The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-05
U A CHATS

fnNprISD. III
= tumult. / was there in the run u
pausraper work from day To day OUT
~ moi prepared for the tempestuous
-cane that followed during the next SIN
~ Nor were even the operators.
rarb,,,s prepared for the crash that
came. In the wreck We're caught
n,a,v mon before thought TO be solvent
,n3 ono of thc men who went down was
hio onouoh in The financial world to pre-
c;n:tatr \ panic. To those who nave
looked from the galleries OF the stocN
Exchange upon "a Wall Street pane no
tescrin1lou j necessary: 10 those VINO
nave MI. it would be impossible to give
any idea.
But ii is not of the mad hIrl that l
happen to be thinking new. | tried 10
describe then What took place Ill the
street, for the paper on which 4 ~
working. but there was one scene. hleiii-
orable to me. a strange scene as SIM
rLo and n unseen as it was dramatic
and tragic. | wonder if the story l.
worth the telling. 1t is life anyway.
and an almost forgotten bit Snatched
from the flames of that awful day when
mems passions swept away their reason
even rs. sage brush is swept by the pra'
RETIRE.
The big operator had tried hard tc
hold his margins good. He was. too, 4
biz officer in a big bank. He vas not
alone in his deal He had collateral.
bonds too. but it was no time to ak OF
time money when "call loans We're
beyond the beyOndS. Something had 70
be done. desperately and quickly. The
big man took his bonds to the bank and
called the cashier to his private room.
IndustriaIs had begun to tumble. There
was a lull and spas1nodic rally i'll response
to the temporary stand of the big mans
well-veiled brokers on the floor. Tile
big man held himself steady III that back
office with much OF that rigid steadincsS
that one perceives i'll another who has
hold of the handles Of Il "Ilyanlc bat.
terry. The bonds the big man had were
windy enough at best even at the
National Banking law had not forbidden
the loan of so much money to amy one
man. Tho cashier knew this-a man
who had been trained from his youth t,
the banking business. and whose judg
mont was rs ripe with age as his char
acter was ripe with integrity. Address
ing the cashier with Il fcigncd calm and
tome Oh tplIIlIldllu q VIGIL III bdl
operator was master. the big man said:
You Will please charge those bonds UP
to Bond Account at such Il price, and
write 4 check to the order of Miss SO
and So The old cashier grew Il trit1e
paler with the aStoundment OF the mo-
ment. but he said nothing az he ran his
thumb between the bonds one by one.
looking at them i~ntcntly as he fingered
them. \ word out of season might have
been worth his job to him and he was
dependent upon the job for the support
Of himself and his large family. He did
not speak. He took the package of
securities to his desk and ordered them
charged up to Bond Account. He was
about to write Il cashiers check, and ht
stopped. He went back to the general
ledger. His hand trembled. When he
had finished writing. Bond Account had
been credited and balanced. Taking the
bonds from the collateralS in the vault,
he gathered them rs firmly as he was
able and walked unsteadily at best back
to the room where the big man sat alone
and waiting.
Mr. - / do not believe it would
be honest bookkeeping to put those bonds
to Bond Account: Il part of them up to
the limit of the law might be, if they
NSIt Ndllu tOIlitteIuI. cIdlllStu TO CUII
Loans began the old man with much
Of the fceblencss taken out Of his voice
by the meaning of the words 50 momcn-
tous to him.
1T is not ours TO judge as to the
merits of a transactions: | am here for
that purpose: it is enough that | give
you orders. You will take the bonds
back and put them to Bond Account.
and bring me the check"
Ihr old man came near yielding foi
Il second. but he rallied while regiment
after regiment of moral victories came
marching as Il reserve across the battle
held OF Il heart that had thus far stood
staunch during the years for what was
honest-as God sees honesty. The ola
cnap thought lc could hear music now
1t was Il sort Of martial music. rh,t
music which g~lorifics into hcroism that
fails not those acts unseen Of men which
I'VE and die most often with the doer. |
Inc bug man waited: "WeH?' he
asked FIRMLY. after Il m0ment The shouts
OF the Babel from the Stock Exchange
could almOst be caught along the sweet
spring breeze. Blank and Company had
thrown up the sponge was the last
Inlns on the ticker-tape; it was the be-
ginning Of the avalanche.
'Nell!' repeated the big man.
The cashier had arisen: he rested his
haId on the back of a chair; he looked |
Tor the first time straight into the bio |
mans face, his look was met by an cyr
as steady as u lions. But the two razn.
We're different; there was the blaze Of
hell IN one; there was the c~oolnesS and
serenlty Of the April sky in the other.
"Well.-for the thir! time.
In you order me-" replied the old
: icial SLOWLY. cannot satisfy me here:
II some cases | take nv ordars fron,
there his hand was pointed inward
lie turned to retire but, stopping !, mo.
1nent. he added. "tfhs is one If tb,
cases Mr.. - The struggle had
peen won-in the reaction. the swoa,
beads burst out cool upon his White
orow: He settled lack in his chair
physically weak, but passing his hand