362 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



tainments such as enabled him to charge nearly 

 a million dollars for breaking the will of a friend 

 of mine. 



''Wheresoever the carcass is there will the 

 eagles be gathered together," and the skies were 

 darkened with legal birds of prey hastening to 

 the feast. Scores of letters from the lawyers of 

 our system poured in upon me. All began with 

 assurances of sympathy, all closed with an ap- 

 peal for influence in the writer's behalf which 

 should give them an extra chance at the carcass. 

 The gem of the collection came from a lawyer in 

 an Eastern city to whom I had sent much busi- 

 ness. He began with the assurance that he 

 would do anything that would promote my in- 

 terests, but that as hope for the company was 

 gone it could make no difference to me what be- 

 came of the wreckage, and with appalling frank- 

 ness he outlined a scheme of robbery which he 

 proposed to keep entirely within legal lines. 



It is profitless to prolong the obsequies after 

 the receiver has been appointed. I mean profit- 

 less to the mourners. 



