St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-12-08
A Born
Spectator
By EUNIcE BLAKE

II Jim, said Mrs. Martin, the jig s
up. We have nothing in the house for
dinner, no money to buy anything,
! and our credit has been exhausted.
have begged you again and again TO
get a position, and you have not even
tried to do so. I'm afraid I'll have to
give up trying to live with you"
James Martin looked very lugubrious
United for any kind of drudgery. he
had not found a way Of making a liv-
ing without it. He had been a soldier
and conspicuous for bravery. but it is
notorious that a man especially built
for war is not likely to be fitted for
anything else. When Jim had mar
ried he had just made $4,000 on a real
estate deal which he had put through
on paper-that is, without any cash.
Before he could strike another such bit
of luck his profit was all gone.
'Well, Betsy" he said, you married
man untitled for the ordinary hum
drum of life, and you must take your
medicine. I'll go out and hunt for
something to do. but if 1 find anything
it won't last very long. I'll probably
be discharged within a few weeks"
Not if you attend to business, keep
close mouth and don't try to advise
your employer"
Il won't if l don't see him making
mistakes. in which case I'll probably
throw your advice to the winds"
Jim Martin found a position with a
man named Summers doing a conserv-
alive business on a small capital Jim
had been with him but a month when
he told him how he could make a lot
of money by the investment of a very
little capital.
81 didn't hire you to tell me how 10
run my business said Summers and.
drawing a check for his salary due. dis
charged him.
Jim was walking home cursing him.
self for a fool when he encountered a
red flag at the door of a warehouse.
Having a fellow feeling with red flags,
which usually denote forced sales, he
went in and learned that a stock of
copper was to be sold for a man who
had gone under financially. The bid
ding was just beginning. A man sided
up to Jim and. slipping a ten dollar
bill into his hand, whispered to him to
raise the last bid. Jim did as request
ed and was relieved by hearing the
man who had paid him raise his bid.
But the rise in the bids was very
slow. The great European war had
just broken out, and it occurred to Jim,
who was familiar with a soldiers re-
quirements. that copper entered into
the composition of ammunition and
if the war lasted long enough the stock
of the worlds copper would be used
up. He had no idea of buying this
stock, for he had nothing to buy it
with. but somehow he could not resist
the temptation to go on bidding. But
the excitement of the contest got the
better of him, and he suddenly awoke
to the fact that 100000 worth of cop
per had been knocked down to him.
He had reached the price copper was
selling at in the open market, and no
one had any use for this lot at any
higher figure. The buyer was at once
called upon for 10 per cent of the price
to be paid.
Jim was equal to the occasion. Tax
ing one of his principal competitors by
the sleeve. he said: You wanted this
copper; so did l. don't know why you
wanted it, but l have been a soldier.
and, knowing the necessity for cop
per in the manufacture of ammunition
and considering the amount of ammu-
milton that will be required by the COM
batants, believe copper is going up.
Within few weeks or a few months
this stock will be worth a great deal
more than it is today. If you'll pay
the 10 per cent required to carry it
I'll take you in for 20 per cent Of the
profits"
wait minute till 1 get the last quo
tation," said the man. land I'll let you
know
The last quotation was a quarter of
a cent higher than the price Jim was
to pay. Make it half the profits"
said toe capitalist, land I'll go you"
Jim assented. The man paid the mar
gin on the copper, and before the bal
ance was to be paid copper had risen
half cent a pound.
Meanwhile Jim had gathered Stats
tics as to the copper on hand and the
amount likely to be required. Orders
for ammunition were beginning to
come from abroad. and copper kept go
ing uP. Jill cOuNluC0Q LIS pdIIucE
that the price must continue to rise,
and the latter consented to hold on.
One day after the war had been GO
ing on for nearly a year the copper
was sold. and Jim pocketed what was
for him a small fortune. He and his
wife had. on the strength of Jim's cop
per holdings. been able to borrow
enough to keep them. and now they
were in fine fettle.
my dear" said Jim, las l told you
year ago, you married a man untitled
for the ordinary humdrum of life.
They say you can't make silk purse
out of a sow's ear. but in this case
a Spectator has been made out of a
fool"
II expect you're right, jim" was
the reply. you were not born for
drudge. A drudge may always be able
to make a living but he is not likely