Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-26
ECCENTRIC HUTCH.
CURIOUS FRANKS OF THE CHICAGO MILLION
ARE IN NEW YORk.
Hs Buys New Hat and Visits the Stock Exchange
His Encounters With Various People.
The BOOtblack Incident

started out bright and early yesterday
morning, having passed the night no.
body knows where. He wore the same
Anticipated silk hat and the same cleri-
cal looking garments which had made
him so conspicuous the day before when
be visited the Produce Exchange.
Soon after the doors of the Exchange
were opened the wizard of grain Specu-
lstiOn was seen in the company Of his
broker, John c. Wiswell. As he stood
beside the ticker toying affectiOnately
with the tape his face was a study. One
thing was very plain, unless "Old
Hutch" is an uncommon master Of dis
stimulation, and that was that the mar
ket was going his way, for the smile
which spread over his clean Shaven face,
deepening the ilabby folds on either side
of the mouth and throwing his magniti-
cent nose into still greater prominence,
caused the heart of many a young
broker TO thrOb with envy.
1t was whispered about that the great
manipulation from the West was on the
point OF perfecting another Of those
cOups which in the past have made his
name at once the admiration and the
terror of the market.
There was good deal of innocent
amusement had at the old gentleman's
expense, however. One jOcular ac
quaintance, more daring than the 9th
erS, ventured 10 suggest to "Old
Hutch" himself that the hat which he
was wearing was out Of date-tO put it
mildly.
80 you think I ought to get a new
hat. do you?" said Mr.. Hutchinson with
q very serious face, as if the proposition
involved millions. III there is anything
hate doing more than another it is
changing hats. But If you think ii must
be done, why, here goes. Let's get it
over with"
He walked soemnly into hat store
at No. 80 New street and opened hOStil-
titles.
1 should state that before this impOr-
tant proceeding Mr.. Hutchinson had
wisely fortified the inner man, and that
several times over, so that when he
commenced at the halter, he was in
genial and loquacious state Of mind.
Il want hat" said he.
''What kind of a hat?n asked the
halter.
"Oh, bout forty or fifty cents,
guess.
"DO you want silk hat, sir, like the
one you have One?" qUeried the sales
man, with an ill-reStrained smile, as he
surveyed the battered and Anticipated
relic which has been intimately con-
nected with its wearer'S personality for
many years.
No, l want an everyday straw hat.
One of those will about I'LL the BILL,
and cold Hutch" pointed to pile Of
broad trimmed hats of French palm.
CHOSE cost $3.50, sir, said the sales
man, han ding one 10 his eccentric Gus
toner.
HutchinSOu'S red face grew redder at
this announcement. He was apparent |
" deeply injured at the thought that |
this da1difed ShOpkeeper took him for |
cOuntryman. Drawing himself up to |
liS full six feet and shaking his lean /
'Ore6nger in the face of the enemy he |
exclaimed in aveited tones
sRy thunder, sir, L wanU you 10 |
l know the price OF a hat. |
III give you exactly 81 for this thing |
md not id cent more.
The ShOpkeeper smiled in an aggra- /
yating way and refused to come down. /
He then proceeded to eXpatiate at |
enpth ON the num0erlesS good qualities
IF the broad brimmed beauty, with It's
black band and circus tent crown.
"Old Hutch" listened in silence, and
finally threw down the $3.50, at the
same time making the following uneX-
pected proposal;
"Now. Mr.. Storekeeper," he said,
looking around over the shelves crowd
ed with hats Of all descriptions, '1'll
buv ont YOUR whole blamed stock at the
price / originally offered, forty cents
hat-the whole lot, mind. I'd just like
TO make a little deal in hats while I'm IN
the business.
The astonished hat man politely re-
fused this offer and suggested sending
the discarded silk relic 10 Mr.. hutchln-
sons hotel. But the latter objected,
and with truly democratic simplicity
said
.,You havn't got an errand boy in
your whole shop as strong as l am.
Hand over the old plug and I'll carry 1t
home myself. Or. I'll tell you what I'd
rather do:-Tll sell you this old hat
Of mine. Come now, make me an offer.
Asa matter of fact Mr. HutchinSOn'S
old hat was not worth ten cents as
bat. and the dealer again refused to
make a deal. The old Spectator went
away disguised, carrying with him his
unappreciated property.
There, however, was precisely where
the storekeeper made a tremendous mis-
take, for little later in the day mem
Der of the Produck Exchange rushed In
10 the shop and exclaimed
Il hear you bought Old Hutch'S'
plug hat IN give you $40 for it.
Come, quick, hurry up. Where is it?'
"But. my dear sir, replied the store
kceuer, "the hat was worse than worn
out. Ii was cracked and broken, and
not worth giving 10 tramp. old
Hutch wanted TO sell 10 TO me, but l
wouldn't buy it,
"The more fool you," cried this en-
terprising collector OF curiouSitieS,
thoroughly disappointed. Il would
gladly have paid you $40 for the hat
and could have sold ii TO the boys at
auction for two or three times As much.
You made the mistake of your life"
Arrayed in his new hat, the gliSten-
ing white straw OF which contraSted
sharply with the SOmbre black Of his
broadclOth coat and trousers, "Old
Hutch" stroiled back into the EX-
change, where his recent acquisition
was welcomed with more enthu-
siasm than a hat usually receives.
I'm fact the distinguished ChiCagOaI
seemed a little uneasy and I'll at ease
souarated from his truSty plug. More
than once he reiortited his inner man
aud finally about two o'clock, after hav
,r given several important orders, b,
~ttndrew, accompanied by one of hi
r,kers, for a quiet lnnch on StOn,
,. i,,c+ hocl- Of the EVchanca