–they are so splendid and I can see how sure they are. Don’t throw them
away for something still better and maybe fail in it! I wouldn’t,
Colonel. I would stick to these. I wish father were here and were his
old self again–Oh, he never in his life had such chances as these are.
Colonel; you can’t improve on these–no man can improve on them!”
A sweet, compassionate smile played about the Colonel’s features, and he
leaned over the table with the air of a man who is “going to show you”
and do it without the least trouble:
“Why Washington, my boy, these things are nothing. They look large of
course–they look large to a novice, but to a man who has been all his
life accustomed to large operations–shaw! They’re well enough to while
away an idle hour with, or furnish a bit of employment that will give a
trifle of idle capital a chance to earn its bread while it is waiting for
something to do, but–now just listen a moment–just let me give you an
idea of what we old veterans of commerce call ‘business.’ Here’s the
Rothschild’s proposition–this is between you and me, you understand—-”
Washington nodded three or four times impatiently, and his glowing eyes
said, “Yes, yes–hurry–I understand—-”
—-“for I wouldn’t have it get out for a fortune. They want me to go in
with them on the sly–agent was here two weeks ago about it–go in on the
sly” [voice down to an impressive whisper, now,] “and buy up a hundred
and thirteen wild cat banks in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and
Missouri–notes of these banks are at all sorts of discount now–average
discount of the hundred and thirteen is forty-four per cent–buy them all
up, you see, and then all of a sudden let the cat out of the bag! Whiz!
the stock of every one of those wildcats would spin up to a tremendous
premium before you could turn a handspring–profit on the speculation not
a dollar less than forty millions!” [An eloquent pause, while the
marvelous vision settled into W.’s focus.] “Where’s your hogs now?
Why my dear innocent boy, we would just sit down on the front door-steps
and peddle banks like lucifer matches!”
Washington finally got his breath and said:
“Oh, it is perfectly wonderful! Why couldn’t these things have happened
in father’s day? And I–it’s of no use–they simply lie before my face
and mock me. There is nothing for me but to stand helpless and see other
people reap the astonishing harvest.”
“Never mind, Washington, don’t you worry. I’ll fix you. There’s plenty
of chances. How much money have you got?
In the presence of so many millions, Washington could not keep from
blushing when he had to confess that he had but eighteen dollars in the
world.
“Well, all right–don’t despair. Other people have been obliged to begin
with less. I have a small idea that may develop into something for us
both, all in good time. Keep your money close and add to it. I’ll make
it breed. I’ve been experimenting (to pass away the time,) on a little
preparation for curing sore eyes–a kind of decoction nine-tenths water
and the other tenth drugs that don’t cost more than a dollar a barrel;
I’m still experimenting; there’s one ingredient wanted yet to perfect the
thing, and somehow I can’t just manage to hit upon the thing that’s
necessary, and I don’t dare talk with a chemist, of course. But I’m
progressing, and before many weeks I wager the country will ring with the
fame of Beriah Sellers’ Infallible Imperial Oriental Optic Liniment and
Salvation for Sore Eyes–the Medical Wonder of the Age! Small bottles
fifty cents, large ones a dollar. Average cost, five and seven cents for
the two sizes.
The first year sell, say, ten thousand bottles in Missouri, seven
thousand in Iowa, three thousand in Arkansas, four thousand in Kentucky,
six thousand in Illinois, and say twenty-five thousand in the rest of the
country. Total, fifty five thousand bottles; profit clear of all
expenses, twenty thousand dollars at the very lowest calculation. All
the capital needed is to manufacture the first two thousand bottles–