always endeavoring to make them more interesting and occasionally
receiving brief letters in acknowledgment.

This one-sided correspondence continued for several months, then I
wrote that we purposed forming a London connection and would much
prefer to do so with their firm if open for it. If not, we should
of course be compelled to cease our advices and make an arrangement
with some other firm.

As I had hoped, the taste of our quality had encouraged an appetite
for more, and after brief negotiations an arrangement was entered
into by which we controlled the firm's business in the American
markets.

It proved a very profitable arrangement for both firms.

With this London connection secured I had taken the last step
necessary for doing business on the broadest scale.

The wheel had been built starting from the hub, the tire was
elastic, and as the spokes lengthened the circumference became so
large that we were gathering force with each revolution and all
the business in sight was coming our way.

Up to this time I had done nothing in the way of seeking speculative
customers and I now began to think seriously of doing so.

The field was large, the only difficulty was to get people who had
been accustomed to speculate in grain, cotton, and petroleum to
try a new commodity. I knew the opportunities for money making,