Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-31
"OLD HUTCH'S' DEAL.
THE TRUE iNWARDNESS OF HIS
 GREAT WHEAT CORNER.

01ERl WTCHI SonINEns Personal Traits of the Noted Chicago Spec ulator-How He Came to Study the Ag-
 ricuItural Condition of the Two Conti-
 nents-The Outcome.
 The attention of two continents has been recently centered on B. F. Hutchinson-"Old Httch"-of Chicago, the man who has, single handed and unaided, conducted the great wheat corner. The commercial world is fa- miliar with "Old Hutch" as speculator and merchant. New England claims him as her offspring, taking cognizance of him at the time when he began his career in North Reading, Mass, forty-six years ago, when he was in the employ of Edwin Foster, a coun- try merchant, at $20 a year. When not otherwise employed it was young Hutchin- sons duty to mend children's shoes in the rear of the store. As Ben did not receive sufficient salary to satisfy him he obtained permission to open a boot and shoe shop in his employers shed. Here he first evinced his talent for trading, always managing to get ahead of the boys who started even with him. In 1850 he found that there was money in the commission business, and took a hand in 1t on Pearl street in Boston. He remained there two years and removed to Milwaukee, and from there he came to Chicago. With his commercial history from that time to the present every Chicagoan is familiar. With his personal characteristics, his peculiaritieS and his oddities his own city is not entirely familiar, as the subjoined stories will show:
 "There must be something In the character of B. F. Hutchinson which people do not un- derstand," said to a man who has enjoyed the friendship and known the peculiarities of Mir. Hutchinson for a quarter of a century. Hell me something about him if you can that the public doesn't know; something | about him as he sees himself, for no man can be anything, either honest or knave, without knowing in some of the hours of his existence his true character"
 PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.
 ITO be brief," said the gentleman, "the | character of Mr. Hutchinson is kaleidoscopic. l It is difficult to understand such compound, I admit. It requires personal acquaintance, a business acquaintance, and cursory ac- 1 quaintance to form opinion of such man."
 | shall not undertake to quote all the lan- guage of the gentleman who talked to mo about Mir. Hutchinson. From the conversa- tion make the following estimate: | Mir Hutchinson's foundation characteris- | tics are untiring activity, scrupulous fidelity to men whom he trusts, fortitude and sleep less determination. He Is intuitive Some months ago, when he was confined to his home by an accident, he made study of the agricultural condition of the two continents. Most men in the sick room employ their time trying to make others about them mis- erable Mir. Hutchinson profited by his mis- fortune. That is characteristic of him. The day came for him to get out of the house. | He came to the Corn Exchange bank, and on meeting his son "Charlie," said to him: s'The world is short of wheat" He is all ways sententious, so that this created no marked impression.
 | He went over to the Century club, sat down and sent one thumb whirling over the other, as he often does when he is thinking, and said: 1.-The world is short of wheat" The remark did not create any comment there. He went over on the board and met the breathless confusion of that place. In a fatherly tone, he said: Boys, the world is short of wheat"
 The surging sea of speculation kept surg ing The old mans voice had no effect upon the storm. Let me quote the informant:
 UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION.
 "He had studied the situation. He knew he was right. He had sounded the alarm. Strange to say, there were men who knew him as we'll as I who heard him say this, and they knew he was no alarmist croaker, and yet they paid no attention to him. It is my opinion that the old man felt piqned at this apparent disregard of his forecast. He is one of the most sensitive men ever knew That is something which most men will laugh at. But 1t is a fact. I have known him to be stung by some light allusion in the press to his personal appearance, habits ol characteristics. Some of the pictures that have been made of him and printed as cari catures have caused him pain. He was sen sitive, think, that his remark on the condi tion of tho worlds wheat crop did not cause any activity. He moped about it for two ol three days and then rer4ated the remark with amplifcation. He said, virtually: 'The crop is short; you had better buy now; I an going to run 1t up'"
 Strange characteristic of the human mind It loves to take chances. All men are gam blers They prefer to take circuitous routes MT. Hutchinson showed these men where they could make fortunes, and they doubted him because he was frank.
 The informant continued: "When the ole gentleman saw that they didn't heed him having given them every opportunity, h. went on the stage, rung up the curtain anc said, Let the play begin
 ''The old gentleman Is human like other men. He was hurt to think he was doubted He didn't know why he should be, and wheI the rains came and the winds blew and ther. was devil of @ time he folded his arms anC looked on from secure observatory. That is all there Is to this wheat corner. 1t is ths alpha and omega of the Iwhole business. Il you care to look into it you will find plenty of filling, plenty of side shows and branches | 6n11 SHA%r A<NSk nt,A T. Al<