The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-06-11
demonium increased.

"Give 70 for corni" A below could
be heard above 80 uproar. but no an
swering voice or raised hand came iu
answer only more din.
give 70 for 100000 bushelsr' The
hoarse cry only fed the fame of frenzy
and successive bids of 20 and so seem
ed but to Increase the fury of every
broker on the floor In the despairins
effort to buy.
As the price gradually assembled II
seemed that nowhere In the whole
country was there a single bushel OF
corn for sale. Finally, toward the
closing hour. rs the anxiety OF the
shorts" grew greater, dlsheveled
broker raised himself up out of the
fighting mob and, waving a cllnched
fist, yelled. "Elghty-oner' There was
stiffness for the one instant It took the
clamoring seekers of grain to realize
what that meant. Then in greater
volume assembled the roar as from one
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 a heavy set
twinkling eyed man sat In chair. tilt
ed back against a column beside the
fruit stand of apple Mary" calmly
and Joyously sucking an orange. Gu
rlous ones from the galleries filtered
down to gaze at him from distance
while excited brokers rushed out to
tell him of the soaring prices.
1t was the new liking of the pit"
Outwardly James A. Patten was the
least interested man In all Chicago In
what was Transporting on the board of
trade.
ITS gone to 81, Jimv' cried n trader
while a crowd Of friends surrounded
the great bull"
A Patten Story.
"What's gone to 81? Oh, corn. Why,
wasn't thinking of corn at all. 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 forid and pompous little fellow
was sitting In one of the seats, and he
had 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 nickel.
"What's the use In giving 1t to you,
Jim Pattern heard him say, soto
voce. It'll all go for chewing gum OF
corn"
While Armour was the heaviest
loser in that corn corner, probably to
the extent of 100000, j. Brandt
Walker, the quandom Napoleon Of
Wall street." was also caught In the
squeeze. 1t 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 flier 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 81
and am going to buy 1t back at 40 It's
peaches and cream for me. Keep 1t up
Yours, WALKER.
Dear Jim-This corn proposition is about
the softest thing 1 ever struck. am
away to the good already. Yours,
]. B. w.
Dear, Jim-rve 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 peck
cts.
Saving a Victim.
While relentless with the "big fell
lows" who are relentless with him,
many 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, 'T'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 pitt
You're too small a dealer to be In q
place like this. Say, how much have
you lostw
'Tm in $4,000. Everything gone in
q moment"
"Well, go home and rest up. Come
around in the morning. and I'll take
mp your accounts"
THAT'S funny sort Of man to be
engineering big corn corner" said q
spectator close by. "He doesn't seem
to mind giving 1t back so long as he
has the fun of getting it,
Giving 1t back? Why, they'll tell
you Jim Patten doesn't care rap for
money. That's why he wears a SIS
suits and tells funny stories. Patten
is the sort Of man who likes to have
friends. He doesn't care whether they