A New-York commission agent, who has connections all over the world,
receives a telephonic message from Texas to sell 100 bales of
"futures". At the same moment, he receives a cable to buy a 100 bales
of "futures", both orders equalize each other, the execution is easy, a
few words on the telephone, a cable, a letter, and the business is
done. Such transactions are daily occurrences, they leave no particular
impression, nor call for any deep thought. And yet, it is very
interesting to probe deeply to find the origin of this business. A
planter in Texas has worked hard for six months with his entire family,
to raise his cotton crop. In the early days of Spring, the ground had
to be cleared and ploughed to prepare it for the seed. Then comes the
time of sowing, and soon afterwards, the weeds require attention.
Hardly have these been uprooted, when the injurious insects make their
appearance, they are destroyed by artificial means. Over and over
again, the fields require most careful attention, till, at last, the
cotton begins to ripen. In the broiling sun it is picked, and only
then, the planter is sure about the out-turn of his crop. The prices
are favorable at the moment, and he makes his calculations. For extra
help, he had spent so much, and for the frugal life of his family and
himself, a further amount was required, but the account was all right.
If he could obtain the present price for cotton, he could pay for
everything, and have a margin to the good. He decided to secure the
price by giving the afore-mentioned order.
In the family of a landed proprietor in Hungary, was joyful excitement,
the daughter of the house had become engaged to be married. The wedding
was to take place soon, and the question of the trousseau was
discussed. This, resulted in a visit to a merchant in a neighbouring
town, who discovered that his stocks had run too low for the reputation
of his business; at once, he gave a commission to the wholesale
merchant, who, in turn, sent a considerable order to the manufacturer.
Thus it goes on, till finally, the mill that spins the yarn, buys the
cotton in Bremen, where the merchant cables New-York, to cover the
"futures". The business, so unconcernedly done in New-York, had deep
lying reasons, which never came within the vision of the commission
agent. In a similar manner, the world's transactions are governed. We
do not look beyond our own particular horizon, we take what the minutes
bring us, without troubling our sluggish mind for the "whys" and
"wherefores". Nothing, however, is done in the world's eternal circle,
without cause and effect. Should our mental capacity be able to grasp
every transaction in its entirety, we should see, that a never ending
thread connects all of us who live and work.
When the thread is broken, disorder and confusion replace the
organisation, that is as finely balanced as the delicate works of a
clock, and endless trouble is required to piece the thread together
again.