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Maps, platas. charts, ate. may ba fllmad at diffarant reduction ratloa. Thosa too larga to ba antlraly included in ona axpoaura ara fllmad baginning In tha uppar laft hand cornar, laft to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Lea cartas, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre filmte A des taux da reduction diff Grants. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est film* A partir da I'angle supAriaur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'Images nAcessaire. Las diagrammes suivanta illustrant la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 ' 4 5 6 \B TOROKTO PUBUC LIBRARY /A -a I4 THE X-IFE OF James Fisk, Jr.. riGixo A PULL AND ACCURATE NARRATIVE OF AL'j THE ENTERPRISES IN WHICH HE HAS BEEN ENGAGED, TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF HIS TRAGIC DE^TH, &o. TORONTO: T»TTBLI«3I3:BID TQ-R the XmA.I5B, ft 1872. i ■M m THE LIFE dr James Fisk, Jr.. BSIMO A FULL ALU ACCURATE NARRATIVE OF ALL THE ENTERPRISES IM WHICH HE HAS BEEN ENGAGED, TOGBTHEB WITH 1 AN ACCOUNT OF HIS TRAGIC DEATH, y^-^-U.Uv ■',*-P^ '-t"- . ,, V ';■■;; ■■.. ■ ':.'.• <'"i- T0R0"N1 : ISI^'. 1872, ■'{-*>'•.. '* **-;7Vi, i>*» V.'-M'tT". s»Ui'?'!;Tf:^ »«; ii|»»/AXf;^ 5«^ ^ sse irUi* <■.:«,.€* ■■■Si: *:r , y ■-« vjL aA\_I ^.1 X X X JfO . ,.HL ,y!?Ji ^31" A J. 9K)A»' *. HI clioi.h,. I Ci. *;» I J 2^ J Ktxvf aajnaeor r .HTASa OIOAKT aiH '^. ... .i/lUOJJA Mf A nr" , OTKOHOT - \-" \ it--' St I ■■ V r .- .(-■■' ?ui« «i< Ypl/,s ,;?.S^ufifr (fi Mop 1!*» \nu 1.) tiU-k ■"Td • r*^.". AMES THE LIFE Q,F .{; >!it! fjiifi uirsd muoot ift <.i'i.">nli ;-) ,y»t>i.!.''ii '^ivfyilii CHAPTER I." H I '!)!iilo OWi -,. ..cU \\i FiSK, JUN. »>4 tii lku?iv:^tr ulf JitJjs .f(^ ' James Fisk, Jr., was bom ia th3 historie town of Bennington, in the southwestern part of Vermont. At the time of his birth his father peddled from this point as a centre, visiting the adjacent county in all directions with on« of those carts which W«re much more frequent before the revo- lutions produced by i-ailroads than they now are, being a small variety store upon wheels and carrying nearly everything that a rural commnnlty ordinarily purchased; from a silk dress to a jewsharp. While the ion was still a small child thQ father moved across to the east side of the Oreen Monn- tains and established the base of his opera- tions at JBrattleboro, in the sontheMtem «om«r of the State, on the Oonnec- ticut lUver. It was here in dtie of the loveliest spots iii the "Switzerland mAiler stage, the same. litriki ing.tnito which :ias|teA|m,ao jcanapkaaBa MWrSnd exhibittd sbUUiesio ttsrksdss to lead to his being called to other and larger spheres of action. Should vbu enter the Revere House at Brattleboro and casually reinark to the affable clerk, **I believe this is the town that has the honor of having produced Jim Fisk ?" he wUl answer you. " Kes, this is the very house where be used to live. Hu father built it, and sometimes used to run it himself when a satisfactory tenant could not be found. Jim himself used to wait . on table in that ro«>m right in there," pointing to a room beside the oflBoe, now uied as ihe general room for reading, writ- ing, private conversation; etc. Tou will at once perceive that you have touched upon a subject in wttiQh your interlocutor takes ir.uoh interest, If not pride, and about #hieh he delights to talk. He will lead the way to the room ptevionsly designat- ed as the scene of Jim's flnt services to the public in the capacity of gmreon, the char- Soter in which he vented his first puns and Ijint (fwprKB, theieby rendering himself no small favorlie with Ae guests. Tour at- tention win here be called to one of the walls of the rbdm, new btoome a " Neptu- ndanwaU" or skind of " Post's Oorner," being set spsrt for a collsctionof memo- rials and soutsidn of itshsro, consisting of the caetooQs and Qsriaaturss which hays sppeaiBd from time to time illustra- tive of tlM vsrions^frisodss of his osreer— the whole fonfting* not unUttsreitimc spie» told in jnqgh legendsiT art of the .Pre- Raphaelite type, SBdimskiii^iiiiite s unfqns adornment £ut:tiieie isone piece in the eoUficUon^ ione dispter in ^e stiocy thus told».thstifoaldn(nv undeuhtsdly have for the wOlrldiSt hnglB Simuoh-gniter.intorest tfaah aU the i«sk It is the sttiaUest sttl ddssiintheeoUselidii. Itjls of Ifr.FiSfc's owta.d«i:gs^ snd wjis.>^snotttsd st Us Owls oideBsna eximiiie iiihUessi|rfli tnrai aptituae for it that hn father soon consented to let him have acartby himself and make trips alone over some of their routes. A very few of these trips sufficed to show the son the better pedler of the two. By this di^sion of thebr labor, acting upon separate Imes, the amount 6f thtit sales, was greatly increased, and it was ndt long befon the father gave the •on an interest in the business. He then Immediately began to manifest the traits which havr been so striktej; Ihroughout his career and make hhn so conspicuous at the present time. The carts were more Sudily painted, more spirited horses were Iven and more showy harnesses were used. But the conservative nature and old-fashioned notions of the father repress- ed these inclinations and greatly hampered their full play. It was not long before their ideas as to the proper manner of con- ducting their busmess were radically difler- ent and inharmonious. The son favored great innovations and an extension of their operations, while the father was naturally contented with things us they were and regarded the schemes of Ji^mes as boyish, wild and all non- senk;. Dissalisfled with this state of things and impatient of the restraint which his father exercised over his burning am- bition and projects, James, Jr.. as the easiest remedy for all his dIfBculties, and as the best and most effective way of set- tling all their cifferences, boldly proposed to buy out bis father's interest in the busi- nefs, hot's it himself with undivided au- thority and conduct it wholly in accord- ance with his own ideas. Satisfactory terms were offered, a bargain -^m struck on the spot, Flsk senior came down from the cart as a partner, and remounted it as his son's hired man at a very liberal salary. In- stantly the whole appearance and or- ganization of things was changed as if by magic. The sole proprietor now deter- mined to extend his operations, employ several men and send them out with carts as branches of his establishment, and re- duce the business to a regular organized system. Two new four-horse carts, the most elegant that could be procured, one for himself and tb« other for his father, rephiced those they had ueen vming. Eight horses, the most showy and spirited that could be obtained in the region famed for the finest "Blackhawks "and " Morgans," were secured for them ; and harnesses of the finest material with the most elegant and glittering mountings were made ta order to be in keeping and complete the turnout The carts used by his subordir nates, though of course much smaller and less pretendbig than these two grand estab- lishments, were yet all after the same neat style, much more elegant than those ordi- narily used by pedlers and such as to give a proper reflection of the grandeur of thft resplendent central orb. When every tJiing was ready for the first camiMai^ under the new regime, and all were drawn up together ready to start at the word of oomnumd,the quiet vlllagera of Battleboro,— those who had ever been the playmatee of the youthful commander, «r given 'him a bloody nose in boyhood'a tettkt; UioM whc had Mt roood Um hotel Are with Um many a winter •renlDg whittling tUoki uid getUiur off glDM ; his UBt litU« innb-noMd . fM with whom he had Mt on the tront aeftt In the little lohoolhoiue and plaved puzzles with one eye on the teacher ana to whom he had written and slyly passed along many such communluatlons as, " & 1 du me this er sum, look out not ter •let ole spees keoh yew duln U ur he wil swot my ers J, F, Jr, p s 1 Iut yew un ma 1 So hum with yew arfter skool ter nite ;" lose who had always spelt him down to the foot of his class on such words as ped- ler, cart, honor, modesty, shame, and Judge, which he always spelt pudlur, kart, onur, mudesty, sham ana Jug; those who had seen him tumble down and bump his nese In his flnt effbrte to stand alone and walk ; the young and the old— all crowded round In their garb of many cuts and colors, with eyes ana mouth agape In mingled admiration and amazement and feeling not a little pride that the very neatest thing they had ever seen before, even in the grand procession of Dan Rice's circus entering the yillage with the great brass b*Qd In a gorgeous chariot at the head, was now so. completely eclipsed by their own modest little town. When the eyes of his fellow towns-people had gloated and been dazzled by a minute inspection of every detail and he had drank sufficiently deep of the glory of the occasion, the great lion of &e hour mounted his grand cart, drew up the reins over his four ner- vous steeds, brought a graceful flourish of his long whip to an end in a loud snap and dashed out of the village of quaint beauty followed by his glittering retinue. James Fisk, Jr., had created the first of his long series of grand sen8ations.How vast have been the contributions levied from many fields to feed the over-growing flame lighted by that early scene in his vil- ^ lage home, the world knows but too well ; but in all the many grand toAleatix of which he has been the central figure— whether as admiral, resplendent in gold lace; as colonel, the centre of a sunset paeeant at Long Branch, or astride his mettlesome charger leading his regiment of braves up Broadway ; or as impresaarto in his private box, or standing at the head of the grand entrance staircase m his marble palace as the throng flow in and out on successful nights in his theatre, the largest «nd most bnlliantly gilded in America— it is doubt- ful if he has ever tingled in every tiniest nerve with such a keen relish of gratified pride and self-importance as on that bright morning when those whom he had always kiiown gathered around him In their homely attire— perhaps the most respept- able, honett, and worthy Oompany ha haa ever draws together. Tht keen and d** lldons edge m the fliat a^lqvment was more than suflctont to connterbalanM tht grander proportions of each Noceedlng !•• petition, and, moreover, there was a genuineaeaa and sincerity in that first d»> monstration, while a mawkish curiosity and a smile of contempt have been the of new stock, etc. Bome large town on the railroad, to which new goods could be ordered In advance to meet them from market, was always selected for the weekly rendezvous. The time from Saturday to Monday was devoted to balancing accounta refurnishing supplies, mapping out the courses and gi^ng directions for the ensu- ing week. The smaller carte were sent out Hs skirmishers on either side to visit the more secluded regions and smaller vil- lages, the main lines of travel and larger towns being reserved for the visitations of tUe two larger .and more imposing estab- lishments. The amount of business done and the account sales for each week under this plan of operations were many thnes as large as those of an 'ordinary country merchant. Indeed, manv of the latter class of tradesmen bought much of their stock of Mr. Fisk instead of going or sending to market themsdves, :io that he was in reality, and to no small extent, what his card announcad— a ** Jobber " in the trade. ■:.Lki .U^- •■-■i.,> ^■\':.' ^„gti^\ -Jills. v-?« •■l.'«j.' i'^ji.--* ■•■.r.-'^ 'iy "" Wiirn on the road in th«M trip* he al- wtya Oi I TO in a daahing atyle at the rate of ten milea aa boar, ana never failed to at traet evfrybody'a attention. Men work- ing In the Held reetcd from their toll to watch him aa he paraed ; the inmates of erery bonae ran to the wlndowi to catch a light of tihe grand tumo^t, and held np theh- babiea to look and ceaae crying. As he came flying into a village and drew np at a atore or taTem, all the children f(athtired ronnd at once to gase n admiration-— every boy reaolviog that when he grew up to be a man he would have iu« anch a cart and go ped- dling, eviery girl feeling sad at the mistor- tune which uint her ont from all the plea- sure of the same ambition and resolve, and left her only the cold comfort of vowing it should be a man who looked and did just like Ihat she would have (or het husband. Country lasses peered coyly through the shutters or from behind the curtains, won- dering if he would call at their house, their innocent hearts rising to the mouth and falling back again with the altemv tionaof tncreasing prospect or partins hoite. The women admired, men envied, and were deferential, and he in turn was gracious and affable, always jo- cose, scattering pennies and candy among the children, bewitching smiles among the swect-slxteens, and consterna- tion among their mammas. In a word, he was a great gun generally— the biggest gun ever seen in the towns he visited. And now that he is so famous and his early career is known to thousands by hearsay quite as well as by those who witnessed it, it is surprising how many there are in eveiy town within a hundred miles of which he ever travelled in those days who have a most vivid remembrance and give Che most minute description of Just how he looked, and tho appearance and sensation lie used to mak»when he droye by on their r6ad, though he never set foot in the town. It is the fashion with certain journalists to refer to this period of Mr. Flak's life in a ■neering tone, as though it implied disgrace or discredit, and to indulge little flinvs about " peddliig shirt buttons," etc. T£e sneer is a mean and unwan-anted one, and destroys the force of whatever is said in connection with it by disclosing an un- worthy animue and a disinclination to "give even the devil his due." There mav have been some dealings on a petty scale in hia business at this time, as there are in the dealings of nearly every trades- man in the wond, not excepting those whose palatial storw cover acres ofground employ armies of derks, and constitute an object of pride to the largest city on the oontinent, ts bdng without aa eumi in the world. There is more patty dealing ia the business of nineteen ^out of every twenty tradesmen in the world than thire was in Mr. Fisk's peddling business, so the fling cast at him applies with ffiMter force to them, and should be used cmly when it la int«nded to express contempt for all tradesmen as a olas»— athing whl^ the said journalists would not dare tod*. The influence of such a tralnhig upon th^ mentali mural and social traits u nndonbl- ediy very different from that exerted by a college course and the liberal professions; but if this be a fault or Just cause for a sneer, it applies to the vast minority of men— including many great journalists as well ; and certain it is that if all the little affairs in the past private life of certain exceedingly snobbish " renegade English- men," who seem to take most delight hi these flings, and thhik there is great force and virtue in them, were laid baro to the public they would be much more obnoxious to sneers and have much greater cause for mortification than has Mr. Fisk for anything in his Brattleboro record. There is no other period of his career so free from taint, so much to his credit. He drove the beat bar- gain he could, as do all tradesmen, for that is their business ; but no charge of unfair dealing was ever made against him at this time. It is but fair to accept the opinion entertained of a man by thoee with whmn he has lived and dealt and who know him most intimately; and when Mr. Fisk left Brattleboro no damaaing reputation or gossip attached to his name, but he left be- hind him a good record in all his relations to life and socie^. It is as unjust as it is unnecessary to fling mud upon such a re- cord for anything that has since happened. ffV. .rt'j V CHAPTER II. THE BOSTON DRT GOODS eLKBK— THB GOVBRNMBNT CONTRACTOR— ADMITTBD TO THE FIRM OF .JORDAN, HARSH, & CO. A MONOPOLY- -RUNNINO COTTON THROUOH THE LINES— IKCOMPATrBIIilTIES— HE HE- TIRES FROM THE FIRM. The dry goods used by Mr. Fisk in his busmess at Brattleboro were purchased of the young Boston house of Jordan, Man^ & Co. This