"Well," said Mr. Dooley, "I thought it was McKinley an' Hobart that
won out, but I see now that it's McKinley an' Prosperity. If Bryan had
been elected, Humanity would have had a front seat an' a tab. Th'
sufferin's iv all th' wurruld would have ended; an' Jawn H. Humanity
would be in th' White House, throwin' his feet over th' furniture an'
receivin' th' attintions iv diplomats an' pleeniapotentiaries. It was
decided otherwise be th' fates, as th' Good Book says. Prosperity is
th' bucko now. Barrin' a sthrike at th' stock-yards an' a hold-up here
an' there, Prosperity has come leapin' in as if it had jumped fr'm a
springboard. Th' mills are opened, th' factories are goin' to go, th'
railroads are watherin' stocks, long processions iv workin'men are
marchin' fr'm th' pay-car to their peaceful saloons, their wives are
takin' in washin' again, th' price iv wheat is goin' up an' down,
creditors are beginnin' to sue debtors; an' thus all th' wurruld is
merry with th' on'y rational enjoyments iv life.
"An' th' stock exchange has opened. That's wan iv th' strongest signs
iv prosperity. I min' wanst whin me frind Mike McDonald was
controllin' th' city, an' conductin' an exchange down be Clark
Sthreet. Th' game had been goin' hard again th' house. They hadn't
been a split f'r five deals. Whin ivrybody was on th' queen to win,
with th' sivin spot coppered, th' queen won, th' sivin spot lost. Wan
lad amused himsilf be callin' th' turn twinty-wan times in succession,
an' th' check rack was down to a margin iv eleven whites an'
fifty-three cints in change. Mike looked around th' crowd, an' turned
down th' box. 'Gintlemen,' says he, 'th' game is closed. Business
conditions are such,' he says, 'that I will not be able to cash in
ye'er checks,' he says. 'Please go out softly, so's not to disturb
th' gintlemen at th' roulette wheel,' he says, 'an' come back afther
th' iliction, whin confidence is restored an' prosperity returns to
th' channels iv thrade an' industhry,' he says. 'Th' exchange 'll be
opened promptly; an' th' usual rule iv chips f'r money an' money f'r
chips, fifty on cases an' sivinty-five f'r doubles, a hard-boiled egg
an' a dhrink f'r losers, will prevail,' he says. 'Return with th' glad
tidings iv renewed commerce, an' thank th' Lord I haven't took ye'er
clothes.' His was th' first stock exchange we had.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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