A CORNER IN GUIDES.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 6905, 10 November 1887, Page 6

A CORNER IN GUIDES.

[By Luke Shahp.]

When Dr Bunts and I got into Chamonix there was a fine how-de-do. There was not a guide to be had except at the most exorbitant rates. This was an extraordinary state of things. An American, they told us at the office, had retained every guide for the next ten days, and a guide could only be had by applying to him. The tariff for guides is printed and posted at all the hotels, and a person knows just what he has to pay. If he wants to go up Mount Blanc the cost will be about 50 dols; if to cross the Mer de Glace the cost for a guide is nine francs; jto the Glacier dv Bossoms five francs, and ! so on.

Dγ Bunts told mc he had been at the office of the guides, but could do nothing. They were helpless. They said it would not occur again if they could avoid it Of course when a man retained a certain number of guides for his own use it was all right, but this American by the aid of some friends had managed to get a claim on all the guides for the next ten days, and he seemed to have no use for them, for they were standing around the hotel within call, but idle. When this state of things became plain to the doctor be was mad clear through. He went up to the balcony of the hotel to find J. Humphrey Potts, of Chicago, who had hired the guides. He found that gentleman sitting in a chair that was tilted back against the wall, while his feet were on the railing of the balcony. He was gazing serenely at the distant white dome of Mount Blanc that towered above the clouds.

" How do " said Mr Potts, as the Doctor appeared. " A new arrival, eh ?"

" Yes, sir," answered the Doctor, keeping his temper as well as he could. "I was told at the office that you had the hiring of the guides here. Are you going to be long in the business V

" Oh, no. It is of necessity only a short speculation. You see I came from Chiehago for my health. Health don't seem to get much better. I can't climb the mountains and don't know that I would care to if I could. Thought I would give the unsophisticated natives a few pointers on cornering the market. There is nothing to corner here except guides, can't Ret up a financial panic on mountains in this district. No, sir! market is too well stocked. So I bought so.ne few options in guides. I'm ahead so far in the deal. Some folks stayed three days rather than than take my terms, and every day I raised the market on them, and the third they took, the guides at three times the price they could have got 'em for the first day. Lost time and board, too. So, stranger, if you want a guide, take him right away. Price will be doubled tomorrow. Old Chicago may be in a flat country but she don't get left here, even if the hills are bigger than the knoll in Lincoln Park."

"Don't you think it's rather a mean swindle on visitors ?" said the doctor.

" Swindle V No, sir. Legitimate business. The guides are mine for ten days. If you want any of 'em you deal with mc, that's all. I take the risks of course. Supposing no visitors came to Ckamonix for that length of time, I would be out. I'm long on gnides, you're short, do you see ? If you want to stock up on guides you've got to do it at my figures. Just the same in wheat or pork, only in this outlandish place you can't get any wheat or pork to corner."

"'All right," said the doctor, " I'm on the other side of the market, and don't you forget it. I'm going to have a guide, and I'm going to have him at my figures too. Don't you forget that either."

"I won't," said Potts. "Ta, ta, old man."

The doctor bustled into the smoking room where I was sitting and said he had a scheme. He .was a great hand on schemes, the doctor was. Wβ got an interpreter and went up town. ' In less than an hour we had about twenty natives all provided with alpenstocks and with the connivance of one of the guides we changed them for a score of the real guides, who went back to the office leaving the bogus guides in their places around the hotel. At 6 o'tslock Mr J. Humphry Potts appeared on the porch in front of the Hotel Dcs Alpes and'marshalled his guides along the road. He counted them and found the count correct. Then he paid them their wages and told them to be there the first thing in the morning. Then he strolled into the hotel to see who wanted guides for the next day. Seeing a new face he strode up to the owner of it and said :

" Stranger, eh ? You'll want a guide tomorrow, I suppose. What can I do for you?' .

" I'm obliged to you," said the stranger frigidly, "but I have engaged my guide for to-morrow."

"What's that? Where did you get him? You couldn't have done it sir."

"Did it nevertheless," said theetranger, turning on his heeL"

Potts then met the Doctor, who was joy• fully rubbing his hands. :

" Guess the corner's broken, Chicago." " Not if I know it." " Everybody seems supplied with guides all the same. I have two myßeif."

Potts hurried up to the office. He found that nineteen had been engaged and that one was at his service. He at once hired that one, and said he would take the other nineteen as scon as their day was out. Some had been taken for several days however, and all he conld do was to secure the remainder of their time up to his own limit of ten days.

Next morning ye all went on our several excursions. The Doctor got back before six o'clock, and at about the time the diligences arrived from Geneva. He exchanged fifteen spurious guides for the real article, and as the released guides went towards the office he advised each new comer that guides were very scarce, and that they had better secure theirs «t once.

At 6 o'clock Pofcte paid off bis guides again. One citizen of Switzerland was to him very much the same as another, and as long as a Swiss peasant had an alpenstock in his bandsPbtts seemed to "believe he was a guide.

Next morning when- J. Humphry Potts saw all those who had come in the diligences go off toward the glacier with guides, he "was simply wild. He now realised that Che doctor was on the other side of the market, and that if this thing kept on for another day his corner was gone. He went Tip tp<the office and said that-if any more gardes/came in he wanted them, no matter hpw many there were. They insisted that in that case he would have to deposit aeoffkaent sum in-advance to protect the office, from loss. To use his •own expression he put up the necessary ins/gin. "Whea tbe-doetor heard this he con«Vudedtbgointotne guide business himself. .There were«©iriy a few genuine guides in Potts' employ, but those he got out in the usual mannerly substitute and next evening when the. diligences arrived he gave.' out that if guides could not be had at the office or at the regular rates from Potts he would be pleased to supply them at no advance on the usual market price. This broke thfrcorner. Mr Potts, of Chicago, went to the office and gave upiu&guides. They insisted thathe; should pay for the remainder of the ten days. This be refused to do and the boycot was promptly applied to him. The hotels refused to give him shelter, and he could not hire anything that would take him out of Cbamonix. The nearest railway was at Martigny, almost a day's journey with a two-horse team. So Mr Potts bad-to come to time. He paid up according tocontract.

" Welled man," said the genial doctoricordially, "speculation don't seem to flourish as well in the Alps as it does in Chicago."

J "No, it.don't;" said Potts sadly. "ThiaM pcoontry is-too uncivilized, £a*3ias:4t"

- Not a cenV Mid M Then why ahoald you spend time *nJ "Well, to the first p!aee ft business when I found I could guide except at double the ordinary SSL* Secondly, I hate a when & man sees a corner ifc human nature that if he is not faTtTu , would try to break it, but erf,!*? reason is the strongest of all." " I'm from St. Lonia," replied the docte.