The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-05-08

| In the lQed Oh IN OTIneTn dcIllC touching
the THOUSAND mark. Jack said it was
rising, why should it not keep on until
it reached the desired figure? But her
hopefulness vanished at Jacks look
of dismay, when she told him what her
father had said.
Rises to thousand!" Jack ex-
claimed in dismay. "Why he might
have just as well said million. North
ern Pacific is strong stock and ought
to go higher. But no railroad stock
in the world ever touched thousand"
| But Bessie had been thinking hard.
| 81 don't think it is so much your
working for the railroad" she suggest
ed, "as it is your owning the stock that
my father objects to. You seei it makes
him feel as if you were part of the
railroad company, and you know how
he hates it. Perhaps it would be bet
ter if you sold your stock
but if it goes up, then it will be
! just so much loss to sell out now"
objected Jack.
Bessie's brown eyes were cast
down. She seemed greatly interested
in something on the ground, al
though to all appearances the ground
looked as usual.
Aren't there some things worth
more than that Northern Pacific?"
she murmured
And Jack Hamlin very promptly
agreed there were.
I'll send it to broker I know in
New York." said he. Then he can
sell out the stock whenever a good
chance comes up. Perhaps your
father won't be so against me after
that"
The stock certificates were duly
sent to the New York broker. But
Jack Hamlin was feeling pretty blue.
He didn't mind loss on the stock,
but he had little hope Bessie's father
VIC aid relent from the terms offered.
And as for Northern Pacific reaching
thousand, that seemed absurd.
But all unknown to Jack, unknown
in fact, to many of the shrewdest
brokers in the United States, two of
the greatest financial combinations
in the world were preparing for bat
tie, aid the prize was the control of
the Northern Pacific railroad. Tens
of millions were being poured out in
Wall street like water. Every avail
able share of the stock was being
purchased as quickly as possible. And
still from the heads of the two OPP
posing syndicates came the orders:
BUY, buy, and keep on buying"
Two days after he had sent his
stock to New York Jack Hamlin was
called to the city on railroad bust
ness. While there he thought he
would drop iuto brokers' office and
watch the quotations on Northern
Pacific. He found the brokers' office
crowded with an excited, pushing
crowd of men eagerly watching the
quotations as they were placed on
the board, or else in their impatience
standing over the stock ticker so as
to get them without a seconds de-
lay.
whats the excitement?" queried
Jack.
They say corner has been
sprung in Northern Pacific" was the
reply, ''and no one can tell what fig
ure it may touch"
Jack pushed his way through the
crowd to where the ticker was tick
lacking out the figures which meant
wealth or ruin to thousands all over
the country. The man had told the
truth. Northern Pacific had been
cornered; the greatest corner in the
tumultuous history of Wall street.
Steel, copper, all the industrials and
other railroad stocks were dropping
at a rate which swept out the largest
margins. But N. P. was going up,
up, up.
IN. P. 200, 225, $780," called out the
boy who was taking the quotations
at the ticker. 1900 bid, 400, 6OO.'
Then came little delay. IN. P. ris-
ing; 700 quoted, $50, 800 shares sold
at 500, 200 at 900, $50 at 1,OOO.'
The brokers' office was buzzing
with excitement. Some men were
pale, the corner spelled ruin to
them; others were radiant, they had
made fortunes. But Jack paid no
heed to them. He was thinking of
Bessie Wilkins and the words of her
father:
'When Northern Pacific sells at a
thousand you can marry Jack Ham
lin with my consent
And Northern Pacific had sold at
thousand.
Old Andrew Wilkins had his faults.
but he was man of his word. He
was dazed when Jack told the story
of the terrible corner, but if Jack
wanted Bessie and Bessie wanted
Jack all that remained for him to do
was to give his blessing. Just then a
messenger boy handed Jack a tele-
gram. 1t was from the broker in
New York and read:
''Sold your stock for 600. Have sent
check"
$50 the corner was worth nearly
thirty thousand to you," said old
Andrew. "Well, the railroad isn't
such a bad thing after all. I guess
| had better try and forget about
those freight rates.
ssTNba onrpar xyoc worth a GOOD 49,