The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-06
1HE EVENING sT0R z


The season had been unprecedented |
~ dry; for weeks sinister forebodings
Of crop failures had filed the air
In the great southwest the hInftless
wheat fields were shriveling in the
pttfless sun, the parched earth had pc |
come pulverized and was whirIea IN !
Streams were dried up, cattle were !
driven miles to water. The silence OF /
an awful desolation brooded over the /
land. Even the insect. voices were
hushed
on change the price Of wheat had
been advancing; very slowly and un-
certainly at first, but later, as the
bull" feeling became pronounced, the I
advance was rapid, with the market
booming.
The corridors of the board we're
thronged with countrymen buying
wheat Brokers Offices were crowded
with outsiders. all buying. The tele-
graph wires were loaded with mes
sages of disaster, farmers discouraged,
fields plowed up. Bulls were Jup1iant'
bears respondent.
& Co, smoking the pipe OF peace. q
persistent bull during three years OF
declining markets, he had been
steady loser parting with one properly
after another to meet his losses, until
finally he mortgaged his last asset
the superb contents Of his house-Ior
10000, with which money he bought
1000, 600 bushels OF July wheat AS
the price advanced he bought more and
more. His paper profits at the mo-
ment were 100000.
He reflected upon this with intense
satisfaction as he leaned back IN ms
chair. After three years of fruitiess
struggles fortune at last seemed pro-
pitious.
Three years of loss! Three years. Of
disappointment and despair. Yet,
through it all, he had paid his losses
so promptly and SO blitheiy that the
impression was created that he pos
! sessed unlimited wealth.
He, and he alone, knew his last col
lar was ventured on plunge IN the
1 wheat pit.
The anguish of those three years no
/ body suspected. The sleepless nights,
the harassing days, the u1iscaiculat tons.
/ the false reports, the deliberate decep-
/ tions, the phantom profits which van
ished at a touch, the frequency OF the
unexpected, the purchases which Shou4d
have been sales, the sales which should
I have been purchases.
But" he reflected, these things are
all past; they are ancient history. Sue
cess is mine at last!
Whats the market now-s3? I've
/ ordered all my wheat sold at 81. which
viii give me 1920, 900 net prOht!
He closed his eyes and INDUCED IN a
delicious reverie. Two hundred ana
twenty thousand dollarsi What delight
full possibilities it presented! No more
debts, no more sleepless nights, ne more
financial anxieties. He would build
monument to his dead wife, he would
take his daughter on trip around. the
world.
He opened his eyes and looked at the
blackboard. Wheat was 931z. Only half
a cent more, and the money would be
his. He closed his eyes again.
The day was hot and drowsy. There
was a subdued murmur of conversation.
| Yawning customers. looked listlessly at
| the board A stray bee droned through
/ the office. The ticker clicked, slowly
and at intervals.
Suddenly through the open doors and
windows from the floor of the exchange
came a deep, ominous roar of multitud-
nous voices louder and louder. slhe
experienced traders sprang to their feet.
The ticker clicked furiously- The mark
er called in a startled voice, September
| wheat is 81 cents"
A whirlwind change swept over the
office. Orders were shouted, messen-
gers ran to and fro, men with pallid
faces and staring eyes rushed in and
out. shouting loudly, Historically. Some
body screamed, There's rain in KAN
sas!''
The roar from the pit became deafen-
ing, menacing, terrible. Men gazed
helplessly at the quotations. One or
two collapsed. Still the roar increased.
Suddenly it ceased. There was mo-
ment of sickening. sinister, awful
silence. Then the roar recommended,
I deeper more terrible than before A
breathless broker announced the failure
of two of the largest houses.
At 80 cents there was a pause in the
decline. The bulls felt relieved. THE
break is over" they said.
The next quotation was 901s cents;
then came 90%. They grew jubilant.
Wheat will go up again." they said.
"higher than ever Buy me 25.000!"
Buy me 50,000!'' Buy me 100000
The orders were rushed to the pit.
The excited bulls hung over the ticker.
Click-cliek-cliek 81, 911s 9l1z, sl1a
'Ah!" they cried, I'VE thought the mar
ket would rally" And they turned
away with signs of satisfaction.
Click-click The marker shouted,
Wheat is 90 cents: nothing betweeni'
There was the silence Of consterna-
toin then wild yells from every direc-
ton "Sell my wheat at 90!' Sell my
wheat at SER Sell my wheat at the
MARKET ..selIl sell!''
Above all and louder than all. was
the booming, resonant. awful roar of
the pit; the bottonless pit, that great
seethfng caldron. insatiate. remorseless.
It was sucking in nyriads of fond
hopes. substantial fortunes and, sadder
than all the pitiful little savings Of the
venturesome, intelligent poor. Small
sums accumulated slowly by pathetic
economies and pinching self-deniais,
little boards. built up patiently, and
then with fond anticipations and many
prayers intrusted TO the hazard of
doubtful fortune.
Clayton rose from his chair and walk
ed unsteadiIy to the door. Passing the
blackboard, he noticed that wheat was
50. The quotation meant absolute and
irretrievable ruin.
His broker, passing hurriedly by,
stopped long enough to say: Jack
send us a couple of hundred thousand
in the morning.
Clayton smiled to himself. A couple
of hundred thousand His bank account
was absolutely exhausted. He had ex-
actly % cents in his pocket. His house
hold belongings were mortgageds to the
last penny. He looked up and dokEn the