St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-04

trative of Hutchinson's ability to gauge
values and the prOmptnesS with when
he acts. Some of them may be apocry-
phal, but great many are character
iStic. In some instances they do not
bear directly upon the grain market.
and are for that reason even more strlk-
ing. One of them runs that on some &C.
casion when iron was very low friend
mentioned in "Old Hutch'S" presence
that he knew of a lot of 10000 or mere
kegs of nails that had to be sold and
were offered at certain price. mails
are worth great deal more than that"
calculated the old gentleman" Where
are they?" The friend gave the infor-
nation. go and buy them at once for
me-" said Hutchinson promptly, land
have them stored" The transaction
was carried out, and the profit. when
the nails were finally sold at an ad-
vanced figure, amounted to between
$4,000 and $4,000. On another oeca-
sion,
Coming Down Town,
he noticed the windows of big carpet
store decorated with placards stating
that prices were reduced, as the whole
stock Of the concern was to be closed
out. Struck with a sudden idea, he
went in, asked the price of several lines
of goods, the quantities in stock and the
original prices. Having indeed gone
practically through the place, he sent
for the heads of the firm and coolly
made them lump-sum offer for the
whole stock, good will and fixtures of
the concern. The bid was accepted,
and 'Old Hutch''at once gave his check.
Then, without leaving the place, he
sent for relative, who, by the way,
was in another line of trade, and IN
formed him that he wanted him to take
charge OF his new acquisition and run
it, adding: ''At the prices | paid there
is money in IT. Events sroved the cor
rectnesS of his Judgment, and the bust
ness SO summarily purchased Is still III
successful operation.
Irascible at times, and always exact
ing with his brokers and other inStrl-
ments, sold Hutch" still has reputa-
ton of being liberal to those who serve
HIM. At the same time. if he is mis-
taken in his operations, he endures oc-
casiOnal great losses with the utmost
equanimity. AS illustrating these
traits, it is said that he once took IA
vorite and efficient broker into ''deal'
with him, giving him certain interest.
The operation was not successful. and
"Old Hutch" beat retreat on it. con-
soling his disappointed associate by the
remark that they would make it up some
day. Some time afterward the broker
asked Hutchinson how much tile loss he
had incurred on his share of the trans
action amounted to. The great specu-
lator did not seem inclined to tell, but
the broker was persistent. so that finally
Hutchinson broke out with the infOrma-
ton that it was 100000 or more, and
added: eff you bother me any more,
my boy, about details, will never give
you another order again." The intel
lectual side of this
Strong Character
is not crowded out by his application to
business. He is an omnivorouS reader
and has wonderful memory, not only
for facts and figures, but for poetry and
purel literary questions. His particu-
lar admiration is, however, reserved for
the group of writers who belong dis
tinctively 10 his native New England.
Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne are
his favorite authors. Not long ago
Well-knoWn literary gentleman, who
had enjoyed the acquaintance OF
the New England poets and philoso-
pliers, happened to be in Chicago. By
accident he met ''Old Hutch" who, to
his surprise. he found was we'll ac-
quainted with his own fame and works,
Nothing would do but that he must sit
down for good talk about the authors
ane writings in which the great oper
ator took SO much pleasure. For sew
eral hours, therefore, a regular literary
symposium held sway. The trading
was active. prices were going up and
down, "Old Hutch's" interest in the
market were presumably large, and anx-
ious brokers came to the great mans
Office for orders or information. Tell
them am busy and can't be disturbed
to-day" was "Old Hutch's" message to
every one who claimed his attention
during the prolonged interview. ,ig4