the americanization of edward bok-第13节

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d　experience　in　his　contact　with　corporate　laws；　contracts；　property　leases；　and　other　matters；　and　he　determined　that；　whatever　the　direction　of　activity　taken　by　his　sons；　each　should　spend　at　least　a　year　in　the　study　of　law。

The　control　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　had　now　passed　into　the　hands　of　Jay　Gould　and　his　companions；　and　in　the　many　legal　matters　arising　therefrom；　Edward　saw　much；　in　his　office；　of　〃the　little　wizard　of　Wall　Street。〃　One　day；　the　financier　had　to　dictate　a　contract；　and；　coming　into　Mr。　Cary's　office；　decided　to　dictate　it　then　and　there。　An　hour　afterward　Edward　delivered　the　copy　of　the　contract　to　Mr。　Gould；　and　the　financier　was　so　struck　by　its　accuracy　and　by　the　legibility　of　the　handwriting　that　afterward　he　almost　daily　〃happened　in〃　to　dictate　to　Mr。　Cary's　stenographer。　Mr。　Gould's　private　stenographer　was　in　his　own　office　in　lower　Broadway；　but　on　his　way　down…town　in　the　morning　Mr。　Gould　invariably　stopped　at　the　Western　Union　Building；　at　195　Broadway；　and　the　habit　resulted　in　the　installation　of　a　private　office　there。　He　borrowed　Edward　to　do　his　stenography。　The　boy　found　himself　taking　not　only　letters　from　Mr。　Gould's　dictation；　but；　what　interested　him　particularly；　the　financier's　orders　to　buy　and　sell　stock。

Edward　watched　the　effects　on　the　stock…market　of　these　little　notes　which　he　wrote　out　and　then　shot　through　a　pneumatic　tube　to　Mr。　Gould's　brokers。　Naturally；　the　results　enthralled　the　boy；　and　he　told　Mr。　Cary　about　his　discoveries。　This；　in　turn；　interested　Mr。　Cary；　Mr。　Gould's　dictations　were　frequently　given　in　Mr。　Cary's　own　office；　where；　as　his　desk　was　not　ten　feet　from　that　of　his　stenographer；　the　attorney　heard　them；　and　began　to　buy　and　sell　according　to　the　magnate's　decisions。

Edward　had　now　become　tremendously　interested　in　the　stock　game　which　he　saw　constantly　played　by　the　great　financier；　and　having　a　little　money　saved　up；　he　concluded　that　he　would　follow　in　the　wake　of　Mr。　Gould's　orders。　One　day；　he　naively　mentioned　his　desire　to　Mr。　Gould；　when　the　financier　seemed　in　a　particularly　favorable　frame　of　mind；　but　Edward　did　not　succeed　in　drawing　out　the　advice　he　hoped　for。　〃At　least；〃　reasoned　Edward；　〃he　knew　of　my　intention；　and　if　he　considered　it　a　violation　of　confidence　he　would　have　said　as　much。〃

Construing　the　financier's　silence　to　mean　at　least　not　a　prohibition；　Edward　went　to　his　Sunday…school　teacher；　who　was　a　member　of　a　Wall　Street　brokerage　firm；　laid　the　facts　before　him；　and　asked　him　if　he　would　buy　for　him　some　Western　Union　stock。　Edward　explained；　however；　that　somehow　he　did　not　like　the　gambling　idea　of　buying　〃on　margin；〃　and　preferred　to　purchase　the　stock　outright。　He　was　shown　that　this　would　mean　smaller　profits；　but　the　boy　had　in　mind　the　loss　of　his　father's　fortune；　brought　about　largely　by　〃stock　margins；〃　and　he　did　not　intend　to　follow　that　example。　So；　prudently；　under　the　brokerage　of　his　Sunday…school　teacher；　and　guided　by　the　tips　of　no　less　a　man　than　the　controlling　factor　of　stock…market　finance；　Edward　Bok　took　his　first　plunge　in　Wall　Street！

Of　course　the　boy's　buying　and　selling　tallied　precisely　with　the　rise　and　fall　of　Western　Union　stock。　It　could　scarcely　have　been　otherwise。　Jay　Gould　had　the　cards　all　in　his　hands；　and　as　he　bought　and　sold；　so　Edward　bought　and　sold。　The　trouble　was；　the　combination　did　not　end　there；　as　Edward　might　have　foreseen　had　he　been　older　and　thus　wiser。　For　as　Edward　bought　and　sold；　so　did　his　Sunday…school　teacher；　and　all　his　customers　who　had　seen　the　wonderful　acumen　of　their　broker　in　choosing　exactly　the　right　time　to　buy　and　sell　Western　Union。　But　Edward　did　not　know　this。

One　day　a　rumor　became　current　on　the　Street　that　an　agreement　had　been　reached　by　the　Western　Union　Company　and　its　bitter　rival；　the　American　Union　Telegraph　Company；　whereby　the　former　was　to　absorb　the　latter。　Naturally；　the　report　affected　Western　Union　stock。　But　Mr。　Gould　denied　it　in　toto；　said　the　report　was　not　true；　no　such　consolidation　was　in　view　or　had　even　been　considered。　Down　tumbled　the　stock；　of　course。

But　it　so　happened　that　Edward　knew　the　rumor　was　true；　because　Mr。　Gould；　some　time　before；　had　personally　given　him　the　contract　of　consolidation　to　copy。　The　next　day　a　rumor　to　the　effect　that　the　American　Union　was　to　absorb　the　Western　Union　appeared　on　the　first　page　of　every　New　York　newspaper。　Edward　knew　exactly　whence　this　rumor　emanated。　He　had　heard　it　talked　over。　Again；　Western　Union　stock　dropped　several　points。　Then　he　noticed　that　Mr。　Gould　became　a　heavy　buyer。　So　became　Edwardas　heavy　as　he　could。　Jay　Gould　pooh…poohed　the　latest　rumor。　The　boy　awaited　developments。

