Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-05-23
WALTERS SPECULATION.
A Life sketch.

"Walter, l wouldn't do it. It's a
business that we aint fit for. We are
doing very well now; at any rate, we
are walking with our eyes open and
managing our own affairs. Think how
we ha worked and contrived, and al
most stinted ourselves to get that thou
sand dollars into the bank. And what
have we done It for? Don't you still de-
sire to own the Cranston meadow, and
don't you mean to put UP the new barn?
o, Walter! if you will listen to me YOU
will tell Mr.. p ausible Sparkler to take
care OF his own business and allow YOU to
take care of yours. Let us own the beau
tiful meadow. as we have so long talked
of, and let us have barn-room enough
for the cattle we can keep when that
meadow is ours. o. think, my dear
husband. we'll have one of the best and
one of the handsomest farms in this
whole region"
"Yes, ] know, Jennie; but you don't
exactly un .ei'stand. You don't take
into account what is sure to come back
to us. Think of the thousands we IL
have where now we've got little or
nothing. Why, bless you! look ut it.
MIR. Sparkler has made ma grand of
fer. Heilets ME have the stock ior tpo
dollars aad a-hat and the par value is
twenty dollars. Why, I'd lie fool not
to tax it. He wouldn't do that to many
how, you bet."
"Wa ter, you are entirely carried
away by that mans wonderful talk.
Now, will you just listen to me for few
moments. In the first place, you know
very well that Plausible Sparkler
wouldn't give you dollar to save you.
He is not one of that kind. Now,
about the price of the stock Look me
in the eye, Walter; would that man sell
you horse for one-quarter or one-half
OF what twas really worth? All, you
know he wouldn't. No, the very fact
that he oi!ers the shares at that price is
proof that they are good for nothing.
And now, there's Just one more thing.
If the land of which Sparkler tells was
so rich in minerals, in coal, and oil,
an in such II agnifiocnt lumber. do you
suppose he and his mates would be
around among poor folks like us picking
up dol ar by do lafP No, you know
they would easily find the capital neces-
sary to develop It,"
''Ah! but, my dear wife. the very OBJ
ject of this company is to keep out these
wealthy capitalists. These men have
beeh poor themselves, and they are
bound to give poor men a chance. And,
you see, they must haze money-capi-
ta!-with which to deve op the proper
ty, andput 1t into working order. There
ere seam engines to be put up, and
furnaces and forges to be built, and
branch road must be built. Don YOU
see? Our two thousand dollars will
''1t0o thousand! Why, it was only
thousand the other day."
"Yes. know; but d. you see, I've
just concluded that two thousand will
give me just double what one thousand
will make me present OF fifty shares
outright if 1 put in two thousand dol
lars. That would be eight hundred and
nifty sharesi and in less than II year that
stock WI be worth ten dollars. In two
years it will be at par! And we'll 1.-Two
to see it worth an even hundred. tell
yon. Jennie, it's big thing"
but where are you to raise two
thousand dollars, Walter?"
"Why, we We got thousand in the
bank, and can raise thousand on tho
ho.se and farm
Jchne hltherell turned pale and
trembled. She was frightened. for she
saw that her husband was entirely in.
fatuated. Walter was thirty years of
age, strong, steady, industrious, sim
ple-minded man; and she, the wife, was
two years younger. They had been
married eight years, and three beautiful
children blessed their home. Walter
had received the farm with his wife. 1t
had been her fathers. but there had
been thousand-dollar mortgage on it,
and that mortgage he had lifted with
money OF his own when they were mar
ried. taking the title-deeds in his own
name. Thus far in life he had been
content TO work honestly and indus
triously, seeing his store increasing
slowly but surely. He was an excellent
me ,hanic "a ouse-carpenter = and
when there vas building to be done he
could assume direction OF the work, re-
ceiving for his labor sufficient to hire
three strong men on his farm for the
same time. He had the best breed of
sheep in the county. the best cows for
milk and butter, and some of the very