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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1894)
10 THE COURIER HYPNOTISM IN WALL STREET. I, John Marshall, doctor of medicine and sort of all-round investi gator, had my attention drawn to the peculiar state of affaire in 'Wall street by the following head lines which appeared in the New York Times on the morning of Saturday, August 4, 189-: "Panic in Wall Street. Tremendous Shrinkages in Valuea. Sugar Breaks Twenty Points. All Other Stoctcs affected." Becoming interested in the description of the day's panic, I read it through carefully, not ing the names of the various buyers and sellers, and the great quan tities of certificates in which they had dealt. I had lately prepared a paper upon hypnotism for one of the re views, and just as I was Betting out for the "street" I was met by a youth, who handed me proofs with the remark that they could be corrected and returned at once if possible. I thrust them into my pocket and walked to the car. On ray way down town I busied my self looking over the proofs until I reached Wall street. Being well satisfied with my writing on this subject, I had become an earnest disciple of my own imagination, and when I alighted at Wall street was firmly of the opinion that much could and would be accorap lished'through properly directing hypnotic powers. However, being on pleasure bent, my thoughts changed as I went to watch the bulls and bears wrangle and howl while dividing the lambs between them, which I bad been assured, was always done with neatness and dispatch. At 10 o'clock it began by letting loose the greatest pandemonium I had ever had heard or seen. "Sugar" was again the attraction. The pent-up energy and determination from the day before had vent. Hundreds of men, a very bedlam, struggled upon the floor below me to buy and sell. Certificates were ostensibly traded in, but from the appearances of the faces in the crowd the traffic was in heart's blood. I became fascinated with the game and watched it intensely with those about me, many of whom, as I could tell by their faces, had Oaore than a passing interest in the doings of their seething fellow men below. I waited until 12 o'clock, when the gong sounded, and I realized that the business day was gone. Many had been badly hurt, some utterly ruined, by the day's transactions. Others, as I subsequently learned, the few financially strong, far-seeing, manipu lating members of the speculative fraternity, had made vast fortunes during these days of panic These became the lions of the street I had left the Exchange at the end of the day's business with a headache. I stopped at several friends' offices on the way up town, and recounted my morning's experience. We talked of the old, plodding methods employed in accumulating fortunes, and the easier, more modern way, which simply required that you bet on the right side of the market. I reached home, napped until dinner time, dined and went out to investigate, in pursuance of my plan. I felt that I must do this while my interest was aroused. I went to Del monico's and other resorts of the younger members of the Exchange. While thinking of all that I had seen and heard during the day, an idea formed itself in my mind. It grew and expanded until it took entire possession of me. I could not shake it off. It became part of my very being. Over and over agaid I reasoned, I argued with myself, until I formulated my thoughts. If experience enables these men to extract so much wealth from the public, why should noi science, which is the perfection of experience, extract some of it from them? Why should they not be made the means of accumu lating wealth for me, even though it be taken from them? Why should their skill and following not be utilized by me, I having the powder to do so? I saw a means of building up my fortune. I had inherited a goodly fortune, which I dissipated through failure pro perly to invest it. I had exhausted fully two-thirds or it in travel and research. The remainder I determined to sacrifice, if need be, to carry out my idea. Why should I hesitate? Had these men ever hesitated to causo many to lose fabulous sums when they had it in their power to force them? Had they not broken hearts and ruined homes, and taken the last dollar their poor, deluded victims had? Having obtained this wealth from the public by questionable methods, I would scien tifically relieve them of a portion of it. I thought of my paper on hypnotism. I would exemplify my theories and gain immense wealth at one powerful stroke. I would become an operator in a small way to familiarize myself with the nicer points of speculation. Having resolved upon this, I was in a fair way to complete my plans, and spent the remainder of the day without further thought of spoiling the Egyptiane. Upon going down town early Monday morning I looked up a number of my friends, both speculators and brokers. The panic bad bomewhat subsided. The market was in the doldrums. There was Btill a large belated short interest outstanding, which was afraid to try to cover, and the longs had suffered so badly that th?y dared buy no more, but simply held what they had and hoped for a re action to help them out. I concluded that the condition of the market was such that a movement in either direction would have ample assistance if it were once well started. I was assured that otherwise it would remain in its then condition for Borne time. To make my market I must become familiar and intimate with the leaders and their positions, and then bring my powers to bear upon them. I had always found that persons could be more readily con trolled if their natural inclinations were in the same direction as those in which I desired them to act. With these ends in view I sought the chief manipulators of the street and opened accounts in their offices and offices through which they did business that I might more rea-Jily learn their ideas, methods and strength. Foreseeing that I w mid require all my capital, I opened as many accounts as I thought necessary, but in a manner to limit my ex pense. What I bought in one house I sold in another and let them stand each against the other. I thus .limited all loss, except my commissions, while gaiuing my information and perfecting myplanB I let it be known that I had many accounts, and so was more highly thought of, was treated with greater consideration, and was more readily informed of the matters about which I inquired. In going from office to office my opinion was usually asked. I gave it freely "What did you do to get here?" in quired the visitor at the work-house. "Nothing," replied the sad-eyed in mate, "I'm doing time for vagrancy" V iwtmk i StWBC A BAD ADVERTISEMENT. K