Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-02-23
THE LAUGHING MAN.

Ifin Wall Street, it May not Mean That He
Feels Safe.
From N. Y. SUM-
In the interval between the morning
and afternoon sessions of the Stock Elk
change the spectators and operators sa
in the brokers' office studying the ques
tions as they had been marked up on the
blackboard by junior clerk. They
spoke but little. Some were making
mental calculations, some were building
air castles, few were hugging them.
selves with delight because fortune was
in their favor, and others looked grim
and endeavored to conceal their chagrin
and regrets at losses by the operations
of the morning. Not few were wrest-
ling with Bassanio's problem, considt r.
ing whether another arrow would dis.
cover that already lost. In gambling
the hope that another fling at fortune
will bring her down never fades. But
those who gamble daily recognize that
such reasoning is not sound, and where
as in Wall street, all the investments are
based upon theOrizing as to cause and
effect, something more than unreasoning
faith in fortunes favor is necessary to
open the purse strings of its followers.
These men were veterans, and the gam
bler's passion was subordinated to cold
calculations.
An old but gay and sprightly man
came upon the scene. He was the pro-
prietor of the office, big broker, widely
know and very popular. He was reputed
to be the possesSor of great wealth. Up
on his favor depended the fortunes of
some of the men in the chairs. Should
he withdraw it at a critical moment the,
might sink out of sight overwhelmed by
ruin, wrecks to be pointed out by the
curious in after days as some of the ''has
beens" of Wall street. He addressed them
on the subject of gold shipments, argu-
ing from his own view points as to their
effects upon the prosperity of the COM
munity. He had the manners and voice
of stump speaker. He interlarded his
remarks with jokes and reminis
and talked volubly. A handsome gray
haired man, with smooth face and erect
figure, watched him and the others close
". When the broker had finished and
disappeared into his private Office, this
man said quietly to the friend, visitor,
who sat beside him:
81 know now just about how all Of
these men stand. Did you observe them
while Jones was talking? Did you no.
tice how some of them laughed loudly at
his jokes, while others only smiled, and
still others remained impassive? Did you
see how those who laughed loudest
strove to catch his eye, as though to say
See me; l appreciate your humor; l am
impressed with your remarks. The
others here may not follow you, but !
am all ears And the meaning of all
that is that they want to curry favor
with him and win his personal good will
his financial assistance.
when he talks, for by observing them j
can tell how much margin each is trad
ing on. The man who laughs loudest
and is most obsequious Is very close to
sinking. He fears he may 60 under any
moment, and his laughter is desperate
appeal to save him. 1t rings in my ears
like the cry of the drowning wretch who
yells: Save me! Save met can al
most see him struggling in the waves
and tearing his finger nails on the CLASSY
sides of the rocks against which he i.
dashed in his attempts to pull himse
into safety. Every time that man roars
at one of Jones' jokes, and holds his
sides as though they would split, fee
throb of sympathy for him, for know
his case is very desperate. The man who
laughs moderately, looks knowing and
has fairly contented expression has "a
fair margin up and feels safe. But the
man who looks at Jones with an air of
indifference or has the courage to frown
upon him is the object of my deepest
envy. That man reposes on financial
rock so high and solid that an earthquake
would recoil from it. And, depend upon
it, every other man in this place envies
him too. If they dared, they would
stroke his coat and rub shoulders with
him in the hope of gaining luck thereby
81 will never forget the sensation
caused once by man getting up here
and calling Jones loudly by his first
name. That William still rings in my
ears. There was dead silence for fully a
minute after it had been uttered. Every
one of us expected to see the rash man
struck by thunderbolt OF consumed by
the whitening scOrn of Jones' lightning
glance. 1 felt my blood CONCEAL with
horror, and several of the others told me
afterward that they looked for some,
thing awful. But Jones looked as sweet
as an angel, and we all could have wor.
| shipped the daring one on the spot. He
received dozen invitations to drink
within 10 minutes and was overwhelmed
with Offers of cigars. His margin, l after.
ward discovered, was 10 per cent. There
is report that another man called Jones
Bill some years ago, but l don't believe
it. If anybody did that, it was an out.
slider. No customer with a proper con-
sideration of the possibilities of the flu.
ture could so far forget himself, ever
though his immediate conditions were
the most prosperous
That Settled 1t.