Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-12-10
Fortunes by Luck.
WALL STREET MEN FREQUENTLY GET
RICH BY PURE ACCIDENT.

WALL STREET. MEN FkEQU ENIL1 GEL
RICH BY PURE ACCIDENT.
A we'll known broker of Wall street
was chatting few days ago with some
friends, aud somewhat surprised them by
asserting that luck has had more to do
with the making Of sudden and immense
fortunes in the street than is commonly
supposed. He referred for one example
to his OVID experience, and saio that twice
he had found himself $780, 900 or more bet
ter off at night than he was in the morn
ing, and had at once realized, although
when he went down to the street that day
he had no idea of making such comfort
able sum. Three times by sheer accident,
for which he was not to blame, he had
lost pretty little fortune, and be believed
that his own experience could he matched
by very many of the spectators of the
street. Of course he excepted those great
operators who, from their control of i'm
mense amounts OF cash, from their own
ership of controlling interests in large
properties, and their ability to manipulate
the market, were placed beyond the power
of lucky or unlucky accident to affect
greatly their wealth.
"Perhaps the most remarkable case that
ever came under my observation" the
broker went on to say. twas that of one
of the most conservative men now on the
street. He is now simply broker, and
and since Black Friday has never specu-
lated one dollars worth. You remember
that three or four men brought on the
panic now known as Black Friday by cor
uering gold and running the price up till
many operators were ruined, the street
was in wild panic, and universal smash
seemed imminent. These men relied on
what they believed to be good assurance
that the government would put no gold
on the market that day, and they bad
had locked up pretty much all the rest of
the gold in the country that was available.
Fright IN the midst of the panic, when
the street was like a madhouse, and many
men who, in the morning, supposed Them
selves rich were almost stark staring mad
over the ruin which had befallen them in
a few hours, and when almost the highest
figures had been touched and nobody was
selling suort, This broker to whom refer
suddenly lost his head. He had covered
early in the morning at comparatively
small loss, aud had been looking IN during
the day without any personal anxiety ex-
cept that caused by the fear of panic
that would knock the bottom out of every
thing Suddenly, be never knew why,
nor has he any but the most vague recol-
the bawling, bowling pit and sold right
and left at their highest figures. He pro
badly might have avoided his contracts or
his f, lends have invalidated them for him,
for he was undoubtedly ms me when ne
did this. At all events he was still selling
! when suddenly there came that little mes.
sage from Secretary Boutwell, that knock-
ed the bottom out of the corner in the
twinkling of an eye, Sell 5000 900 of
gold.'
! "In half an hour more my friend would
have been lunatic paupsr, and. as 1t was,
his brother, think, or some near relative
found him utterly irresponsible. and with
a good deal of difficulty led him away to
his Office. There, when he was told OF the
order of Boutwell, and that the bottom
had dropped out of the panic, he did not
seem to comprehend the truth at all, but
mumbled something which nobody under
stood. His contracts, however, were
found and taken care of by his clerks, and
rapid estimate showed that he stood to
to the good not far from $3.50 ,O00 When
they told him, he did not seem to conpre-
bend. He had not been drinking for he
was teetotaler. Suddenly they missed
him. They could not find him in the
street, nor in the gold room, nor in any of
the other brokers offices he was accus-
toned to visit. Nobody had seen him.
He had not gone to nis home. and his fam
lily at midnight. becoming thoroughly
alarmed, notified the police that he was
missing and temporarily deranged He
was found wandering up Broadway long
past midnight, muJtering his calls and
recognizing no one. Nor did he know any
one for nearly two weeks. He was on the
verge of paralysis of the brain, and barely
pulled through. When after two weeks
illness he woke one morning, rational. his
first thought wac that he was on Change.
He remembered nothing of his operations.
but recalled wildly so much of the panic
as he had witnessed before he began to OPP
crate himself. 1t was long time before his
physician permitted him to be told that
he had by his crazy freak made fortune.
He has kept it. too, for from that DAY to
this, as said, he has never bought stock
except for Investment. -.Nc,o Ysrk Letter.