Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-30
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE TIDE OF SPECULATION.
The Facilities for Speculative Ventures
in This City-Oif and Wheat Bob Up
Sprenesy.

wheat IS not so active as 1t was some time
ago. when the war news was good" remarked
81 sTcculator the other day. "Oil. however. shows
promising indications and there is considerable
activity
How about stocks?'' inquired the listener.
IL don't know much about stocks nova
days" was the reply. "The tendency of specu
latiOn is towards something that is active and
moving. Stocks ara very sluggish now. and
there is nothing doing. There is but little
money IN them for a man buying on q margin
and so wheat and oil are the main sources o
speculation. because these are active. IL i.
nothing now compared with some days ago
when the war news from Europe was eucour
aging and a war seemed inevitable. Il wa.
almost Impossible to get inside OF u brokers
Office. The SPECTATORS were standing four OF
i've feet deep, and everybody was buying"
There must have been lot OF money made, y
Remarked the listener.
"Uht YES. of course" was the prompt response
and then after pause me added. more slowly:
81 don't know. either. ! OH see, OF course wheat
wen; down and then II went mp, and If seemed
what YOU made one day you lost the next
and so, even deductiHg the fun oil the excite
ment. il man comes out about even he is
mighty lucky. OIL, now, IS the great thing,
can't help IL. you know. The daily ccnsuFn ption
now exceeds tine production, and the world
-Do YOU ind good facilities in this city for
rapid operations asked the listener, as he
thought OF oil mounting up 10 blood heat and
There Is 100 iaC. ri facilities, as you term it,
IN tits city, reIl lied the veteran. Il some times
think that there are more brokers offices In this
city than there are sTcculators. But OF course
Fl i not bad IS that. vi any rate, there are
lots of places and ,hgv are all furnished with
boards and special wires. I should think that
there at ie;ts. fifteen or sixteen stock bro
- offices i'll this city now, anu they all seem
to be doing a good business. Why. / rcmcm-
Der. some three or four years 40. when there
wasn't bu. one ticker in the city. and such a
thing - 4 stock hustcd was unknown Now the
offices are scattered all over the city and the
business mas reached large proportions show
in that speculation is increasing here
TO what class is the speculation cOnfned?"
asked the listener.
No particular class. the reply "but
every ouc-cicrks. business men. Congress
men and the ladies. all F;ske an interest in
stock speculation ana dacblc in it. more or less.
1t u not only The poor man, with = 10 OF so. but
tie WGl+tO-GO merchant 1r profess siOual man,
Who invests two or three hundred dollars at Il
time. Then when you are in once. You are
likely 20 stay, as II is hard To shake of the ftS-
Ciuation. Besides a man wants To get even,
ana while he is perfectly aware Oi the chances.
YET he cannot but think tuat he Will Uc ;iu cX-
cgptiOu. ieu make money and then again
they lose il. but know - every one else does
who has had any experience III speculation,
that the chances are greatly against man."
1t - rather curious he went on, that
While speculation of this sort i very languid III
New York and brokers are going out 0f the
business that here il is steadily increasing ami
new places are being opened. There never were
So many before in this city, ana during the past
year great many new offices nave been
started