Z>hc  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
1051 
Frank  of  Peach  Hill 
By  Geo.  B.  Fiske 
(Continued  from  page  10J1. ) 
“It  must  be  a  wild  time  on  the  floor  of 
tlie  Exchange  now.”  said  my  uncle.  “It’s 
I  ire  tty  lively  here,  but  it’s  the  little  fel¬ 
lows  that  are  making  all  the  fuss.  See 
that  man  talking  with  the  head  of  the 
firm  so  calmly.  He  has  thousands  of 
shares  and  every  share  will  lose  him  two 
or  three  thousand  dollars  to-day.  Now 
watch  that  old  codger  bending  over  the 
ticker  as  if  he  were  trying  to  eat  the  tape 
as  it  comes  along.  I  don't  believe  he 
owns  a  share  of  stock.  Just  a  ticker 
fiend — has  the  habit,  you  know.” 
A  young  man  among  the  ticker  crowd, 
stylishly  dressed,  glanced  out  of  the  win¬ 
dow  as  a  loaded  truck  passed  by  and  said 
gloomily:  “That  truckman  out  there  is 
happier  than  I  am,  boys.” 
“He’s  in  deep,”  whispered  my  uncle. 
A  small,  sawed-off  looking  chap,  ap¬ 
pealing  hardly  more  than  four  feet  high, 
was  almost  standing  on  tiptoe  to  watch 
the  latest  figures  as  they  clicked  from  the 
New  York  ticker. 
“Hi,  there’s  the  guy  that  put  the  mark 
in  market!”  chuckled  one  of  the  board 
boys,  and  the  group  nearby,  looked  around 
and  laughed  at  the  adaptation  of  a  popu¬ 
lar  joke  of  the  time. 
A  middle-aged  woman  was  talking  with 
one  of  the  partners.  “I  would  like  to  buy 
some  Western  Union  stock,”  she  said, 
“but  to  tell  the  truth  I  don’t  dare  to  pay 
over  my  money  in  such  a  time.  This  firm 
might  fail,  and  I  know  what  would  hap¬ 
pen  to  my  money  then.” 
“I  don’t  blame  you  much.”  replied  the 
partner,  “the  hanks  are  going  down  like 
tenpins  in  New  York,  and  the  banks  are 
supposed  to  be  stronger  tlian  the  brokers. 
We  are  all  some  scared.  Keep  your 
money  in  the  bank  if  you  like,  and  we  will 
take  the  stock  there  when  we  get  it.  All 
we  want  is  to  know  you  have  the  money 
ready.”  Few  people  bad  both  courage 
ami  cash  then,  hence  the  panic.  The 
sawed-off  man  was  talking  excitedly  in  a 
queer  high  voice,  almost  falsetto,  liow  he 
had  bought  "Car  Spring”  and  "Pressed 
Steel”  and  "Copper,”  but  things  looked  so 
bad  he  had  just  “let  them  go.”  I  hastily 
figured  a  loss  of  several  thousand  dollars 
for  him  in  that  one  day’s  work-  “He's 
doing  that  sort  of  thing  right  along,” 
commented  Uncle  Ed.  “Put.  he  seems  to 
have  plenty  more  to  lose.” 
Quotations  were  tumbling  faster  than 
ever.  Tlie  ticker  clacked  continuously 
with  the  tremendous  volume  of  sales  and 
the  hoard  boys  jumped  and  ran  and  sweat 
to  keep  up  with  the  changes  which 
swayed  feverishly,  sometimes  whole  points 
at  a  time  instead  of  the  usual  leisurely 
eighths  and  quarters. 
A  large,  shrcwd-looking  man  stood  close 
to  the  tape.  His  very  red  face  shown 
through  his  bristly  brown  beard  like  a 
tire  iu  the  brushland.  He  wore  a  gratified 
smile,  about  the  only  expression  of  the 
kind  in  the  group.  He  glanced  at  his 
neighbor,  a  little  monkey-faced,  dark  man 
in  loud  checked  suit  and  red  tie.  “The 
market  is  going  to  Hades,”  he  said.  “But 
it’s  time  to  cover  part  of  your  sales.” 
These  two  were  “shorts."  I  gathered. 
They  had  sold  stocks  higher  up  and  ex- 
peoted  to  buy  them  back  at  a  big  profit. 
