The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-13
A Wall Street Tumble.

Among the thousand of outsiders who
dabbled in Wall street ten years age
was one-I don't want to give his real
name, but we will call him Richards.
He operated through our house. that is,
the house in which was employed as
book-keeper, and, as he soon became q
daily visitor, | got to know him so well
that we often had a familiar chat. i
sometimes met him in the evening be-
sides, and our acquaintance ripened into
intimacy. At first his luck in the street
was pretty good, and one day, when he
had made a thousand or so in an hour,
he asked me to dine with him that even
ing at Delmonico's. Most of our talk
was about the street, and when a bottle
of wine had made it pretty free, vent
ured to suggest that, as he had done
pretty well, he should begin to think
about getting out.
"Well." he said. Il have thought
about it, but don't see my way just
vet. | must have $4,000 year for
my family, and how else can get it?''
/ asked him if his family was large,
and he said it consisted of his wife, two
! daughters and a son.
.And you need $4,000 a year to live
on; isn't that pretty hgh?"
"Wel," he said, "high or low, ]
can't get on with less. The girls are
always asking for money. In summer
they must 90 to the watering-places
with their mother, and in the winter
there is ball or party every week. II
costs great deal of money, and the
money must be had in some way"
MAY 1 ask how much money you
have as capital-that is, money you car
really call your own?"
"Well, altogether, | suppose | could
rake up $4,000. Now, what want tc
know is how | could use that so as tc
make $4,000 a year. l don't really
fancy the Wall street business, but what
am to do? must have so, 900 year,
and, though / have looked around a
good deal, can not find any other
business that will produce it..
"Why not reduce your expenses:
You say you can't do with less than
S1O,OOO3 | think you are mistaken.
Many families live on less than $1,000,
and some on $4,000. Does your family
know just how much money you have?''
Il have tried over and over to make
them understand, but it is no use
When they want anything there is nc
peace till they get it, and when | say
can not afford it they tell me they know
l have plenty of money. | really can
make them understand or believe thai
my means are limited, and the amount
of the matter is l must have $4,000 {
year"
1 lost sight of Richards soon aftel
by going to another house where L haC
better offer. but heard from time t.
time that his luck was not so good. L
must have been five years before L me
him again He looked like another
man; his face was carewOrn and hi
clothing barely escaped shabbiness
After few words I asked him if h,
was still in the street.
NO" he said, that's all over"
| We'll, l hope you came out al
right?''
"All right?' Yes, if you call com
ing out without dollar all right.
l was sorry, of course, to hear Of hi
ill-luck, and asked him if he had gon
into any bushes. No, he said, it wa
not easy for man with nothing to g
into business; but his friends were try
ing to do something for him, and Their
was some hope that they would sue
coed. They were trying to get him
place in the custom-house. 1 askeC
him what the salary was, and he SAT-
he understood it was $1,000, with
chance of something better after
awhile. 1t would have been cruel t.
remind him of what he had said fiv
years ago about not being able to liv
on less than $4,000, but while we wer
lunching together he gave me to under
stand that he was living, with his wifi
and daughters. in a small house on tn
outskirts of Brooklyn, and that the so
had obtained a clerkship at fifteen dol
lars a week, which was the chief sup
port of the family.-N Y. Cor. DetroI
: Free Press.