Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-05-19
HIS FIRST AND ONLY SPECULATION.
A MAN ho GambIed in Stocks without
Knowing What He Was Doing.

Il never speculate" said aman who
has acquired fair share Of the worlds
goods, and who enjoys them as much
perhaps as any other man similarly
situated. "And yet | made my first
it and quit ahead of the game, as gam
blers say. | have remained ahead OF
that game ever since.
1T was out in California that was
led into speculation. 1t was in the
days when mining stocks went up into
the sky like rockets and came down
like the sticks, just as certain men
wanted them to do. | went out there
to make my fortune, but in some way
il would not make. really believe in
luck, for did have the worst possible
kind OF luck, and then of sudden
but, will come to that later.
Have you ever heard of the man
who was so poor that he always earned
bis breakfast; ate it; earned his din
ner; ate it; earned his supper; ate it;
and then slept where it did not cost
anythingP Well, / was q good deal
poorer than that man, for / ate my
breakfast and then earned it. 1t was
demoralizing, you may be sure. But
[ happened to meet man in San
Francisco who was making big stir
out there in those days. He was throw
ing stocks wherever he pleased, and
that meant everywhere. The way that
man made money took every ones
breath away. For some reason he
took an interest in me-perhaps it was
because | could not make a cent where
he could make million.
young man. he said to me one
day, do you want to make some
money!
4 thought I did. 1 thought it so
emphatically that l impressed him
with my earnestness.
"'Well,' he said, give me 800 and
I'll fix it for you SO thsC you can make
something.'
"a hundred dollars!' l said. If
had 800 I'd get out of this country. [
haven't 100 cents
You haven't, ehP Then I'll lend it
to you
81 never could pay you,' said.
Eyes you can. You can pay me
some day. Just sign note for it.
Business is business you know. Then
60 away and don't ask any questions.
Just keep still till get ready to talk
Il went away, no richer and no poor
er, save that my name, which wasn't
worth anything to anybody, was at
the end of a note for 500
Il did not know much about stocks
and [ did not care much about them.
only knew that there was madness
in the San Francisco market few DAYS
later. Some stocks went up and some
went down. The stocks went up out
of sight. Then a hurricane struck the
whole market and blew it away.
"A few weeks later | met my friend.
40, by the way he said, i have
note of yours in my pocket
yes gulped, feeling the strings |
of my heart tighten, but ! can't pay !
it now. | warned you"
"'Neyer mind about that now he |
said. Here's your note. Now I'm
going to give it back to you on one !
condition-that you promise me never
to speculate again
81 made him the promise.
young liam he said then. won
have been in the biggest hell's game
that ever was played in this market.
You have won. | knew you would
win That's why let you try it. But,
young man. and he raised his hand, |
eloquently with his finger.
you never in the world coula have
won it if you hadn't been on the in
side. That's why | made you prom
Sc
Then he looked at memorandum,
wrote me out a check which made me
'peechless. and sent NE away do
lot to this day know what is the
process of gambling in stocks ~.
Z. Irttune.
a Philadelphia bun ylar left vest