VOObyM

Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
As I left the telegraph operator to go back to my seat in front of the quotation board
Oliver Black nodded to me and smiled.
"You'll be sorry, Larry," he said.
I stopped and asked him, "What do you mean?"
"To-morrow you'll be buying it back."
"Buying what back?" I said. I hadn't told a soul except the telegraph operator.
"Anaconda," he said. "You'll be paying 320 for it. That wasn't a good move of yours,
Larry." And he smiled again.
"What wasn't?" And I looked innocent.
"Selling your eight thousand Anaconda at the market; in fact, insisting on it," said Ollie
Black.
I knew that he was supposed to be very clever and always traded on inside news. But
how he knew my business so accurately was beyond me. I was sure the office hadn't
given me away.
"Ollie, how did you know that?" I asked him.
He laughed and told me: "I got it from Charlie Kratzer." That was the telegraph operator.
"But he never budged from his place," I said.
"I couldn't hear you and him whispering," he chuckled. "But I heard every word of the
message he sent to the New York office for you. I learned telegraphy years ago after I
had a big row over a mistake in a message. Since then when I do what you did just now
give an order by word of mouth to an operator I want to be sure the operator sends the
message as I give it to him. I know what he sends in my name. But you will be sorry you
sold that Anaconda. It's going to 500."
"Not this trip, Ollie," I said.
He stared at me and said, "You're pretty cocky about it."
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