Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-24
WALL STREET FREEBOOTERS
Men Who Live by Their Wits in
Americas Money Center.
Lure for Soldiers Of Fortune, schem-
era, Dreamers sad ParnEttes-
How the ssarket fs


Wal street L. the very throne Of the new
worlds wealth
Hither drift the soldiers Of foItune-lured
by tales Of sudden wealth, Of 'shoestrinEs
run into millions. Of prOdlERl favorites Of
fortune casting sold to their courtiers and
sycophAnts. Of rich crumbs scattered from
the tables OF the great. Of priceless knuwl-
edge Of the plans OF mastsrful fnanciers
whispered into the ears Of Tom, Dick and
Harry. Of poor clerks buying motors and
yachts, 81 quick-witted telephons boys TAX
ing trips 70 Europe, Of wealth-Eetting
schemes Of pronotioR and speculation.
The parasites OF the market place. who
neither toll nor spin. live BY preytnE on
the ~credulity. the folly. the vanity, the
bounty. the ~svRrics, the fear Of those who
DO toll and spin. When the country IL
prosperous and pouring it's wealth into
Wall street. the horde Of parasites grows.
but even in years OF depression. when the
market Is in the doldrums. you viii find
the native parasites struggling along on
the crumbs and hoping for the return Of
good times They know no other life. and
away from the roar Of the market place
they are strangers in a strange land.
Down in narrow New street, behind the
mRsEive-columned Stock exchange, gather
the soldiers sf fortune. This is a thorough
fare Of melloEed traditions ana strange
legends OF the past. for here have met for
years Ia the open sir the men Of the mar
keE 70 exchange the news and gossip, the
rusbors and scandals Of the great dollar
game.
An Glasses and Conditions.
Brushing elbows in this skyscpspsr-walled
lane are men whose names are known In
ezrHrV hnwE In Efrruua ana rnHvaH half
uitted beggRrs. blear-syed from drink. Here
you meet rich steelmRksrs from Pittsburg,
~sunbuTned miners from Montana and Arr
zona. Perm and South Africa TammEny
politicians, Albany lawmakers and men,
berE Of congress; black-and-whtte-Eowned
Sisters o. Charity in search OF aims; finRn-
cial journalists looking for news; muck
rakers" digging I'D scandal; promoters
with ''~mlions-in-it' schemes, travellers
from afar with concessions from struggling
governments: ~clsan-cut srnartly-groomed
young brokers. fresh from the colleges
famous quarterbaclk and sprinterE; DOG
sellers and Italian puEhcart vendors: news
boys crying the extras old clothes men.
shOestring men seurrying messengers; put
and call" traders: hatless brokers from the
'floers' rushing across to fFred'E" for q
bite. and s~lk-hRtted banker walking leis-
urely to a luncheon club; OBSCURE tip
sters." gossiping telephone boys. pretty
ste~nographers. handbook" men and plain
clothes men.
Market plungers and big operRturs an
have their courtiers and pensioners. The
shrewd financial soldier Of fortune, who
plays the game to win 4 big stake for him
self. seeks the favor q a powerful sue
cesEful speculator. just as the soldiers Of
fortune Of the s-washbpckler days eourted
the favor Of oenansring war leaders, Per
tunes were won In the middle ages by
wars Of conquest; now they are won in
the stock market
TIPS for LAwmakerH.
One day several years ago a powerful
political lsader al Albany happened into
ths office Of a powerful capitalist. They
had known each other for years.
How can ] make some money in the
mArket?' asked the politician casually.
Buy gas"
Where IL it Eoingg"
Wen, II you buy L00o shares you ought
10 make SSaOOO-but don't tell anybody
said 90"
The politician bought the stock. and he
quietly spread the news that gas was going
up. He couldn't tell who gave him the
tip-but everybody he told knew, for ms
EsEular visits 20 see his friend. the capital
- were more widely known than he
imagined IL wasn't long before the tip
10 U gas was al over Albany, and mem
beers OF the legislature were mortgngi :
their property 10 ger aboard, A hiH hostIF
to the gas compa was brought into the
ASSEMBLY. and IL seemed likely 10 70
through GA stock weakened; the specu-
lating legislators were asked by their brok-
ers 10 pat up more margin. The bin was
killed IN COMMITTEES; gas went Up. snd al
the Albany crowd" sold their stock Al a
big advance.
Tnkin Care Of POlitIeIans.
For years political leaders Of Influence n
New York City affairs have been taken
care OF IN Wall street Hundreds oi
millions OF Stock exchange securities are
based on New York franchises ana IN,
success Of tbs enterprises against wht,s