Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-22
FORTUNE IN A PIE.
Mrs. kane's Toothsome Delicacy
Prepared for brokers', Brought
Her So, 900.

Her $4,000.
A check was drawn in Wall
street recently for sum that
represents small fortune, and it
was in payment for two pics But had
the turn Of Il coin been different the
check would have been drawn for about
100000. the profits resulting from a deal
in Northern Pacific securities.
The pie was eaten last May, but the
memory of ii Ttill fingers to make the
mouths Of the eaters water. During the
days when the New York market seemed
to have gone crazy ]. +. Harris Office
was occupied every afternoon by Il num-
Der OF gentlemen from the West, whose
interests were common. Employed there
was J. Il. Kane, a telegraph operator.
When the excitement was at its
height Kane was told to take
his luncheon at the Waldorf
Astoria and have it charged to his en-
ployer, who was DESTROYS that he be out
of the Office as short Il time as possible.
Mr.. Kane found the food provided by
oscar" a triflc too rich for his digestion
and arranged to have a luncheon sent
from his home. 1t happened one day
just at noon when there was a lull in
speculation the operator had just pre-
pared TO bite into a thick piece of lemon
pie, when the office manager, Il. M. Rog-
ers, now general passenger and freight
agent OF the Cincinnati, Richmond x
Muncie railroad entered the room. He
was hungry and the pie attracted his
attention. Hints that were not TO be
misunderstood were made and the pie
was divided into halves.
Best pie | ever ate" said Mr.. Rog-
crs, with his mouth full. "Where'd you
get it?'
wife made it, responded Kane, with
his mouth equally full.
Then Rogers was struck by an inspira-
ton. DO You think that your wife
would make a pie like that for me to-
morrow ii | would send tia Corter up
for it, he ventured.
Sure she would," replied Kane.
And so ii was arranged. The next day
there was spread a luncheon table in the
Office. with n gorgeous lemon pie as the
centerpicce, and gathered around it were
John w Gates. j. +. Harris. George II.
Randolph, now connected with the Balti-
more Il Ohio; l.. n. IIueston, a Chica-
go capitalist, and Il. Il. Shouts, president
of the Indiana. Iowa Il Illinois railroad.
Just like mother used TO make" said
Mr.. Gates, who was the first to speak.
1T carries me back to the days OF
stomach ache" responded Mr.. Harris
Mr.. Harris has never admitted having
dyspepsia.
We must do something TO immortalizc
this pie and the maker" was the COM
ment of Mr. Shouts.
Then the four gentlemen instructed
MIR. Rogers 10 buy 100 shares of North
eHT fEftatic stuck. for which they stood
responsible, and turn the profits over to
Mrs. Kane. 1t was done, the stock be-
ing purchased in the name of A. G.. Py-
macher, which is easily translated into
A Good Pie-maker. The securities were
bought at 1874 and the very next day
the sensational advance in Northern Pa.
cific began.
BY leaps and bounds the price of
.'Nipper' went up. From 1884, it rose to
40. and the next day was selling around
I35. Mr.. Kane was perceptibly nerv-
GUS. He did not like to suggest selling
out, but the profits on two pies seemed
to him to be something remarkable
Then Mr.. Rogers pointedly called his at
tention to the fact that Northern Pacific
might have tumble.
We'll" said the fortunate husband of
the maker of pies, Il will toss quarter
Heaus we sell, tails we hold on"
1t came heads and the stock was sold
That night there was almost a panic in
Northern Pacific, and the stock brought
any price that holders demanded. The
next day sales were made Mt $1,000 a
share Had the huudred-share lot been
held for the top figure, there would have
been a profit for "A. &. pymachcr" of
$SS, 675, less the brokers' commission.
As it was. the advance was sufficient to
make Mrs. Kane start when the check
was placed in her hands.
Mrs. J. II. Kane. wife of the Wall
street telegrapher. whose lemon pie won
the hearts of John w. Gates and other
operators and inspired them to make q
deal in her behalf which yielded $1,000
described in the New York Journal her
feelings when her husband handed hor
the $1,000 check. 1t will be remembered
that when the stock was trembling in the
balance and was liable To suddenly rise
or fall the husband tossed penny tC
decide whether the deal in which his wife
was interested should be held or CLOSED
out. The penny decided that the stock
should he sold and il was. Afterwards
the securities bounded upward. much tC
his sorrow.
Mrs. Kane says;
II thought it was all a joke. l knew
of course. that my pies were just like
mother used to make them. but even SO
| couldn't realize that any pie should
ever be able to bring so enormous re-
turn.
"To what do ascrihe the secret of my
success in piemaking? To freezing the
crust No matter how well made a pie
may ut Ill ptHtE ItSIGtRS. ~ VIII HtNti
be worth $4,000 if the crust has not beer
put on ice to freeze over night This pro
cess gives the crust its deliciously brittle
crusty consistency.
"My mother taught me how 10 make
pies. In fact. she taught me cookery IL
all it's branches, according to the ola
fashioned way; and this, to my husbands
taste and mine. still remains the best
way. after all. My husband is especially
fond OF my pies and my Roman punch
"Am | sorry my husband tossed tn,
penny? Well OF course, would mucl
rather have had the pie bring us $SS00i
than $1,000 Ii would be gross ingrati
tude for me to say that l feel chagrine,
that il didn't turn SO.
81 am too profoundly grateful for wha
we did get to yield to any other feeling.
No Alternative.
For a moment the father regarded the