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LAURA
But your appropriation will be slow in coming, won't it?
SELLERS
Slow in coming? No indeed. [What, with Dilworthy in the Senate? Why it was only the other day the Senator says to me, says he, "Colonel"—he will call me Colonel. Well he says, "why with you on the outside and with the aid of providence on the inside, we are sure of success.] But I'm not waiting for that. Oh! bless your souls, no. You know one doesn't go pow-wowing around letting everyone know what he's about. I've got some of the most gigantic speculations on hand. I have speculations that will startle the world. One in particular, [but I'm keeping quiet. Now come here—keep this to yourself—] Corn!
[LAURA & MRS. HAWKINS
Corn ?
SELLERS
Corn !] There have been some New York merchants here, talking to me about it. Now the idea is to buy up all the corn there is in the Country, hold it until the market matures, the boss the market. "There's millions in it." Millions. It will only take a trifle to get into it, two millions, or two millions and a half. I'll fix that . I haven't given the word yet, but the thing looks well, it looks well.
LAURA
What can you want better than that, Colonel?
SELLERS
Now Laura, what ever have I done to you, to justify you in imagining for one moment, that any half a dozen million will satisfy me? Corn is all well enough for a side speculation, something to occupy you for an hour or two as you're on the way down town in the morning, but when you want something with money in it, something that will astound the world —
(In a confidential way.)
Hogs!
(MRS. H & LAURA, simultaneously, "Hogs?")
Hogs. Now the idea is to buy up all the hogs in the country, shut down on the slaughter houses until the butchers come to our terms. "There's millions in it." Millions in it. [Why the hog market will become the greatest market in the world. Hogs?] Hogs will become jewelry.
(Turning to MRS. H.)
You'll be wearing a hog around your neck for a charm, sure! Instead of saying "There goes old what's his name, he keeps his [earnings]," they'll say, "there goes old Smith, look at him, he keeps his hog ." [There's millions in it.]
