124 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



big campaign. Then when the gold or other se- 

 curity came in it could be substituted in a few 

 minutes for the checks. 



It was better than borrowing the money, with- 

 out taking it up till we needed it, for so long as 

 our certified check was out our bank had the use 

 of the money and the credit for their profit 

 thereon was reflected upon us. I planned to sub- 

 stitute greenbacks for the certified checks on the 

 following day since I didn't suppose that lock- 

 ing up a few bank credits would have much effect 

 on the market. In this I was mistaken as you 

 shall presently see. I couldn't deposit green- 

 backs on the day I borrowed the money, since 

 money so borrowed was payable through the 

 clearing house the next morning and I could not 

 ask my bank for any large amount of greenbacks 

 against such checks until the day after I had de- 

 posited them. Often the clearest dream-plan 

 was hopelessly muddy in the morning light, but 

 this bore the test and I began upon it in the first 

 hour of the business day. 



My first call was upon a wealthy German 



