The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-04-19
AMATEUR SPECULATOE;'
the Juveniles of the !
Fortunes Made and Los.

"How long before marble ii.
said a slna | boy on Bro,d stres
SATURDAY., repeating The repu
question; "well, tops is the gOl
and marble time comes next.
week, ln+bbe."
The laws That govern the prece
of the equin"xes or the St quvIl
the seasons are no more certain!
in variable than the annual recuTt
of top time, marble time, 'pA
time, kite time. and shiny tius
virtue OF long established custom
origin of which no man knOwvl
is now top time. In all the Ies
quented thoroughfar 8, In ever!
urban street and alley, on the
pavement. and in the back yai
top and the whip now hold uudH
ed sway, and the tops reel abu4
madly whirl and spin under the
oIou> lasning of their owner:,E
the discreet pedestrian crossts
street to give the boys ample ruG
swing their goads. In u few
more the urchin who brandi>bi
whip will lie down on all foursil.
mud, trolling the marble, wbia.
pockets bulge to bursting viii:
horde of ''stoneys" and whit
leys," and his wealth of still
precious ''agatt 81
The pampered sons Of unsuspr
sires will will play hockey
they ought to be at school, thtS
newsboysas they congregateonA
street, will ste Il a half hour
waiting for 1.-The last edition
bootblack will carry a quart
bles in his brush box, and TO-
of all will glide veys
into the technical velD'.
of fen dubs," and "knucks o.
tight"
Various as are the means enlFl.
the object of competition islh,'
in ALTO win the opponents
marble, or, rendered into the 'ssD
cal vernscular, Ito bust the w.
Teller" The boy who plays mar
8 a Spectator. He must be rev.
not only to shear the Lamb,
t he meet with a more expert ~
ne must submit himself to The sus
ng process with becoming lorllr;
MAJ bles are the currency ofJussr
population, just Us coins and wv
ma stocks are the medium ID WV
'mong older and weather. gaLly"
As the success of a Wall ST. speeu''
nay he known by the condlllOss
lis bank account or the status
;redlt, 80 the ssill of the Jayne sns
peculator is yuaged by the alu'
hons of his bag OF marbles.
The standard Of value IN n,J
Transactions is the agate. lis lux
worth may be deprecated D.! W
r blemishes Inflicted bv long Se,"
t must then Rank with puueDs
lutllated coin. But the s'e's
gate, In its normal condition
luivalent con Change to fysl.
larbles, u ''comuons," OF tp.'
denominations, the ",toDe'
tnerally worth fur comuloD,,~
white alley" is -quiva!enl o'm
I'd the "Cuinee" 10 Two, EScnaI',
extensively negotiated upoD,
ISIS. The speculalor who has l,s
l his commons Ill an enequal ns
lost them is said to he "ou''t%
"r'ped". but his ruin Is ~"
trievable. So long as be no,'y nj
'ate he can readily convert IAN Al.
'e commons, and, with Iuth .rt
tier playing, the placky spesuIr b,
~ still ''dop in" and meau
altered fortunes. ia;
Jayne street has its unscruPTrnj
orators no less than Wall or i
t cts The terror among the n ~,
'sers Is known as the ",Ils'.ut;
. Is generally Il big boy aD I,ry
'tlins are small boys. Hs Mt
)und a corn uutil the IaIlos ,iID,
"dobbed in." and theh lt
1den swoop he descends uP' s,;
Y, captures the SPOT anu
ETY. IN fight. Jay Gould nlnfp
more awful in the eyes,
aller Wall street magnstes I'D ID
} heartlesS ''snatcher' WHO ma
'ered in ambush near ~