Allison. Ill. Aug. 12.

Dear Bro. Charley. Well Charley its been a long wile sence I wrote you a letter but 2 of the kids has had whopping cough and I been under the weather my self and I dont like to write when they aint nothing but bad news to write. The news aint no better now Charley but I guess youd think we was all dead if I dident write pretty soon. Well Charley theys been a few times in the last 2 mos. when I allmost wisht I was dead the way things has been brakeing for me.

If Grace had of pade a tension to me we wouldent of had no sick childern on our hands and I wouldent of been sick my self if the childern hadent because the trubble with me was laying awake nights lissening to them whopp and I couldent get no sleep for over 2 wks. so no wonder I give out.

They was a epidermis of whopping cough all a round town and Grace knowed a bout it and probly would of kept our kids in the house if I hadent said some thing to her a bout it and of coarse the minute I says she had better keep them in the house she swelled up and chaste them out the doors and left them run all a round the neighborshood. Well 1 day little Fred showed up with a bad cold and in a day or 2 he beggin to cough and then the little 1 catched it and Grace says we better send for the Dr. What for I says. We know what theyve got and theys only 1 thing to do and that is leave them cough there heads off till they get over it. But Grace says may be it wasent whopping cough but some thing worse. So I says Yes I suppose its hard to tell what they got from there simpsons. They been exposed to this here 1 disease and now there both coughing jest the way evry other kids been coughing all over town so I supose they got gout or some thing.

So Grace says supose your right for onct and they have got whopping cough what do we do for it. Nothing I says accept wisht we was deef. Well says Grace if Drs. cant do nothing for it why is it that other perants calls them in when there childerns got it. So I says it was because other perants probly had wifes that dident throw all there money a way on close and so 4th and then Grace beggin whinning a bout how carefull she was and how much she had saved up sence we bought the propty out here. So I says all right then go a head and spend what youve saved up on a Dr. to come and tell us it aint leppersy or the hoof and mouth disese that the kids has got. So she says I havent got no money but the way I saved it was not asking you for it. So I says all right get a Dr. that saves his money by not asking for none.

But wile I was down town she sent for the Dr. and he come and what do you think he told her. He says the 2 kids both had whopping cough and take good care of them and dont leave them run a round and expose other kids and he would drop in evry day and see how was they geting a long. So he come in prefty near evry day for 2 mos. and charged $1 and a ½ for lissening to them cough 10 minutes and I lissened to them 12 hrs. per day and got nothing not even sleep.

Well finely 1 morning I was seting at the breakfast table and all of a sudden I got dizzy and loggy and couldent eat nothing or even get up so Grace drug me in to the parler and lade me on the lunge and I had her call up the chief and tell him I couldent get down and then I ast her to call up the Dr. and she says he would probly drop in dureing the day so they wasent no use geting him to make a special call and charge for it.

Thats right I says call the Dr. for the kids when you know what theyve got but leave me lay here and die beffore the Dr. comes and you dont know weather Ive got heart disese or a stroke. She says I know what you got all right because you woke me up last night when you brought it home. I says what do you mean and she says you better cut out them banquits.

What do you know a bout that Charley a man cant take a glass of beer without your wife wants to send you to a cure some wheres. I guess you know that they aint enough in the world to make me sick but I had to lay there in aggony till the Dr. come in to see the childern in the p.m. and then he told me I was billius and he couldent of supprised me more if he had of said they was a war. He give me some pills and told me to take 1 evry hour with ½ a glass of water but I cut down the dose of pills evry time and dubbled the amt. of water.

The next a.m. I felt a little better but it wouldent never done to go to work or Grace would of pulled some more of that banquit stuff so I lade a round the house a couple more days but couldent get no rest on acct. of the whopping and finely I figgured out where Id be better off working so as I could sleep going in on the train back and 4th.

Well the Dr. sent in a bill the 1 of July and thats the time I ode for my intrust on my lone down to the bank and I had to borry off of the chief to pay the intrust and I desided to leave the Dr. wait a month for his and when the bill come the 1 day of August it was $6.00 more then the 1st 1 and we hadent seen him the hole month of July but he wrote that his bookeeper had made a misstake in the other bill.

