Daily Republican., 1884-07-31
FasciuatHon or Speculation.

that the number of oper stors and vic.
TINS would Perceptibly diminish. but
such does not prove to be the case
From viewing the crowds which daily
gather In and around the accustomed
haunts Of gambling speculation in New
York, In this city, and elsewhere
throughout the land, one would never
know that anything serious or unusual
had transpired. "The haggard brood
Of care plcds on, and each one as before
doth chase his favorite phantom. We
read in ancient story Of large army of
rats, en- route to battlefield, coming
to river which threatened destruction
to them should they attempt to Cross;
but the tremendous pressure of those be
hind forced the hesitating columns in
front into the stream until very soon
the mum bers of the slain made bridge
over which the remnant passed in entire
unconcsrn towards the place of destina-
tion. 1t is q good deal 80 with the
large army of speculaJors. Entirely
Needless of what has gons before, the
surviving victims alter each catastrophe
will stand on the financial graves of
their fallen comrades and shout them.
selves hoarse for the privilege Of invest
ing their money in the fiuctuating
values of risky and manipulated se-
| curities, or make bet on the future
price of grain. Tis passing: strange"
It's almost incredible, did not the fact
exist right before our eyes.
The history of the past fully shows
that the fascination of speculation is at
once the most dangerous, tie most dead
| ly, the most powerful, and the mos +
lasting Of any infatuation that can pos
sibly possess or eugross human mind
The man who sits down to regular
gaming-table does so with the full
kno wledge Of the fact that he is engag-
ing in civil and social crime, and
the slight sense of fear within some-
what hinders the complete develop
ment of the gam bling propensity. Be-
sides, his mfatuation cannot last We. y
long, because his money will soon be
gone, and then he will be unceremo-
niously hustled into the street to end his
life by suicide or wander off sadder
man who succumbs to tho power of
drink or lust knows and feels that every
time he indulges his propensity he is
gradually sinking himself lower in the
estimation of all good people around
him. But he who commences to specu
late, on the Othe hand, knows and feels
that he is doing an eminently respect.
able" thing. Some of the weathiest and
first men Of the land are speculators-
men who are honored in society and In
the church men who hold important
positions of trust in the bust
ness world, and who frequently occupy
seats in legislative halls. There cannot
be any thing wrong or disgraceful, tht
lpoor victim thinks, in doing what some
of the leading men in the community
land in the nation are constantly enga 2
ed in, and hence he begins his down
ward gambling career with bold face
and courageous heart. He is in good
company, at any rate, whether he make,
any money or not. But from this poin
there is no necessity for tracing tn,
speculator's career more minutely. /
is only a question of time when his imo
ney is gone, hope gone, mis- life ciouded
If not blasted, and, worst of all, hi
will-power completely enslaved.
Men are often blamed for persistinl
, In course which they know is iniuri
GUS to them, but the fact is thatin man,
, cases the folly-stricken and delude,
men are literally unable to break ava,
!. from the thraldom of fasination which i
holding them with the grasp of an ana
conda. They have lost their money ant
| ohCJ iOol pOilcu w tfy duu VIII SOIu
) of it back by fresh ventures, aud thus
more money is lost, and the determina-
ton grows stronger to keep on until th,
; tide of fortune shall change. The con
A firmed victim ofspeculative fascination
; would gladly pay for the privilege o.
risking his last dollar in the hope tina
/ luck would turn and that he nigh
, win some money at last.
ii Ifit he asked what il is that lure
men on in such hopeless struggle, tn,
, only reply Is, the hope of making mo
ney. In the tluctuation of values ou the
blackboard, visible fortunes are seen
chasing the figures up anG duwa as pri
ces advance and recede, and seeing thi,
money so near, it is not in human ma
ture to stand still and make no effort tc
capture some of it. The money is ther,
, in PLAIN sight-no deception or delusioy
, about that-and if one can only gues
the course of the market right (the op-
) orator says to himself), the glitterine
store will be won. But alas! the Difficult
, ty of guessing the markets right for any
. length of time is about ~ great as tha
of scaling the perpendicular walls of al
4 iceberg.
Chicago Beef.
Luscious, and tender at Richardson's 3
Delaware Market, 5l1 King street
y Steak, porter house rump and sirloin
18 cents per ID roasts, ribs, Is cents
per 10; first chuck, 12% cents per h; su
gar cured rumps of beef, 1917 cents pei
ID; smoked beef tongues, rs cents each
Or So per dozen; home cnrad dried beef
= by piece, 20 cents per ID; Mitchner's
Excelsior hams, 10 cents per ID; Taylor's
sugar cured jersey shoulders, best in the
; world, 1O% cents per ID; extra lean su'
gar cured Jersey pig fitch, II cents pei
! ID; Jersey lard aud 2 pound buckets