ed and paid, to stimulate investments, and
then, when the market has been drained dry, the bubble bursts, the
directors disappear, the office is closed, and the shareholders lose
their money.

On fine afternoons visitors to the Park do not fail to notice a handsome
equipage driven by a stylish young man, with rosy cheeks and light curly
hair. His face is the perfect picture of happy innocence. He is very
wealthy, and owns a great deal of real estate in the city. The manner in
which he made his money will show how other persons enrich themselves.

A few years ago, he, in company with several others, organized a scheme
for working certain gold mines said to be located in a distant territory.
A company was made up, the country was flooded with flaming descriptions
of the valuable mine, and stock was issued which sold readily. The bonds
were soon taken up, and in a month or two the so-called company commenced
paying handsome dividends. A number of gold bars, bearing the stamp of
the mint, were on exhibition in the company's office, and were
triumphantly exhibited as amongst the first yields of the valuable mine.
For several months the dividends were paid regularly, and the company's
stock rose to a splendid premium. It could hardly be bought at any
price. No one doubted for an instant the genuineness of the affair, and
the lucky company was the envy of all Wall street.

In a few months, all the stock being disposed of, the company ceased
paying dividends. This excited the suspicion of some of the shrewdest
holders of the stock, and the affair was investigated. It was found that
the wonderful mine had no real existence. The gold bars were simply gold
coins melted into that form at the Mint, and stamped by the Government as
so much bullion. The dividends had been paid out of money advanced by
the company, who were simply half a dozen unprincipled sharpers. The
stockholders were ruined, but the company made a profit of a clear half
million of dollars out of the infamous transaction. Legal proceedings
are expensive and tedious when instituted against such parties, and the
stockholders, rather than increase their losses by the outlay necessary
for a lawsuit, suffered the swindlers to go unmolested.

A certain stock broker, anxious to increase his wealth, purchased twenty
acres of land a few years ago in one of the Western States, and commenced
boring for oil. After a few weeks spent in this work, he discovered to