And then 2 wks. a go Grace gets ast to a card party and says she aint got nothing fit to ware and I says wheres all the close you bought last winter and she says shes still got them yet but they was winter close and did I want her to roast to deth so I says you might as well roast is starve but she done the old gag of geting ready to cry and there gos $14.50 for a party dress. And the party where she gos to they play action bridge a game she dont know nothing a bout it and play for money to and she loose $2.45.

So you see why I havent wrote for a long wile Charley because I been waiting till they was good news to write a bout but I guess they aint no use waiting or you might probly die of old age beffore you herd from me. Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Aug. 29.

Brother Chas. Well Chas. here I am writeing to you again and it aint because theys any good news to write but to ask a favor of you Chas. Of coarse I know the liveing expences is high in N.Y. city but you havent had no sickness in your family and not buying no house so I thought may be you could help me out for a little wile in the way of a small lone.

I wouldent ask you Charley if they was any body else I could turn to but I all ready got a $100 dollars from the chief and cant bother him again and Graces old man is whinning a bout hard times and I guess hes a bout down to his last $50,000 dollars and you couldent pry him lose from a nichol with a crowbard so your the 1 I half to turn to and it aint much I want to get off of you only $100 to keep us going till we get some of our bills payed up.

If you leave me take a $100 till the 1st of Oct. it would be a grate acommadation and wile it wouldent put us on easy St. it would help us out a hole lot and I wouldent be worring all the wile a bout the bucher and groser. They talk a bout a detective haveing a soft graft Charley and I guess some people thinks all as we half to do when we want a $1,000.00 or so is walk up to some crook on the st. and tuch them but if theys any grafting going on amungst the detectives here in Chi they mannage to deal me out of it and of coarse you know I wouldent do nothing crookit or mix up in any thing that wasent OK and above the bords even if I was starving to deth.

Well any way Charley wear up against it and may be will half to forfit our house if some body dont help us out and as far is Im conserned I wisht we hadent never saw this propty or built no house because we havent had nothing but bad luck sence we left the south side. I hope you can help us out Charley to the extend of a $100 and I would promuss to give it back in Oct. a bout the 15 of the month and would be perfically willing to pay you intrust at 6 percent per annum though I guess you wouldent hardly stand for me doing that hay Charley.

Give my kindest to Mary. I guess you know how fond I am of Mary and evry thing else thats you and yours Charley.

Allison. Ill. Sep. 15.

Charley. Well Charley I supose you know your own busness best and Im sorry your up against it but I guess you aint no wheres near in the same fix like I been in for the last 5 mos. and I guess you know that if I could help you out I would do it. Im sorry you couldent see your ways clear to grant the small faver I ast off of you but we will forget it Charley and not say no more a bout it. Bygones is better forgot Charley and of coarse it wont make no diffrunts in my feelings tords you and Mary though I should think Mary could get a long a wile on the close shes got to help out a member of her own famly you might say. Its all right though Charley and we will forget it and say no more a bout it.

Graces old man thawed out and come threw with a couple $100 for Graces berth day and helped us out a lot but its jest chickens food with a man like he and he could of trippled the amt. with out never feeling it. Thats the way with some people the more they get the harder it is to pry it off of them. He aint got no wife to buy close for but if it aint that allibi its some thing else.

This would of been a grate time to have money Charley. I dont mean no small amt. like a $100 or 2 $100 but real money. Im in a position where I get tips on the stock markit strate from head quarters and heres jest the time when a man could clean up a bbl. of money and me with out a nichol you might say and wandring where the next months bills is comeing from. If I had of had 4 or $5,000 say this last month I would of trippled the money with out turning a hare and if I had of wanted to gambol that is buy on the margins instead of buying out rights Id of cleaned up enough to quit and live the rest of my life on the intrust. This aint no night mayor Im giveing you Charley but the strate stuff. But of coarse I wouldent run no wrist like buying on a margin but I would of boughten the stocks right out and held on to them until I got the tip to sell.

Some of the boys was lucker than me and a lot of them cleaned up good buying on the margins and they kept asking me why dident I get in and I had to tell them I dident beleive in gambolling with stocks though of coarse you couldent hardly call it gambolling when you buy right out because if the stock dont go up like they said it would still its worth what you give for it unlest it gos down a little and they aint no chance of that on the tips we been geting.

