A BOY SPECULATOR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 720, 4 February 1876, Page 3

A BOY SPECULATOR.

A New York paper contains an account of the extraordinary career of Charles Kuchel, the Californian “ boy speculator,” a boy of nineteen Kuchel, who was without capital or available means of his own, operated the stock market on a scale scarcely inferior to that of the ,l King of the Comstock,” or the chief magnates of Californiastreet. This adventurous and enterprising youth, a mere broker’s clerk, with no capital except his native audacity and craft, actually rivals in the magnitude of his stock transactions the veteran millionaires who are popularly supposed to control the market, make corners, and send stocks up or down according to their pleasure. His operations thus far ascertained during the first two weeks of last January amounted to 150,000 dollars, while during the months of May and June they figured up to the incredible sum of 840,000 dollars. Ills transactions from the beginning of the year to the 21stof July amounted to over 1,100,000 dollars. But these figures, strange as they may seem, only cover his sales and purchases through two brokers. He is known to have also operated through others, and the full extent of his stock dealings has not yet been ascertained. While carrying on business upon this magnificent scale young Monte Christo lived like a prince of the bluest blood. He drove bigbspirited trotters on the Cliff road, and is said to have been the owner of no less than three clashing double teams. He was gorgeously apparelled, fared sumptuously every clay, and had the best of everything going that could be obtained for money. Only a few weeks ago he sent his mother and sister off upon a European tour, and bis main solicitude when arrested seemed to be lest they should hear of his disgrace. A LAY SERMON ON INFLATED MEN. When we look at the men who have achieved some distinction in politics or in some other walk of life, and see them swelling and strutting like turkey cocks, how supremely ridiculous they appear in the eyes of thoughtful people. Take such a poor puffed-up blockhead and consider him scientifically. Who is he and what is he that he should thus parade himself before men and before “ high heaven” 1 He is nothing but a compound of heterogeneous materials. If he weighs 154 pounds he has in him 111 pounds of oxygen, 14 pounds of hydrogen, 21 pounds of carbon, and smaller cpiantities of such things as calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, etc., etc. This is indeed a great creature to be lifting up his head, swelling out his chest, strutting like a peacock, and talking like an otacle 1 Why, he is only made of the materials out of which the lower animals and the vegetables are made, and in order to sus tain life he has to eat, like a savage, of the food, animal and vegetable, that contains the same elements. Yet this is the great being that carries his head so high ! If men who have achieved success in life would exercise right reason, they would be bumble and thankful to heaven, and gentle and kind towards their fellow-beings, instead of putting on airs and waking arrogant pretensions. The truly great and good feel how littlo men are in all their greatness and goodness in the eyes of the all-wise and omnipotent Creator, and seek to carry themselves as if His eyes were always upon them. They are simpleminded, true-hearted, self-distrustful. They feel in their greatest achievements as Newton felt—like a child who is picking up a few pebbles on the shore of the great ocean of truth. But this picture of man does not please these puffed-up people, They prefer the picture drawn by Hamlet, and each one fancies that it is his own portrait: “ What a piece of work is man ! How noble in reason ! How infinite in faculties I In action how like an angel! In apprehension bow like a god I Tho beauty of the world ! The paragon of animals!” Men arc geese, women are ducks, and birds of a feather flock together.