Arm was not only impressed by the frequent large bills of goods which their young customer from Vermont pur- chased, but was also struck by b*" seneral bearing and manner of doing .easiness. Detecting in him abilities worthy of a higher and larger sphere of action, and perhaps spurred on by the aore self-inter- ested desire to secure the abilities of such a stirring man in their firm, they suggested \ Mi* •baodooiog peddling and entering their eitftbliabment «■ a Belcemnn. There wae aiuoh about hi* peddling busineM that waa Terr oongenla) to suoh a nature aa hia and he liked it not a little. There waa cooatant ohange, variety and moderate endtemeat in the life, cunatant opportunity for . v dulging hii inclination to sport and Jokeb he -waa hie own nuMter, wholly independ- ent ; and, above all, he waa very conipici)- otu, the cynoenre of iA\ eyes, tne centre of an almost constant sensation— an aliment taidespensable to his contentment. But his style of living and conducting bis business was extravagant for such a trade. He hated and would not practice that rigid economy which alone could make it a pay- ing enterprise. His expenses were so great that the promise of pecuniary st^K:ees was not goocl. For this reason, as well as for the attraction there would naturally be for a man of his temperament io passing from a pedler's cart to a very largo wholesale house, and from a homo in the country to life m a great city, the propoeltlon of the Boston firm was at once accepted. With that promptitude v.bich is one of hla most marked traits, he woundup bis business at Brattleboro Immediately and entered the house of Jordan, Marsh & Co. on a salarv. The inexorable laws of his nature here exhibited themstflves very strikingly at once, and in a manner aa unexpected to himself as to his emplovers. The salesnum seemed entirely out of his element The young man's energy seemed to have sud- denly collapsedi " Drumming" customers waa a work ho instinotivelv recoiled from and could not do. ExhiUting goods and talking a man into a purchase suited him no better. It had an dr of pettiness, ser- vitttde and dependence that crated harsh- ly upon every fibre of his spirit There waa no edat or dash about it It was a fall from the position he had enjoyed in the country, where people came to him and wanted to buy, where he bossed and gave orders and managed things with a saeaX flourish, and was looked up to by all as being a grand a&ir. Now he was insigni- ficant, swallowed up in a great establish- ment with many zradations of clerks, where he was bossed and had to take or- ders. He felt the change. Leaving the country for the city seemed to have been a great mistake. The prince of country ped- fers had been spoiled to make a very poor oity salesman. In short, his first six months in Boston were a coiuplete failure, and at (he end of that time the firm advised him to return to his peddling business as being that for which he was best adapted, and in which he would meet witii moat success. Bat here anothes marked trait of his ahar- aoter apd nature asserted itself and apitear- ed in bold relief. Tie la aot a mav to ac- knowledge failure in anything he under- takea. Bis 's one of flioae stiiriti thkt much prefer to fight on nndMinted against every obntAclift rather than brook such 4 thought flirt^tamfog to what hM once beta laiduldetogo w VKli^i'>j lit this iflriit trying cii^eDmatande of hu life be acted from that Impnln itiA Inalicit Within hlm^ which has ever been his tniibted anduM-' queatiened guide, the one Hght by which his stepahave been directed throngh all hiff remarkable career. To the susgcstlon df ' the firm he replied, " Give me a fur chance, Mr. Jo'^ian. Don't be ' discouraged too quick. Try me six months more. If you are dissatisfied at the end of that time. I shall be glad tp quit . I'm not particular about anv salary. Vm willing to accept a commission on my sales for my pay. Only let me have a Uai chance." There was something in hia manner that inspired hone and confidraioe, and his request wto readuy granted. He had not the slightest tangible reason except the vag.>e but potent some- thing within, like Sheridan's " It's m me and It thaU come out !" for indulging such hope and cherishing such faith. He had not the remoteat definite idea bow hlA sal- vation was to be wrought out His hour came, howtver, and then ne speedily tusti- fi^ his wisd(Hn in following impulse. The war broke out He saw in a flash that this was his opportunity and he in- stantly embraced it The government must nave large supplies of woolen and cotton fabrics and there were large and very profitable contracts to be given t» wmbody. This was enough for him to know. Here was attractive game, a foe- man worthy of hia steel. The spuit that chafed at being an inconspicuous salesman and felt humbled and ashamed to go about « drumming" small purchasers, here saw something the managemeiU and secunng of which would make him a man of some importance both with his firm and those whom he had to approach. ' It required abflities, tact, liberal ideas, on a scale sufllciently grand to gratify vanity, the profits sure to be derived were Immense, and when once secured he would only have, to give orders and directipns and not at- tend personally to small afiairs of detail. For taese priies Mr. Flak was one of tbe earliest, most active and most successful contestants. He foresaw all, scented his trail, and set about accomplishing his dc- sign before anything of th^ kind had qo- cured to the firm. He soon secured several lariee contracts for hia house and ihsj speedily changed their opinion as to tbe ^- , visabihty of hU returning to peddling, ^j, ^ The null's p^^?#tt; gianiua ; ^ 8 '• f«r«»ytUuitM«d«ik,' { '.°'' ' Aad for trleks that an T«ia," i ly.iv , «Mne into fall pli^ and Aone in all ita brilliancy in lecunng the flnt contract It is laid that a Boston lady, through thein- flncnce of one of the Massaohnsetu Sena* ton, had obtained a large contract for sup- plying underclothing for the army and had •uWiy disposed of a pertioin of the oon- inet t'> a prominent Boston house. Mr. Fisk at once set to work to secure a grace- ful introduction tf this lady of much con* sequence, succeeded, and mgratiated him- self with her io speedUy that he induced her to annuitize sub-contract she had al- ready glTen out and award it to his rival firm instead. Other contracts soon follow- ed from the same source and the profits accruing to Jordan, Harsh & Co. therefrom were immense. This stroke, though brilliant and succe^?* ful,wa8 soon eclipsed by another. The firm had quite i large quantity of blankets that had been on their hands for a lone time and which were now stowed away in one of the lofts and regarded as dead stock. An idea struck James one day. He went immediately to the head of the firm and simply said " Mr. Nv Jordan, I'm eoing to nU those blankets up ^ in the loft." JMoUiing more explicit in re- gard to I: is designs or the idea he had con- ceiTCu could be got out of him; but it had now hi-e, ' *o be felt that when James said he was goin^ m do anything he would do it, and so. with a smile that was a mixture of hope and incredulity, he was answered, ''Allnghtl Qo ahead and sell them for anything you can get." The next train for Washingtoa carried James Fisk, Jr., among its passengers. The next morning of course James Fisk, Jr., was registered at WU14rd'B. or course he had one of Wil- lard's best suites and lived in as free and sumptuous style as Willard'S' generous lar- der and capacious wine cellar permitted. ItisofcourseJthat he did all this, for be never had done, and by the laws of bis nature never could do, anything on any other than a grand scale, in the best stvle, in a manner sure to attrsMst attention. Strmee though it may seem, the doots of that suite of rooms were not closed to f quartermasters, congressmen, or any one of position or influence among the powers that were. If any such came they were admitted as readily and made as welooxe as any one else to all the hospitalities. , There was great popping of corks, the sparkling goblets passed freely round, the landlord Mtd the flowing bowl and kept it, running over, everybody enjoyed life, and -i.n:-- ' ■ Jim Flik Sm i j&Ur good ff llow." nightly mng with great gusto by « company in the usual hilarious mood in which that tune becomes a sreat favorite The host while overseefaig eveiy desire sup- plied. Joined in the "flow of soul," got oS mnnmerable puns as if free from every care, " And ta« tmlltd M he wt by the faibla With a anile that WM «hll4 Jtk* and hla«4k** ^ At length, as one of those incidents la which conversation around the social bowl is ever fruitful, it casually leaked out that there was great need of blankets of a cer* tain kind for the army. As a most fortun* ate coincidence, Mr. Fisk happened to have a hundred or two with him as sam- ples of some he could furnish to supply the pressbigwant He produced them for in* spection with an air of much indifference and, as he did so, facetiously quoted Ar* temus Ward's famous pill-box label, "For such people as like this kind of pills, these ar^ Just the pills they ought to take." A Joke and a laugh is said often to go much further than logic in swaying a Jury. Whether facetiousness be equally potent with quartermasters is not so well settled, but there is in this case some further indi- cation that human nature is ever the same under all circumstances— whether in the jury box or under a quartermaster-general's uniform. Happy result-Z^ll those old blankets stowed away in Jordon, Marsh & Go's loft were not only disposed of for three times as much as the firm would glad- ly have taken for them, but th^ also got a contract for a further supply of a mUlion or more dollars m value, and their house must have realized between two and three hundred thousand dollars as the result of this little pleasure trip to Washington. It will readily be surmised that Mr. Fisk was not a man that would be likely to over- look the fact that be who could secure for his employers contracts from which the larger portion of their profits was derived, cont'acts for which any number of houses stood ready to pay an immense sum, was a man of no small consequence to the firm and had some rights which they were bound to respect, nor was it at all unnatur- al under the circumstances that he should feel it might be Just as well for him to turn the opportunity to. his own behoof. In short, soon after securing his earliest go- vernment contracts, the quondam country pedler boldly announced to the firm one morning that he had a no less ambitious and presuming desire than that of being immediately admitted into the partnership. The members laushed. It was one of Jame's little Jokes, they thoustht, and was very ^ood in its way. Of course it was too preposterous to be intended sendnsly, bet 9r fhoaiBtht tbey. A Joke ? Net a bit of it I — ^nnlen they ma^e it lo, and then It would beaioke the hnmoroos aide of which th^ would not at all reliah. They speedily woketoaoonaciouineasthat Jamea meant bnaineBa. They found he held the balance of power, saw hia opportunity, and had the dispoeition and nerre to make Uie most of it. He had been shrewd enough to secure ctsrtain contracts in his own name instead of the name of the firm, conse- quently he could dispose of tliem as he pleased. If they would not, there were other first-class houses that mould gladly give him a partnership for the contraota he could secure for whatever house he was with, BO they could have their choice be- tween taking him in as a partner or seeing contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars carried off from their door to some rival house. J7 ures almost as far in one extreme as the r(u- ' ing prices outside of the Confederaicy werci i hi the other. Query in Mr Fisk'smind*— -. % K) I hoyr could these two^faetsbe made to work , toeethiir foV good to tttoM ivbii' lovled lh«' . fbrtdoe tying between ? f'-TVO dMBcultlal t^ewlii the way. Td" mbtit lofakhi they woald'h'ave Batted "^irtioliy faMniniiotiiit- aUejbtitnOt eoto tb«f iMa to whom no- thioj^ s^f^tds hnpoeeiblis Wbtia oiAjhmtAn beings arfe to TJQ^uiatisgfd. AH Mmiinental nonsenie abotit tbi^fe beiag a moial «le- ment iq the problem, the right and wtbng of JBiiTiiii^ aid and comfort to &e enezAi^S of his oonn#p, tlolat- . Bk the laWs bf blookadie, «te:, lit. ' Ftfk dismissed at Once in great ebntempt act ifot^v only 6t sOme biiaiii-ieraieked luKt- UO/ted immediately addressed hioMelf to the practical qUeSTiotid, how toH«uootton tlii-otigh th& Ibies without ' its 'bmafwizM bji; the government authorities as contra- band, and hot«r the delicate and perilous bttsiness Of bbylng and forwardhtg inside the Confederacy cOiUd b6 conducted. He paid a visit to Tennessee, the point whene the lines must be passed and ih* region where cotton was plenty. The govem- nlcnt superintendent of the railrdads here happened to be a manthat he had formerly known in Boston. This was most fortu- nate. The 1 arry at Memphis was brief and he returned with a mind evidently at ease on one point. The hare eotild be cooked, and m this case that was more difficult than to catch it. Boring a tunnel through Hoosac Mountain reanires ten years or more, and many lives. The seemingly im- passable barriers between two hostile terri^ tories engaged in a life and death struggle Mr. l^sk pierced in a day and night so as to let the golden light shine throueh. The machine by which this unparalleled feat of tunnelling was accomplished has never been patented— perhaps for the reason that no one but ute Inventor could ev*er use it, So a patent would be useless. Its exact nature is therefore wholly a mat- ter of inference. The remaining branch of the problem was now taken up, tod in the solution of tliis there was displayed a know- ledge of human nature as keen and saga- cious as that which is supposed to have carried General Grant through at the head of our armies so triumphantly. To buy CQtton inside the rebel lines under such ticknsh circumstances required a pei.-^jn of great tact and intuitive Judgment of men and circumstances, and for this duty a Woman admirably adapted to the purpose was employed. To collect and forward it when purchased was a work still more thi(^ly beset with dlfflcultieB and pitfalls at every step, to elude the suspicions flying in front and rear, run the ffaunUet-of wtjry sentinels and get the forbidden fruit safelv through to some market in the North. A single false step might defeat the whole project, sink all the capital invested, and ihVoIve- the person thus engaged in no slighltidange]! of his pcnonal' liberty f or a' termof yeers. To brave all these tide* aM dangers tod 'Undertake these delioatt dntlesi Mr. Flsk toeured the services of Ui' o wh father. The< venture is supposed by ttkMe itfao pietend to know, to have beeA a y«ry prbmable one pecnniaHly. One of the noluest and most in- spiring spectacles ever' witnessed in Boston, and one wliich those who witnessed it will never forget, was lai^gely due to the«riginallty and exertiooi of Mr. Fisk. The news of the battle ol Jbitietam^ in Septemiwr 1862, reached Boston' on Sunday monirog. When the Sablmth school bells rang on the bright lovely movning, all hearts were appalled by tidings thdt sent the death shadow into mtoy a hotaie and told of thousands of brave men suffering the agonies of a bloody battle field. Mr. Hsk and his part- ner, Mr. Jordan, conceived the idea of having the churches suspend services and devote themselves to the practicnl religion of relieving the suffering of th» men who bad fallen f ~. them. The iiiea caught like imagiCi The churches were closed, the citizens forgot self and put forth 'every ex- ertion ta mitigate the suffering of the wothided and dying. Tfemont Temple was transformed into a depot for the col^ ' lection of hospital supplies. Deli':ate ladiei, worked ail the day lunie with the devotion and epthui^iasm peculiar to the sex in the hour of great trials and suffering. Lint bandages, and the necessities for binding up gaping wounds, wines and all tbe delkacies tbav could mitigate the suf- ferings of Uie fallen in the hospital, pour- ed in from every direction, each household contributing according to its means. It waa a scene which made it hard for any beholder to repress the tears, and sudden- ly threw into bold relief all the noblest traits of humanity. By nifhtfall many carloads of supplies were on their way to the field of syfiering. Mr. Fiek worked in this as he does in everything, with all his might superintending and directing; and when this (perhaps his noblest) day's work waa dene he said, with an excus- able pride and satisfaction, "There! what will New York say of fioston nowf* During these years a,nd enterprises, Mr. - Fisk was of course qiiite prominent !