VOObyM

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
"Now, that's nice," said the deacon, so mildly that the man with the info swelled up and
said,
"Yes, sir, deacon." Then he came closer so nobody else would hear and said, "H. O.
Havemeyer is buying Sugar."
"Is he?" asked the deacon quite calmly.
It peeved the informant, who said impressively: "Yes, sir. Buying all he can get,
deacon."
"My friend, are you sure?" asked old S. V.
"Deacon, I know it for a positive fact. The old inside gang are buying all they can lay
their hands on. It's got something to do with the tariff and there's going to be a killing in
the common. It will cross the preferred. And that means a sure thirty points for a starter."
"Do you really think so?" And the old man looked at him over the top of the oldfashioned
silver-rimmed spectacles that he had put on to look at the tape.
"Do I think so? No, I don't think so; I know so. Absolutely! Why, deacon, when H. O.
Havemeyer and his friends buy Sugar as they're doing now they're never satisfied with
anything less than forty points net. I shouldn't be surprised to see the market get away
from them any minute and shoot up before they've got their full lines. There ain't as
much of it kicking around the brokers' offices as there was a month ago."
"He's buying Sugar, eh?" repeated the deacon absently.
"Buying it? Why, he's scooping it in as fast as he can without putting up the price on
himself."
"So?" said the deacon. That was all. But it was enough to nettle the tipster, and he said,
"Yes, sir-ree! And I call that very good information. Why, it's absolutely straight."
"Is it?"
"Yes; and it ought to be worth a whole lot. Are you going to use it?"
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