The Washington herald., 1908-03-22
Won IN WALL STREET
Mr.. WindStP0m Makes $780,
900 Out of Cotton.
HE THEN QUITS THE GAME
Stories of Other PIuBgers Who Made
Money in Stocks-J. l.. LivermOre
Boy Broker Gets Rich on Dollar
wheat-FOrtune In Eight Months.

New York. March H.-Much interest is
taken by stock spectators. brokers, and
others in the meteoric careeer of EImar
Windstrom. who has taken 100000 out of
Wall street within the past few months,
while most persons have been scarcely
able to make their cigar money Wind
strom dealt in cotton. He was from Tex
as. and knew something about the pro-
duction OF that commodity in his native
State. He seemed 20 know when 90 buy
and how, when TO sell and how, and he
captured the half million apparently as
easily as plungers usually do similar
amounts upon stiff bull market;
Perhaps the strangest thing about
Windstrom is that he operated in Wall
street urder an assumed name. Another
strange thing is that after winning his
S50OOOO he turned his cotton into cash. de-
parted 10 his native State as quietly as he
came. and said to friends when he left
that he was thrs dgh with the game for
ever.
This exploit Of windstrom has set the
tongues Of spectators wagging in Wall
street, and many stories are revived OF
other men who have sought 10 follow the
game Of the plunger, sometimes with sue
cess.
Two Youngsters Who Won
Two young men. neither Of whom has
celebrated his thirtieth birthday. have.
within the last year. furnished brilliant
illustration of the perspicacity of youth
The elder of these. J. l. Livermore. is
only twenty-eight. and his accomplish
LIent was the removal in six weeks of
little matter Of 100000 from the Wall
street strong boxes.
Last November saw the conclusion OF
bear campaign conducted so quietly by
Mr.. Livermore that few even of the best
informed men in the financial district We're
aware Of the identity Of the promoter Mr.
Livermore takes more pride in the fact
that his deals were put through silently
than in the fact that they were consum-
mated successfully.
Since the age OF seventeea. when he
was a marker in the office OF Boston
broker. Mr.. Livermore has taken for his
BUSINESS text the injunction TO keep from
the knowledge. OF the left hand the do
irgs OF the right. and il Is to this policy
OF secretiveness. he has said. he owes
TIE major portion OF his fortune
As boy chalking up the prices he &C
quired an intelligent interest in stocks.
and before he had reached a voting age
he was buying and selling in a mild way
in the various bucket ships that invited
his small investments. II was after many
Of these had closed down. owing him
various sums. that LiveTmOre determined
TO leave Boston for the wider opportuni-
ties of Wall street
Seven years ago he came TO this city.
and since then has been operating slowly
but surely, waiting for the big chance. !
This he thought he saw last November
and he backed his judgment in deals that
meant millions as calmly and coolly as he
nad placed his few dollars in the bucke.
shops of Boston. The result justified his /
move. and in little more than a month b.
found himself richer by a sum generally !
credited 20 be in the neighbOrhood of |
SS,oO0Oo0 The exact figure is known only |
10 Mr., Livermore, and he won't tell. l. |
isn't his way.
Messenger Boy a Broker.
Another plunger came into his own last /
summer when the dollar wheat move |
ment came in with an electrifying rush. |
Eddie Bagley the messenger boy |
broker who has been treading the earth
only bare quarter of century. pocket |
ed $l25.0O0 in profits. and seldom has there |
been more popular victory Although |
only twenty-five years old. Baglev has
been a figure around the Chicago board |
OF trade for ten years. When he WIS If
teen be had come 10 the conclusion he /
had had enough OF such schooling as con- |
ventional institutions had 10 offer. and he |
mr.. 20.
from the college of practical experience. !
He started as office boy. and was soon /
marking up the quotations for the firm OF 1
A. o. Slaughter & Co. The year that /
brought him his majority saw him full |
hedged broker, conducting campaigns |
with sagacity that caused the older men, |
bers of the board to sit up and take no. |
tice
Being optimistic in the matter Of the |
rising value Of wheat, the youngster sent
in his accumulations and drew down a /
profit OF $4,000 when the dollar mark |
was reached. This brings his winnings /
up 10 about 250.000. pretty snug sum TO /
arrive at from nothing. and an achieve |
ment TO be remarked in a broker who is /
yet so much OF a boy that last fan ne /
sprinkled japanese pepper on the floor of |
the board room and caused n general /
sneezing exodus of dignified traders.
He Captures S1.O0O.OOO.
Dollar wheat. by the way, was response
bic for the rise in fortune Of a number Of |
sanguine operators. Charles W. Partridge |
part owner of Hillman's Chicago store |
and father of the Princess Engalitcheff |
was determined bull. and sent his
money into the pit with all the confidence /
in the world that it would be returned 1
TO him with substantial interest. When a |