FIRST DAYS IN WALL STREET 49 



heads of houses, whom I addressed in substance 

 as follows: 



"Mr. Morton, you hold thirty-five dollars of 

 American Fire Insurance Company Scrip. Do 

 you care to sell it?" 



"What is it worth?" 



'The company pays fifty per cent for it 

 and I can do the same." 



"What do you want of it?" 



"I have sold a round lot at a higher price, and 

 I am picking it up in small lots." 



'You can have ours. Do you want to take it 

 with you?" 



"Not until I bring you the money." 



"All right, and if I'm not here go to the cash- 

 ier. He'll have it ready for you." 



Usually I got the scrip I went for, and the only 

 curt refusals I received were when I had to deal 

 with some underling, clothed in brief authority. 

 Often there was charring, with grave advice as to 

 the investment of the capital I was accumulating, 

 or anxious inquiry as to the soundness of insur- 



