ce and the darkness which ever rests over the lower city after
seven of the evening, was broken by the blaze of gas-light from a hundred
windows, and the footfall of clerks hurrying from a hasty repast back to
their desks. Until long after Trinity bells pealed out the dawn of a new
day, men bent over their books, scrutinized the Clearing-House statement
for the morrow, took what thought was possible for the future. At the
Gold Exchange Bank the weary accountants were making ineffective efforts
to complete Thursday's business. That toilful midnight, at the close of
the last great passion-day of the bullion-worshippers, will be ever
memorable for its anxieties and unsatisfying anguish.

[Picture: BROAD STREET ON BLACK FRIDAY.]

"Saturday brought no relief. The Gold Board met only to adjourn, as the
Clearing-House had been incapable of the task of settling its accounts,
complicated as they were by ever fresh failures. The small brokers had
gone under by scores. The rumors of the impending suspension of some of
the largest houses of the street gave fresh grounds for fear. The Stock
Exchange was now the centre of attraction. If that yielded, all was
lost. To sustain the market was vital. But whence was the saving power
to came? All through yesterday shares had been falling headlong. New
York Central careened to 148, and then recovered to 185.75. Hudson
plunged from 173 to 145. Pittsburgh fell to 68. Northwest reached 62.5.
The shrinkage throughout all securities had been not less than thirty
millions. Would the impulse downward continue? The throngs which filled
the corridors and overhung the stairway from which one can look down upon
the Long Room saw only mad tumult, heard only the roar of the biddings.
For any certain knowledge they might have been in Alaska. But the
financial public in the quiet of their offices, and nervously
scrutinizing the prices reeled off from the automaton telegraph, saw that
Vanderbilt was supporting the New York stocks, and that the weakness in
other shares was not sufficient to shadow forth panic. It soon became
known that the capitalists from Philadelphia, Boston, and the great
Western cities had thrown themselves into the breach, and were earning
fortunes for themselves as well as gratitude from the money-market, by
the judicious daring of their purchases. The consciousness of this new
element was quieting, but Wall street was still too feverish to be
repo