CHAPTER VIII 



A WALL STREET POOL 



I was approached one day by a member of 

 a firm to which I was accustomed to give large 

 orders in gold, who told me that he was commis- 

 sioned to offer me a share in a pool that was be- 

 ing formed by some of the strongest financial 

 interests in the city. I was invited to be one of 

 a party of six to contribute $600,000 to a pool 

 for the purchase and sale of stock of the Atlan- 

 tic Mail Steamship Company, the operation to 

 be conducted by one of the subscribers upon the 

 New York Stock Exchange. I knew nothing 

 of the value of the stock, the names of the pro- 

 posed parties to the operation merely interested 

 me and I turned down the proposal. 



The subject was renewed, the value of the 

 stock dilated upon, and I was told of the large 

 profits that had been quickly made in a previous 



148 



