BUBBLES 183 



gestive to the Black Friday gang, for when later 

 their creditors needed more legal proof to 

 strengthen their claims, it was offered by a young 

 man who had been in the Fisk & Belden employ 

 who secured an assignment of most of these 

 claims on his pledge to enforce their collection 

 for a large contingent fee, and thereupon re- 

 ceived a Gould partnership in payment for his 

 treachery. 



Distressing years rolled by, filled with anxious 

 days and with too many sleepless nights. I was 

 like a juggler who keeps half a dozen balls in the 

 air, but the juggler had his hours off for rest 

 while I had none. I was growing wealthy on 

 paper, but how hollow it all was. To stop im- 

 provements would insure an all around crash, to 

 let Wall Street business go would cut out 

 connections that could often be made to turn 

 dead values into cash. Too many obligations 

 were secured by Atlantic Mail stock which would 

 have to be faced if I let the stock decline or the 

 company's treasury run dry. 



When you see a man worried by business do 