\fi.^r , bia p^uliar fashion, always living in th^ sumptuous, regardless-of-eKpeuse style, , and it was at this period that he saw the , best society he has ever mingled witbtimi' liarly. His contempt for the most cardinal laws of decent social life had not been openly manifested. He mamtalned a re- spectable attitude to the relations darned hi rested, uid ^ in no lerty for a' h«9e HAm se delicate riccB of his ipposed by have beet most in- ncBsed in hose who- rget, was d exertions e battle ol reached When the the briebt re Hppalled badow into Loueands of onies of a a^ his part- B idea of crvices and ;;i1 religion men who lea caught 1 closed, the li 'every ex- ihg of the nt Temple or the col- Deli<:ate K with the iliar to the id suffering. ;essitieB for ines and all ite the Buf- spital, poi^r- diately resolved to continue in the trade Md establish a business of his own that should rival toat of the house in which he had served such a brilliant apprenticeship. In a surprisingly short timealartfenew sign bearing the name of James Fisk, Jr., i4>peared over the doors of a fine large store atthe comer of Sumner and Chauncey streets— a conspicuous building in a con- spicuous part of the city, within a stcme's throw of the house from which he had just separated. To build up a drygoods lobbing business by himself would net have been an easy matter under any circumstances, and it was especially difficult just at that period. The constant and rapid rise in the price of fabrics, which had made the busi- ness so very prosperous and brisk dunng the past four years, bad reached its climax i^nd the ebbing tide had set in and raised the reflex w&ve that introduced such great uncertainity and hazard into the trade and was destined to bury not a few beneath it in its fitful motions. The task that had been undertaken was as difficult as to stand on a barrel and roll it with the feet Government contracts, in which his pre- vious succes had lareeiy consisted, were no longer to be had, for the authorities were now confident of a speedy termina- tion of the war and were retrenching ex* penditures. Manufacturing was at a stand- still, or was prosecuted only at a loss. Building up a regular legitimate jobbing trade was not at all in Mr. Flsk's vein. He felt for its duties the same aversion ho nad felt for " drumming " during his early months in Boston and let it alone in tibe same way. His attention and eftbrts being thus left unengrossed by the undertaking he bad proposed for himself, he engagea in various speculative enterprises, not only such as were partially allied to his osten- sible business (as cotton) but in anything that suggested itself to him or was present- ed in a favorable light and promised the Requisite elements of diversion wich a fair chance of profit But everything was paralyzed and stagnant under reaction from the stimulant which the war had afforded, and all business that required the investment of capital seemed destined to entail loss. It was the most critical period of dread suspense when everything was unsettled and under a lowering future, and a tremor was runntaig through all business in expectation of a great financial crash. Diynoods began to tumble at such leaps i)hat anv considerable stock onhand meant a small fortune lost every monih. His Speculative ventures rarely proVed succes- ful, otten Wete bad failures. Aftet a few W0^: 9ii^ W^^PBjJ^^fn ^^**" yielding to impulse and instinct rather thaa convlcuons reached by reflection and cal> culation, he resolved to dose up his busi- ness and go out of the trade. This reso- luUon to discontinue was executed with the same o«lerity as had been the former one to start by himself. The fortune drawn out from the firm of Jordan, Marsh & Co. had melted rapidly in thennprosper* ous months succeeding, but he settled up all his alTairs leaving no unpaid obliga- tions. There is a certain famous being or char> acter, half historic, half fabulous, favored in the fancy of both poet and theologian, who, it !s positively alleged, is always sure to claim his own sooner or later. James Fisk, Jr., went to ITew York. He allowed " natur" to take its course now, and as na- turally as the needle dips to the pole or the fereeof gravity draws all things towards the earth's centre, he brought up in Wall Street— the favorite haunt of the worst breed of gamblers the world has yet prodno* ed— men whom one who knows them best* has called ** a set of thieves and cutthroats," every one of whose transactions leaves the world so much the worse off, and whose most fitting and forcible commentary is to be read In th 14 I J! k Quwle good., He /lad not Jibe moeit remote conception :Qr fucty plftn f or recwperating l)is |>n>ken fortune, but, Eenlvu-Uke, qonfl- dnice oi^ a pyv^er wit)nn him to do It, uougb vagost WW there. Ttie threat wft* AMd^ cola upon b^» lips ere jbie bade adieii -rf' fotft BeasQn"— to^ Uie Ahreatened street, padced.a c^pet ba«, which sujBced his Kurpose now> ^nil ^tartfed for Boston, aim- iss except to get away from the scene of I^ disaster. ' On wa|,^ it imf^ k«di^iH>ttigiiva:M^:MPr tm^ #«9f immense blue, and idsome in- :'s fortunes d courage posaesaion for quite 1, his long- Bat before ae parties Hying the on lioi^ m that he I some ac- lie pretext His first introduc- »any own- This he The per- uced was It for this Wy never hat event id imppr- irned his onducted r(»idenc7 Company ■ew kite. I ten, ha le9,,so(ne scarcelv '< Carmal, I succes- le Ball's he pldtti. ishlp CQ- biB caoije ^Qd thii t rlv4l£ moaore'a I 15 #■■ ''; great antagonist in the then recent Barlem *' comers"— the pioneer ; eoviptt^-manM Wall Street stock jobbing opemtions, s»d in these had been badly worsted by h\a ve- teran foe. He was now the great Mognl of Brie — one of its directors^ .it» tres«ur«r, its sole manipulator, Uie first to use his po- sition to gamble in the Stock of his own corporation, already dulHsed the " specula tive director," and the acknowledged leader of Wall Street's "b«ir"; brigade. Drew was much pleased with his new ■ ac- quaintance, was quite surprised and ' fas- dnated with the grand and liberal ideas which the young man very freely venti- lated on the question of steamships and af- fairs generally, and immediately author- ized him to act as bis agent in negotiating the eale of tbe Bristol steamers. This trust was executed in a manner that confirmed and heightened the old gentleman's first impressions and ^ave him entire satisfac- tion at the 8pme time that it put a nice lit- tle sum into the skillful agent's pocket as his comiaission for conducting the trans- fer. Mr. Fisk now looked rpott Wall Street as his headquarters again, but as be had learned that the game there was played with stacked cards and loaded dice he sagely concluded that it would be much safer to have a finger in the stacking busi- ness or be privy to its manner, and make himself master of the magic cubes, iastead of having them played on him again. He is not to be caught twice ih the same trap. He had eeen those " twenty-four jacks " fall out of Ah Bin's sleeves in their first hand of euchre md he was not going to sit down to the game again till he had a pair of sleeves just like Ah Sin's— onlv a little lareer— arid they should pe well filled ttftti rieht bowers. Drew, in the first flush ol hfi admiration for the yonng man's beaidog, qioke the necessary, words of encourage- ment, and shortly after the sign of a new firm of brokers appeared bearing the fiim name of Fisk & Belden. Theiv made a specialty of dealing in Brie aAd looii be-| came known aimoing the fraternity i& Drew's brokers. The head of the firm be-; ing a special fi^vorite, confidant andprflte^i fif the crafty director %fiA^ treaenrefi it M move than probable that he "^aa pnrjr ^ sofBicient information and Mpoints'* not iOit general use, to enable him to (merate on hie own aooount with aU diriredsafe^ ame make much mere tiian a, simpte oommii-{ Sottas broker for othctai. It #»• in tbe £ big of 1866 that Drew etiemted M^ t great maBter-atisdIre in bearabetatiqiiB; inauffttratitaff a ws^itxtk recfaied, tbough £^ force ^asabknow- edged When ^e t>upU hfid pnccJ ifeea how ^i,e cardi were i^ti^w^ he brbhghf "' the woni: socfa ra^ i^$h^^^ |t|a6Iu»^ tt^ under h^ thi^tru6tor*8 eyes withoal hi8 wetjig li add played ^ . ' th<) table bflehdjbd it y^'ai^dt^'fimedfo immi bf mtttb ctkricMI^ ;y wp #htl.-;u-; 0',;i '^l/ii :w!! nX*ti ■* snacijiieenTe] Mntjieipfl^ ro^. 16 W ^"^ With wind and tide both in his f ATor, lb. Fuk Tery soon reoorered what he bad invoFantarily lent to Wall street, and it was but a few months before the man who Ittd lost his last dollar again had a bank ac- eonnt of orer a million. \v*VA\ ' CHAFrER IV. -norii, .tttrr] .:- , '• ■ ** SHORT A^O liONe"— "BUIiLS AKD BEAB8 " , — *• OPTION "— " OORNBB "— " HABQIN "— AlJ' " OARBTINO " — OOI'D BXOHANOB BAKK— A :THB GOLD BOOM. "Wall street has a dialect peculiBT to it- self, concise and ezi)re93lve,but utte ly un- intelligible to the uninitiated. Home of the terms are quite familiar to many who yet hare .at a vague idea uf their exact mean isg. A.3 an accurate understanding of the terms employed and some of the machinery used by brokers will be necessary to an in- tdligent reading of some of the following chapters, a brief elucidation may not be unwelcome to some into whose bands these pages may fall. Suppose thf <)tock of a certain railroad is selling to-day at |90 a share. A, for reas- ons be^t known to himeelf, thinks the price is goiiQg to fall soon. He meets B who thinks, on the contrary, that the price is going up. 4 o^°B none or the stock at present, but he agrees to deliver B 100 ghwes at 90 isomeiime within 10, 20, 80 or 80 davs. A has now gone "short" of the stock, i. ^., he is Under obligation to de- liver at a future day, and for a fixed price, .Stock that be do«s not now possess; and B has gone "long," )'. ^., he is under obliga- ,tion tp take the stock at a future day at a price already agreed upon. The two terms are correlative, the one always implying the other, it being impossible for one man to go "short "till h^ meets another who wiUgo"long.** ,, Of course A's design is to wait till the tUfck has fallen, sny to 86, tlT<^ btiya hun-i dred shares at that price, caixy them to B fnd qiake himtuce thdnl as ii^eed upon at jM, and clear jfiSOO by Uierenfci^tion. B*s design is to wait till the stbcrbas risen, say to d6, then call on A to dei^vec the 100 ^Ares at 90, aaagreea npou, aell ^on at 96 and clear |S00 by the oiMihttibn. The essence of the, whole matter is, A beta thei atock wi^l fall and tt beis it WfiH rise, the amount of tlxe tiet beiioi^^fefttb bls^ tfetenajhi edby th(i amount of fluctuation In- tiiei^tatn (^ tune. And Ma i»i,i^. iit i»cV it oft be an oppo- will soon pay videads, and at the road is icera are dis- >wn personal its becoming been an issue use who hear irally become [14 to sell it if to buy. It lai'ket, is de- a case is said a " bear." It ! stock should ing rumors of lufluence, en- ittractive and said to " buU" Thorefore a ) naturally by who has gone it a " bull." an agreement reat. ditferenoe right of de- lay withinthe iver the stock fall rapidly as low as he y at this low I of choosing agreement, he y on which it « the right of it in the hope iiiring the re- lon A to de- illUig highest Bd on the l^t it of choosing u" Itisaf- making the tioD,"'and it B in the prioe whether the buyer gives or takes it. Of course A can buy wuen the stock is low, though the option Is against him, and hold the stock till B calls for it In such • oaie be to said to " cover his shorts." As a man who sells short has none of tiie stock at the time of contracting for its Aiture delivery, it is easily possible that contracts may be entered into for the de- livery of a greater number of shares than can Doesibly be had, or even than there are in existence. A shrewd operator may easily find a hundred men, each of whom will go short a thousand shares ; he makes a contract with each without any of the others suspecting it and he will thus have contracts out for the delivery to him of 100,000 shares of the stock withm 80 days when, it may be, there are but S0,009 shares in existence. Tie now buys up the stock as quietly as pos&iule at the present low price and before any of the shorts are covered or aoy one suppects what is going on, He may have the whole 60,000 shares locked up in his own safe. Men suddenly find that not a single shaie of the stock is to be had in the market at anv price and yet contracts are out for the delivery of 100,000 shares. The operator now has the shorts in what is called a "corner." They must satisfy their contracts ot fail. Stock cannot bie had to fulfil the agreements, therefore fhev must make the Mst .terms they can to be let off from theh: contracts. They are wholly in the operator's power and his de- mands will be limited only by what he deems the utmost each can pay without failhig. The capital required in manipulating such a plot being very large, there are but few single indi^duals of sufficient means to manage a "corner" operation alone, but eombhiations of several men are often formed for the purpose, each contributing his means to a general fund to be used in the operation and sharing a proportionate Eart of the proceeds. Such a combination ; called a "pool." When a man directs a broker to buy stock for him he does not supply the broker with money to the full value of the stock, but only a certain per cent thereon — 5, 10 or 20 per cent, as the case inay be—so much as Is deemed sufficient to cover any probaV. fall in the price. The per cent. thus deposited with the broker is called a "margin," it being the range or margin over which the price may fluctuate without risk to the broker. The rest of the money or credit needed is furnished by the broker, who charges interest thereon, keeps the stock in his own hands as security and is said to , !jf carry " it for his customer. By tliig means a man with only five or ten thousand' dollars can operate with a capi- 2 tal of a hundred thousand, and a man with a hundred thousand dollars can operate with a capital of two milljoas. Berein lies the great temptation to indulge In such speculations and the whole secret of the great oower which a feif men, or even a singl ji%n, can exert In such matters. An active broker often buys or sella the same stoc!. or jgold seyer^ timea the same day. One customer dUrects him to buy and he buys ; another dhwcts him to sell and he aells. If a stock rises rapidly the customer who buys early in the momins may sell again in an hour or less ; if it faUs rapidly the man wlu> sells in the morning may buy again in a few minutes. Flactuationa in the price are often so rapid that a man may buy and sell the same hundred shares of stock or the same tot of gold half a dozen times in as many uours, making a hand- some profit at every turn. This would make a great deal of work and requhre manv clerks in a broker's office if there was an actual transfer of the stock and gold in every transaction. To simpliiy and focultate this work, an institut^pn to which all brok- ers belong, has been established to manage this part of the busmess and super- hatend all the actual transfers of property. As soon as a broker buys, he sends a notice of the transaction to this institution. Five mmutes after, he sells either the same or another stock or lot of gold and immedi- ately sends the institution a notice of thJs transaction. And so on through the whole day till a quarter past two o'clock, when transactions through the institution close for the day. A statement of all the pur- chases and sales of the day is now made out and balanced and handed into the in- stittttion. If the amount of the purchases exceeds the amount of the sales, the broker pays the institution the difference ; if the sales exceed the purchases in amount, the institution pays the broker the difference ; if the two are ju&t equal, all his transac- tions for the day, amounting, it may be, to many millions, are completed by simply balancing the two sides of the account and without one cent having been used by him in the operation. By this means the same stock or gold may be sold a hundred times during the day and yet there will be only one actual transfer of it A starts the transactions, selling to B; B sells to C, C to D, and so on through the whole alpha- bet till the close of the day ; then A, the first seller, hands it Into the institution and Z, the last purchaser, draws it out. All the others have both bought and sold it, therefore it is oiily necessary for them to balance thek accounts and settle the d\f- ferenee. This arrangement, which renders neces- 1\ I I: ,f . 13 wry capital eqod mUV to th« dtfldiWic^ In the two akUa of til tM ftoQounta for tbe day. supi^einfiiita th6 /* butxgln" uA U to the broker what the "ififtrgtn" ia to the operator. The two form 4 aystem of com- Sound leverage by which a hundred dollars 1 made to oiiove a millloii, or aoT araoout, fhe princtpid beliig the i«aie aa that irhlch Jiutifled the boaat tif A'^htmedert that he would mcvd the world if ainr one would i^e hitna Jilae^ t6 ata&d on. lif^aa by thia i^atem of Oinfihff only the hhHtae&bt their accoonta that it was poaaihl^for the deal- ings of the gpld brokers to aittbnot to Ave hundred inilliona of dollars oh Bliick Fri- day when there Was not in rMity twenty mUlions of gold imong all the brokers in Newlork. The atotik and gold brbkera have septir- ate cleaiihg houaea or institutions for Acting thdr clearanete, i. «.,«ttperltttetid- hig the trataafer and settlement li(c;u lij (•«..' . • .... •'J j; . . . . « • '):■ V'fiU " ( • n 400,000 084000 S,845,000 60,000 800,000 50,000 100,000 50,000 96,000 30,000 20,000 '236;000 '»00,000 10.000 -■'600,000 ''' 876.000 "i 50,000 !(■■ ;^4'' Kfetinedy & Hutchinson. . . .i .<*•''' 100,000 Ilobin6on,Cox «&Oo. . . ...f.','^',/: 80,000 Les & Waller Iteed,Leo& ConU>t^ Bagen& Billing..... !B. H. Bledermean. . . G. P. Persch , Robert Waller Stout Thayer ,1'u'J , • •*••• • ••■•••••* :v». ' 800,000 i«oi5,eoo 300,000 446,000 785,000 656,000 90,000 $20,650,000 H\ Af)< DXLItBItBD TO— L .i)jo» ,'rr d; -•"-'• }!, 110,000 39,009 60,000 480,000 76.000 Lockwood ft Co ;'. ii't Stout Thayer Damdi, bprioger & Co Carver A Co; Gibson ft lieadleaton B. K. Stevens, Jr «, ..h. B5t000 LouiiaberryftFanabaw '. . 1,7Q0,9Q0 Fanahaw ft Milliken 800,000 Ballgarten ft Co 86,000 Katnlah, Sauer ft Oo. . . i 184,^ Parker, Bros, ft Geston 16,000 Felluwa ft Co 16,000 Cunningham & Mead 86^ 'Maxwell ft Graves 80«000 Norton, Haughton ft Co 60,000 Tarsiiw, Fisher ft Co 90.000 N. R Travera 60,000 Grey, PrinceD Co 1,846.000 Ohapin, 36wen ft Day 3,916,oOO Wm. Heath ft Co .,><,^ 800,000 36,000 »)>-( Cushmatt ft Hurlburt, ... '0(i iBfiJ r>rrrt vlno'nr-u? mUl • ' f V $7/490,000 Coin due dealer ... $18,151,OoO i ff-iv,' rt! it'i -nfr ^>.f'i >fi.f v/o;'-i,M§S0,650,0i0 Here were fifty-one different traneactiods by one firm in a single day, n.moanting to $38,149,000 and they were all adjusted, so far as this firm was concerned, by the sin- gle act of drawing from the bank $18,151,- 000 in gold, and nanding in a che6k for the currency value thereof. Now if (as acttf- ally happened) this firm failed to hand Ih this statement the clearing house would be unkble to adjust the accounts of atiy one of ihe nearly fifty firms appeai^g therein,tod is each of thesefirms would have transac- tions with msiny others, the whole mtxchiii- cry of settling n^tist come to h dtandstQl till the statement of everyone isij). ';^:', For its services in effecting these clear- ances the Gold Ezchanee Bank receives ten cents for every ~ $10,000 cleared. This may seem a ridiculously small com- mission at first, but when ft appears that the o^ersige annual amount tif clearances has been about $d0.000,()00,000and that eve^i at this small commissicm the bank haa ' rc- beivM in the neighborhood of ^m).600 aUnually for its services, the retouheritiion does hot seem quite so ridiculously small. The Gold Room Is the i* «e where the (rold brokers meet at certain houts of the day i^ buy and sell, the price then paid be- ing o£9cially recorded and lormine tihe " quotations" for the day. It is A dingj^, diun^ rooih of moderate size, eiiter6d f rbm New Street by nartow, untidy wooden stairs and qrlite disappomta the eXpeeti- tipns naturally formed from the tinie of lis doinga On one aide is a large clock ovto which is the indicator showing, in larcjo »• •^.' ■- ') . 'li" • Uft 110,000 39,009 60,000 480,000 75.000 99,000 1,700,000 ,wi, 800,000 ,'■ 88,000 lum 16,000 16,000 86AKK) 80,000 00,000 90.Q0O 50,000 1,846.000 »,»15.0 l^bp campais^ tor this election opened with tbree parties in the field. The officers in coiitrol of the road, headed by Drew, sought re-election. With this paxty Mr. Tm. was identified. Next came Yandet- but. who, haying made himself absolutie and undisputed matter o^ the Btkriwn, Hudson River & N. Y. Central roaqs, now ■ought tu grasp control of JDrie in like manuer. that he might k*v» aespotio »wisv over all the roads u)on«ctlng Nqw York with the «''-' lakes and miaka bimaelf practical dic: .f of tbe mauiial interasti of the commtirciiu metropolii. The third party was headed by John 8. ^Idridue and composed of men largely intert!(«te(T in the Boitoo, Hartford & Erie road-^a line run- mmt frt>m QostOin through Connecticut and New York to Flslik^!, where, It meets a branch u( Eri*'. Thisoorporatiou was in a deHpurate Btru'j^gluforexistenpu and was in bad financial oiior. The Masriachuaetts Legittlature bad voted to assist the com- pany to tbe sum of $8,000,000 provided it would raise an additiniial sum of $4,000,- 000 clauwhuru. Tiie laudable purpudu ot this third partv waii to gain a controlling voice in thu Erie councils, is order to get this corporation to assist them to the mUch- deaired $4,000,000. Under the Eldridge banner Jay Qould was traming. At these elections each share of stock entitles theh >lder to one vote, consequent- ly a party must control a majority of the stock in order to carry the election. With three parties compeuog for possession, there was a fine proapect of a rapid and extraordinary rise in the stock, promising a lively time and a rich harvest for the brokers, operators, and owners of Erie. But before the contending chiefs had mar- shalled their forces and mounted tliebr heavy guns for this great triangular battle, the Eldridge party resorted to diplomacy and secured a coalition with Yanderbilt. These two factions ajtreed to unite their forces in ousting Drew and electing a board of directors that would manage the road so as to secure both their intereits. They knew that their united power, made their victory certain in a square fight ; but they also know vi * y well that it wOQld not be a square fight if Drew was left With bis peculiar fertility of resource untrammell- ed. They rembered the ingenious device by which he had supplied himself with 50,000 shares of Erie stock to meet an emergencv the year before and they knew the same convenient machbieiy would be made to do service again and grind out any desired number of shares at the proper crisis and thus, after relieving them of several miilious of their money, rob them of victory at the last moment To gijuird against this favorite species of Drew taeUcs they resolved to invoke the mi^esty c^the law. The necessary preliminary affidavits and papers were made out preparatory to obtaming an injunction that should effect- ively prevent Drew from using at the e]4c- tion or in the market a single share o£ 20 i' I Mil 1 ! I * , , i Stock beyond the already authorized capi- tal ifock of the companr. In this poaltion ttood mattera the Bun- •day before the elecden. On that day Drew, a» if trotabled with pretnonitions of approaching dlacomflturr, called upon YaRderbUf at Ma residence. The Oommo- dore kintfly entertained hia caller bv re- flating to Dim the arrangements irado to compass his orerthrow and complacently read for his rdiflcation the legal documenu , that were to be uted for his special behoof the next morning. Drew seeing at onco that the elements were xetting too s^ong for him, and that he was doomed to take an unwilling leave of the helm whereat he nad stood for ten years and retire to the quiet life of bis native Carmel unless be could effect eome compromise, and bemg ever ready to do anything to save and serve himself, im- mediately proposed to change front entire- ly, abandon his chronic antagonism and bear operations, unite in a movement for running Erie up as Harlem, Hudson River and Central had been run up before, be- come the sworn ally of his life-long rival - and starve him In all his schemes, on the sole condition of being permitted to retain I his position as director and treasurer of Erie. The Commodore was entirely dis- ' armed by this unexpected tender of the olive branch. He saw this would relieve many miUious of dollars that else must be used in getting and keeping control uf Erie and he uew that no other ally could serve ; him so well. Brsides, there may have1)een a touch of the poetic in feeling reconciled to a foe after long years of warfare and mutual scars, and a natural aflSnity and preference for an ally -as venerable as him- < self in years. At any rate, without the slightest regard fur the agreement made with the Eldridge party, he accepted the proposition at once, and these two inveter- ate enemies, on the eve ol another fierce conflict, struck hands over the altar of trienddiip, buried the past and coalesced to serve each other, unmindful of pledges recently made, reckless of the interests of great corporations entrusted to their care, indJbSerent to the rights of the (to them) somewhat vague and mythical entity, the Eublic. Beautiful is it to witness in decliu- ig yeafs such reconciliations of the feuds of a long life! But the Eldridge party were so slngulerly lacking in appreciation i and love for the poetic that they were ac- taally displeased and disposed to be indis;- aant at being thus slighted and shook their lieads at the afifocting tabkau much as the •evil 4>ne is said to do at the sight of holy < water. They called upon Yanderbilt soon • UfierDrew bad taken his leave,and when he jntormed them that he h d changed his plan and decided upon a course looking to the continuance in power of the very man whoso removal had formed the keystone of their union, they were utterly astounded, shouted for the agreement as Shylock for his bond, and sfffnlfled their intention of taking a verv bellicose attitude in cue of any had faith with them. Their suave host m Idiv proposed an ad]oumra<>nt of the Interview to the residence of Mr. Drew. Tliiswas agreed upon, and a few hours later in the evening these devout spirits met fyr their third Sabbath-day services. The Eldridge faction still wearing ii very bellicodeand uncompromising visage, Yan- derbilt coolly proceeded in tneir veiy pre- sence to talk with Drew upon the course to be pursued to secure the utter defeat ef the presuming youths and shut them out of all power analnfluence in the control of the road. The Bostonians well knew that these two pnwerfoul vetetans working to- gether could have things entirely their own way without the slightest difficulty, and finding that they were only derisively laughed at when they suggested that agreements and premises were of any binding force in such matters, and that they must make a new tack or be swamped, they speedily dismounted from their high horse, adopted that discretion which is the better part of valor, resorted to diplomacy once more, and mancouvred for a fusion and barmonizhig of all oppos- ing Interests and purposes. The council was prolonged far into the night and final- ly resulted In a proclamation of universal amnestv and impartial suffrage to a degree of perl'ectlon that should satisfy even Horace Greeley. When the meeting broke up and l^e parties emerged from the man- sion of the " speculative director" in the gray dawn of the morning, all was peace. The rumble of cannon, yesterday moving into position for a fierce triangular battle, bad died away in the harmony of a maga- nanimous tripartite alliance. Once in a compromising mood, it had been found quite feasible to arrange for;a mutual grind- ing of all their little axes and let Wall Street, the public and tlm Erie Railway bleed for all three parties instead of one. Drew was to be continued in hia position and ISldridge was to go into the direction and become i^s president; the road was to be run in league and fraternity with the Yanderbilt roads and in accordance with* his wishes, and give him the monopoly he desired over New York; the corporation was to provide the Boston, Hartford & Erie Company (o£ which Mr. Eldridge was also president) with the much desired |4,000,000; thwe was to be a nand combination to loin up the price of Erie stock; and Drew was to be the great factotum of all these no ookiog to the the very mui the kqritone lerlyMtouBded, IS Sbylock for Ir Intention of ude In cue of Their suave a(!Uoarnra<>nt of jce of Mr. Drew, a few hours devout spirits th-day services, wearing u very ling visage, Yan- their very pre- pon the course le utter defeat ef shut them out of the control of the well knew that rans working to- sntirely their own difficulty, and only derisively BuiKgested that ilses were of 1 matters, and that lew tack or be dismounted from d that discretion of valor, resorted , and manccuvred izhig of all oppos- les. The council lie night and final- ation of universal uffrage to a degree iild satisfy even the meeting broke ;ed from the man- 3 director" in the 35, all was peace, yesterday moviiig triangular battle, 'mony of a maga- iance. Once in a had been found 'ur,a mutual grind- Kes and let Wall tbfi Erie Railway is instead of one. ed in his position into the direction t; the road was to aternity with the accordance with* the monopoly he k; the corporation 1, Hartford & Erie Eldridge was also desired |4,000,000; id combination to stock; and Drew 9tum of all these little matters, which would enable him tu add to his millioos by Judicious u<>ti of th« power and private iufnrmation iuddent tu thojposltion. This arrangement was eminently satis* faotory to all three of tlie parties, as well it might be, but the Eidridge men foresaw that its execution involved one uapleasant circumstance for them. Opposit^n to Dretpi^ bad been their chief stock in trade from the start They had professed them- selves greatly scandalized at his conduct in abusing his trust to furtber his private schemes and speculate in the stock In con- tempt of law aud directly afiainst the in- tereats of the stockholders. *' Down with the speculative director !" wau the moito they liad inscribed on theUr banner to win favor, and upon this purpnsu tiiey hod based their special claim to consideration and support They had nut yet acquired the lofty contempt of their veteran confed- erates for the opinion and esteem of both public and friends provided they earned their point, and therefore naturally felt a little squeamish at tlie thought of appear* ing before their friends with such a »\id den abaiidoument ot the cause they hod so loudlv champioaed, tbeir indigaatlou and offended moral seuse so iuexplicably col- lapsed, and advocating the re-election of the man whom they had so uuspdriugly denouacel as unlit to be conliuuud in power. They dreaded the reproacli of bad faith and treachery wUicb they fulc would be deservedly charged upon tuem by their friends ana followers. Oat of regard to this mawkish sensibility it was arranged ttiat a licket. wii.h Drew's name let uS should be niado up and electe^l, but one of the men on the ticket should bu an obliging man of straw who would kindly resii(a immediately after election, and then the reinainiag drrect<>rs, in virtue of the power given tbem to till any vacancy in their board, would choose Drew to fill the plaCi.1 resigned by the locum tenena. This would save appearances for the seosi- tlve spirits and raise a dust that would conceal their "jo'.i" froni the eyes of their friends till it was for^ottrsn. By a most fortunate chance, too, this piece ot stra- tegy wonld have an incidental consequence not to be despised or nji;lected. These contradictory action-t would proiuce vio- lent flactuations in ihe (,> trcme prt es of the 'Jay, n fluctuation ruffl* cieutiy large to ylela a ricb profit to thus« who knew uoforehand how the wlrea wer* to be operated, and thus were enabled to , reap two harvests In a single day. The strange course of things on electioa 7t day puzzled and confused operators and 1 brokers utterly, but the mysterious move* ,1 mcnt was soon forgotten in the sweeping •) tide of Wall Street, and Erie settled down .j for a calm of a few weeks, remaining y quite steady at about 70. Among the new directors chosen at t hla m election were Jay Oouid and James Flak, «i Jr., who mot for the first tune at the prell- j, mimiry meeting of the new board. Sir, , Fink says the date of this election i!