The stocks we been geting the hot tips on is what they call the war bribes and the reason they call them that is on acct. of the Co. that you buy there stock is makeing amunitions of war for the armys over in europe and of coarse the armys has to give them big bribes to get the work done.

The steal Cos. is the ones thats makeing the most money because they can make bullits and riffles and shells and so 4th but theys other Cos. to thats in on it like some of the automobile plants and boat factorys and so 4th. Of coarse there all chargeing hugh prices for the stuff they sell because they can get what ever they want and bessides theys danger in makeing them things because supose they was a french spy catched some factory makeing shells for the servias he would probly tell his country a bout it and theyd send some body over to blow up the plant with dinahmite.

Of coarse the factorys keeps there self garded pretty close and dont leave no strangers hang a round unlest they know them and so far they aint been nothing blew up to speak of and in the mean wile the factorys is working night and day and there stocks is sky high that is some of them and the rest of thems still low yet but bound to go up and it would be a grand time now for the few of us that knows a bout them to get in on the ground flr.

Look what bethleham steal done. A few mos. a go it was $.50 a share allmost nothing you might say. And now its up a round $500.00. Well supose a man had of knew a bout it and had a $100 dollars to spare. He could of boughten 2 hundred shares right out and now he would be worth a $100 thousend dollars. Pretty rotten hay Charley. I guess I wouldent never reffuse you no lone if Id got in on that and I probly would of to if I hadent of been flat broke at the time. But I wouldent call it no lone Charley but would give you the money for a xmas present.

And then theys Gen. Moders plant and hes makeing some thing for the war and I dont even know witch side hes on. There was an other stock that started a way down and now its up a round $500.00 a peace.

Theys any No. of stocks jest like them 2 thats sored way up in the last few mos. and then theys some more that aint started yet but is going to start just as sure as Im writeing this letter and here I am with out no money to get in on them with it. Its a crime Charley. I dont beleive in gambolling in the stock markit but they wouldent be no gambolling a bout this when you get the info strate from the front.

The chiefs cleaned up a bunch of money and hes after me all the wile to go in with him. Well I might may be dig up enough some wheres to go in on margins but I wont never do that and I havent no wheres near enough to buy right out. I wisht some body would come a long and offer me what I got in this here house and propty and you can bet I wouldent loose no time grabing them off. And when Id made my little pile in the markit I guess I could build a house that would make this 1 look like the ones little Fred builds with his blocks.

Well Charley Im sorry you couldent see your ways clear to help me out but they wont be no bad feelings between the 2 of us on that acct. and we will try and forget it.

Allison. Ill. Oct. 23.

Bro. Chas. Well Charley may be in a little wile from now we will be moveing out of here and buy a house on the L.S. and M.S. drive or some wheres. Im a stock exchange man now Charley and dont be supprised if you see in the papers where Morgan and Carmody and them fellows is borring money off of me and asking my advise a bout what to buy and so 4th.

Laying all jokes to 1 side I stand to make a pretty good peace of money say a bout a $1,000 and may be a hole lot more then that amt. but its pretty near a cinch it will be at least a $1,000.

The other day I figgured out where we was all out of dedt that is accept the intrust and paymunt on the house witch wont be do till Jan. 1 and Id payed back the $100 Id got off of him so I made it up in my mind that they wasent no use of me leaveing all these here war bribes get away from me so I got an other $100 off of the chief and ast Dick Harger what was the tip because Dick hangs a round up on Lasalle st. most of the time and he gets the good ones. So he says they was a tip out on crucial steal and maxwell commons and rumley so I says whats the prices of the diffrunt ones and he says I could fine out by looking in the paper.

Well I looked in the paper and finely found where they had the prices wrote down and I seen that rumley was the cheapest and of coarse a man would be a sucker to buy some thing that was 40 and 50 a peace when you could get a hold of some thing jest as good for 8. Only I thought that the 8 ment 8 cts. a peace and not 8 dollars but when I got up to the brokers office I found out that it was 8 dollars. So I only had a $100 dollars so I told Dick I couldent only buy a bout 12 and ½ shares of Rumley so he says I should ought to buy on margins because that was what evry body was doing so I says how many shares could I get for $100 on margin and he says I could get 10 shares and then whenever the stock moved up a pt. I would make $10.

