A YOUNG MONTE CEISTO.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 420, 16 October 1875, Page 4

A YOUNG MONTE CEISTO.

Dumas’ wild story of the adventures of Monte Cristo has been generally regarded as an example of the utmost extravagance of romance. But the plain, unvarnished history of the career of the boy speculator, Charles Kuchel, as revealed to the public,discloses features scarcely less extravagant and incredible than the strange and high-wrought fiction of the French novelist. Here we have a boy of nineteen, without capital or available means of his own, going into the stock market and operating on a scale scarcely inferior to that of the “ King of the Comstock,” or of the chief magnates of California street. Ihis adventurous and enterprising youth, a mere broker’s clerk, with no capital, except his native audacity and craft, actually rivalled in the magnitude of his stock transactions the veteran millionnaires who arc 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 150,000d015, while during the months of May and June they figured up to the incredible sum of 840,000 dols. His transactions from the beginning of the year to the 21st of July amounted to over 1,000,000 dols. 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 Cristo lived like a prince of the bluest blood. He drove high spirited trotters on the Cliff road, and is said to have been the owner of no less than three dashing double teams. He was gorgeously appareled, fared sumptuously every day, and had the best of everything going that could be obtained for money. There was nothing niggardly about this precocious prodigal, if he lavished his money freely it was not all expended upon himself and his individual pleasures. Only a few weeks ago he sent his month and sister off upon a European tour, and his main solicitude when arrested seemed to be lest they should hear of his disgrace.