Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-02-17
TO SUPPLY WAR NEWS.
News Regarding the War to be Received
by Edwards. Wood and Co.

The manager of the local branch
Office of Edwards, Wood & Co.. brok-
ers, informs Us that the Office here
will give regular bulletins as to the
progress of hostilities in the Orient.
The diss mination of general news is
not new with this firm. They have
made practice of it from the first as
everyone who frequents their Offices is
we'll aware. A great many men make
it point to visit their office for late
| bits of news. This feature combined
with the continuous quotations of the
markets forms an attractive feature of
Edwards, Wood & Co.'S. Office.
Everyone is welcome to visit their
local office during leisure hours, it
is not All exclusive place in any sense
and no one who visits them is under
the slightest obligation to patronize
them.
Here is an interesting story from
the Omaha Commercial:
i
of this paper was calling at the Office
of the leading brokers in this city
when young man walked into one Of
them. The head of the firm asked
him what his errand was.
81 don't wish to take much of your
time" the young man said," but
last night several of US fellows at the
boarding house had an argument in
regard to the buying and selling Of
options in grain and stocks. OF course
nobody has yet found any fault with
ones buying grain aud stocks outright
and holding them for profit But l
felt at the conclusion of the argument
that l had been rather beaten in the
debate on the option question. So /
thought would come in and ask you
to give me briefly your stand regarding
them
"Well," said the broker, with a
smile that is so characteristic of him,
~ can think of no nicer way to come
at the matter than by drawing a
parallel case. A young friend of mine
down in the country knows of a farmer
who is about ready to retire, and will
soil his farm, an elegant place, valued
by it's owner at $500 So that young
man looks for man who wants TO buy
such a place and discovered one. He
then goes to the farmer and pays him
a hundred dollars for the exclusive
right to the disposal of that farm for
period of say, ninety days. He then
turns around and sells the farm to che
buyer he found, for $40, 900. taking as
his share 5000, which means profit
to him of $4,000. He never owned the
land in fact, but he makes a nice
bunch of money for his exercise of
foresight. No one would pretend to
say that he earned that So, 900 in the
ordinary accepted sense of earning by
working But how many of your
frieuds are there who would call him
gambler, or regard him as other
than a clever business manipulation?
There are men by the score IN this
city who are doing just what l have
mentioned, and yet would roll their
eyes in pious horror if a grain option
were proposed to them. Can you see
any difference in the two deals?" Il
eff options in grain were not COM
mercial possibility there isn't one
young fellow in thousand who could
command enough money to buy cash
grain in such quantity that any or
binary rise in price would yield a
profit worth considering. By taking
an option he has the chance of realiz-
ing y nice profit. A young man who
expects to make money by trading in
options must study the markets cal e.
fully before giving orders 20 the
broker, Just the same as he would
study any other business venture"
eyes" added the young fellow,
land what tires me is to read or hear
the remarks of some of these older
business men who never miss an OPP
portunity to warn young men about
the terrible consequences Of trading in
options, when. were the facts known.
nearly every last one of them is trad
ing in the very same options. l sup
pose they buy such large quantities
that it doesn't hurt their conscience
The young man buttoned his top
coat in thoughtful way and left the
office with the remark, 81 rather guess
that argument of yours will leave the
fellows very little to say. I'm much
Obliged to you. Omaha Commercial
Adv.