Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-11-07
Watkins Little
Investment
BY S. E. KIssr.
Investment
~ $. Z kIssr.


BY practicing self-denial for sew
eral years he managed to save up
$500. While doing this he became a
student OF finance. Every morning
be would read the financial quota
lions The long lines of initials and
the columns OF figures that at first
were meaningless soon became as an
open book TO him He could re-
member what c. j. and r. closed at
a week ago last Tuesday. and IL r.,
A and w went up point he knew
Just how much more Il would have to
advance before reaching the mark
which some wise men had set for IT,
Now. this man. swhose name. by
the way, was Watkins. had sort OF
q head for figures. and one evening
after he had been thinking for q
long time about Miriam Ives a neat
figure she was he did some figur-
Ing on f., l.. and b. common
"Supposing, he said to himself.
"that ! bought about $500 worth of
Il at Is and sold II at 80 That
would increase my working capital
to 5000. Then on the next slump |
could invest my 5000 and sell out
for $1,000.
II was a simple proposition. All
he had to do was TO be little pa
tlent. After the third turnover he
would have $4,000; the fourth
would see him $4,000 to the good.
Before he got up to the fifteenth
year of his career as a buyer and
seller OF f., l.. and b. common his
head began to be dizzy, and. putting
hts pencil in his pocket. he went out
to ask Miriam II she would be his
wife.
He kissed her few times and
told her candidly what was going -
happen.
Archibald" she whispered, =
don't care for all these terrible
riches. Wealth is an awful respon-
sibility Let's keep your $500 ana
furnish a nice fiat with II. +"
But he convinced her before hi
left that It would be almost criminal
If he neglected TO take advantage %
the opportunity which was opening
before him and he continued to
watch the financial page.
on the 18th OF July F., l.. aud 3
common was quoted at II. Thea
A. Watson transferred $500 OF his
money from the savings department.
OF the bank and opened up check
Ing account against It, At the sans
time he gave certain broker an
open order to buy twenty shares o.
h.. L. and b. common at 10. A
week later he had dizzy spell when
he saw the stock quoted at the figaro
he had named Later In the day he
was informed by Bloodgood, Ketch.
um & Co, that they had bought FOL
his account twenty shares OF f., Il
and b. common
A week later f.. l.. and b. com
mon was quoted at IL. and there
were rumors of a reofgs nization
which might result In the HipiIg
out OF the common stock altogether
Archibald Watkins began to have
sinking spells. and he fell into the
habit of breaking engagements with
Miriam. Two or three times he de.
cided to sell out and save what he
could of his hard-earned money. but
he put 1t of from day to day, hop
ing there might be reaction. By
the middle of August the stock was
quoted at " and the young man
who had figured out profits of about
$4,000, 600 for himself In fifteen
years was convinced that the broker
who had referred to F., l.. and b
common as "a nice old lady had
been mistaken.
He quarreled with Miriam because
she thought he was foolish for not
saving what little he could from the
wreck
Think how much more sensible
1t would have BEEN" she answered,
"if you had taken my advice and kept
the money to furnish the fiat.
That made him angry. 1t was the
kind of talk he had always herd
from his mother when she was alive.
1t had always been, Archibald, II
you had only listened to met"
So he rushed away from Miriam,
bitterly saying:
When / get $50 a share for my
stock I'll come back"
On the following day 1t went
down with a sickening 'plop" TO
81, at which figure Archibald Vat
kins sold out Deducting the com
missions there was left for him about
$40 out of the $500 which he had
paid as his tuition fee.
The next morning he noticed that
the reaction had begun. and in -four
weeks F.. L. and b. common was
selling round rs. When it touched
80 again A. Watkins sat and studied
the figures long and earnestly Also
he reread note which he had re.
ceived that morning from Miriam
Ives.
Dearest Archibald fshe wrote), ]
see now that you really did know
what you were talking about. For
give me for the doubts / expressed
concerning your wisdom. Be sure
to come this evening. / am SO anx-
ious to tell you how much admire
you for your courage and for your
shrewdness. / have just heard OF
the dearest fiat. And ! am dying to
congratulate you on your or may /
Haa4