The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-25
Watkins Little
Investment
BY S. E. kiser.

S3OO. While doing this he became q
student of finance. Every morning
he would read the financial quota
tions. The long lines of initials and
the columns of figures that at frst
, were meaningless soon became as an
open book to him. He could re-
member what G. ]. and T. closed at
week ago last Tuesday, and IL r.,
A and w. went up point he knew
just how much more 1t would have to
advance before reaching the mark
which some wise men had set for It,
Now this man, whose name, by
the way, was Watkins had a sort Of
a head for figures, and one evening
after he had been thinking for
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
1t at 15 and sold 1t at 80. That
would increase my working capital
! to 5000. Then on the next slump
could invest my $500 and sell out
for $1,000.
1t was a simple proposition. All
| he had to do was TO be a little pa
tient. After the third turnover he
would have $2.400; the fourth
would see him s4.S00 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
| ta IL, ha
to ask Miriam II she would be his
wife.
He kissed her a few times and
| told her candidly what WAS going to
happen.
Archibald" she whispered. 81
don't care for all these terrible
riches. Wealth is an awful respon-
sibility. Let's keep your $500 and
furnish nice fiat with It."
But he convinced her before he
left that II would be almost criminal
II he neglected to take advantage Of
the opportunity which was opening
before him and he continued to
watch the financial page.
On the 18th OF July r., L.. and B.
common was quoted at H. Then
A. Watson transferred $500 OF his
money from the savings department
Of the bank and opened up a check
ing account against 1t. At the same
| time he gave certain broker an
open order to buy twenty shares Of
F., l.. and B. common at 10. A
week later he had dizzy spell when
he saw the stock quoted at the figure
he had named. Later in the day he
was informed by Bloodgood. Ketch-
um & Co., that they had bought for
his account twenty shares Of F., l..
! and B. common.
A week later F.. l.. and B. COM
mon was quoted at IL, and there
| were rumors OF a reorganization
which might result in the wiping
out Of the common stock altogether.
Archibald Watkins began to have
sinking spells, and he fell into the
habit of breaking engage ments 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 off from day to day, hop
ing there might be a reaction. By
the middle of August the stock was
quoted at ", and the young man
who had figured out profits of about
| $8,000,000 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 lad taken my advice and kept
the money to furnish the fiat"
That made him angry. 1t was the
kind of talk he had always heard
from his mother when she was alive.
1t had always been. Archibald. II
! you had only listened to mel"
So he rushed away from Miriam,
bitterly saying:
when I get $40 share for my
stock I'll come back"
On the following day 1t went
down with a sickening 'plop" to
8A, at which figure Archibald Wat
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 25. When 1t touched
80 again A. Watkins sat and studied
the figures long and earnestly. Also
he reread a note which he had re-
ceived that morning from Miriam
Ives.
Dearest Archibald (she 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. l am so anx-
ious to tell you how much l admire
you for your courage and for your