America’s Last Emperor: Sherman

Chapter Ten

“Sherman’s Bank”, Lucas, Turner & Company building (center) in 1906.

January 15th, 1853

Norton threw the newspaper down on his roll-top desk in exasperation.

It was a month since he’d negotiated a contract for two hundred tons of rice at twelve cents a pound. The day after he had signed that contract, another boatload of unmilled rice came in and was sold for eleven cents a pound. Norton expected that someone…