John Gray was an exemplary father and husband, a good neighbor, and, in a small way, generous and charitable; but in his larger dealings with mankind he was a moral idiot, without conscience or perception. The world is no better for his life; the youth of the land are the worse for his example of successful scoundrelism, and those who wish well to their country and their kind, will have a right to stand beside his coffin and thank God that he is dead. “I suppose,” said Mr. Arnold Claybank, “that we all understand the general outlines of our project, and that this meeting is for the purpose of talking over details.” “Our purpose,” said Mr. Wolf, “of I gomprehent it, is to use the bower dot we haf in our hants, to make for ourselves about fifty millions of tollars apiece. Is not dot apout vot it vas, eh?” “We need not, I think, discuss that question,” said Gray suavely. “Exactly,” said Claybank. “Now I propose that we list the securities which we shall place in our pool, at the closing quotations of the Stock Exchange to-day, each one of us being credited with his contributions. The stocks contributed will aggregate in value about $150,000,000, at present market prices, and, as nearly as possible, will be contributed by us equally. It is also understood that the stocks and bonds placed in the pool will constitute the entire holdings of each and all of us, in that class of property. Am I correct?” “Quite so,” said Mr. Gray. “Dot is also my unterstanting,” said Wolf. “Very well,” resumed Claybank, “these securities are to be placed in the offices of different brokers, and turned into cash as rapidly as possible without breaking the market. The public will, I think, take them easily in a week, for the market is rising, and permanent as well as speculative investment is in order.” “Ont then we lock up the gash for which we sells the stock, ain’t it?” said Wolf. “Not immediately,” rejoined Claybank, “it must be left in the banks in the usual channels for a time, or there will be no money for them to loan to the buyers of stocks. Having sold our own securities, we will next proceed to sell short at ruling prices to as large an extent as possible.” “Your plan is admirable,” said Mr. Gray. “We will next arrange at the banks for borrowing all the money that they can spare without suspending payment, and we will compel them to withdraw all loans now out. Through our joint and separate control of, and influence with, the officers and directors, we ought to be able to borrow in this city, and in Boston and Philadelphia, as much as $150,000,000, which, added to $150,000,000 received from sale of our stocks, will give us control of $350,000,000 in cash.” “Will dey loan so much as $150,000,000 even upon the personal security of such men as we?” said Wolf.