewes turned to the door as swift
paced man in an alpaca coat, with straw
hat on the back of his head, entered. He
didn't see me, although knew him, but
/ didn't mind that, as he didn't seem to
see the others, who was sure were mill
ionaires slightly disguised.
"How's the market ?" asked one.
"Oh, 80 So" said the broker, wiping his
forehead, lodging into his private Office
and setting his bell tinkling.
The office boys who had been matching
pennies seemed then to 90 on springs,
The broker had number of squares of
white paper marked over with strange
signs, which he sent inside. Then small
boy folded up some sheets damp from
copying press, and, putting them in en-
velopes, dropped them in box labeled
"For Customers"
At length was shown into the private
Office. The broker looked pleasant when
he learned that wanted TO speculate. |
spread the beautiful United States bond
that was to stand for my margin out be-
fore his eyes He looked at the date of
the coupon at the bottom without dwell
ing on the fine vignettes and exquisite
lathework which so admired, and again
tinkled his bell. A middle-aged man,
with an eye like fish, came out, took
the bond and my name and said that he
would hand me a receipt in moment.
"Now, what stock do you want ?" said
the broker, taking up his hat. My pro-
gramme was to have nice little chat and
pump out some information that would
make me rich forthwith, but it miscar-
ried. The door was already opened, and
his look demanded an answer. | couldn't
frame reply. His hat was on and an
other man was at the crack of the door
with an eager look on his face.
"Buy me 100 Union Pacific" said
with hesitation.
"All right. One hundred L. p. at the
market" said the broker, scratching
memorandum in his book.
He took another order and darted out
at full speed All the well-dressed men
in the outer office began to take a new
interest in me. stood by the man at
at the tape, and when there came out "U.
p. 1907 at "9l," the excitement of Wall
street life began in earnest. The previous
sale was 90i. The husky-voiced man said
"U. P. is strong. It's up quarter" He
looked as though he knew il was my pur-
chase. tried to dissemble. "It's going
up" ventured to say. He nodded, but
there was a smile around his eve that
negatived his mild encouragement