The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-04
HIS ONLY SPECULATION.
A Man Who Gambied In Stocks In Sal
Francisco without Knowing 1t.

Man Who Gambied In Stocks In San
Francisco without Knowing 1t.
New York Tribune.
II never speculate" said a man 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 real start on a specula-
ton. | won at it and quit ahead of the
game. as gamblers say. / have remained
ahead of that game ever since.
1T was out in California that 1 was led
into my speculation. 1t was in the days
when mining stocks went up ipto 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 it would not make. l really be-
lleve In luck, for did have the worst pos
sbie kind Of luck. and then of a sudden
but l will come to that later.
Have yon ever heard of the man who
was SO poor that he always earned his
breakfast, ate it.; earned his dinner, ate it !;
earned his supper. ale il, and then slept
where it did not cost Anything Well, L
was good deal poorer than that man. for L
ate my breakfast and then earned IT, 1t
was demoralizing, YOU may be sure. But L
happened 10 meet man in San Francisco
who was making big stir out there in those
Gays. He was throwing 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 il was be-
cause L could not make cent w b ere he
could make millions.
Young man. he said to me one day, do
yOu want TO make some money!
Il thought l did. L thought it so en-
phatically that / impressed him with my
earnestness.
We'll he said, give me 500 and III fix
1t for you so that You can make something
"A hundred dolarsp / said IF | had
800 I'd get out OF this country. l haven't
100 cents
You haven't. ehp Then I'll lend it to
you
u never could pay you. said.
Yes you can. You can pay me some
day. just sign note for it. Business is
business, you know. Then go away and
don't ask any questions. Just keep still
till get ready to talk
went away. no richer and no poorer,
save that my name, which wasn't worth
anything to anybody, was at the end of
note for $1,000
Il did not know much about stocks, and
did not care much about them. l only
knew that there was madness in the San
Francisco market few days later. Some
stocks went up aud some went down. The
stocks went up out OF sight. Then a hurri-
cane struck the whole market aud blew it
away.
n 10" "cchS ldloT met my ITlenu.
ION. by tho way he said, Il have note
Of yours in my pocket
Yes | gulped, feeling the strings of
my heart tighten, but can't pay it now. L
warned you
Never mind about that now,' he said.
Here's your note. Now, Pm going to give
II back 10 you on one condition-that you
promise me never to speculate again.
Il made him the promise.
Dung man. he said then, you have
been in the biggest helPs 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
MS hand, pointing elOqueDtly with his fin
ger, you never In the world would have
won Ii If you hadn't been on the inside.
That's why made you PROMISE
Then he looked at memorandum. wrote
me out check which made me speechless.
and sent me away. do not to this day
Know what Is the process of gambling in
stocks"