“Firi'erty-two  for  copper."  called  the 
monkey-faced  man.  “A  lialluf;  fififerty- 
oue  now.  FiiTerty  dollars  for  copper !”  he 
quoted  from  tlie  tape  excitedly  in  a  low 
hoarse  voice  out  of  keeping  with  his  slen¬ 
der  build.  Some  of  the  speculators  seem¬ 
ed  to  he  Jews  and  several  gabbled  excited¬ 
ly  in  German  or  Yiddish.  The  market 
approached  its  climax.  A  big  bank  had 
failed.  Call  money  ruled  at  unheard  of 
rates  in  New  York.  “Union,”  the  market 
leader  in  stocks,  went  down  half  a  dozen 
points  iu  about  as  many  seconds,  like  the 
ticking  of  a  dock-  Flip,  flap  went  the 
markers  on  the  board  announcing  uu- 
henrd  of  low  figures.  There  were  whistles 
and  cries  of  excitement.  Then  the  rumor 
spread  that  the  oil  magnates  were  buying 
all  the  stock  offered.  It  looked  as  If  that 
might  be  so,  for  “Union”  refused  to  go 
lower,  and  soon  the  closing  hour  came 
with  the  tone  of  things  more  quiet,  and 
some  were  heard  to  venture  rather  timidly 
the  hope  that  the  worst  was  over. 
“If  it  goes  lower  I’m  a  goner,  Frank,” 
confessed  my  uncle,  as  we  took  the  ele¬ 
vator.  “I’ve  paid  out  all  I  can  raise  al¬ 
ready.  They  may  sell  me  out  to  morrow." 
lie  looked  tired  and  old.  I  thought  then 
of  Peach  Ilill  with  its  breezes  aud  birds 
and  green  leaves  aud  the  quiet  hours  of 
work  and  planning. 
“Better  a  long  life  and  a  merry  one.”  I 
reflected.  “A  man  was  never  made  to 
hunt  panics  and  to  endure  days  like  this 
one.  Live  stock  for  me,  not  paper 
stocks !” 
“Yes,”  admitted  Uncle  Ed,  some  months 
later.  “I  ought  not  to  have  been  in  that 
fix.  I  was  a  fool  to  run  such  risks.  It 
was  nothing  hut  luck  that  the  panic 
stopped  there.  Stick  to  your  poultry, 
Frank.  Hens  may  fly,  but  not  so  high 
nor  so  far  as  the  dollars.” 
I  had  little  to  say.  It  had  always 
seemed  to  me  that  the  rank  and  file  of 
speculators  lost  their  money  in  the  long 
run  and  that  they  likewise  burned  out 
their  bodies  and  brains  with  the  fierce 
excitement.  I  felt  glad  enough  that  my 
dollars  were  in  land  and  hens  and  trees 
where  I  could  hold  them  down.  Yet  I 
know  seine  would  have  said  that  I  was 
taking  fool  clianees  in  using  my  scanty 
hoard  and  going  into  debt  besides  to  start 
a  business  while  yet  iu  my  ’teens-  Well, 
I  certainly  cannot  advise  others  to  follow 
my  example.  I  have  enjoyed  it.  I  feel 
rather  proud  that  I  had  the  young  nerve 
to  begin  and  to  stick  to  it.  But  if  I  were 
starting  again  I  should  go  to  a  farm  col¬ 
lege  first  if  I  could,  and  anyhow  I  should 
work  for  a  few  years  for  somebody  who 
could  show  me  what  I  needed  to  know. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Legal  Questions 
Commission  on  Sale  of  Real  Estate 
A  is  administrator  with  power  to  sell 
tract  of  land.  B.  a  real  estate  agent, 
makes  contract  with  A  and  is  described 
as  buyer.  Can  B  collect  commission,  or 
have  deed  made  to  another  party  and  in 
that  way  collect:  commission?  L.  I. 
New  York. 
If  B  found  the  buyer  for  the  property, 
there  appears  to  he  no  reason  why  he  is 
not  entitled  to  com  mission.  Because  A 
is  administrator  with  power  of  sale,  is 
no  reason  why  he  could  not  call  in  a  real 
estate  agent  to  help  him  sell  it,  any  more 
than  if  the  property  was  his  own.  In¬ 
deed,  it  may  have  been  the  best  policy  to 
do  this,  as  those  intending  to  purchase 
generally  go  to  these  agents  first,  and  a 
quicker  sale  is  thereby  made. 