< well fixed in his memory, because U. consulates au " episode" la his life. Se dates hla Utoy hairs from th it day, and nays he saw . more robbery durlnic the next year than he^ j Uiul ever seen before in his whole life— a |, statement that will receive ready credence..!' But It Is amusing %.i note that thU d:kte,:>i which is so iudellbly marked in his muiao* . ry, he testified to be the 18th of October, wlion it was In reality the 8tb. He has ,1 also said he had not been in ofllce flfceen .v minutes before ho made up his mind thorO',; was ffoing to be trouble. ,| The first act of the programme had been .t succcisfuliy performed and it was now ' tiine foi the next. In pursuance ot the agreement to run the stock up, a large " pool" wa? form, d the last of November, or early part of December, and Dr^w was left in charge .of the fuud to oogineer the movement. Besides their con- tributions to the pool many of the con fed* : crates m>ide large purchases on tliuir o wa.,j private accounts, looking to araoid rise..,r The prices did not make rapid luap* up«v ward at once but fluctuated two or three percent "forward nad bock" rather n>ys- teriously for four or five weeks. The members of the pool who ' "^d made out- side investments being surprised that the stock feU 'tack heavily after each advance instead ./•. rising uniformly and rapidly as anticipated, applied to Drew for iufonua- l^on and advico ; but he, in his childlil|& innocence and Simplicity, seemed more 1% li il I •confused and puzzled than auy of the rest and utterljr at a Yovs *o accoant for the stmnse manner in which their stock acted, yet felt eor« it would soon move regularly under their purehasi 8. With thiti apsar- anjCJftfromtQ^irii^ga^ious chief th^y made fltiil farther prlTate purchases, some of them even borto^ing some or the pool morifyfrom Dre^ (0 putup as amarcin and in addition went "long" extensiv^y. T^T" wint conlldont the looked- for b(»und upwMrd must come popn, began to count the liours ere their fortunes would be reck- oned in milliono, find wer'^ already forming manylltt'f plans and dreams to bn exe- cuttd when they came in possession. They continued their purchases while the stock rose four, five oi l^ix per cent, and then, to their utter aaisizenierit, it dropped hfftvily hsjick to ihestftrtli;ig point and was plenty to all pnrchnsef. Thi-y now became alarmed, for their "long" contract were near maturity and but a few days re- mained in wtiich t(» ri-ap the goiden bar- vest they had deehied as good as s,ectii-ed. The day on wblcli this decline occurred was OQe of those days at the close of wiiich •aerators and brokers are too exr-ited and anxious to uo liome. In the < veninff, the Ffth Avenue Hotel prcoented the appear- ance of an adjourned meeting of the Stock Exchange, the main halls, corridors and I>ublic rooms being thronged wilTi the hah- Hues 01 Wall street, all excited and utterly confoundt^d over the course of Erie that day. Standing by the grand staircase was an old gentleman with a peculiarly wrin- kled face and brow, with an expression of the most artless simplicity upon his conn- tenance as tie surveyed the Ko'ene around him :ind watched the writhings of the bulls with mute curiosity, utterly unable to com- prehend the meaning of tlie situation. A prominent i>roker approached him and said,— "Well, Mr. Drew, is Eiie going to fail r' "Other folks think so, but I ct.n't giveyouuo 'pinta' in it," was the reply of the old gentleman of ciiildlike innocence and he continued his disinterested sutvey of the scene. Renewed arplicalions of the members of the pool to Mr. Drew for light on the sub- ject were like efforts to get blood out of turnip, so blissfully ignorant wan he ai ' so sphinx-like were his responses. They then commenced making investiga- tions throutrli their brokers, endeavoring to trace the stock furnished them to the source of supply. Tlieir efforts had not been exerted long In this direction when they were suddenly striken with horror-thc most sickeninff of gorcon horrors. The'r l;lood was chilled, cold perspiration gatherc^d on thar b ows and a Ireiuor ran tiirough their vewr bones. Nearly ewry thare efftoek tliey had bought had been supplied by Drew MntaeHf! through his various byokers. The truth dawned Upon them. Tliey had been betrayed and sold nut by their own leader, and must lose thousands where they had cpunted upon making hundreds of thous- ands. Who could have dreamt of such duplicity and treachery ? Who ooulcl havi* believed that the man who was wholly in- debted to 'the pool for a recent new lease of power, who had been able to make terras only by promisinic to join efforts with the pool and work for its aim, who had been entrusted by the pool with the pool fund tb manage their " bull " movement, who liad been confided in by mem! ers ot the pool for advice, and who had kindly loaned them some of the pool money to operate with privately— who could have believed that this man would deceive and dupe fbem? victimize them po treacherously while nctintr as their tri sted ally and chief? That waa "wbat Daniel Drew had done. He bad played i he bear and duped his most Intimate associates so long that the disease was chronic, a " secoua nature " with him, and the weak nerves of the poor old man could no more resist the tempta- tion of such an unprecedented opportunity for duping a fine lot of confederates, play- ing such a comical trick upon the trust re- pobCd in him and acting his normal charac- ter of bear despite all pledges and obliga- tions, than water can help running down hill or sparks can resist flying upward. When Erie was low he laid in a large stock. When it rose he kindly furnisheid his friends with money to buy with, and then, one good turn deserving another, he bad kindly supplied stock for them to buy. He loaded the market till the price fell and then he bought again, sending thi- market up, when once more his friends borrowed nioney of him to buy his own stock. And thus while Erie had acted in a manner that puzzled and surprised not only the general dealers but even those who thought they knew all about it, the wily old rhau had been manipulating these moderate turns, duping his friends and making large profits for the pool in general and himself in par- ticular. As soon as these facts becaiu'^ kn<^wn, a meeting of the pool w<:w held, at which the comical Drew coolly and soothingly an- nounced that the pool had made a hand- some sum and proceeded to divide the spoil. The grim humor of this situa- tion haa but few parallels and will bo fully appreciated by all the world now though the humorou-' side of it was not at the time at all apparent to the memlwis of the pool, except, perliaps, Fisk and Gould. These gentlemen have a very lively sense of the humorous, and as they were too vijB^ 23 bn I>rew era. The bad been • n leader, they had if thoos- lt of such lould hari 'holly in- new lease ake terms with the hod been ool fond ent. who lers ot the ly loaned o operate believed and dupe icherousiv and chief"? liad done, duped hia j: that the 1 nature" f the poor e tempta- aportnnity ates, play- le trust re- lal charac- ud obliga- ning down : Tipward. h a large furnished with, and noUier, he sni to buy. ce fell and hi' market borrowed )ck. And inner that tie general ught they mail had •ate turns, rge profits elf in par- knf^wn, a ivbich the ingly an- e a hand- ivide the iis situa- will bo >rld now 'as nut at imbos of id Gould, ely sense were Ipo sharp to get caught, and probably even prtmt^ by the proceeding, u |4 more than mAf fhatutJBj appreci{tt<^ the position Ih alliu phMW. The wTat|i of YanderbiltkiteF no boand, ani4 ^^^ aoiuethjng inspiring to beholicl, lil^ the nxj of a i^ighty storm. It wa not that K^ImkI ^leen dupod. It wfts hoi at, Drew's, ingratitude and dupllcl^. tt was not il^at Mi fii^ds had b^ Ticthtt- i^i i^dgea orpken andh}saii»8 moment- an|7 tb,wa|!ted. Itwa? at hioiseli for al- lowing it to be pos8i1^!e to be cauig^tat all. fqr putting himself lia Uie power ot any mi^, for faU&ig so unsuspectihgly and jan* guardedly in;^ tl^q t|%p of his lnyetfBra|b^ foe, HUf pQtt9 is,, "Never put It in aoy man'spon^ertQ ruin you.:' HjS was not ruined nor seriously harmed, but ho badl infringed the rule of his life and been caught napping for once by his enemy un- der the EQdisT irritating c|rcn|nstancur. Drew chuckled, looked mnocent as a btbe and felt many an old sore wiped out. IMsk and Gould chuckled, thought it a huge joke and cayefujly treasured the moral thereof. \;,. vjr^ :;\';,'^'':;^;', ''; Yanderbilt wus now deterniined "that Eric sl^puld come under his power— absolutely and bevond the will of any man or boidy of meju \o say him nay. He first submitted to. the aiiectora ceitai^ prepositions ex- pressinsr his desire as to the management of the road, ai^d the rejection of thesei by the board showing him that he was not su- preme ruler but had be«n duped all rouno. he drew himself up in all the majesty of his mighty power and resolved to mak<^ Erie his by main foiree, as he had done with the others. 4- Q^^ P<)^i ^<^ imme- diately formed to do wh^t the ^^t one had fatted to do. For reasons ^pt necessary tp mention, Daniel Drew was not ' memper, of this pool. Jay (jlouldt however, wa#. All these scenies chantscd rapidly, noise- lessly, and by unseen forces, and Erie had scarcely fallen back under Drew's li^t un- loading upon his friends when it wheeled and shot up froi^if 70 to 80 under the inr spiration of the now combination andVail- defoilt's roused will, so suddeuy, as to puz- zle and confound brolfers more than ever by the queer, unexpected and inexplicaji)le mpvement. Drew, now left out it^ the ual, but-r-alsu as usual— he bold- ly Kold short of Erie despite the upward bound, despite the combination which h|Q knew had been fo|-me4 against him, des- pite the bitter e^^perience he had had iu goipg short when^Vanderbilt was opposed to l|un. His course seemed strange, recl^- lef«,and msbiug upon self-destructlup, a^ vipwe4 by tiie qnttltitude, but tt^e >p|afy, Commodore was quick to read its signifi- c^ce and act accordingly. t^e liEiw Of the State forbade any in- crease of th^ capital stock of anv railroad by a direct issue of new shares. But " D|uig«r djBTltbtl) ihUts ; wit waits on fear," . and Drew's gpnioahad devised a eady »ind eaay way of getting ronod this little diffl- culty. The charter of the company doea authorize the direotors to issue bonds of the corporatiuttlie of H It. There- Ived, it childlike \t diqtarb^ least He rithvout Itwayl An ig to fear Exchanged to wch these old Drew took OO. Drev imall lots, e used at a elopmento. een served,. I ot D:ew Dg further rs for the forward in order was ;at railroad lion of the very active,, it and the thought it bro^side, cover his } selling in aand for it lers to his 000 shares ots, to sell, 1 upon the y them be- irce. Soon a large is- dfire, strik- [ in a few lto65. A le bears and g to see it Y wheeled like a great ic among rout into nded his and buv k ofiPered. worth of y, but he e slightest tngit with up I The in his net rest leader ed by tbl» 25 manifestation of tremendous power and determination. Drew had now fiang upon- the market all the stock he oonld oom^ mand, and yet the price had gone up, and left him with large short contracts imcov> ered. Oil the 8rd of March his nerves re- ceived a further shock, for on that day, at the instance of Yanderbiit, Jndge Bar- nard fulminated bis third injunc- tion, this time not against Drew alone but against the whole body of Erie directors, peremptorily forbiddhig their is- suing or using any stock of tlie company in addition to the 351,068 Shares ontstand* ine at the last annual report As 50,000 jum shares were already on the market and they had got Vanderbili's money therefor, th^ coula not restrain a slight smile at the Judge and his patron for this injunction. But Drew could not join in this smile at all. He could think of nothing but "them shorts" and was alarmed lest this last move had placed him in Vanderbilt's power once more. Nor did any of them long indulge in humor over the comical phase of this last move, but they seriously addressed themselves to the problem of breaking the cordon that was gathering around them. A week wore on. Yanderbiit pushed Erie steadily upward, and it now stood at 78. During these days the directors came to the conclusion that " two Can play at that game" of injunctions. The 10th was the day on which Drew had got to appear before Judge Barnard and show cause why he should not be turned out of Erie. He knew that the crisis of the whole situ- ation must culminate on that day. JB^t on the morning of the 9th the directors quiet- ly went over to Brooklyn, and upon affi- davits stating that a conspiracy had been entered into to injure the Erie Railway and speculate in its stock, and that Judge Bumard himself was interested in it and WAS using the power of his Court to help it on, an injunction was obtained from Judge Gilbert staylns: proceedings in all the suits that had been insti- tuted , Judge Barnard being included in the restraint, and ordering the directors to pro- ceed in the management of the road pre- cisely the same as if no suit, had been instituted. This placed matters in a very interesting position. On one hand Judge Barnard bad forbidden certain thizTgs to be done and therefore if the directors pro- ceeded that functienary would' visit them with his mighty vengeance for contempt of his Court; on the other hand yt-a the order of Judge Gilbert directing them to moye forward in those same mattei^, so if th^ stood still they were equally liable to be punished by him for contenipt of his Court Drew, being a devout Methodist, probably never plays cards and so had most likely never heard of Hoylfr'» famous maxim, "When you are in doubt, take the trick;" but he had seen quite enough of law in his lone life to know that a prisoner is always entitled to the benefit of any doubt, and Judge Bar- nard "Was the man the terror or whose Krocess for contempt it was decided to- rave. In this position the opposing forces rested on their arms facing each oAer the last night before the great decisive battle, knowing that on the morrow would come the inal crisis of the campaign and that before the sun set again the laurels would be awarded to bull or bear, Yanderbiit or Drew. Ife had been a case of "love at sight" be- tween Fisk and Gould. They recognized it once the elements uf strength which !heir union would have and nad been putting thehr heads together through all these months to improve any op- portunity that might arise. Gould had retained the oonfldenoe of Yanderbiit all this time and he now so far presunu^ tipon this confidence as to suggest to Yan- derUlt that as the day was to be one of much excitement in t'he Courts the bears might take advantage of it to depress Erie and it would therefore be advisable for the Commodore to eive his brokers orders to sustain the market Yanderbiit saw the propriety of the course suggested. GoulA then played upon Drew's nerves by omin* ously hinting tliat Fisk was acting a little peculiar, might not put his 50,000 shares upon the market after all, and if he did not Yanderbiit would triumph and Erie ml^ht go to 200 or higher as Hailem did.