The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-06
TALK WITH ICKELHEIMER.
How the Gold Broker ard His Place
Of Business Look.

profitable week for n Ickelheimer of
Heidelbach. IckeIheimer & Co, ana for
Jacob Zimmerman of Zimmerman &
Forshay. They both deal in gold, but
not in the same way. The first named
urn imports and exports the yellow
metal; Zimmerman 81 FOrshay import
the much mO0ted cOin-that is, when it
IS remunerative to bring gold TO
america Heidelbach, Ickelheimer &
Co. transact business with banks; Tim
norman & F'Orshay cOnf1ne their Oper-
tons to private buyers or sellers. The
hoardlng of the coveted coin kept the
clerical forces in both houses unusually
occupied last week.
The contrast between the firms and
the individuals in question extends
farther. The offices of Heidelbach,
lckelheiner & Co. are in one of the
few new buildings in the vicinity of the
stock exchange. These quarters are
awe inspiring. Instantly you enter the
splendid apartments you realize that
you are in a locale of universal import
2nce. There is an atmosphere Of sub
dued momentousness. A transaction
I involving millions OF dollars is conduct
ed with nOchalance that dlScCncerts
the novice. One would think that the
deal We're a matter of a couple Of Unit
ed States bonds.
Herr Heidelbach was in Germany.
Mr.. Ickelheimer. however. was in the
Office. Would I care to talk with Mr.
Ickelheimer? Yes. to be sure. While
the courteous vorsteher was out search
AAlss 4D4 that gentleman the next III lIll-
portance in the immensely wealthy
firm among the myriad OF cages,
tried to present to myself the probable
. mannar and appearance Heidelbach's
associate Heidelbach / knew to be a
veteran fnancier-One who has been in
monetary affairs fifty or Sky years
whose physical outline recalls Lazarus
Silverman, 50 made ready to see lex
elheimer a banker of similar type.
remarkably handsome youth, some
where between % and 80, walked in.
Tall, slender, with a. Semitic counte-
nance, refined and sOftened by edUca-
ton and high breeding, he resembled
a Partisan boulevardier Of the superla-
tive class I supposed that he was one
of the employees in the foreign depart
ment.
Can I do anything for you. sir?"
Il am waiting for Mr.. ickelheimer.'
Il am Mr. Icl1eIheimer'
Pardon me, but I wish to speak
with MIR Heidelbach's partner-your
father"
II should like nothing better than to
be able to present him, but my father
died many years ago. I am Mr.. Held
elbach's partner
YES" he said in answer to my mute
Interrogation, 1t is a responsible post
for one of my years. You are not the
first who has been surprised. Though
young,I have been in the banking bust
ness for some time. Now, what would
you like to know ?"
"A brief talk on the gold movement"
Lets see-yOur paper is the Daily
News. Excuse me for moment,
please"
He came back in a few minutes, ap-
parently satisfied. Il see the Daily
News is Independent in politics. I'm
sorry that YOU cont support the gold
standard. However, if we can't have
what we wantwe must be content with
what we can get in the press line. 1t
is mistake to suppose that this i'm
pOrtation of gold has been brought
about by forced or artificial methods.
% n a af1rfafffr.a c. thar
pose among bankers is simply absurd.
There is no class that acts as indie
pendently Of each other as the bank
ing element. Competition here is keen,
/ relentless incessant. our motto is,
every one for himself union. or an
understanding even, among HnanclerS
were impossible. An enormous amount
OF gold is coming this way Tor the SIM
pie reason that our commodities are go
ing the other way. Foreigners find
themselves short of cereals, cotton and
other necessities that we can supply
We send our goods over and in return
we receive gold. That is all there is
to the matter. Exchange is low. We
and we can make money by buying the
coin this way; when rates are very
high there is a profit in sending the
metal abroad. The thing is not at all
/ intricate-it's merely a question Of sup
ply and demand"
Zimmerman & Forshay's Office is an
obscure nook in Wall street 1t is in
/ q semi basement, with an entrance as
spacious and inviting as the ingress to
the paradise OF a fourth class theater
in the German provinces.
A1essrs. Zimmerman & F'Orshay en-
plOy curious concierge lie looks at
your card as though it contained trap
for his long, hooked fingers, that were
clearly destined to rake in other peO-
ple's money. Then he deigns TO stare
al YOU in a manner Indicating that he
suppOses you to be a counterpart of
himself-a mental freak and a physical
curiosity.
wen, vat you vant2"
IT should like to speak with Mr. zin-
vat you want fon heem2''
i've just told yOu-I want to speak
with him
you got some pizzness init hemp
For the first time in my long career
as a reporter / resOrted to prevarica-
ton. "Yes-I know Of some one who
wants to buy a quarter of million Of
gold"
saw a small. dark rotund man de-
scend from a high chair in the rear of
the long, narrow, stuny compton lie
hurried to the customers arena II
was Mr.. Zimmerman Not quite IS
broad as he is long, he is, nevertheless
nimble, nervous and Quick-Wltted; ne
has an engaging Department. IS a well
grounded numismatist from a CONNER
cial standpoint; a man about 40 man
in whose face you read business in the
first glance; enfan, Ihomme De ses ar
flares He was not disappointed, rather
was he much amused when 1 told him
that I had used a ruse to justify my
coming
The demand for sold increases from
day to day. and strange as it may
seem, we get the largest orders from
the states that will undoubtedly vote
for a gold standard The republican
Victories in Maine and Vermont have
not ia the least checked the inquiry.
I we deal direct with individuals. our
/ heaviest orders for this coin come from
New York, Philadelphia and Boston
/ No. there is no such thing, theoretical
/ ". as a premium on gold We receive
/ a command for an amount of yellow
4 coin We procure it and send it to our
i customer. charging him a certain COM
+ mission for our work. We all enjoy