River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-06-08

head for figures, and one evening after
he had been thinking for a long time
about Miriam Ives-a neat figure she
was-he did some figuring on F., L. & B.
common
"Supposing," he said to himself, "that
I bought about $500 worth of it at Is
and sold it at 80. That would increase
my working capital to $500. Then OF
the next slump l could invest my $500
end sell out for 81 200"
''It was a simple proposition. All he
had to do was be little patient. After
the third turnover he would have
81 400, the fourth would see him $4,000
to the good On the fifth swing Of the
pendulum he would have $4,000, but he
knocked off the $500 for commissions
and other incidentals, leaving $4,000
even money. His sixth plunge would
make him a winner to the extent of
$4,000, and after that his wealth be-
gan to pile up very fast. He would
emerge from his seventh transaction in
F., L. e B. common with $36,000; an
other go would increase his wealth to
$4,000; in nine years figuring only on
one turning over of his money per an
mum, he would have $144,OOO, and in ten
years he would be worth $288,OOO. He
knocked off $4,000 for general expenses,
making his start on the second ten
years with an even $250,000. Before he
got up to the fifteenth year of his ca
reer as buyer and seller of F., L. & B.
common his head began to be dizzy and,
putting his pencil in his pocket, he went
out to ask Miriam if she would be his
wife.
81 want you to know" he said, when
she had permitted him to press her
cheek against his chest and gather one
of her soft, warm hands in his, ''that my
cove for you is not a selfish love- If it
was I'd have asked you long ago to be
my own and let you share with me the
troubles that would come from trying to
get along on my income. But l have
waited and worshiped you in silence un-
til could see the way clear ahead"
Then he kissed her few times more
and told her candidly what was going
to happen.
Archibald" she whispered, 'T don't
care for all these terrible riches. Wealth
is an awful responsibility. Let's keep
your $500 and furnish a nice little fat
with it.
But he convinced her before he left
that it would be almost criminal if he
neglected to take advantage of the
opportunity which was opening before
him, and he continued to watch the
financial page. 1t was early sum-
mer. F., L. & B. common was steadily
declining along with about everything
else on the list. BY the middle of
June it was at 20, and Archibald Wat
kins would experience a f1uttering sem
sation in the region of the upper left
pocket of his vest every time he took
up his paper in the morning.
On the 18th of July F., L. & B. COM
mon was quoted at II. Then A. Wat.
kins transferred $500 of his money
from the savings department of the
bank and opened up checking ac-
count against it. At the same time
he gave a certain broker an open or
der to buy 20 shares of F., l.. & B.
common at Is. A week later he had a
dizzy spell when he opened his paper
and saw the the stock quoted at the
figure he had named. Later in the
day he was informed by Bloodgood,
Ketchum & Co. that they had bought
for MS account 20 shares OF F., l.. &
B. common.
He nat and thought Of Miriam Ives