The broker I was talking to a long with Dick was a nice fellow and wanted to know all a bout what kind of famly I had and how I liked Allison and so 4th and I told him I says I like Allison OK but it wont be good enough for me after Ive cleaned you up on this here rumley deal. So he jest laughed and I supose a broker gets so as he can loose money and laugh right a long but probly where 1 mans beating him out of money hes wining from some sucker so what the diffrunts.

Well I left him my $100 and I and Dick had a few drinks and then I lade a round head quarters till 6 and then I come home. I seen a evning paper on the way and the stock was still at 8 yet but it was yesterday p.m. when I bought it and it wouldent of hardly had time to sore beffore they closed up for the day. I dident tell Grace nothing a bout it but I will keep it for a big supprise from her and some day when Ive made my pile I will drop a neat little check in her lap.

This rumley is 1 of these here war bribes Charley and its a big factory down in Ind. some wheres and there going to make riffles for the war and of coarse when that gets out in the papers evry body will want some of the stock and thats what makes it go up. Dick says he wouldent he supprised if it went up to $25 a peace in a few days but you can bet I wont leave go of it at no such figgure but will hang on and supose it done what bethleham Steal done Charley and sored up to over $500 that would make me a bout $5,000 winner. Pretty sweet hay Charley.

But Dick says they aint no real chance of it going up that high and I will be OK if it tuches 100 and for me to sell out then and I will be $920 a head of the broker on the deal. I will hold on a day or 2 even after it gets to 100 and see weather it looks like it would go up some more and I dont see why it shouldent because 100 aint only jest par and allmost all the war bribes gos way up over par.

The way they work this margin busness they aint no chance for me to loose all my money. I seen that right a way and thats the reason I got this here rumley instead of crucial steal or maxwell commons because them 2 stocks is way up a round 40 or 80 and they could drop way down to nothing though of coarse they aint much chance of that but I figgured it was better to play safe.

But I was going to tell you a bout how they work the margins. You see a man pays $100 like I done and that gives him a 10 pt. margin. Then he dont half to worry a bout no more money to put up till the stock falls off 10 pts. Well you can see where I got them nailed Charley because the stock I bought wasent only $8.00 a peace and it couldent fall down 10 pts. because they aint room enough. See Charley. I guess the broker must of been thinking a bout some thing else when he left me have it.

Well Charley it looks like my lucks changed at last. Heres hopeing old rumley beats bethleham steals record hay Charley. Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Oct. 28.

Dear Chas. Well Charley old boy this stock markit games got working beat to deth and if things gos on the way they been going Im libel to tell them to take my job and jump in the lake with it and I wont do nothing else only buy and sell.

I told you a bout me geting a hold of 10 shares of rumley stock the other day and I payed $8.00 a peace for it and now where do you think its at Charley. Up to $14.00 all ready and that a raze of $6.00 in 5 days and that means $6.00 a peace and not $6.00 all to gather so with me haveing 10 shares that means Im $60.00 a head of the game. Hows that Charley $60.00 in 5 days. Thats $12.00 per day and with out me doing a tap of work. I guess thats better than plane close work hay Charley. Of coarse I havent no idear how high its going. It hasent realy got started yet and I havent saw nothing in the papers a bout the war orders the companys landed and when that news comes out theyll be a big rush for the stock and it will shoot up like a sky rockit a hole lot more then $12.00 per day probly. But I like to play safe so supose we say it dont only go up $12.00 per day. Well theys 365 days in a yr. and if Id hang on for a yr. that would mean Id be worth pretty clost to $4,500.00 You cant beat that for easy money Charley. I wisht you had some money to spare and you could male it out to me and Id buy some of the stock for you beffore it gets to high up. Id tip Graces old man off only hes got funny idears a bout investing and bessides he would probly tell Grace and I want to keep it for a supprise from her.