- This ({reatly increased the old man's alarm and his weak knees began to. tremble- badly. The morning of the 10th dawned. Yan- Ocibilt gave an unlimited order to sustain the market, then standing at 79. Drew scrutinized Fisk's actions and found they did look dubious, as Gould said. He was seized with a fear that he was going to ')e duped in fhe house of his friends as he bad duped others, and immediately sent orders for his brokers to buy Erie to cover his shorts. This was the moment Fisk was waiting for. His 50.000 shares were im- mediately distributed among numerous l;>rokers iu small lots and orders given to- sell when the word caine. The stoclc boardf met at 10 o'clock, and the street was already tremulous with nervous excitement. The f>residing officer commenced calling the 'st of stocks and all were passed quickly with scarcely any dealings or bids till he called "Briel" At that word, before it was off his lips, the thickly packed crowd of btokers bounded as if a mine had been sprung beneath them. Their united yells ;) ■ rent the air of the large room as ha;! not run Erie up became utlerly demoralized by bceilidoDe for mamj a long diy. They tUe - mmoif flying wildly avmni them. -flhouted till tiieir tmdet were as fed as (1»> moiH^, eabh taking to midie himself heiad' : above' Uie rest, gestleulating frapttoally to the U4m6«t extent of their physical ^ow(^. It SMbed more like a mad-house filled: with ravibf maniacs suddenly released f rbm cousiraibt' tbmri' 4 gathering of rational befaifR. Erie dianged han^c by the five and ten thousand shares per monienL The battle rsged madly for ten minutes, and the stock was goinp: at 30, when the presiding officer annonneed that dealings in Erie niUst cease and called the next stock on the list. Instantly the whole body now bolted from the room and pottr<< ed dowri the long; large staircase iiito tile s^eetlike a wild Sweeiping torrent, Heaving mality of lialling the list to the end to an empty room^ On the street the battle was C0Qtinu.ed and raged in still greater disor^ der,each of Vanderbilt's brokers formfoff' the c^btre of an eddying ^rcle in the grand WMrlpool and quickly catching at all of^ feiBto sell, while Drew's men were equally, bbsy and eager covering Ute shorts. The struggle was kept up with unabated i!nry< tHl noon when Erie, under the combined, purchases of Vanderbiltand Drew,touchbd 88. Fisk's men now received their vrord acd flung his 50,060 bharea They were snatched up as beggar boys snatdi at pennies thrown among them and still ask for more. Still the battle raged on till those who had ptu'chaaed got a chance to glance at the shares that had been delivered to them. It was then suddenly discovered that large quantities of brand'new stock, clean and unrumpled, issued to Jame» £iakf Jr., had been put upon the street that day. Instantly and like wildfire a panic ran through the heart of Wall Street. Heie, even toore than elsewhere, rumors gather volume as they fly, and rumor now soon had it that new stock had been dumped upon the street in unlimited quantiti&i. The shock was like the work of magif. Tbe antics of those who had gobbled down the n^w stock unsust>e4it- ingly now resembled the contortions of a goose that has swallowed a piece of red-hot iron mistaken for corn. Their, retchings and eructations in the effort to disgorsre were a rare mixture of th{^ cp^ic f.nd painful to behold. All were eager to fihariBf tiA genem oonTictioo that tl^ Drew pftrty had triumphed and Yim^^r . but bfea beaten, and knoiyiqg tbt about 70, had been covered (^( i 27 lized by bat tt^ blc Ip mode re, could OMW-k«t ituatioQ, of the about 80. St|U, tbe resu^ of the wbo|e baHle of threi> weeks w^s such tijaf tiU) veteran leader of the bean wu eouj^^tiy satisfied, and he heartly jQ^ed in jwe cbuckle that ran ];ound ^b(^ Mlf-Ba^fieq circle ^atheied at Efie ^^ciq^ai;t£^ \a. West Street that eyenlW. ||i:ouna,t^,q covered chest cantaini^g va^derByli's j^ti- liQ|i8 in excbangp fof Ujjj ^^tfltalpf M clean ptper ground out by >}|!elf lUt^B nii,i)J only a few days before. ' ul^ ' The roar of the wild b^ttljS in- xt^i Street ?iad completely drowned t))e]pij noise in the neigbborinx ball^ <^ i)?^f> tbatiday, and Judge BsJnxardl^i de(^pfis)<0 most powerful pipes had weQ. (19 squeaks of a penny whistle beside a bati of booming canuoq. Kevertbelj^^^ . piped away after his fashioiL vi6iu^9f{[.piac^ rig)jt*ous iudifiuatimi, oye);flowif)g,wfth^a more than noble Rome's valpJ: ^J^d virtual copciuded ii;i shrill tones, "My, voice is stm, forwar," The man he bad B,temly ordered to appear before the inajestv of his law tha^ morning, shielded . himself behind ,a judge .uf co-ordinate power with Barnard, found it. inconvenient to attend and failed to put in nn appearance, l^oreoyer, as " his. pernor" took his seat UP0^ the bench that morning he was himself treated to a little taste of injunctions, being at that moment, without the slightest awe of his ai-.gust dignity, diamond studp, frilled 6hift front, and velvet coat, served with Judge Gilbert's order peremptorily forbidding him to take any further proceedings in the matter of the orders and injunctions he had so freely fulimnated agaiiist Drew and the whole body of Erie directors. He was amazed at such an extradrdinary act on the part of his Brooklyn compeer, prompt-, ly declared it utterly null and void, and groceuded to treat it witb entire contempt iut while he himself thus treated with contempt an order of the Supreme Co'jrt on the one hand, on the other he proposed to visit summary punishment upon those who had presumed to disregard hiaoWn annulled orders. Drew had failed to ap- pear. Tbat was contempt despite an order of the Supreme Oourt staying proceedings and telling him he need not appear. That day's history in Wall Street had disclosed that the Erie directors had issued' new stock after "his Honor" had enjoined iiiem from so doing. That was. contempt dC8> pite a subsequent order of equal authority authorizing them to do as they pleased about it At least, so thought lhe'pnre< minded and immaculate Barnard, OonSeqU' ently he suf&red not the majesty of his law to be slighted. / < .: i ' . . Befoie the sun was well tip tlK' fieit morning the coat-tails of all the Sheriffs' and deputy sherifb that cotild be found In the celebrated new Court House were stuff- ed fbU of formidable documents, Hearing 4 ^e bottom what those who claini' to spealf frf^ acqaaintaace prooQUQCfd to be ,tb0 sign tnanual of OeOru;e G. Barnard, ^^d«f. Th^ said savage-looking documents iiltn|4^e. formidable s&me at thebAt^om WW4 >vdfs for the arrest of the whol^ uiokifi) «»i £r{^ directors, including " tl;^^ h|o4y'r»f James Fisk, Jr.," for contempt, ,ana'« his H(mor" now made these pelltats', of justice as plentlfnl around the CJtvHatt wTisk had made £)rie stock In Wall mreet tfie d^y before. The Erie directors,' after a Diiht of rest and pleasant dreasis ox VictjOryand new fortunes made^ad fisseitt- blbd at ibeir headquarters in West Stte^ agatn on the bonding of the 11th and wer6 '^ 'thei^ kteb tAking a fresh inatntihal' peep iQto the ehestful Of pleasing souvenirs ,tf fhefr fHetid Varid'crbilt In this mortt- i^g^^ tjisfvotion tbey v^erc surprised by the' arnVal of a messenget^ nearly out of breal^ fl-om the haste he itad made to warn th^ tjii^t a small army ' of Judge Barnard's iBinions was in eager search for them. a^iided with writs for their arrest and In- tendiiie to drag thdr precious bodies before "hfs Honor" of ihe auuust and terrible shirt f^ll. Upon the explosibn of this sb^ll in tbeir midst, the knees of Drew smote each other as might a sinner's at the sound of Gabriel's trumpet, his counten- apce assumed a most woe-bogone i^xpres- sion, and ghastly spectres ot Ludlow street jail haunted his aged vision. Fisk's first thought was for the security of that cheist. Be hastily closed the lid and located himi- self with his two hundred pounds and more of flesh on top thereof, announced that he sbould not get off till Barnard's dpgik tnok him off, and called a council of wair to meet around him to deliberate on the situation. At BrattlebQro in his boyhood he had often seeja persecuted individuals whom the sheriff wanted to see very particularly, run through the covered bridge which here spans the Connecticut and w^ ^n tbey had reached the Kaw Hampshire side, turn suddenly round, put tnumb to nose and set their fijigers in a lively wiggle at the Vermont sherlS and kindly inquired the state of his health. This early practical instruction in the complexity of American jurisprudence resulting from our political system had amused him too many times in his youth to be forgotten, and bis know- ledge of law thus eained now served him a good turn. The Brie offices wer« close upon the river hank directly opposite the ferry to Jersey City. It immediately struck Fisk that it would cut the Gordian knot of their present predicament and be a eood joke on B.irn.'*'^ *o step aboard the next 29' botU and take a little pleasure trip to tbe Je^y side of tbe Hudsoa. That, being the termlQus (ft tbe Erie toad, they coald superintend tbe affairs o( thdr corporation as well tbtre as in New York : and close by tbe water's edge where the ferry would land tliem stands Taylor's Hotel, an estab;^ lishment that makes excellent provision for all tiie needs of tbe inner man. The pro- position had so much to recopimiind it to th^ urgent necessity and io few draW- badssthat itsbruck his lellow mlserables as a brilliant idea and was immediately adopted by a unanimoits vote. Hasty )>i«- par^tions for the for«ien tour were at (^ce commenced. Fisk deiUy remo v ed his two hundred pound corpus from tl^e chest and Drew, as treasurer, placed therein all the funds of the Erie treasury, locked it se- cure and placed it in ct^arge of two tru&t- po;rters to be taken to tbe f eny. Having thus attended to his official duties, he pro- ceeded to gather up bis private funds — tbe( proceeds of his brilliant management as confidential agent of Mr. Vanderbiit'aponli the. reward of lendiog men money to bay big own stock, selling out his most intimate frtends and various similar brilliant ex- ploits—requiring several small trunks U> hold them, and seut them la the wake of the chest. Fisk proceeded to stuff the pockets ^f his coat, vest and paats with tbe greenbacks gathered as tbe fruit of wearing a dubious look in Drew's presence the, previous morning, smiliig as he did so to note the mournful glances cast at bis plethoric pockets by the despondent old gentleman. Haste being imperative, the preparations were few and soon made, and now the band, taking with them such of the books, pape^ and more important doc- uments as thev coukl easily carry, made for the ferry, Fisk being careful to fall in directly behind the chest, so small had grown his confidence in human nature iu geiieral and in Daniel Drew in particular. As the party emerged from the bulking to the sidewalk, three or tour policemen hap- pened to be conversing together on the op- posite corner. This being the general em- ployment of New York police, that circum stance should not have caused any alarm ; but ''Conscience makes cowards of us all," and the absconding directors instinctively halted for a moment at the si^htof tbe brass-buttoned Hibernians with lignum vita clubs, apprehensive lest they were station- ed thure in the service of Barnard and were waiting for his appearance. The strange tableau which the directors thus presented, with their confused counten- ances and furtive glances, naturally attract- ed the attention and fixed upon themsdves the stare of the policemen. Their first ap- prebensioQ now became certainty, and th9 . !n$i^cttYe itnpniB^ to self -iprotectioh anq | peMpokl c^fety becoming dominant, they^'^ hrif>Ke i^d ran.-Hiot as sheep do, in a united 'ba^ in tbe directjoh of tbe one that starts first, butsome ofie Way and some another., r In itneir uttf^ detnmralbiation, they reverted' ' to tiie cqi^tlUtiot^ of mind existing berorfr^;: the CSirunian era, when stranger and enemy '' were synonymous terms, and were now ' afe^ionsly suspicious of every .iian u&*"' kqowh to them that they met, lest he ., )9hcAdd prpve to be armed with one of" JudJM Barnard's writs for their urest. The ,' ; mei^deri^g lines traced by their flight ' under . tftica , Circumstances, their sudden'.' dodgintts and duckings and turning of'/' shirfi romers, were comic in the extreme,!' A fe^ of thetn only made at once for th»'.j f eity, but of these few Fisk was one. The' ' ' porters bearing the chest of funds, con-^'' scious of ho offence, had not been at all .'.,^ dis^tbed at sight of the policemen but had moved directly on to the terry and so were someWhatin advance of the parcy who had 'halted from fear. Tbe boat witb the chest and porterj on board wasjust starting when ', snch of the fu^tives as ran in that dirse-"' tion arrived upon tlieslip; but Fisk seeing that chest was like Hans Breitmann, the soldier in MarylAud, when scoiit,s came in reporting a rebel town near by in wWch ; there was lager bier. "QottsdonnerkreuzschocksctawerenotlLf ■] How Breitmanii broked de bash ! i O, let me see dat later bier I ,•■■. Ti. ..fi O, let me at l»im rash I" ..n •• -^ •'■■>-■(■ He of the plethoric pocsets made a desper* m ate leap for the boat, successfully accom- ;• plished the hazardous feat and was safe — '(: safe from the water ready to receive him, safe from the wrath of the virtuous Bar- nard, safe nsar that chest. He wiped his brow, puffed for a monient, then imitated those funny men he had seen pass so hastily through the bridgti at Brattleboro years before. The other directors made their way to Jersey in straggling parties as best they could. Some, went by the terry; others, fearing they woufd now be watched for there, got themselves privately ferried over in small row boats. By nightfall all but two of the most unoffending ones had suc- ceeded in placing the Hudson between themselves and danger The two luckless ones fdl into the sheriff's clutches and were marched into the august presence of Judge Barnard but were released tiuderi.'. heavy bail. i As soon as Fisk bad reached the land of safety and taken some refreshments, he took up his position at the head of the slip in the ferry house, and, as the successive boots came in, walked up and di^wu with his hands in his trowsers pockets, one of Park ui29 Id the,-; m ana . thev^ ' inited ' starts ^ lother. , i erted ' Ibefore . ' inemy ' '6 BOW ' ,n unv" It he ., me of • It. The ,' flight ' ludden ' |lng of ' treme. ' ' 'or the t The ' con- ' atall ,' )uthad ' 10 were , ho had -: ic chest I gwhen , dirac- "' seeing nn, tl^, ] same in which I and Tilford's tnest partigas in his mo^tih, oyerflowmg with spirits and hnmeir, alnd made many kUid inquiries fibout his friends, Barnard and Vanderbilt. ^e wel- comed each small squad of his fellow eijleb with much deMght as they straggled in, tak- ing them warmly by the hand, with the cheery words, " Well, hoys, how'a every- thing over'n York f" with the first shades of evening twilight, March 11th, 1868, a merrier company tnan is often gathered aronnd the festive board in Taylor's Hotel sat do nn for " a feast of reason and a flow of soul." United once more, with the exception of the hapless two, after many struggles and dangers, M -.mnltum ille et terrU JtcUtas et alto ' Yi Saperam, Baevi memorem Bamatdla ob inm, , . Uulta quoqae et bello paasas," a right merry band were they now. Safe from all harm or intrusion, protected by the broad aigis of the land of the Camden & Amboy Kflilroed, o berwise known as the State of New Jersey, the home of large mosquitoes, they recounted the incidents ot the past three days with an abundant flow of wit and wine, enjoying that weird fascination and pleasure that hovers over ^.■;c■;^.