The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-05-19

THE RIV,
inch of the long quadrangle of the
wheat pit. The din as the tangled
chorus rose up from the mob struggling
for foothold echoed far down Lasalle
street.
To the packed galleries of spectators
the scene was like an immense grid.
iron where a hundred football teams
were simultaneously trying to 'buck
the center" Hour after hour the pan.
demonium increased.
"Give Is for corn!" A below could
be heard above the uproar, but no an.
swering voice or raised hand came in
answer, only more din.
"Give 70 for 100000 bushels" The
hoarse cry only fed the fame Of frenzy.
and successive bids Of 70 and so seem.
ed but to increase the fury of every
broker on the floor in the d~espairinp
effort to buy.
As the price gradually assembled 1t
seemed that nowhere in the whole
country was there a single bushel of
corn for sale. Finally, toward the
closing hour, as the anxiety Of the
Shorts" grew greater, a disheveled
broker raised himself up out of the
fighting mob and, waving a clinched
fist, yelled, "Eighty-one" There was
stiffness for the n instant it took the
clamoring seekers Of grain to realize
what that meant. Then in greater
volume ascended the roar as from n
end Of the room to the other came the
chorus, "Eighty-one, eighty-one, eighty.
oner'
But it beat futilely against the high
gray walls.
The market in corn was "cornered."
Outside In the rotunda q heavy set,
twinkling eyed man sat in a chair, tilt.
ed back against a column beside the
fruit stand Of apple Mary" calmly
and joyously sucking an orange. Gu.
rious ones from the galleries filtered
down to gaze at him from a distance,
while excited brokers rushed out to
tell him Of the soaring prices.
It was the new king Of the pit"
Outwardly James A. Patten was the
least interested man in all Chicago in
what was Transporting on the board of
trade.
"It's gone to 81, Jimr' cried a trader, |
while a crowd Of friends surrounded
the great bull"
A Patten Story.
whats gone to 81? Oh, corn. Why,
I wasn't thinking of corn at all. I was
laughing at something that happened
out at my church. I'm president of
the mems club, you know, and also
pass the collection plate.
"A ford and pompous little fellow
was sitting in one of the seats, and he
had a dollar in his hand. He looked
up and saw me with the plate. Like
lightning he swished the dollar back
into his pocket and drew out a nickel.
"'What's the use in giving it to you,
Jim Patten?' l heard him say, soto
voce. It'll all 60 for chewing gum or
corn"
While Armour was the heaviest
loser in that corn corner probably to
the extent of $2,OOO,OOO, j. Brandt
Walker, the quandom Napoleon of
Wall street." was also caught in the
squeeze, it is estimated, to close on a
million. Walker won 100000 in
New York during the stock panic and
returned to his home in Chicago to in
crease his fortune with a fier on the
board of trade. He was with Armour
when the packer smashed Patten a
year before and followed in his wake
in the later deal.
In the early days Of the campaign he
sent Patten tantalizing notes, such as:
Dear JIM am selling you corn at "a
and am going to buy 1t back at 40. It's
peaches and cream Tor me. Keep it up. /
Yours, WALKER.
Dear Jim-This corn proposition is about
the softest thing I ever struck. I am
away to the good already. Yours.
J. B. ".
Dear Jim-Tve got you on corn. You
are soft. WALKER. |
But Patten eventually "stood him
on his head" and shook some of his
Wall street winnings out of his pock-
cts.
Saving a Victim.
"AAAC ACAC1AIACSS Will IA6 UlE Lei. |
lows who are relentless with him,
many a small trader has been rescued
from disaster through Jim Patterns
generosity. During the boisterous
close of the great corn squeeze, as Pat
ten sat out in the rotunda, an ashen
faced man with perspiration stream
ing down his face staggered out Of the
pit.
GOD, Jim," he gasped, I'm done
for! Every cent gone! They closed
me out at 80. The folks
"Why, man." said Patten, what
right have you to be in the grain pit?
You're too small a dealer to be in a
place like this. Say, how much have
you lostY'
SIN in $25,O0O. Everything gone in
a moment"
"Well, go home and rest up. Come
around In the morning, and I'll take
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