If you have got a little money say $100 that you want to run up in to some thing big send it a long and I will get some body to place it with the broker for you and I wouldent have the nerve to go in his office again my self because hes probly so sore at me by this time that he would want to fight and of coarse he couldent get nothing but the worst of it but Im not looking for no trouble. Im makeing money to fast. Bessides he probly would say I was a crook on acct. of me getting in on the ground flr. and would reffuse to sell me some more of the stock. But I could get some body else to place it or may be theys an other broker thats got a little of it.

Leave me know right a way Charley. The longer you wait the smaller your prophets would be. O you war bribes.

Allison. Ill. Oct. 31.

Brother Chas. Well Chas. the newspapers should ought to be forced to not print nothing that would effect the stock markit and this country would be a hole lot better off and no danger of panicks.

Here yesterday they go and print a lot of junk a bout a U.S. boat geting sank by a German boat and it looked like we was going to have strange rellations with the old country. What do you think of that Charley and not a word of truth in the hole story and bessides supose it had of been true there takeing a chance of runeing a man when they print it. And this a.m. they come out and print that it was a falts report and not true but in the mean wile the stock markit was all shot to peaces and evry thing went down bethleham Steal and Gen. Moders and crucial Steal and all of them. And rumley went a long with the rest of them because when 1 goes the rest gos even if they aint no reason why they should.

I bet I could sew the papers for dammages Charley and get a verdict to. But of coarse a man dont want to get in no jam with the papers when you hold a public office.

Well Charley rumleys got to start all over again and I figgure it will beggin to go up Mon. a.m. and then keep on going with out no more foolishness because the people will know enough to not beleive evry thing they see in the papers after this and they should ought to knew it a long wile a go. Instead of being $60 a head of the broker like I was when it was $14.00 a peace Im $20.00 to the bad but of coarse it aint only temperary and I guess the broker would be glad to give me a couple $100 now to call all bets off. No chance hay Charley.

Best rgds. to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Nov. 4.

Bro. Chas. Well Chas. Im out of the markit temperarly and it wont be long but only till I get a hold of some thing thats realy good and not no fliver like this here rumley stock. They wasent realy no war bribes a bout it Charley and that story a bout them geting them orders for riffles was a fake jest like the story a bout the boat geting sank.

I was looking for the stock to start going up again last Mon. but I seen a ticker at noon and instead of it going up it went down to $4. So I went a round that p.m. and seen the broker and if he give me the laugh I was going to bust him but he was OK a bout it and come to find out he wasent gambolling with me his self but jest acting like a go between between I and the man I was buying the stock from in N.Y.

So I talked with him a wile and I ast him what did he think a bout the stock and I allso had a letter from him that I dident understand what is was a bout so he says the letter was jest the reglar statemunt that they send out to there patterns evry month and he told me it was costing me so much per mo. for intrust for owning the stock and allso his ferm got a commision for handeling the stock so I says well do you think the stocks going up and he says he never give advise to no body but it dident look like it could go down much father. So I ast him did he think it was OK to hold on to it and he says well he dident think much of it because the Co. was in the hands of a reciever and wasent doing no war busness that he knowed any thing a bout.

So I seen where it would be a sucker play to hold on to the stock so I called him up next a.m. and told him to sell. Well Charley I thought I was going to get $4.00 a peace and wouldent only loose $40.00 but by the time he got a round to sell it it was down to $3.00 a peace so I loose $50.00 bessides a bout $6.00 extra for commission and so 4th and the $2.00 I give Dick Harger for the tip. What do you think of a man takeing $2.00 for telling you how to loose your money.

Well Charely Im laying low now and wont go in to nothing else till I get a good 1 strate from head quarters and then I will make my $56.00 back and a hole lot more with it. Anyway it wasent doing so bad for a man to only loose $56.00 the 1st time I tride the game. Im on to it now and wont make no misstake the next time.

Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Nov. 6.

Brother Charley. Well Chas. Im on a live 1 this time and 1 that aint no fliver and the way this 1 has been soreing I will have a neat little prophet probly beffore you get this letter. Its maxwell commons this time Chas. and it looks like it wouldent never stop going up.

This here is the same stock Dick Harger told me a bout it the time I bought the rumley but he dident know nothing a bout it but was jest guessing but this time I got the tip from a man that knows what hes talking a bout.

