Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-03-09

The chief topic OF conversation this
week has been the sudden and unac-
countable changes in certain business
places, and the collaspe of the Chicago
grain speculators' expectations Vari-
GUS reasons are assigned for the busi-
ness changes. and different People be-
lieve different stories. Some OF the tales
are scarcely to be credited, and 1t Is said
that persons of whom they are
being tod threaten Ia make the
gossipers prove their assertions. 1t
5 to be hoped If they make the attempt
,hey viii su sceed, and not find them
sslves in the predicament q certain
politician is said to have once found
himself. Returning homo one night
in quito "a state of mind his wife
asked what the matter was. THAT
scoundrel Jones called me liar before
the whole meeting" he replied. "But
that hadn't ought to annoy YOU" she
9 id. ''for he couldn't prove it,"
"There's the trouble" roared the hus-
band, ''for he did prove it." The rev.
elation that has come with the closing
mp of the grain swindling firms is rather
startling to people who little guessed
how the mania for speculation had per-
vaded our community. rmonths the
thing has been going on. and during that
time scores. aye hundreds. of men ana
women. girls and boys have been drawn
into the seduc.iv vortex and invested
from $40 to $500, in many cases their
little all. thinking to ecome wealthy.
The history Of the matter Is but'a repi-
tition of the old. old story OF swindlers
and swindlcd. A few months ago SOW
cral persons received circulars from
Chicago parties relative to grain specu-
lations. purporting TO show the enor-
nous profits made by shrcwd pur, has
ers. explaining the '.und scheme. and
offering tho recipient Sl ON every $40
forwarded from other parties. Most Of
these people threw the ,circulars into
The fire. knowing that the scheme was
swindle. and only ft 10 be classcd with
heap lotteri .. But three or four took
Il up and W, see the rc.ult to-day In an
aggregate loss OF several thousand ~
ars These ''agents. ors >4t1nd
Iormers," took at first q few shares and
induced their friQpis to do the same.
On the Chicago = rs ! promise OF twenty
i've per ccnQ dividends every three |
iividendx I'm promise waA Of |
course. kept for time. and the |
showing OF the divide d checks and !
profitable balance sheets set lots of pco- |
pie fair y wild 10 get into H. Men and
who had $50. 500 or $500,
'aved by years OF hard work. made haste |
% invest. ne man who put In . few
lun lred dollars, alter getting his first |
II, idend-check announced that he had |
yiven up working and was going T. live |
IN the profits Of Ms investment. Not
wilder were the dreams OF the dupes OF |
avs historical Mississippi and West
india colonization scheme, nearly two
centuries ago. than were those Of our
grain spectators. hut
hey had a similar ending. Not the
east surprising feature is that quite n
lumber OF men were bitten who have
lad the credit heretofore OF having
heir eye teeth cut" These excuse
Yourselves BY saying they knew the
hing was q fraud but thought they
ould get their money back and more
nth II before the scheme wont up. A
usiness man who put In 800 makes
10 bones Of frankly saying he has lost
very dollar OF IT, One Of the worst
eatdres Of the matter IL that even school
'upils were induced to thus early In
heir lives begin gambling. Led by one
( their associates several high sahool
oys invested from $40 to $50 ch.
nd have lost nearly all OF H. II this
Experience serves 10 keep them from
uch things in future the lesson has not
een too dearly pa q for. \
But the blame Of this state of affairs
les not wholly with these pes of Chi
ago fwindlcrs. Rather Il falls on the
,ea OF wealth and standing In the COM
,unity who have for years made
peculative stocks q considerable source
proiit-or loss. They were able 10
'ui mp large margins in the New York
MARKETS and frequently make quite q
take. which they were not slow 10 tell
:. but seldom let ANYTHING be known
I their losses. Not many months ago
ne Spectator toll your correspondent
hat he held . :. 900. 900 worth Of various
inds Of stocks on margins, but he APP
arently has had good cause since to re-
ret his investment. Even the local
lining enterprise aided In fostering the
reculafive fever. although that has
cen conducted honestly and econom-
ally. and as yet has produced only an
,seesment instead Of hoped-for
ividepds This weeks collapse will
prove . waning that is likely
, 10 needed for . long tine % come
yz(nsf intrustinx money 10 unknown
rms who have no business rating and
romise enormous protfk : Wss,fcld
Nass.) Cor. Springfield (Mass) Re-
'fs1ican- 4,