d contemptible that their perpetrator would not be tolerated in
social life, are resorted to, and if successful are applauded as
evidences of smartness. Every man's hand is against his neighbor.
Clerks are bribed to betray the secrets of their employers. The baser
their treachery, the larger their reward. We do not propose, however, to
discuss the morality of Wall street transactions, and so we drop the
subject.

It is said by the gossips of the street that the great Railroad King,
Commodore Vanderbilt, is not above using any means at hand to secure the
success of his schemes. It is said that he once tried to use his son
William in this way. He came to him one day, and advised him that he had
better sell his Hudson River stock, as 110 was too high for it. William
thanked him, and made inquiries in the market, and found that his father
was buying quietly all he could lay his hands upon.

William determined to follow suit. Up jumped the stock to 137. It was a
clear twenty-six per cent. in pocket.

When the operation was concluded, the Commodore rode round to the son's
office.

"Well, William, how much did you lose?"

"I went in at 110 on 10,000 shares. That ought to make me two hundred
and sixty thousand dollars--"

"Very bad luck, William," quoth the father, trying to look extremely
troubled,--"very bad luck, this time."

"But then I bought, and so made."

"Hey? What sent you doing that, sir?"

"O, I heard that was your line, and so concluded that you meant long
instead of short."

"Ahem!" croaked Vanderbilt _pere_, as he buttoned up his fur overcoat,
and stalked out of the open door. He has always had a high opinion of
William since that event!

Some years ago Vanderbilt wanted to consolidate the Hudson River and
Harlem Railroads, and when the scheme was presented before the
Legislature of New York, secured a sufficient number of votes in that
body to insure the passage of the bill authorizing the consolidation.
Before the bill was called upon its final passage, however, he learned
from a trustworthy source that the members of the Legislature who had
promised to vote for the bill, were determined to vote against it, with
the hope of ruining him. The stock of the Harlem road was then selling
very high, in consequence of the expected consolidation. The defeat of
the bill would, of course, cause it to fall immediately. The
unprincipled legislators at once began a shrewd game. They sold Harlem