Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18
THE WIRE TAPPERS
BY ARTHUR STRINGER,
Auhor of "Ths Silver Poppy" ~The Loom OF Destiny"
BY ARTHUR STRINGER

deep, bass, bull-like chest-notes of one
trader rising loud above all the others, an
swered from time to time by the clear, high,
penetratingly insistent and challenging So
prano of another.
Curry once more had cotton on the up
ward move! 1t was rumored that the gin
ners' report was to be sensational one.
Dispa tches from southern points had shown
advancing prices for spot cotton. A weak
point had been found in the government
report. All unpicked cotton on the flooding
Black Warrior bottoms would neYer reach
a GIN The mills, 1t had been whispered
about, were still buying freely. eagerly; yet
already purchasers were having more diff
Guilty in getting the commodity than when,
weeks before, it had stood two hundred
points lower. And still the of faces
fought and howled and seethed, but still
the price of cotton went up
Durkin searched more carefully through
that writing mass of frenzied spectators
for glimpse of Curry himself
He caught sight of him. at last, standing
cool and collected and rosy-faced, "a few
PAGES in front of the New Orleans black
board at the edge of the little sea OF
frantic men that fought and surged and bat
tied at his side. Spot cotton had already
scared to 1855. The wires were reporting II
al eighteen cents in New Orleans Hurry
orders from Liverpool were increasing the
tension.
Durkin took a second and closer look al
the great bull leader. He made note of the
large emerald flashing in his purple cravat
of the gaily dotted white waistcoat, in the
armholes of which were jauntly caught the
careless thumbs, Of the black derby hat
tilted a trifle down over the careless, rosy
face. This was the man who was SO Law
ishly giving away houses and jewels and
automobiles. This was the man whom
men and women in all walks Of life, In
every state and territory of the Union, were
pinning their faith for established 20-cent
cotton and the balm of affiuence that II
would bring them! This was the man al
whose whisper a hundred thousand spin.
dies had ceased to revolve, and at whose
nod, in cotton towns half world away, q
thousand families either labored or were
idle, had food or went hungry.
A momentary lull came in the storm. 6
only sheer caprice but in sixty seconds
the overstrained price had fallen away
again twenty points. Curry, stroking his
small mustache. stepped in closer to the
circular brass railing of the pit, and said &
quiet word or two to his head-broker. Hi:
rosy face was eXpressionless and he pulled
lanSuidly at his little mustache once more
But his motion had started the upward
tendency again. Both May and July cOttor
bounded up. point by point, capriciously, un
reasonably. ineXorably. as though at the
waiting of a magicians wand.
When the excitement seemed at it's high
est, when the shrill-noted chorus of seller:
and buyers was shrieking its louiest, Sam
uel Curry went out to eat his luncheon
This was at once noticed and commented
on-for dozens of eyes, both eager and bag
gard. watched the leaders every move ant
expression.
The change that swept over the pit wa: