The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-17
How Periwig
Made His Fortune
Nv William Taylor Williams.

Ion broker on Change in one
the larger Southern Cities
had no means of any conse-
s,s,ce. but managed to make a moder-
-. living for his family from one season
10 another
After severe and protracted spell of
,f1,ess he went away on a recuperative
.rfo and was absent several months
when he returned home he was a wealthy
man
10 retired from active business and set
himself up as a leisurely capitalist. He
,,,ugnt one of the finest residences on the
market and furnished it in elegant style
IIis connections beng good, his family
Immediately became prominent in social
EARS and Mrs. Periwig's teas, dinners
and receptions we're among the most
,ooherche functions of the season.
Where the money came from was mys-
+srv but. of course, there were all sorts
of surmses and suggestions. The most
ratural opinion. in view of his former
donation. and the one most generally
reid was that he had made a lucky
ejaculation in cotton. Some color seemed
Given to this view by the circumstance
that the price of cotton had undergone
a ebarD change so as to make the acqui-
eftion of a fortune possible; but those
who knew Periwig well laughed at the
idea. In the first place he was without
means sufficient to enter into any large
oaera tons; and, moreover, while he was
always dabbNng more or less in futures,
ne was the timdest of speculators-go-
ing in only for a few hundred bales al
most and then certain to realize a small
proft, if fortunate enough TO have Ghe
chance. AS for myself, l had particu-
Iarly good reasons for feeling quite con-
fdent that Periwig could not have made
his money in cotton, for at the time of
che market change above alluded to, l
knew that his opinion was on the wrong
side
some imagined that he had drawn the
capital prize in a lottery, for he was well
known to invest in lottery tickets occa-
sionally. But this would not do, for he
only bought the smallest fractional
part of ticket, while his
striking the entire capital prize
in any availa bic concern would not have
resulted in a fortune, which rumor gen.
orally put at somewhere near a million.
There were those who suggested an in
heritance from some wealthy relative, but
nobody had ever known of Perintg's hav-
ing anything of the kind
In short speculation was completely
hadled, and people attended Mrs. Peri
wigs entertainments without the added
qualification of knowing the source of
the means which provided them
I had always been intimate with Peri
wig, so one afternoon when we met on
the street, we naturally stopped to ex-
change greetings
why, old man." he exclaimed as we
shook hands, Il havn't seen you in an
age! And since we are so lucky as to
meet, lets go and have a small bottle in
remembrance of Old times. It's too late
for you TO DO anything again this afler-
noon"
I accepted. and a few minutes later we
were seated in a cafe, slipping the foam
ing wine
Lets see." said Periwig refectively
ITS Just about year since we were here
together. isn't it?"
Yes. just about, think"
Then we were drinking beer. There
have been a good many changes since
then"
Yes" answered, "and I congratulate
you most heartily on the same"
Thanks" said Periwig. Then after a
pause he added, Your congratulations
come in all right, for it was largely ow-
ing to you that I made my strike"
TO me!' l exclaimed. What are you
talking about?"
- mean just what say. You had more
TO do with it than anyone else"
Then | declare, Perwig, you ought to
tell me how l did it, for l would like to
do something of the kind for my own
account"
We'll, I don't know whether my telling
YOU would help you very much" rejoined
Perwig with a laugh; for it required me
TO accomplish such feat. However" he
a
nave never told a living soul how it was
DONE know you are no blabber, and I
VIII tell II to you, If you care to hear the
story, while we have another bottle"
or course / was eager to hear it, espec-
lal.y since my curiosity had been so much
excited; and inasmuch as I have not
mentioned the year or place, and have
altered names and sundry other minor
details, feel that am violating no con-
Hdence in laying before the public this
Feracious narrative of amazing financial
aCumen
The last time we were here together"
ne began, You will remember we were
discussing the cotton market You remem-
per now blue everything was looking; cot
ton was declining day by day. That day
II mad been very weak, and August had
closed at cents. Everybody was bear
ISM including ourselves. In the course
0N' N41NdoalOu we agreed NQtt tnefe
was nothing in sight to check the decline,
and that August would gel down to
cents before ii stopped. All the boys were
snort and were making money; I recol-
ieet you said you had sold five hundred
Da'es, in which you already had a good
ProHt but which you intended to hold for
something handsome. BY the way, how
oia that trade finally come out?"
4t cost me about a thousand dollars"
answered moumfuIy.
TOO bad; but" he added easily, "You
chat.
Wen. as 1 was saying, everybody was
sH0Il OF the market and making money,
pr myself; ! didn't have bale. and
e1e longer we talked. the more l thought
wa. fool ! was. There / was, a fellow
nearly always in the market. and now,
N"eh such a splendid chance offered, l
vs. out! | fe.t that If / neglected such
TJPpor tunities, ] did moi deserve success.
leSoiVed that 1 would go in at once;
'' mat / would be bold and go in more
'+Fly than usual, so as to realize some
Nlhs worth while
'n my way to my office after we had
''raied, ] decided on what l would do.
'@u some $1,000 In the hands OF my New
9N mouse, and II was all I had too, but
Included 1t would do for a start. ! de-
Ngn TO make a bold dash; 1 would sell
.Aousand bales at the opening next
ulhg' and follow the market down by
- sus another thousand at each decline
% I'VE points,"
J WHEELED