The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-09
THE MAN WHO LAUGHS.
II In Wall street 1t may Not Mean That He
Feels safe and Happy.

Ii In Wall street 1t May Not Mean That He
Feels safe and Happy.
In the interval between the morning
and afternoon sessions of the Stock Ex-
change the spectators and operators
sat in the brokers' Office studying the
quotations as they had been marked
up on the blackboard by junior clerk.
| They spoke but little. Some were max
ing mental calculations, some were
building air castles, few were hug
ging themselves 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 wrestling with Bassanio's
! problem, considering whether another
arrow would discover 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, some
thing more than unreaSoning faith in
fortunes favor is necessary to open the
purse-strings of its followers. These men
were veterans, and the gamblers pas
sion was subordinated to cold calcula-
! tions
An old but gay and sprightly man
came upon the scene He was the pro-
prietor of the office, big broker,
| widely known, and very popular. He
was rcputed to be the possessor of great
wealth. Upon his favor depended the
fortunes of some of the men in the
| chairs Should he withdraw it at
critical moment they might sink out of
| sight, overwhelmed by ruin, wrecks TO
be pointed out by the curious in after
| daysas some of the has beens of Wall
street. He addressed them on the ques-
ton Of gold shipments, arguing from
| his own view points as to their effects
upon the prosperity of the community.
| He had the manners and voice of "a
stump speaker. He interlarded his re-
marks with jokes and "reminiscences,
| and talked volubly. A handsome, gray
| haired man, with smooth face and erect
| figure, watched him and the Others
closely. 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 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; / appreciate your humor,
am impressed with your remarks; the
others here may not follow you, but
am all earsn And the meaning of all
that is that they want to curry favor
with him and win his personal good
will, so as to bank against it should
they need his financial assistance.
81 always pay attention to the crowd
when he talks, for by observing them |
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 go under
any moment, and his laughter is des-
pexate appeal to save him. 1t rings in
my ears like the cry of the drowning
wretch who yells: Save me! Save mel
! can almost see him struggling in the
waves and tearing his finger nails on
| the CLASSY sides of the rocks against
which he is dashed in his attempts to
| pull himself into safety. Every time
that man roars at one of Jones Jokes,
and holds his sides as though they
| I Nf ],
| for him, for know his case is very des-
! perate. The man who laughs moder-
! ately, looks knowing, and has a fairly
| contented expression, has fair margin
up and feels safe. But the man who
| looks at Jones with an air of indiffer-
ence, or has the courage to frown upon
him, is the object of my deepest envy.
That man reposes upon a 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.
Il will never forget the sensation
caused once by a 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
minute after it had been uttered.
Every one OF us expected to see the
rash man struck by thundcrbolt or
consumed by the whitening scorn of
Jones' lightning glance. | felt my
blood CONCEAL with horror, and several
of the others told me afterward that
they loslied for something awful But
Jones looked as sweet as an angel, and
we could all have worshiped the dar-
ing one on the spot He received a
dozen invitations to drink within ten
minutes, and was overwhelmed with
offers of cigars. His margin, after
ward discovered, was 10 per cent. There
is report that another man called
Jones Bill some years ago. but don't
believe it If anybody did that it was
an outsider No customer with proper
consideration of the possibilities OF the
future could so far forget himself, even
though his immediate conditions we're
most prosperous N. y. Sun.
! Girdle Bags.