«■■o■tv ■Hi'}' dangers well passed. :>■•>: -)(f; CHAPTER VI. BXILBD IN JBBSET— A GREAT SCABB AND NOBODY HURT — SECRET TRIPS ACROSS '• THE HUDSON — DREW SHADOWED AND ' EUCHRED — BATTLE IN THE liBOISLATURE ;'; — ASETTLKMENT— HOME AGAIN— ON THE ' WITNESS-STAND. When the exiled directors had fully vented their humor and were ready to turn theii- attention to the practical affairs of their trust once more, the first step was to secure a firm legal footing in their new abode. An agent was immediately sent to Trenton, a bill making the Erie Railway a New Jersey corporation was pushed tiirrugh the Legislature in two hours, was soon signed by the Governor, and Erie was now perfectly at home in its new quarters. Another practical question that immedi- ately presented itself for settlement related to the division of the spoils of the recent campaign. Of course the f 10,000,000 of new bonds issued had not been negotiated «t par. For the $6,000,000 worth issued to Mr. Fisk— the E^ie treasury re- «Used 13,625,000 — and as the stock into which he converted his bonds had been disposed of for about |4,000.000, there remained the sum of |375,000 to be divided among the parties to compensate them for ^eir valuable services in getting the stock upon the market When it was decided to lESue the 110*000,000 of new bonds, a writ- ten agreement was entered into by Drigw, Fisk, Oould and another, as to the maolxer In which the profits should be divided; bpt Fisk having come to put little faith In Drew's agreements, even though in wHt- ing, declined to hand over to the keeper of Mr. Vanderbllt's late pool the |376.000 which he held as the profit of his half of the transaction, till Drew also accoiinted for his profits in the late campaign, in ac- cordance i^ith his agreement. The wrangle was finally settled by Fif k eiving the trea- surer his check for |37'(,000''instead of sui- rendericg the cash in his possession. This check was uncertified. Which of course made it nothing but a due bill, and there- fore of. just as much value as Mr. Drew's agreement, and no more. It was, however, accompanied by about $1F0,000 worth of stock, as collateral, and tiie amount realiz- ed on this may be taken as the treasurer's profits from thifi single item of the day's transactions, for history does not record that Mr. Drew ever got that check of J mes Fisk's, Jr., for $875,000 cashed. Half that sum being equally divided among the other three parties to the agreement, Fisk and Gould must have profited upward of $f 0,000 each by this one i em of the day's transactions, and they were not men tiiat would fail to have several items of a like profitable nature. These two matters being settied, the next thing to be attended to was public sentiment. Their proceedings had been of a nature ihat would have created a very unpleasant odor around their names in Wall Street, even had they remained upon the fi»ld and exerted themselves to coun- teract an unfavorable judgment; and the evil wrought by their deeds had been greatiy enhanced by t^e sadden with- drawal from circulation of so many mil- lions df currency as they had carriedf with them to Jersey. Money had been made very scarce all at once, causing serious em- barrassment in financial matters and still further depressing the stock market heavily beyond what was done by the demoraliz- ing effect of the issue of $10,000,000 of new stock. Both wind and tide had thus been set strongly against them and the current was moreasing daily as the evil effects of their doin^ developed. But far worse than all this was the stench of having fled the State. The public had long since grown 10 indifierent to the course of events in Wall Street that, whatever their exploits there, it would have been regarded only as a " diamond cut diamond" proceeding and after a littie harmless noise of the bulla and bears and a few equally harmless newspaper articles, all would have been forgotten and their names would not have '^^0 txien materially injured. ^Qt ihey nqif rettecl under the ^ttgnaA of belu^ fasitlV^ fMittJu6ti(!e, abtl that circamdtance alohl) bi^ocfed them With grti^t d%race tn ibis pODliceye. Therefore they n(i«r exe|;t^A th^oiselres streooUsW to coaoter&ct all thik add tu^n the (Ida in the!|' fivor. To ill mo reporters, interviewers >nd cotiimiiteels thAt now visited them by th6 score frOili dv^rv quarter, thqr repreaent'^d themselves ai the moat disinterested aud aelf-Bacrtflo- iag champions of tue public interests Soramst the monopolizing schemes ot Yan- srbilt and affli^med that alt they had done yfrita not only a juatifiabid but absolntdy necea^a^y means to that most desirable 0nd, and their only way to defend the road tomtiQitt'd to their tt'ueft. Ad instead of bting fugitives from Justice, thpy claimed tobendirtyra to' the public weal and per- secuted victims of the most corrupt jcfdg*-. that 9yCr AlAgt^eii a bench, ullegiag th.vt Barnard was nothing but the obdeouious tool of Vaudej-bilt, In league with mttt t6 speCViTate in Efie stock, and scandalously abu^tfg his power and pcysttlon as a jud^f) to b^rrass them for liiwarting his knavish schecUes. As these allegations had a firm basid in the fact% of the case, the p/osltlun in which they pictured themselve's was very plausible and the tub tnu^ construct- ed to sail a stormy sea would have been aii excellent one had it only had a bottbtd. But to think of Pisk and Gould in the char- acter of self-sacrificing guardians of public aiid corporate interests strikes oneas er-. tremely comic, and how much they sur- passed Vanderbilt in seeking tue welfare of the Brie Railway and the comrh'ercial interests of New York the sequ«l Was left no room to doubt; but their character was not then developed or known, and Mr. Bldridgo their president, enjoyed a high reputation both as a railroad manaeer and a man of character. Their agreemwit with Vanderbilt at the time of their election had not yet leaked out to the public and their several purposes were not yet patent. Therefore their tub, bottomless thottgh it Was, sailed verv well temporarily. None of their visitors departed hungry or thirsty. All left With a very favorable ImpreBSioh of the kind-heartedness of the exiles, and the spirit of hospitality And bonhomie that pervaded Taylor's Hotel distilled a gentle itffttsion Of roses into the ink of the news- paper meb, whonowdwirfy saw t#0 sidefi to the question and b^gto te Ibink t^^ generous spirits chiosed out of New York by Judge Barnard not so black as th^y had been ptdnted. And now Occui^d a mdsiludidrotis inci- dent Whicfh set^ed f6 help tlite eiilCs some- what ihtorhin^ sympathy fai their favor. On the 16th, ilittgebodvftf New York "ro^^h?" ^ t|ie n^riittype in«de their appearBuc^ln Jersey City, about the f ferry hoiisej Brie ;dopdtahdxayl6r's Hotel. Th'i news im- M-edUrfteiy^ttitkd that Vnnderbili had of- l^'d 4 rewiria of |SO,0(X) f6r Drew, Fisk or Mdridgi!, and this party had come u¥er Ihtending to kidnap all the dUrectors they coQid find and tbke them back within the jurisdiction of the terrible Barnard by main force and with as much violence to Jersey law as notight be necessary. Gteat excitement ran through the city Ht the news and a large crowd soon gathered in tihe vicinity. A I&tge number of Erie fern- ployu» was immediately summoned from the work-shops and formed into n body guard to protect the directors, and Taylor's folel WiR9 at Once and not inaptly dubbed " Port Tay'or." A heavy detachment of police was detailed for service withiu aud alHiut ** the Pprt," aud the whole force of the city Was instructed, that if a rocket Were isent up any time during the night they should regard it as a signal to hasten to the ihrea'enBd quarter. General fear of a riot prevailed, the stores were closed in the evening, the streets in the disturbed quarter were avoided, and the militia was placed under orders to rally at a signal. The excitement of the situation was rather enjoyed by the directors, and especially by Mr. Pisk, wh(j now bustled about with a most determined looking visage, mounted his guard, issued orders, puffed away at his cigar, kept up a constant discharge of puns, vowed he would never be taken alive, and braved all the terrors and hazards of the deep and Judge Barnard's jurisdiction by daring trips acro-.s the Hudson in a small row boat under ;ver of the darkness and fog to act as a spy in the camp of his enemieSj a la King Arthur, and get some- thing good at Delmonico's and elsewhere. No demonstration whatever was made by the roughs, most of whom returnrd to Nev/ York within an hour or two after their first appearance. Port Taylor was kept heavily garrisoned, however, and Uinued to wear on the inside the air oi ,i besieged fortre^. Now rumors of an imminent attack came into camp at Intervals of two or tliiee days, to renew the exciteinent and prevent the situation from becotaing monotonotis. This state of things was kept tfp for two weekes, when, the novelty ana excitement of the episode having grown stale, the self-imposed sieire Was raised without a single instince of disorder having occurred, all the roughs having long ago retired to their faivorite haunts in the Fire Points Aflid elsewhere and quite for- gotten the afiitk ib their active trainine fbr Alderiiien. A greiit hsindle was mad of this affikir l^y imme- >ther rea- givon in ous gen- tly about for sev- faith in n invalu- nery and mode of ters. Bs- od of pro- coDcerned ,monnt of >n. Either icted to in- lerally and kation and in anex- nmittee is ) tlie com- e is pretty litteo often iportant to Qts to take is this cir- CLairman- ayg a posi- id the next }eakership. leaker gen- aent of his n party by lis commit- [ed of the I of return- jsion com- Lnd in fact tee, unleos 5k, can rely uer C9 veiy tion. tster-Btroke Street,- the the general awful acts instituted iced such a something decideilly wronj;, that a special committee of five to inquire into and report upon the condition of the Erie Railway, was ap- pointed by the Legislature, March 5th. This committee achieved great temporary celebrity, and was known as the " Mattoon Committee," from thu name of its most conspicuous member. Now, Mr. Mattoon was not one of your bigoted, prejuJiced, opinionated men who prejudge a case and haviug f oni^ed a bias beforehand, shut their minds to thi influence of all arguments and refuse to look at the matter in a new light or modify their opinion. He was one of those lofty natures whose minds are al- ways open to conviction, who are not only willing, but even eager to receive further light and be convinced that their views are erroneous, and delight to admit their error and adopt, the right position. Being of this peculiar mental cast, 31 r. Mattooa very naturally deemed it indispensable to go straight to tUe fountain head for light immediately upon being appointed on the investigatinc committee. Ho visited the chiefs of the Drew faction to hear their side of the story and listen carefullj' to their arguments, and then he vi-itod Mr. Vanderbllt to hear his cause and the opposing arguments. So intricate was the case and so difficult was it to get at the real merits that a single hearing seemed not to set the Mattoon mind and conscience at rest as to the right of the matter and his duty in the premises, and therefore he found it necessary to make several vis!''^ to each party in order that full justice night be done. Singularly enough, Mr. Mattoon seemed ever to incline to the views of the party that had his ear last, hence it became a matter of much more than usual importance who should have tbe last word. Some base spirits, judging from their own evil natures, insin- uated that something more powerful than mere verbal arguments were brought to bear upon this mind ever so open to con- viction, but it may be sufficient to satisfy a certain type of mind that these insinuations were only vile calumnies to state that there has never been produced in the matter any evidence that would constitute "legal proof." The investigation had been thus carried on for more than a month, during which time each party had several times thorght the unbiased mind finally fixed in its favor, but only to find itself granted a further hearing. When at last the com- mittee felt ready to report, it so happened that the other four members were equally divided, two desiring a favorable and two an unfavorable report upon the condition of the Erie Railway and its management. Mr. Mattoon finding himself thus holding the deciding vote, became suddenly im- 3 pressed with the gravity and rospooHlbility of his position and the ipreat necussitv of proceeding c necientiously in the maiter and requested a little further time to hear any further argument that might be oilored, reflect and make up his mind. The report was still further delayed for bis accommo- dation, and the matter stoftd In this poei- tion when Mr. Gould reached Albany. Being now on the ground, he felt his chance for irettinc tlie important lost word, and so a favorable repori, was much improved, and it was for this reason that he much preferred not to accompany Jud$;;e Bar- nard's polite messenger to Now York im- mediately. He now applied himself vigorously to bring tue most cogent argu- ments to bear upon Mr. .Mattoon and remove the last cobwebs of doubt from the mind of the conscientious Senulor. And he finally parted with him satisfied that he had had the last word, supplied the dust that was to turn the scak's, and that a favorable report would be made so that further legislation favorable to Erie would be easily secured. Ihe report was made April 1st, and it was unfavorable to Erie. Mr. Mattoon had placed liis signature with the two whose views were of the Vander- bilt hue. Gould expressed himself "utterly astounded," when he heard how Mattoon had voted, but still he despaired not. On Saturday morning Mr. Gould pre- sented himself in accordance with Judge Barnard's invitation, and after much wrangling and some lingular legal gymnastics he was remanded to the charge of the sheriff. He, however, speedily made his way back to Albany, taking the sheriff along as a travelling com- panion. When the time arrived for the sheriff to produce the body of Jay Gould in court in New York again, Mr. Giould did as some Sophomores do in college ,when they wish to get away from recitai'ona for a short time — he fell suddenly ill and got a physician's certificate that he was under treatment and should be excused from at- tendance. With this instead of the body, the sheriff went back to New York and the magic certificate of the physician seemed to satisfy the mysteriously abating ire of the New York judge. And as the Sopho- more finds that he is in no great danger soon after the physician has left a prescrip- tion, a certificate of ill health, and departea, but tears up the prescription, carefaHy preserves the certificate and goes off to visit some young lady cousin, so Mr. Gould found that he was not in too feeble a con- dition to devote hin^self earnestly to the difficult task of reversmetho unfavora- ble votes that had been given and taming the tide in favor of Erie. The defeat of the Erie bill, March 27th, 34 r and the unfavorablu report of ilio conimit- tee,Apri1 Itt.Memca to nnoonuce the entire triumph of Vaoderbilt and the curtain and ipeedy dnom of Drew and hit adherents. Their iufluenoe was very aenaiblv felt in the Sloctc Exchange, and Central, which had fallen from 182 to 109 in the three weeks of depression, instantly raUicd again three or four per cent, and other stocks felt the influence But Gould was not in the least dlsbeaiteued. He surveyed the posi- tion carefully and determiuf d to win the smile of the Legislature yet. His rooms at the Delavan Houto became the favorite resort of many of the legislator. Thuy all departed with smiling faces, and Mr. Gould soon had little left uf liia chkck book ex- cept the stumps. On the market ran tlirough the Assembly. Hearts sank and hopes of fortune vanished. The news went round that Yanderbilt had ti«d up his purse strings and would not " bleed" another dollar. The wrath of the disappointed members was unbounded. The bill rejected three weeks before by a vote of 83 to 32, was now rushed through \s\. the storm of rage by a vote of 101 to 6. Several other bills designed to injure the Central road and spite Vanderbllt wore in- troduced at once for revenge. The bill went to the Governor and became a law by the signature of Reuben E. Fenton. This bill Judge Barnard aptly described as "a bill to legalize counterfeit money." When its passage was made known at the Stock Excbango by telegraph, it was re- garded as the defeat of Vanaerbilt and the warnine of a panic. The stocks with which Vanderbllt was known tobeheavlly loaded fell at once and larce short Bales were mxde in Central and Eric, when in another liour Central bounded from 112 to 120 and Erie from 00 to 71. Everybody waa utterly astounded aud puzzled at a movement so utterly at variance with the intluence of the news. But it so(m leaked out that Vanderbllt had not withdrawn