This here aint no cheap stock Charley but costs real money and it started out at $70.00 or some wheres only I dident get in on it till it was up to $85.00 and now all ready its up to $90. I got 10 shares Charley the same like I had of rumley but 10 shares of rumley wasent only worth $30 and the stock I got now is worth $900. Hows that for a diffrunts Charley.

Of coarse I couldent sell the stock now and get $900 because I dont own it right out but bought it on margins but Im $50.00 a head all ready or pretty near even on the other deal and the best part of it is that this here stock would keep right on soreing all the more if all the boats in the U.S. beggin to start tipping or was sunk because this here is a automobile stock and the lest boats they is to ride in the more people will half to buy automobiles.

The man that give me the tip says he dident think this here raze would stop short of $150.00 and that means Im pretty sure to make a prophet of $650.00 if I hold on. Well Charley I dont half to tell you I will hold on when theys that much money in site.

A man dont hardly feel right playing a cinch game like this but the stock markit took my $50.00 beffore so I guess I got a lisence to get back at them hay Charley.

Bro. Charley. This is a fine skin game Charley and a mans a sucker to mix up with a bunch of crooks like some of these here brokers. There worse then contrakters that builds a house.

I guess I told you a bout me buying this here maxwell commons at $85.00 a peace and I had to borry a $100 more off of the chief to put up for my margins and the stock went clear up to $92.00 a peace and I could of sold and made $70.00 but I thought of coarse it would sore up over par and may be way up to $150.00 so I held on and dident sell and then all of a sudden they was a story come out in the papers that a U.S. fish was dying of stumach ache or some thing and the hole markit gos down and the maxwell commons gos a long with the rest of them and yesterday she was down to $74.00 a peace and this here brokers office called me up on the phone and says they would half to have some more money. I says what for and they says for margins so I says you all ready got a $100 of mine over there and they says thats all ready wiped out so I says dont try no game like that on me or I will close you up tighter then Sunday.

So then the broker I know over there come to the phone and ast me would I come over and see him so I says yes I would and I went over there and he explained it out for me and says that my $100.00 was for 10 pts. and now the stock was more than 10 pts. bellow where I bought it at so I would half to come acrost with an other $100.

So I says supose I dont come acrost and he says well then you loose the $100 you all ready put up and you owe us $10.00 bessides not saying nothing a bout commision and intrust so I says if your neck wasent so small Id give you my shirt and he says you better not loose your temper a long with your money.

So then I seen they wasent no use quarling with him so I had to go to the chief and borry an other $100 and give it to the broker and of coarse Im safe with out no more putting up till the stock gos down to $65.00 and they aint no chance of that.

But its a fine game Charley where they can come a round and tap you when ever they feel like it and you loose a couple $100 evry time theys a american fish catched or took sick.

Well Charley shes still $74.00 yet today and that means Im $100 and 10 dollars out that is if I sold out now but Im going to hang on till she gets back to $85.00 where I bought it at and then Im going to sell and brake even and you wont never hear no more a bout me dubbling in stocks.

Grace was down in the basemunt this a.m. when I was fixing the furnice fire and she noticed how short we was on coal and all as we got left is a bout ½ a ton left over from last winter so she says you will half to hussle up and buy some more coal. I says yes I was going to order some and she says she would order it for me if I was in a hurry so I had to tell her to not bother a bout it because I thought I could get a better price if I ordered it my self. Fine chance we got of getting any coal hay Charley. They could be dead american fish all over the sts. of Germany with out the price of coal dropping and you cant buy it on no margins nether. I hope wear invited out a hole lot this winter so as we can get warm onct in a wile.

Rgds. to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Nov. 15.

Bro. Charley. Jest a short note Charley to tell you that Im threw with this stock markit game and they can take there war bribes and the rest of there stocks and build a bond fire with them only of coarse they would half to have bonds and not stocks for a bond fire. You see I can still joke yet and make others smile though I dont see nothing to smile a bout my self.

Well Charley the maxwell commons cost me just a bout $200. Instead of them going up they dropped to $67.00 and the broker called me on the phone again and says he would half to see an other $100. So I says if you can see an other $100 on me its time you consulted a octopus.

