The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-24
A CLOSE CALL.
How an Oil Spectator Used a Package OF
Bonds Which Did Not Belong to Him.

How an Oil Spectator Used a Package OF
Bonds Which Did Not Belong to Him.
Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph.
'Well, it was this way-I don't want to figure
in the papers about this, mind that! 1t was
early last summer during The time the big syn.
dictate was trying to send oil up to dollar and
half. had some money in stocks as invest
ments and also in some bonds, and when l got
on the workings of the clique put them in bank
as collateral for loan and determined to make
some money out of it, and l did. | made a
pretty neat thing-a big thing, l may say, for
me. AT last. the time came when the pool
managers made up their minds to take on an
additional load and make a grand effort 10
boost the market | heard of it. and raked
together every cent | could as margins
and bought lot of oil. 1 was not a member
of the Oil Exchange then, but operated
through a broker. Well, the oil was bought and
the showing began, and there was a grand scram-
BILE generally, but oil did not go up. On the con-
trary, it stood very shakily where it was. 1 felt
nervous and just shen had to leave town for
day. When | came back to the city oil was fall.
ing. 1t had dropped couple of cents. / had
two customers in the Office when boy came in
with hurried note from my broker, saving that
the market had gone to the devil, that it had
dropped eight cents and would probably drop
good deal more He wound up by saying must
put up $40 900 more margins, or he would have
to sell me out as he was loaded down
with his own and his customers oil.
l don't often feel helpless, but just then
go home. / did not have s., 900 left, and could
not see my way toward raising any. / got up
from my chair in about desperate frame Of
mind as could well be- 1 happened to notice
my slate on my desk and wrote ON it, Gone to
the coroner's and then went out. / did not
notice anything about me, and as l stepped
down the first step kicked against a pockage
wrapped in brown piece of paper. It rolled
down to the next landing, and its contents were
scattered right and left. When l got down TO
the landing and 1 that the package
contained bonds, United States coupon
bonds, l picked them up in hurry.
There were thirty ofthem, worth at par $50, 900,
and as there was no name on the wrapper
could not tell whose they were. Well. dons
know whether 1 did right or not, but hurried
off to bank, deposited my bonds, got $40 900 on
them and saved my oil All that day | expected
to hear from the man whose bonds had, but no
word came. 1t was on Tuesday found them,
and it was on Saturday that - came into my
Office in great excitement. He is, you know,
millionaire and heavy oil dealer. | had ope-
rated for him little and l wondered what was
up. Did you find some government bonds here
on Tuesday, he said hurredly Yes" said l. I
didnot know whose they were BY thunderi I've
had scare. l came up here on Tuesday to see
you and you were out. The bonds were in my
coat pocket, and suppose they fell out / for
got all about Them and that afternoon went 10
New York. did not remember them till was
eating dinner yesterday at the Windsor Hotel,
and l then telegraphed to the Office to look them
up. / got back this morning and they said the
bonds could not be found, and then 1 reinem-
bered they Were in my pocket here You may
think | was scared but l was not ] told him
they were deposited in bank, and he said to
bring them around when had time BY this
time the oil market had recovered and sold out
at neat profit got the bonds and gave them
back to - and now he keeps me-. posted in
the market Still IL was a close call p.9.q l.r