The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-11
James Jones Was No Fool.

Gu w SoiHS Y SpCCuialiNo iuaihcGs,
observed d veteran produce exchange
broker the other day. .Somctimes he
wins, and when he does he sometimes
has sense enough to let it alone in the
future. But it is rarely true.
"a good many years ago-never
mind how many-I was 4 broker on
the Chicago Board of Trade. One
day there came to the city a tall. red
headed man from Minnesota. He
looked Ike a well-to-do farmer, but
he talked like a thoroughbred opcr-
ator. He was business from the roots
of his hair to the toe of his boots. He
told me that he was part owner in
about thirty grain elevators along a
line of II Minnesota railroad. The
wheat crop in that section of tho state
was a dead failure that year. and his
chances of business were very slim.
81 talked with my partner said
he, and We made up our minds that
we couldn't come within $50, 900 of
paying expenses. We didn't want to
let 60, though, because we had in
vested all u money in the elevators,
and if we didn't operate them and pay
the railroad company Il certain sum of
money we would lose our capital.
We have just $50, 900 cash. I've got
it with me-, and we concluded it would
be wellfor me to come down here and
mako more or lose it all. Rather
risky7 Yes, but we will fail anyway
if we don't do something
"'What do you want to doP
eel want to put that in wheat or
corn, l don't know which now, and I
want you to handle it.
II was willing, and so we soon camo
to terms. He waited around for a
couple of months without risking a
dollar. The markets were quiet. and
there was little chance to mako any
large sums of money. Then he got
tired of watching my figures, so one
day he asked me how much q seat on
the board was worth.
81 told him, and the next day he
bought one for himself. 1t cost him
less than SO, 900, and no could easily
save that in commissions in one week
after he began operating. Well,
things drifted along for a month or SO
longer, until finally some Milwaukee
spectators, taking advantage of the
failure of the wheat crop, attempted
to corner that cereal. The Minnesota
man, who was about three-quarters
ears, heard all about it. and got it on
TIE ground floor. When the deal was
owe he had $3.50, 900 in cold cash.
''The next week he sold his seat and
went back to Minnesota, where he is
to-day. He is the President of that
railroad now, though"
"Another instance of good fortune, :"
continued tho broker, occurred in
this city five or SIX years ago. There
are two mcn whom I'll call Jones, be-
cause that sounds something like their
name. One was John Jones and the
other james. They were twin broth
ers, and looked so much alike their
wives could hardly tell them apart.
For some strange reason they dressed
exactly alike, too, and | would wager
$40 against a brass button that yor
couldn't tell which was which wher
you saw them standing side by side,
Why, when a man who had been
drinking saw them together he would
generally think he saw double. John
was a petroleum broker and James
was an insurance agent. Both lived
in New York. Every once in q while
James would go down to the Exchange
to see his brother, and in that way
met a good many business men, none
of whom ever knew him afterwurdl
from his brother. One day the mar
ket was going up like q rocket, when
James was to the pit looking for hi
brother, who didn't happen to be il
atthat moment. This. remember, wa
the good old times in oil whom tn
market used to break loose like
freshet.
flames stood around q minute OF
two waiting for John to come in, whel
he noticed a man on tho other side O.
the pit he had been introduced to
He nodded to him, and the man yelle'
something back to him, but the nois
and confusion was so great he couldn'
understand what he said. SO Jane
smiled pleasantly and nodded hi
hand in reply. Then another ma
yelled something at him and Jane
nodded again. Then Il lot of othe
brokers began yelling at him, and h
kept nodding like the head of a littl
japanese until his neck ached.
ale thought they mistook him fc
his brother, and wondered what job
had done to make himself so extreme
ly popular, but before he had made II
his mind about the matter the markt
changed and began to drop like ha
in February. The crowd grew franti
and the noise increased to bedlam
then the bottom was struck and til
confusion began to subside.
"While James was watching IL
scene with considerable curiosity, ft
! he had never been in Il lunatic as
lum and was unaccustomed to sue
sights a broker walked up to him an
held out his han
l ".Well, Mr.. Jones' said he, YOU,
, made a pretty good thing out of :his
Eyes said James, thinking he q
luded to his curiosity being Statistic
~ suppose you have cleared a ne
little sum out of this dcal?'
".Ah?' asked Mr.. Jones, in su