On　Sunday　afternoon；　Edward's　Sunday…school　teacher　asked　the　boy　to　walk　home　with　him；　and　on　reaching　the　house　took　him　into　the　study　and　asked　him　whether　he　felt　justified　in　putting　all　his　savings　in　Western　Union　just　at　that　time　when　the　price　was　tumbling　so　fast　and　the　market　was　so　unsteady。　Edward　assured　his　teacher　that　he　was　right；　although　he　explained　that　he　could　not　disclose　the　basis　of　his　assurance。

Edward　thought　his　teacher　looked　worried；　and　after　a　little　there　came　the　revelation　that　he；　seeing　that　Edward　was　buying　to　his　limit；　had　likewise　done　so。　But　the　broker　had　bought　on　margin；　and　had　his　margin　wiped　out　by　the　decline　in　the　stock　caused　by　the　rumors。　He　explained　to　Edward　that　he　could　recoup　his　losses；　heavy　though　they　werein　fact；　he　explained　that　nearly　everything　he　possessed　was　involvedif　Edward's　basis　was　sure　and　the　stock　would　recover。

Edward　keenly　felt　the　responsibility　placed　upon　him。　He　could　never　clearly　diagnose　his　feelings　when　he　saw　his　teacher　in　this　new　light。　The　broker's　〃customers〃　had　been　hinted　at；　and　the　boy　of　eighteen　wondered　how　far　his　responsibility　went；　and　how　many　persons　were　involved。　But　the　deal　came　out　all　right；　for　when；　three　days　afterward；　the　contract　was　made　public；　Western　Union；　of　course；　skyrocketed；　Jay　Gould　sold　out；　Edward　sold　out；　the　teacher…broker　sold　out；　and　all　the　customers　sold　out！

How　long　a　string　it　was　Edward　never　discovered；　but　he　determined　there　and　then　to　end　his　Wall　Street　experience；　his　original　amount　had　multiplied；　he　was　content　to　let　well　enough　alone；　and　from　that　day　to　this　Edward　Bok　has　kept　out　of　Wall　Street。　He　had　seen　enough　of　its　manipulations；　and；　although　on　〃the　inside；〃　he　decided　that　the　combination　of　his　teacher　and　his　customers　was　a　responsibility　too　great　for　him　to　carry。

Furthermore；　Edward　decided　to　leave　the　Western　Union。　The　longer　he　remained；　the　less　he　liked　its　atmosphere。　And　the　closer　his　contact　with　Jay　Gould　the　more　doubtful　he　became　of　the　wisdom　of　such　an　association　and　perhaps　its　unconscious　influence　upon　his　own　life　in　its　formative　period。

In　fact；　it　was　an　experience　with　Mr。　Gould　that　definitely　fixed　Edward's　determination。　The　financier　decided　one　Saturday　to　leave　on　a　railroad　inspection　tour　on　the　following　Monday。　It　was　necessary　that　a　special　meeting　of　one　of　his　railroad　interests　should　be　held　before　his　departure；　and　he　fixed　the　meeting　for　Sunday　at　eleven…thirty　at　his　residence　on　Fifth　Avenue。　He　asked　Edward　to　be　there　to　take　the　notes　of　the　meeting。

The　meeting　was　protracted；　and　at　one　o'clock　Mr。　Gould　suggested　an　adjournment　for　luncheon；　the　meeting　to　reconvene　at　two。　Turning　to　Edward；　the　financier　said：　〃You　may　go　out　to　luncheon　and　return　in　an　hour。〃　So；　on　Sunday　afternoon；　with　the　Windsor　Hotel　on　the　opposite　corner　as　the　only　visible　place　to　get　something　to　eat；　but　where　he　could　not　afford　to　go；　Edward；　with　just　fifteen　cents　in　his　pocket；　was　turned　out　to　find　a　luncheon　place。

He　bought　three　apples　for　five　centsall　that　he　could　afford　to　spend；　and　even　this　meant　that　he　must　walk　home　from　the　ferry　to　his　house　in　Brooklynand　these　he　ate　as　he　walked　up　and　down　Fifth　Avenue　until　his　hour　was　over。　When　the　meeting　ended　at　three　o'clock；　Mr。　Gould　said　that；　as　he　was　leaving　for　the　West　early　next　morning；　he　would　like　Edward　to　write　out　his　notes；　and　have　them　at　his　house　by　eight　o'clock。　There　were　over　forty　note…book　pages　of　minutes。　The　remainder　of　Edward's　Sunday　afternoon　and　evening　was　spent　in　transcribing　the　notes。　By　rising　at　half　past　five　the　next　morning　he　reached　Mr。　Gould's　house　at　a　quarter　to　eight；　handed　him　the　minutes；　and　was　dismissed　without　so　much　as　a　word　of　thanks　or　a　nod　of　approval　from　the　financier。

Edward　felt　that　this　exceeded　the　limit　of　fair　treatment　by　employer　of　employee。　He　spoke　of　it　to　Mr。　Cary；　and　asked　whether　he　would　object　if　he　tried　to　get　away　from　such　influence　and　secure　another　position。　His　employer　asked　the　boy　in　which　direction　he　would　like　to　go；　and　Edward　unhesitatingly　suggested　the　publishing　business。　He　talked　it　over　from　every　angle　with　his　employer；　and　Mr。　Cary　not　only　agreed　with　him　that　his　decision　was　wise；　but　promised　to　find　him　a　position　such　as　he　had　in　mind。

It　was　not　long　before　Mr。　Cary　made　good　his　word；　and　told　Edward　that　his　friend　He