The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-05
EVERYBODY GETTING RICH.
(Ficm the New York World

tFiem the New York World.)
In the last six months fortunes ag-
gregating S615, 693, 591 have been made
IN Wall street. The total increase in
valuations oe all the bonds and stocks
listed on the stock exchange aggregates
that enormous sum.
1t represents in money nearly three
times that of all the gold dug out of
the earth for a year. The total gold
output of all the gold-producing coun-
tries in the world for 1897 was 1921. 5O4. =
SoO. The increase in value of only a
small group-twenty-thr in number
OF the most active stocks alone was
well on toward double this amount.
The history of Wall street. of the
world in fact, has nothing to equal this
prodiglous piling up of fortunes. The
El Dorado days of California in 40,
the rioting in wealth which followed
the opening up of the Australian and
African gold fields, the Klondike, the
South African diamond mines-all these
rolled into one have nothing to parallel
the deluge of wealth which poured
down upon that one little corner of
New York known as the wall street
region
And it is. not merely the Croesuses
who have profited. Dozens and dozens
of little fellows" have darted into the
I tumultuous torrent OF speculation and
darted out again hugging to their
breasts fortunes ranging from tens to
hundreds of thousands. The bigger
pungers brought UP millions. The
Croesuses, the Rock afellers, the Van
derbilts, the Sages, have landed mill
| lions that are counted up anywhere
from the tens to the thirties.
| The fever of speculation has seized
upon everybody Office boys, district
me ia
affected by it, and in ore way or an
other. either directly or indirectly. are
profiting by it. The contrast between
Wall street of the dismal days of 1899
IA and Wall street now is all but in
conceivable to one who has not actual
~ witnessed it. Then all was depres
sion. Brokers' lowering near the
ragged edge of seediness fitted gloom
lily about eating cherries luncheons
from the high stools OF dairy kitchens
Champagne thirsts We're quenched with
beer. Messenger boys got five and ten
cent tips and few enough of them
The very cab horses in the street hung
their heads disconsolately and were
lean, slat-ribbed and 1isheartened. The
cabmen dozed in ragged isolation on
their boxes or gathered in forenoon
groups and talked of the better days
that had gone.
But what difference now! The cab
horses are sleek and shiny, the sun
hight glitters On the bright metal of
their new harness. Cabmen erect and
alert in smart liveries dash here and
there with fares" who give them dol
lars Where they were glad to, get fifty
cent pieces. Messenger boys scorn a
tip that is not u bill. Champagne bot
ties are popping as late as ten and
eleven o'clock at night in restaurants
which only a short time ago closed
their doors at and 5 D. M Canvas
back duck and terrapin have supple
mented pork and beans. The very
waiter girls in dairy kitchens are wear
ing diamonds. Office boys respond with
the languid hauteur of wealth Even
Russell Sage has caught the infection,
and recklessly buys bananas at three
for five cents, instead of economically
hunting out the rown-spotted ones at
. cent apiece. About Christmas time,
at the flood tide of the upward boom,
he blossomed out in a brand new Fee
dora hat at $l.75, reduced from 81 30.
He then made $l000O,O 900 and had caught
the infectious prodgality that was in
the air.