So he says what do you mean so I says I havent got no $100 and cant get no $100 so he says do you want us to sell you out so I says I dont care what you do so he says all right and hung up the phone. What do you think of a cheap stiff like that Charley after all the busness Id gave him and he wouldent carry me a long for a measely $100.

So they sold out my maxwell commons for $67.00 dollars a peace and you couldent buy supper for a flee on what they sent me back.

Im threw Charley and the next man that gives me a tip on the stock markit I will tip them hay Charley. I will tip them over on there ear.

Well Charley theys no coal in the basemunt and I owe the chief $200.00 and xmas is comeing and the 1 of Jan. they will be an other paymunt on the propty includeing intrust and Grace says her and the kids has all got to have new close. god knows I need new close to Charley but they aint no chance of me getting them unlest the chief sends me back to travvleing beat and gives me a uniform. Dont look for nothing from us this xmas Charley unlest its a invatation to my funaral.

Grace got a letter from her old man and hes comeing down from Milwaukee to spend a wk. with us. Thats a bout all as he will spend is a wk.

Rgds. to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Nov. 20.

Dear Bro. Charley. Well Charley I got some goods news for you this time and I guess you get a xmas present from us after all you and Mary both. I bet you’ll be supprised when you hear what I got to tell you and you can bet I was supprised when it come off.

I told you I guess that Graces old man was comeing to vissit us. Well he come last night and wile we was seting at the supper table he sprung it. 1st he says he realized that he hadent gave Grace enough for her berth day thats in Sept. and then he says he was waiting till he had some thing to give her that was worth giveing so then he reached down in his pocket and halled out a check and give it to Grace. Well I thought it was probly a $100.00 and she could get her self and the kids some close and may be have enough left over for a ton of coal but when Grace seen the check she screemed like she was shot and I run over to catch a hold of her beffore she fell out of her chair. The check was right where I could see it when I got over there and it was $3,000. There Charley hows that for a supprise.

But that aint all of it. After we had both of us huged and kissed the old man Grace ast him if he was sure he could spare that much money and I wouldent never of ast him that because it was takeing chances but he just laughed and says he guest he could aford it because he had cleaned up $30,000. Then Grace ast him did he sell his propty in Milwaukee and so 4th and he says No but I been corting the war bribes.

So Grace ast him what did he mean and he give us the story. He made $5,000 buying crucial Steal and sold it when it was up. But how he got the other $25,000 was the funny part. He went in a brokers office when bethleham Steal was $550 a peace and he had a hunch that it was going to drop and he pertended like he had 500 shares when he dident realy have a nichols worth. And he had to slip the broker $10,000 temperarly to act it out with him and him and the broker wired to a broker in Chi and says they wanted to sell 500 shares of bethleham Steal and mind you Charley they dident have none of it. But they were up to Milwaukee and the other broker was here in Chi so he couldent tell if they had it or dident have it. So he sold it some wheres at $550 a peace and in less then a wk. the price dropped down to $500 a peace and then what does the old man do but buy 500 shares at $500 and then he delivers it to the guy that bought it off of him at $550 when he dident have it.

You half to slip it to the old man to think of a thing like that and have the nerve to pull it.

I allways knowed he was there with the noodle and Im certunly glad to see him get the money because hes allways treated us grate.

But I wisht I knowed beffore that you could buy some thing with out haveing it and then sell it when you can get it cheap. Thats the best game of all Charley a specially when they dont no body know a bout it accept Graces old man and the broker up to Milwaukee and our selfs. Why you couldent help beating that game Charley and what I have left after my dedts is payed and the coal boughten and so 4th Im going to take it to some broker and let him in on the secret and I and him will get rich to gather.

Wait till maxwell commons gets up to $85 again and watch me sell it and pertend like Ive got some to sell. And I will do the same thing with rumley the next time she hits $14. Thats the way to trim them Charley and no chance of loss because supose you sold some rumley at $14 and then instead of going down she went up to $20 and stayed there you could jest say you thought you had some to sell but you cant fine it no wheres and it must of been stole. Grate chance theyve got to beat a man thats playing the game that way. O you war bribes. Hay Charley.

Rgds. to Mary.