Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-26
WATERBURY DEMOCRAT MoNDAY FEBRUARY 26 1906
10S to 103 in week. But Percival's enthusiasm suffered little abatement


 1os to 10s in week But Percival's enthusiasm suffered little abatement from th i.
 You ! he reminded Uncle Peter, Tit isn't fly what I expected, but it's right l. line with it, so it doesn't alarm me. knew those fellows inside were bound to hammer 1t down if they could. It wouldn't phase me bit if 1t sagged to 95."
 My! My!" Uncle Peter exclaimed, with warm approval, "the way you master this business certainly does win me. tell you, it's a mighty good thing we got your brains to depend on. I'm all right the other side of Council Bluffs, but I'm a tenderfoot here, sure, where everybody's tryin' to get the best of you. You see, out there everybody tries to make the best of it. told that to one of them smarties last night. But you'll pull them in their place all right. You know both ends of the game and the middle. We ] certainly got right to be proud of you, son. Danl J. liked big proposi- tions himself-but, well, I'd just like I to have him see the nerve you've showed, that's all"
 Uncle Peters professions of confi- dence were unfailing, and Percival took new hope and faith in his judg- ment from them daily.
 Nevertheless, as the weeks passed, and the mysterious insiders succeeded in their design of keeping the stock from rising, he came to feel touch of anxiety. More, indeed, than he was able to communicate to Uncle Peter, !! without confessing outright that he had lost faith in himself. That he was unable to do, even if it were true, which he doubted. The Zines fortune was now hanging, as to all but some of the western properties, on the turn- ing of the three stocks. Yet the old mans confidence in the young mans acumep was invulnerable. No shaft that Percival was able to fashion had point enough to pierce 1t. And he was 10th to batter it down, for he still had the gamblers faith in his luck
 You got your fathers head in busi- ness matters" was Uncle Peters in- variable response to any suggestion of failure. T know that much-spite of what all these gossips say-and that's all 1 want to know. And of course you can't ever be no Shepler less you take your share of chances. Only don't ask my advice. You're master of the game, and we're all layin' right smack down on your genius fur, it."
 Whereupon the young man, with confidence in himself newly inflated, would hurry of to the stock tickers. He had ceased to buy the stocks out right, and for several weeks had bought only on margins.
 "There was one rule in poker your pa had" said Uncle Peter. If hand is worth calling on, it's worth raising on. He jest never would call. If he didn't think a hand was worth raising, he'd bunch it in with the discards, and wait fur another deal. I don't know much about the game, but he said 1t was a sound rule, and if 1t is sound in poker. why it's got to be sound in this game. That's all can tell you. You know what you hold, and if 'tain't a hand to lay down, 1t must be hand to raise on. Of course, if you'd been brash and ignorant in your first cal. culations-if you'd made a fool of yourself at the start-but shucks! you're the son of Daniel J. Zines, ain't you?"
 The rule and the clever provocation had their effect.
 "I'll raise as long as have a chip left, Uncle Peter. Why, only to-day had tip that came straight from snepler, though he never dreamed 1t would reach me. That Pacific Cable bill is going to be rushed through at this session O. congress, sure, and that means enough increased demand to send Consolidated back where 1t was. And then. when 1t comes out that they've got those Rio Tinto mines by the throat, we'll, this anvil chorus will have to stop, and those Federal Oil sharks and Shepler will be wondering how I had the face to stay in."
 The published rumors regarding Con- solidated began to conflict very sharp ly. Percival heard them all hungrily, disregarding those that did not con- firm his own opinions. He called them irresponsible newspaper gossip, or be- lieved them to be inspired by the clique for its own ends.
 He studied the history of copper until he knew all its ups and downs since the great electrical development began in 1887. When Fouts, the bro ker he traded most heavily with, sug- gested that the Consolidated company was skating on thin ice, that 1t m ght indeed. be going through the same ex- perience that shattered the famous Secretan corner a dozen years before. Percival pointed out unerringly the vital differences in the circumstances. The Consolidated had reduced the pro- duction of its controlled mines, and th. nrfca uas hound ta he rn.int,Insd