Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-04-13

His associate proposed to Trillion the pur.
! chase of controlling interest in a railroad
and Trillion, believing that the depression
had nearly reached its limit, and that affairs
would take turn, agreed that it was bes,
now TO change their policy, and 70 buy al
the shares in this stock that should be offered
while the price was low, and keep them As
an investment. He felt sure that
/ he with his capitalist partner. had
now money enough to Swing" all the
shares in the market, and they each agreed
TO purchase all that should be brought to the
hammer. Following up his promise faithful
ly, Trilion bought all the stock of the rail-
road that came into Wall street, and in this
~ay rapidly exhausted his ready money
Then he raised loans upon his other property,
and still kept the market clear. But he won-
dered that so many shares came to New York
for sale, for the railroad was in a western
State, and few Of the original holders were
New York men
Trillion wv met the first check in his ca
reer. Withstand, whose appeals for help he
had disregarded, and whose property had
been woefully deprecated by the course of
the "bears," of whom Trillion was chief, failed
for a large sum. AS he was treasurer of the
Neversink mills, the stockholders and credi-
investigation of its accounts. Withstand
was found to be 6efaulter TO the amount of
hundreds of thousands Of dollars; the property
was gone-undermined like a snow bank III
spring. The largest owner was Trilhon. He
was overreached by his own shrewdnesS;
and the hitherto unlucky bulls" who had
had small cause to laugh, thought it was
| sport TO see the engineer
! Hoist with his own petard-"
better even than to have tossed him on their
own horns.
| Trillion made some wry faces; but.the loss,
| though great, was not ruinous He was
| obliged, however, to take back the shares Of
| the factory-stock on which he obtained loans
for his later operations, and TO substitute an
equal amount of other securities - thus
| cramping his resources at a time when he
needed every dollar to carry out his plans.
In the multiplicity of his affairs, Trillion
| had almost forgotten Trainor, and left him
to pursue his own course. But there was a
man who had not forgotten him, and followed
| all his movements with vigilant eye. Nor
cross was convinced that Trainor had in
| some way become prosperous, and he now
advanced to use that peculiar note as draft
on the miserable debtors funds. There was
the same willy approach, the same covert al
| fusion to Trainor's supposed resources, the
| tame peremptory demand, and the same ugly
| shreats which had so desperately maddened
him when the subject was preached before.
Trainor felt the tightening of the laSSo, but
could not free himself from the fatal moose.
| He must pay whatever the cold-eyed creditor
demanded. Two thousand dollars was the
sum asked for the acknowledgment of having
| appropriated five hundred Two-pence for
| half-penny has been accounted fair usury
| among the Jews; but in Christian communi-
ties 1t is only crime that accumulates interest
| like that.
As measure of precaution, Norcross had
made copy of the paper and prepared an
explanatory statement; these he now inclosed
in an envelope, in Trainor's presence and
directed it to Messrs. Holmes, Major &; Case
| Then drawing out his watch, as if to make a
careful computation of time, he said
Nine, ten, eleven-yes-at eleven, to-mor-
row, l shall expect to receive the sum; other
wise shall feel it my duty to send this letter
by trusty hand. In fact, l suppose / have
hardly done right in not putting the gentle
men on their guard before"
A cold sweat covered Trainor's shivering
limbs, and for moment he stood irresolute
but recollecting Trillion, he rallied himself,
and, asserting to the proposition babe Nor
cross good-by; then, as the only revenge prac-
ticabie, he cursed him with the heartiest en-
pbasis, when his back was turned. Presently
Tonsor came with the news of Whitsand's
| failure.
"The street is full of rumors," he said
Bullion is large owner in the Neversink ~
"Boshl" said CHARACTERIZATION is in there
for $50, 600, to be sure; but what is thata He
has other property enough-half a million,
at least"
"Still, pebble brought down Goliath. A
house failed in New York worth million,
failed yesterday for want of twenty five
thousand"
Don't you be alarmed. Trillion knows
He isn't going to fail"
Il want to get ten thousand from him to
| take some shares l bought for him."
"How soon?"
"Now; and he is not at his Office
"Ill get you the money from our house. !
| haven't deposited the funds for to-day yet,
and I'll put in a memorandum which Trilion
will make good"
Hadn't you better waite"
mo; it doesn't matter. He's all right; and
it isn't best to break his rules for $40, 00O"
Trainor handed the money to the broker,
and, as bank hours were then about over, be
put his papers in order and went home.
wife, II have been thinking over what you
said about getting my notes cashed. l be-
lieve I'll take Trillion's offer and salt the
money down. Probably, now, he will give
me better trade, for there is considerable
more due"
"Oh, joint how glad am! You will do il
tomorrow, won't you, nowp'
EYES, I'll settle with him tomorrow"
He was thinking of the fact that Sponsor
| had bought shares for Trillion, and he won
| dered what the move meant. A house di
vided against itself could not stand; and he
said to himself that a man must be uncom-
monty deep to be "bull' and "bear' at the
same time. There was no doubt that TriIion
had embarked in some speculation which he
did not see fit to make known to his agent.
There you go,-oR into one of your fogs
again!" said his wife, noticing his suddenly
distracted air. "That's the way you have
done for the last three months,-ever since
you began with that hateful man."
81 get to thinking about affairs, my little
woman, and 1 don't want to bother your
simple head with them so go cruising off in
the fog, as you call it, by myself"
ooh, if you once get through with that
mans affairs, we'll have no more fogsan
mo, deary, we'll have summer weather
and smooth sea, hope, for the rest of our
voyage"
you see, John, l have been dreadfully
anxious more than could tell you If any
thing goes wrong, I've noticed that it isn't
the big people that have to suffer; it's the
smaller ones that get caught
Eyes, it's an old story; the big flies break
out of the spiders net; the little chaps hang
there. But I'll settle up the business to-mor-
row. l shall have enough to buy US a little
house in the country-a snug box, with
garden; then I'll get horse to drive about
with, and we'll take some comfort. Come
little woman, sit ON my knee! Come, baby,
here is knee for you, tool"
Holding them in his arms, he still unused
upon the morrow, and once and again
charged his mind to remember two thousand
for Norcross, ten thousand for Major &