finally secured my first order.

It was given to me by Mr. J. A. Bostwick personally, and the order
was so large I could scarcely believe I had captured it. This was
the entering wedge, and throughout the year, although not getting
more than a very small proportion of the business, I succeeded in
selling occasionally to all of the refiners.

The other incident was even more important in its results, for it
was the commencement of intimate relations with the important firm
which stood at the head of the trade.

This firm had up to that time shown a decided favoritism for my chief
competitor, but this feeling changed in consequence of investments
in a mining stock, both by the firm and by its most active individual
member, which they had been led into through the influence of my
competitor.

The investment proved disastrous, resulting in losses of more than
a hundred thousand dollars, and though this sum was insignificant
to people of such large wealth, the feeling of bitterness aroused
was most acute.

My competitor had for many years as a Boston correspondent the
firm of W. B. Tatnall & Company, and through it a large business
was done with the Boston dealers; but the most important phase of
this connection was the fact that Tatnall controlled the selling
of a certain commodity imported in large quantities by a Boston
firm, and of which the leading firm in New York was the largest
buyer.