The Washington times., 1894-06-25
CURB AND CORRIDOR.

party was cue whose name has long been
known in the financial world as an engi-
neer OF big deals Across the table from him
| was seated Il gentleman who is an officer
| in the national guard of Pennsylvania
! aud also II well-known business man. The
remainder OF the party was composed OF
member OF Congress and two well-known
local business men. They had been discuss
, ing the tariff schedule rs before Congress.
and then naturally driited of into II general
/ talk on business. Il was was during this
! discussion that the linaucier said:
''One OF the greatest institutions OF our
modern public school system ls what IS
! known as the commercial department or the
actual BUSINESS college 1t gives boy while
| very young true insight into the way
| that business is conducted and instills into
| him sense of sterling honesty"
The gentleman seated across from the
speaker said slowly.
Il differ with you on that point. / admit
/ that am not much OF u business man and
that my hobby has sort of run to the army.
! but / was at one time a scholar in one OF
I those so-caIled business colleges. and ! can
not say that can commend them as a teacher
! OF honesty II you will allow me, | will tell
/ you something about my experience in Il bus
I iness college. Ii IS rather long, but think il
quite amusing. The party scented IL story at
once and cigars were lighted and general
/ desire was manifested o bear it out.
"A good many years dgo. said thespeaker.
Il was Il boy going to scncoi il Il town out
/ III Pennsylvania. just i.1out thar time there
was iunusurated in the public school system
| throughout the state the system OF actual
! business training. We called 1t the 4 y c.
school, owing TO the first letters in the name
/ o. the system. IL was a great lark Tor Us at
! first ind then we saw that il meant hard work
| and all tcot IN Interest in T., and the boys
were Just rs greedy about acquiring an i'm
/ n.ense fortune as If IL had been Wall street
| and real money.
1.-The school was run on the most rigid busl-
ness principles. i remember one boy who
| was expelled from school Tor forcing n hal-
! ance of few cents. II tie start Il regular
/ board of trade was organized, aud after each
/ scholar had done so much work he was enti-
/ tied TO a seat on the hOor and given SO much
! money TO transact business with. There
| were all sorts OF stocks; and at first all was
| lovely.
The teacher was the supreme power on
/ the door and be ran things TO suit himself.
| He was head of the big banking and clearing
| house and had as much as all the rest OF us
| put together. The Toys worked hard, and
at times would have Il tig fortune in sight.
II yas discouraginy underthose circumstances
| for Il person to come into school il the morn
/ ing and be told that he would have 10 start in
| with new business and be bought out by
! the bank which gathered all the money he
naN SeAHGeO lOr. II was INSTANCES OF tnls
! kind that brought saster on the bank.
1--WE had in school at that time 4 little Jew,
who had all the money-making procliyities of
II IS race He had been in the hides and tallow
business and had Just about made Il million
dol .ars in the school money. One morning he
came in. and the professor told him that his
warehouses had becn burned down the night
De.oie. and that he could collect the insurance
and start in some other business. That was a
heart breaker. but he swallowed his feeling,
collected about $4,000 insurance. and then
waited for revenge. For two days he was
not factor in the dealings. and during that
time I had by a lucky stroke. cleaned out
over half million. and was looking Tor
similar request IRON the bank.
After school that night this little jew
came 10 me, and after showing me the in
Justice that had been uone him and pointing
out how was in line for the aX asked me if
] was in a scheme to get even. | replied
readily that ! was. hut asked how he intended
to carry out any scheme. as the wav appeared
dark to me- He came up to me mysteriously
aud whispered in my ear:
1--we can break the bank
The delightful! possibility dawned on me.
and the fun appeared 50 great that dropped
At once and was Il co-conslirator OF the deep
est dye. He explained the outline OF the plot
10 Inc. and the next morning we went into
school with the scheme active in our heads.
Sure enough l got my summons and was
taken ont of the business that offered such
brilliant prospect. Nevertheless. | had plenty
OF money and that was what l needed.
1--WE had resolved to get n corner on corn.
Corn was represented by little slips, with so
many bushels printed on them. We Joined
capital. borrowed money right and left, and
in the space of two days l had every corn GER
tihcate locked up in my desk. Corn had been
cheap at about IS cents but its withdrawal
from the floor gave it plunge. then went
TO the bank and ordered a small amount OF
corn for future delivery The jew aud our
agents kept it up until we had the bank
stocked with orders. We gave vouchers for
pay 1t was dangerous business. as we were
insolvent and could not have paid il the
vouchers had been presented.
FINALLY the bank awoke to the condition
of affairs and began TO look around for corn.
There was none 10 be had. Finally they came
to me and | said had little. / could name
my own price and doomed il away up in the
dollars. They had TO buy. The price was so
stiff and the orders so large that the bank did
not have enough money and issued notes.
Finally they bought all | mad. was walking
around with millions in my pocket. Then l
began 10 buy up these notes. l got over a
81 O0O. 900 worth OF them and at the stated
time presented them for payment. The bank
could not meet them and begged for time /
demanded that it go into the hands of re-
ceiver All was in an uproar, no business
could be done. and l and my little clique of
conspirators ranged over the floor supreme.
We owned the place.
FINALLY was called before a faculty meet
ing. | refused 10 bulge one inch. The rules
were with me. The teachers were powerless.
For two days all was chaos and school was
practically suspended. Then they fixed it
up"
This abrupt termination led to a storm of
inquiries US to how the matter was adjusted. |
The t,er saii firyly.
They expelled me. as well as all who were
in the plot That was not a very good lesson
in honesty for the jew referred to is now in
the penitentiary. charged with crooked busi-
ness dealings, and | may have been had l |
gone into business"
During the past week Gov. F. D. Fran
els, of Missouri, has been guest at the |
Arlington hotel. Gov Francis is gen.
eral lavorite here, and his advent into the city |
is always hailed with delight by the Missouri |
delegation. He is an elderly man. with Il fund |
OF stories and "reminiscences that are as inter |
esting as only Missouri stories can be.
Gov. Francis has fallen on a quieter |
reign than some of bis predecessors enjoyed |
Nevertheless ne likes to look back on the good |
old days when Missouri was state of war
ring factions. when parties arose in night |
only TO wither with the sum- when the old |
passive policy was creating such havoc in the
lines OF the staid old parties, and Republicans,
Democrats Populists and Prohibitionsts |
waged a sort of guerilla warfare on one an
other.
Gov. Francis is a famous story teller and |
one OF his favorites is concerning an ex-
Governor of Missouri whose fame will never
die in that state. He was known as old Gov.
Stewart. and was noted rs the worst swearer |
the hardest drinker and the most formidable
Iat., ,,, ,fH E,,ta IL -.