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Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
and my time. I could not guess that I was about to have the most curious experience of
my entire life.
Lucius met me at the station and did not waste any time in telling me that he had sent for
me at the urgent request of Mr. Daniel Williamson, of the well-known Stock Exchange
house of Williamson & Brown. Mr. Williamson told Lucius to tell me that he had a
business proposition to make to me that he was sure I would accept since it would be
very profitable for me. Lucius swore he didn't know what the proposition was. The
character of the firm was a guaranty that nothing improper would be demanded of me.
Dan Williamson was the senior member of the firm, which was founded by Egbert
Williamson way back in the '70s. There was no Brown and hadn't been one in the firm
for years. The house had been very prominent in Dan's father's time and Dan had
inherited a considerable fortune and didn't go after much outside business. They had one
customer who was worth a hundred average customers and that was Alvin Marquand,
Williamson's brother-in-law, who in addition to being a director in a dozen banks and
trust companies was the president of the great Chesapeake and Atlantic Railroad system.
He was the most picturesque personality in the railroad world after James J. Hill, and
was the spokesman and dominant member of the powerful banking coterie known as the
Fort Dawson gang. He was worth from fifty million to five hundred million dollars, the
estimate depending upon the state of the speaker's liver. When he died they found out
that he was worth two hundred and fifty million dollars, all made in Wall Street. So you
see he was some customer.
Lucius told me he had just accepted a position with Williamson & Brown one that was
made for him. He was supposed to be a sort of circulating general business getter. The
firm was after a general commission business and Lucius had induced Mr. Williamson
to open a couple of branch offices, one in one of the big hotels uptown and the other in
Chicago. I rather gathered that I was going to be offered a position in the latter place,
possibly as office manager, which was something I would not accept. I didn't jump on
Lucius because I thought I'd better wait until the offer was made before I refused it.
Lucius took me into Mr. Williamson's private office, introduced me to his chief and left
the room in a hurry, as though he wished to avoid being called as witness in a case in
which he knew both parties. I prepared to listen and then to say no.
Mr. Williamson was very pleasant. He was a thorough gentleman, with polished
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