48 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



to the officers of the company, who bought them 

 at fifty per cent for account of certain direc- 

 tors, one of whom was Mr. Tavlor. I had be- 

 come acquainted with Mr. Taylor through carry- 

 ing him messages for the company, and when in 

 the office one day he said to Mr. Downer, the sec- 

 retary : 



"I'll give sixty for a thousand dollars of our 

 scrip." 



Mr. Downer shook his head. 



"There isn't any such lot." 



Later I maintained for years on the Gold Ex- 

 change a reputation for quick decisions, but I 

 never merited it more than when from my desk I 

 flashed an acceptance of Mr. Taylor's bid : 



"I'll sell it to you, if you'll let me deliver it in 

 small lots." 



"You may deliver it in five-dollar lots, if you 

 like, and you can take your own time to fill your 

 contract," was his amused reply. 



That night I was late to dinner, for I had 

 scoured the dry goods district, seeking always the 



