Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-01-03

that portion Of tie general public which 70
CARDS railroad only as basis for the issue
OF stock In which men can speculate did not
distinguish between the two.
Like iron and railroads, stocks also began
70 look up. and Mr.. Marge devoted himself
n,ogO closely than ever to the quotations
which followed each other moment by mo-
ment On the tape Of the stock ticker It
seemed never safe for him to DO out Of hear
Ing OF the instrument, for figures changed so
suddenly and Unexpectedly; shares In some
solid old roads about which everybody knew
everything remained at their old figures,
while some concerns that had only just been
introduced In Wall street, and were a. prob
lematic a. new acquaintance In general, fig
ured largely In the daily reports Of Stock
Exchange transactions
Mr.. MarEe remembered previous occasions
Of similar character; during tho first Of them
be bad been 'lamb," and was sheared so
closely and rudely that be afterward took
great interest In the shearing process, per
haps to improve and reform It He was not
asau misled BY the operations on tie street ct
the period with which this story concerns IT.
salt; he knew that some Of the now securities
were selling for more than they were worth,
that the prices Of others, and the great vol
ume Of transactions In them, were made
wholly by brokers whose budneo II was to
keep them before the peopla Others, which
seemed promising, could fulfn their hopes
only on certain contingencies
Yet Aarge, cool and prudent though hs
was, took no interest whatever In securities"
that deserved their name; he devoted al his
attention to such stocks a. ductuated wildly
-stockS about which conflicting rumors, both
good and bad, came day by day, sometimes
hour by hour. He did not hesitate to inform
himself that be was simply gambler. at the
only gentlemanly game which tho law did
not make direputable, and that the place for
his wits and money was among the stocks
which most INDUCED In ''quick turns" and
to which the outside public-the great flock
Of lambs-would be most attracted
After . careful survey Of the markst and
several chata, apparently by chance, with a.
legged authorities Of the street, he determined
to confine his operations to the stock Of "The
Eastern and Western Consolidated Railway
company" better known on the street and
the stock tickers' tapes a. ''E. & w." This
stock had every feature that could make any
alleged security attractive to operators, for
there was great deal Of it, the company vas
formed by the consolidation, under tho guiss
OF leasing. Of the property Of several othar
companies, 1t was steadily picking up small
feeders and Incorporating them with the
main line, It held some land grants Of posi-
bic value, and, lastly. some Of the managers
were % brilliant. daring and INSCRIPTIONS
that startling changes In tho quotations
might occur at any time at very short notice
Could q gambler ask for q moro promising
gamef
E & W. soon began to justify Marge In
his choica For the first few days after hs
ventured into It the stock crept up by frac-
tons and points 70 that BY selling out and
promptly repurehasing Marge was able to
double his investment, ION . margin" from
bis profits alone. A Temporary break fright
ened him . little, but on . rumor that the
company was obtaining . lease Of an i'm
portant connecting link be borrowed enough
money to buy more instead Of selling, and
as-for . wonder-the rumor proved true, he
realised" enough to take . couple Of hun
dred sharo more Success began to mani
lea itself In his countenance and his manner,
and to his great satisfaction he once heard
biz name coupled with that Of one Of the
prominent operators In the stock
His success had also the effect of making
his plans more expansive and aspiring.
Should E. & W. 60 on a. 1t was going. be
must within bali year become quite well
of-almost rich, in fact Such being the
case, might 1t not be mistake for him to A.
tach - much importance as he had done to
the iron business and its possible effect upon
the dover Of Miss Tramlayi She was q |
charming crl, but money caght " marry |