Payment  of  Tenant’s  Bills 
1.  Can  I  be  held  responsible  for  bills 
contracted  by  a  tenant  who  has  been 
given  no  authority?  I  only  know  that 
these  things  are  done  by  him  bringing  to 
nn-  bills  made  out  jointly.  I  have  never 
paid  any  such  bill  contracted.  I  do  not 
think  it  is  the  custom. 
2.  After  a  notary  public  has  heard  or 
witnessed  an  oath  to  procure  a  patent, 
what  can  prevent  him  if  he  sees  the  spe¬ 
cifications  from  -applying  himself  first? 
Pennsylvania.  ,t.  s.  j. 
1.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  you 
can  be  held  respuosiblc  for  your  tenant’s 
bills  unless  your  previous  acts  would  lead 
to  the  belief  that  you  would  pay  them. 
Did  he  buy  thorn  for  you  or  for  use  on 
the  farm,  aud  were  the  articles  bought 
used  on  the  farm  or  for  your  benefit? 
These. and  other  similar  questions  would 
have  to  be  taken  into  consideration.  It 
might  be  well  to  get  in  touch  immediately 
with  tlie  parties  billing  you  jointly  and 
notify -them  that  you  will  not  be  responsi¬ 
ble  for  the  bills. 
2,  There  appears  to  be  nothing,  if  be 
wishes  to  he  dishonest.  But  why  let  him 
read  over  the  specifications?  All  he  needs 
to  do  is  to  take  the  oath.  The  specifica¬ 
tions  may  be  kept  covered. 
Distribution  of  Property 
A  dies  leaving  will;  leaves  one-half  of 
real  estate  to  widow,  balance  to  son,  also 
all  stock  and  tools,  son  to  come  into 
possession  at  death.  How  much  personal 
can  widow  hold?  Son  is  working  farm 
on  shares.  What  crops  arc  real  and 
what,  are  personal?  Would  cither  he  in¬ 
cluded  in  residue  of  estate,  after  funeral 
expenses?  The  rest  of  the  real  and  per¬ 
sonal  is  to  be  divided  between  two 
daughters  and  son.  Would  any  of  the 
crops  be  included?  n.  E.  w. 
New  York. 
Your  questions  are  not  clear.  Pro¬ 
vided  tlie  widow  accepts  the  provisions 
of  the  will,  unless  the  will  gave  her  some 
personal  property,  she  would  not  be  en¬ 
titled  to  any.  Tin*  laws  of  Now  York 
provide  that  the  crops  growing  on  the 
land  of  the  deceased  at  the  time  of  his 
death  shall  be  deemed  assets  and  go  to 
the  executor  to  he  applied  and  distributed 
as  part  of  the  personal  property  of  the 
testator  and  be  included  in  the  inventory. 
Disposition  of  Wife’s  Property 
A  woman  dies  in  Now  York  State  own¬ 
ing  real  estate  and  personal  property,  has 
no  children.  What  right  does  the  hus¬ 
band  have  in  the  property,  if  there  is  no 
will?  What  portion,  or  how  much,  and 
what  is  the  wife  obliged  to  will  him,  if 
any,  to  make  it  legal?  s.  s. 
New  York. 
In  New  York  the  wife  may  by  her  will 
dispose  of  her  entire  estate  of  real  aud 
personal  property,  and  does  not  have  to 
leave  any  portion  of  either  to  her  hus¬ 
band  to  make  the  will  legal.  If  she  does 
not  leave  a  will  the  husband  lias  bis  cour¬ 
tesy  of  a  life  interest  in  all  her  real  prop¬ 
erty.  and  one-half  of  her  personal  prop¬ 
erty  absolutely  and  a  greater  portion  of 
the  personal  property  if  there  are  no 
brothers  and  sisters,  etc.,  of  the  wife. 
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Delco-Light  is  a  compact  electric 
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It  is  so  simple  that  anyone  can 
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of  order,  or  require  expert 
attention. 
Starts  on  turning  of  a  switch  and 
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teries  are  full. 
Price  Complete  with  Batteries,  $250 
Delco-Light  has  heat  dereloyed  by  the 
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Write  for  the  illustrated 
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Offices  in  nil  Principal  Cities 
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tr — 
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