Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-14
BOOK II.
CHAPTER II.
Charlie Visits the Gold Room.


itself in the financial world in the autumn
of 1904 state Of affairs well calculated
to awaken uneasiness. If not apprehension,
in the minds Of the conservative. This I'M
toward menace to prosperity had arisen
gradually and was the outcome Of abnor-
NAL and artificial causes. Nature, prodigal
of her gifts, had done her best to foster
the peace and plenty the nation was en-
joying The fruitful earth had yielded
unusually abundant crops, and wheat sold
for more than 1t had during the war. But
with stores of abundance in sight, the
granaries filled like those of Pharaoh, men
were deliberately conspiring to precip1tate
by natural laws. Under pretext Of empty
ing the granaries and moving the grain to
foreign soil, the clamor for high gold was
heard with suspicious persistency.
Men began to talk about 1t through
habit, until by constant reiteration
that which at first had seemed chimer1cal
now was absolute and indisputable to many
In gold as well as stocks was a natural con-
sequence. People would not work when
they could reach into the thin air and by
some magical process grasp fabulous for
tunes. The clerk deserted his DESK the
Broadway merchant. his store; the Nassau
street journalist, his sanctum; the Fifth
avenue dandy his club-all to wend their
way to the affiuent street. The old legends
Bubble appeared colorless in comparison
with the almost daily happenings In the
gold room or on change.
Buy! buy! buy!'' was the frantic chorus
Every one seemed to have become gam
bier in gold, and behind this feverish unrest
could be felt the influence of an Irresistible
| manipulation, tanning, exciting, stfmulat-
ing the public.
To a young man of Dalton's keen and
comprehensive grasp of an existing situa-
ton, the opportunities offered by this trend
of events could not lightly pass unheeded
For some time he had seen them. AT his
desk during the long summer days they
had danced enticingly before his eyes, but
with a spirit of caution he had continued
to wave them aside. Nevertheless, they
had persisted in assailing him and after
time he found himself involuntarily repair
ing to certain places where members of the
alleged gold clique were to be found.
Among these temerarious spectators the
loud-voiced irrepressible Mr.. Fisk was most
conspicuously in evidence, and carefully,
quietly, the young man began to cultivate
an acquaintance with the partner of Mr..
Gould in the high gold movement He
learned of Mr.. Fisk's daily routine; where
he dined; where he wined; what theaters
or bar rooms he frequented in the evening,
and about SO often Dalton managed to
meet him. The Prince of Peddlers, as
Fisk was sometimes called was approach
able; his egotism invited satellites, and
Dalton, for the sake of the information he
courted, listened to his stories and jokes
of the itinerant days when the doughty Jim
had driven his magnificent cart fOur-in-
hand and doled out his wares to the un-
sophisticated farmers Of New Hampshire.
In the course of this casual intimacy
Charlie did not ascertain a great deal alb
solutely, but he OWNED great deal And
now with the autumn a big advance in the
value of gold seemed as inevitable as fate.
One dull September day Of that note
worthy and memorable year Dalton sat at
his desk, thinking deeply. To what did 1t
al fepd2 A "pOrner' in POldf a
lean undertaking-mightier than wheat,
corn, cotton or any other "corner! But
the forces behind 1.-THE calfber of the men
their obduracy of purpoSe-the far-reach-
ing ramifcatiOns-
Restlessly Charlie arose, walked few
times across the room, then took up his hat
and cane.
Il think I'll go over and watch the boys
lttle,'' he told himself, and acting upon the
resolution, left his office and made his way
to the gold room, adjoining the stock ex-
change. 1t was gloomy apartment with
dngy frescoing, dimly lighted by ten mar
row windows through which the sunshine
entered reluctantly on bright afternoons
and then speedily withdrew as If from an
uncongenial place. Numerous 'catty-cor
ners'' and hooks were fenced off by iron
ratings or thin plank partitions, and into
these recesses the operators were wont to
retire waiting for the phantom fractions.
dull murmur greeted the ears of the new
conner, mingled with the clinking of the
instruments, spinning out the long ribbons
covered with quotations from London,
Paris and Frankfort.
For time Charlie stood near the little
fountain In the center of the room, watch
Ing the electric indicator operated by man
sitting before a keyboard close to the presi-
dents rostrum. A murmur arose from the
gallery as the person at the instrument
played allegretto. and the scale of prices
showed a marked variation in the activity
and the spirit of the throng in the vicinity
of the tinkling water.
Thn
tangible as the gold dealt In. This gam
bling without rhyme or reason, what did 1t
profit man? If one could only control the
trend of prices-that was different; it had
but with gold
Dalton continued to gaze at the indicator
What would IT reveal tomorrow?-the next
day?-the next?
he left the gold room as abruptly as he
had entered. In a reverie he stood near the
curbstone on Broad street, the while around
him sounded the clatter of open-air brokers'
pouring out stream Of bids and offers and
teiegraphlng signals with their uplifted
digits. Sundry nondescripts who had seen
better days fitted by him; ghosts of the
past who haunted the street, always asking
the prices and never buying
Hack, sir?' said an insinuating voice
Charlie looked up; then stepped into the
venice and named restaurant. He was
yet lost In his nominations when the car
rfage stopped at the corner of 14th street
~'N CNH e,'ShuC. IIHltTlDS the 1ar-fameQ
hosiery, he found the lower room filled
with the usual number Of mellow indivfd-
uals, calling for brandy straight at regular
intervals and discussing the merits of Erie,
Hudson or Pfttsburg Elbowing his way
through these perennially thirsty souls.
Charlie paused at a little table at the back
OF the room, gauging his place by the object
he had in view.
Won't you join me- Dalton?"
Mr.. FISK was In his customary seat. and.
at his words. the young man glanced in his
direction, affecting to see him for the first
time.
Thanks" he said, but"
sit down, tell you"-with a wave of
the hand Was just about to order and
the doctor told me never to eat alone.
Its bad for the digestion
I'm that case" said Charlie dropping
willingly into the chair drawn out by the
assiduous waiter, Il have no alternative"
Mr.. Fisk beckoned to the man. Bring
us first nervine,' he ordered. Don't
know what a nervine is, Ell? Well, it's
connection of roots and herbs gathered by
squaws at Baffin's bay when the moon is
full"
The somber-looking servitor's face was
study; he shrugged his shoulders and looked
his dismay.
I'm other words C4H6O2" went on the