The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-04

OF the cotton exchange who has lasted
through all the years IS John II. Nc
Fadden. He Is Jack the Giant Killer.
Frim his name you would suppose he is
irish. The supposiiion isn't far from
being correct. His firm Is known as
George II. ~MeFadden X Co. II is tho
largest dealer in spot cotton. that Is ae-
tnal cotton, in the world. Mr. McFad-
der's offices are IN Philadelphia. New
York and Liverpool. He used to have
two great rivals IN the spot market I'm
Ralt Brothers and 1nman & Co. The
Rails, who were Greeks. retired more
than 70 years ago MeFadden has the
percentage in his favor. lie not only
handled the actual stuff. but he does
not contribute to the "titty." because
he attends to his own brokerage.
Plungers have come and gone. played
their parts and disappeared. made it
lively fer McFadden meanwhile but he
has always been in at the death. He
never jumps in and takes a hand In n
big speculative play until things are
lust ripe for him. He has fought mighty
battles In the hast quarter of a cen
tury or moro with Steenstrand. Ranger.
Runge. Labouisse, Inman. Sully, Scales
and others. lie has seen cotton corner
after cotton corner. He has delivered
the goods-the actual stun that has
broken many cotton corner Every
one of the great campaigns has been
To his profit, although at times he has
had TO bring all HIS forces into action
Many men give more credit to him than
Is his due The main secret of his suc-
cess is that he does not pay tribute to
the kitty" whereas the others do.
WIN there be a new campaign ct
plungers9 Without a doutf. Some of the
old ones are only hihernating Men like
r. r. Smathers and Daniel @. Reid sim
ply are waiting for turn of the tide.
Smathers Is one Of the biggestf fplayers
of what was known as the Waldorf
crowd. lie VIII bet on anything Hs
has been in horse racing and a multi
tude of other speculative affairs He has
extensive oil properties and when ir
comes to betting he will risk as much
money as any one. lie is very shrewd
individual Half dozen times big fell
lows of Wan street went cunning for
him. They never succeeded in doing
nnch damage TO Smathers. He Is only
one Of the few, however who has es-
capped
James Patten is another. lie has tho
unique distinction of having been sue
cessful not only in cornering the grain
market, but I'm cornering the cotton
market More remarkable than either
of these achievements is the fact that
he quit the game with his money.
And what about the plungers of tho
race track? Mike Dwver, who made mill
lions, died poor. "Pittsburg Phil. who
was the most remarkable Judge of race
horses the track has ever known.
ruined his health by the strain under
which he lahored through the years of
his plungng. Riley Grammar who for
from an elevator boy In Louisville got
TO be the possessor of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, and one OF the biggest
bookmakers In America, went broke and
died in Il dance hall i'm Rawhide. And
Davey Johnson one of the most DASH
ing and picturesque figures the gamb-
ling world ever has known. owner OF
the mighty Roseben, keeper of a great
gambling palace, better of fortunes
he died without Il dollar.
The road of the plunger is thorny
tCopyright. 1919. by Richard Spillane)