his opposition at Albany wiiliout knowini; what he was about. He had indeed found xayxi more than a match for him in bold- ni'»s at corruuiing the Loi^islature and saw it couM only be a battle ot the lion aud tbe skunk. n« could succeed only by spend- ing more money to cr Tupt men than Erio would be worth, ana ho was now fully awake to the fact that he was dealing not with Drew but with much more daring spirits, who would hesitate at nothing to carry their point. Still, he released his hold at Albany only when he was assured that the exiles would make a satisfactory settlement with him in order to get Lack to their homes. Secret visifs from across the river had made him certain of this, and suggestions and proposals for a settlement had been such that it was for the interest of both parties to hold up the stocks. The first rumors of this nature that reached in that some extracts from it are worth preserving and may form an acceptable close of this chapter. The suit was l)rought and conducted by Mr. David DuJley'^Field and his partners, his son and Thomas G. Shearman. The trial was held by JuJge George G. Barnard, and the court room was crowded with distin- guished lawyers and m^n who listened with thftgreatest interest. Whea Mr. Fisk was called he stepped upon the stand with most perfect selt- assurance, evidently en- joying the situation, and, In answer to questions, testified : I remember an Interview with Commo- dore "Vanderbilt in the summer of 1868. I don't remember just when the first mter- view was. It was after I returned from Jersey. I was absent in Jersey for a lapse of time (laughter) and on my return I made the Commodore a call (laughter). He said several of the directors were trying to make a trade with him and he would like to know who was the best man to trade with. I told him if the trade was a good one he had better trade with me (laughter). He said old man Drew was no better than a batter pudding (great laughter). Eldridge was completely demoralized and there was no head or tail to our con> cern (laughter). I said I thought BO too (great laughter). He said h» had got his blooilhoundi on aa and would Eursue us till wo took his stock off his ands -he'd be d— d if he'd keep it. I said I'd be d— d if we'd take it back {tea- sation), that we would soil him stock {as long aa h'd stand up and take it (great laughter) Upon this he mellowed down (laughter) ana said we must get togetlier and arrange this matter. He said when we were in Jersey, Drew used to slip over Hnd aeu him whenever he could g>'t. out from under our eyea; that he hiKihada gooi' deal of talk with him and wanted to know if a trade made with Drew and Eldridge could bu slipped through our board, Hayinjr that if It could we nhould all ))u lander) lu the haven of ponce and harmony. (Lking very determined.) I told him I would not submit to a rotioery of the road under a*iy circumstanceH, and that 1 wan dumbfounded that our directors — whom I had supposed respectable men— (great laughter) would have anything to do with such proceedings. Counsel.— Is that all that was said ? Mr. Fisk.— I presume not. We had half an hour's conversation and I think I could say more than that in half an hour (laugh- ter). Counsel- Can you give anything more that was said ? Mr. Fisk.— I don't remember what )a;)re was said. I remember the Commodore put on his other shoe (laughter). I remem- ber that shoe on account of tbe buckle (laughter). You see, there were four buckles on that shoe. I hadn't ever seen any of that kind before, and I remember It passed through my mind that if such men wore that kind of shoe I must get me a- pair (great laughter). This passed through my mmd but I didn't speak of it to the Commodore. I was 7ctj civil to him (laughter). Counsel.— Where was Gould all this time ? Mr. Fisk. — He was in the front 'oom — I suppose. I left him there and tound him there, but I don't know where he may have been in the meantime (laughter). The next Interview was at the house of Mr. Pierrepoint. Gould and I had an appoint- ment with Eldridge at the Fifth Avenue Hotel and as we did not find him there we went out to see if we could find him. Counsel.— Can you give the date of that meeting?— A. No, sir. Q. Can you give the week ?— A. No, sir. Q. Can you give the month.?— A. No» I. Sir. fMf 36 (4. Can you ffive the year ?— A. No, sir ! Wot without reference. Q. Wha», reference do you want? — A. Well, I shall have to refer baclc to the var- ious events of my life to see just where that day comes in, and the almighty rob- bery committed by this man Vanderbllt against the Erie Railway was the most im- pressive event in my life (laughter). The meeting at Pierrcpoint's was a week or ten days after the first, interview with Vander- bllt. Gould and I went there about nine o'olock. We stepped into the hall to- gether. We asked if Mr. Pierre point was in. The e^rvant said he would see. When the servant went into the drawing room 1 was very carefnl to keep on a line with the door so I could see in (Isughter). Presently »lr. Pierre- point stepped into the liall, resembling n man who wasn't in muoh (laughter). I asked him if our president was there After some thoughtfnlness on his part, he said he thought he was (laughter). During this time I had n;oved along towards the drawing room door, Mr. Pierfepomt having neglected tc invite us in )laughter). Q Where was Gould? — A. O, he was just behind me ; he's a! trays right behind at such times (laughter), and while he en- tertained Pierrepmnt 1 opened the door and stepped in (laughter), and found most of our directors there. I stepped up to Mr. Eldridge and told him we had been to the Fifth Avanue Hotel and did not find him. He said he knew he was not there (laughter). I asked what was going on, and everybody seemed to wait for some one else to answer (laughter). Being better ac- quainted with Drew than any of the rest of them, though perhaps having less confi- dence in him (laughter), I asked him what under heavens was up. He said they wore arranging the suits. I told him they ought to adopt a very different manner of doing it than being there in the night — that no mttlement could be made without requir- ing ihe money of the corporation. He be- gan to picture his miseries to me, told me ow he had suffered during bis pilgrimage, saying he was worn and thrown away from his family and wanted to settle matters up ; that he had done everything he could and saw BO other way ouf; either for himself or the company. I told him I guessed he was more particular about himself than the company, and he said, well, he was (laugh- ter) ; that he was an old man and wanted to get out of the light and his troubles ; that they were much older in such affairs than we were — I was very glad to hear him say that — (laughter), and that it was no uncouimon tiling for^reat corporations to make al^angements of this sort. I told him if that was the case I thought our State Prison ought to be enlarged (laughter)* Then Eldndge, he took hold of me. He talked about his great exertions, what he had done and consummated, that there were only two dissenting voices In the board— Gould and myself — and that if we came into the matter to-morrow thu com- pany would be free and clear of litigation and everything would be all right, as he had got the Commodore and work and Schell to settle on a price. I told hira I couldn't see it ; I had fought that position f«r seven m'mths night and day, and for seven weeks in Jersey I had hardly ii'iea off' my clothes, fighting to keep the money of the company from being robbed ; and I Could see no reason why we should not fight it on still. He said he didn't want to go into it, but had tried to do the best ho could with Gould and myself and could do nothing, and now an arrangement had been made with Vanderbllt, and it was all right and must go through that night. I said I did not believe it was legal; these lawyers were all on one side, and I wanted to see my lawyer. He said that was no good (laughter). Then Mr. Pierr^point argued with me. He said he did not think there was tmy one present who was not going to derive benefit from it. Rapallo was writing at a table. Schell was buzzing around (laughter) interested in getting his share of the plunder. Work was sitting on a sofa. I had nothing to sav to him (laughter) as we were not on very good terms. Gould and I had a conversation together and not till twelve o'clock at night did we give our consent. I told hiui I did not believe the proceedings were legal, that we had ro lawyers, that the lawyers there were sold to Eldridge — hook, line ind sinker (laughter). Gould said Eldndge had paid Evarts |10,000 for an opinion that it was all right and Eaton had been paid $15,- 000 for an opinion and said it was legal. I told him 1 thought it a queer way of classi- fying opinions (laughter). Gould consented first. He said he had made up his mind to do so as the best way to get out of the mat- ter. I told him I would consent if he did. Drew came to me with tearn ia his eyes and asked me to consent aud I consented. Then there was some paper drawn up and pass- ed around for us to sign. I dont't know what it contained. I didn't read it. I don't think I noticed a word of it. I don't know the contents and have always been glad I didn't (laughter). I have thought of it a thousand times. I don't know what other documents I signed— signed every- thing that was put before me (laughter). After the devil once got hold ot me I kept on signing (laughter). Didn't read any of them^and have no idea what they were. Don't know how many I signed— kept no 37 auehtw)* me. He what he at there la the at if we hu com- itigation it, as he ^ork and dhira I position and for ly idea le money d; audi ould not want to best ho ad could nent had account after the first. I went with the robbers then and hare been with them ever since (laughter). After signing all the papers I took my hat and left at once in disgust (laughter). I don't know whether we sat down or not. I know we didn't have anything; to eat (laughter). Counsel — Didn't you have a glass of wine or somHthiuu: of that sort ? Mr. Fisk— I don't reuieiuber. Counsel — Wouldn't that have made an impression upon you? (Laughter. Mr. Fisk — No, sir! I never drink (laughter). I think I left at once as noon as I had done signing. As we went out I said to Gould we had sold our souls to the devil (laughter). He agreed to that and said he thoui;ht so too (laughter). I remember Mr. White, the cashier, coming in with the check book under his arm and as he came in I said to him that he was bearing in the balance of the remains of our corporation to put into Yanderbilt's tumb (laughter). The next interview with Yanderbilt was several days after. CJouuoel~Was Gould with you ? Mr. Fisk — Yes, Sir ! We never parted during that, war (laughter). We went io hU office one morning f.d fonnd bis man Friday in the iront room (laughter). Don't know his name. It was the same man I had seen a hundred times before when I had been there with Drew. We found the Commodore in the back room. I asked him how he was getting on. He said *' First rate," (laughter); that he had got the thing all arranged and the only question now was whether it could be slipped through our board, i told .uim that after what I had seen i.he other night I thought anything could be slipped through (laugbter). He said we would have to manage it carefully. I told him 1 didn't think sd— tliat they would be care- ful to go it blind (laughter.) He said the trade had been consumated at Pierepoint's house. I said I had no doubt of it. He said it ought not to have boon carried out; that S>:he]l had gut the lion's share anJ some of the lawyers on the other side might have to go hungry (laughter). He asked if we were conversant with the rest of tlie trade. I said I had no doubt the whole thing had been cooked up in such a manner that it could be put through He spoke about putting Banker and Stewart into our board and said it would help both him and us carry our stock, iis people would say we had amalgamated, and Yan- derbilt's men coming into the Erie board would strengthen the market. That wag admittol, but it worked rather different from what we expected (laughter ) 1 next saw him a day or two before the prosecu- tion was closed up. Ooulo thought the Commodore's losses had not been so larsre as represented and asked to see his broker's accoiknt. The Commodore said he ntiver showed anything and we must take his wocd. He reiterated his losses and said they were so large because when they had got him to give his order to sustain the market the skunks had run and sold out on him (lauehter). As we were com- ing away he said, " Boys, you arc young, and if you carry out this settlement there will be peace and harmony between the roads." Previous to commenciaji this suit, I made a tender of 50,000 shares of Erie Stock to YanderbUt. I went up to his house in company with T. G. Shearman. I received the certificates of shares from Gould and put them in a black satchel (laughter). It was a bad, stormy day, 8» we got into a carriage and I held the sat- chel tight between my legs (laughter) know- ing they were valuable (laughter). I told Shearman not much reliance could bo plac- ed on him if we were attacked, he was such a little fellow (laughter, in which Mr. Shearman joined). We concurred in the opinion that it was dangerous property to travel with— (laughter)— might bl )w up (laughter). We ranir the bell and went in. The gentleman cane down and I naid, "Good morning, Commodore. I liave c6me to tender you fifty thousand shares of Erie stock and demand back the seci^H. ties and money." He said|he had had <\o tr^oisactions with the Eric Railwiy Com- pany, (langhter) and would have to consult hisj counsel. I told him I also de- manded a million of dollars paid him for losses he purported to Have sustained. He said he had nothing to do with it (laughter) and I bade him good morning (laughw^r). I became director in (.iie Erie Railway on the 18th of October, 1867. Ottunsel— You remember that date ? Mr. Fisk— I do.well ! It forms an ep'sode in my life. Counsel— Whtt fl.xes it in your mmd so well? :Vlr. Fisk— I had no gray hairs then. Counsel — You hav\w ,aore robbery during the next year than I had ever dreamed ver on the stand but .'mce oefore. Oornsel— When was that? Mr. Pisk— That was when I was a boy, up in the country— in a cow case (great laughter). ,.,v ,:,,,< ,, .,s,vr t^ .;- CHA.PTER VII. IN FtTLL POSSKfiStOIf — Dtn^fllNO OF AN ELEPHANT— MILLIONS MORE OF NEW STOCK — A "LOOK UP"— DREW'S LAST BATTLE — RUMORED FLIOHT FROM THE , and k8 in their own names or those df men in league with them,.and by thus pre- venting their transfer they would be able to vote at the election upon vast amounts of stock owned by other people and sO easily compass their own re-electicn. Of course the proceeding was daringly illegal, and in nny community where law has any force and a Judge dare not openly be % scoundrel, they might have been compell- ed to make transfers till a reasonable time b> fore election; but with recent experience as to the lengths these men were ready to go, and with Judge Barnard, who had driven them out of the State and made a great show of virture by denouncing them 1 unsparing terms in ]mffcb,now in closest friendship with them, no one cared to make the tuelees attempt. It had now got to the pass that these men openly defied the law,nnd it could not be enforced against them. How futile any such attempt would have been was proven two years later when, under similar circumstances, some Eag- lish owners of 60,000 shares of the stodc attempted to have it transferred to their names so they might vote on it at the ap- proaching election. A motion for this pur- pose bavmg been made, of course it was managed to have it come up before Judge Barnard, and he .coolly put it down ror hearing at a day stibsequent to the elecUcnf Application was then made to Jud^e Car- dozo to remedy the outrage, but in vain. The counsel of the English strockhoMers was the Hon. Wm. M. Bvarts, and all who are not familiar with the New York Courts would naturally think that a iudge would be very slow to treat such a distinguished lawyer with wanton indignity, and that if such an outrage were perpetrated upon his clients a man of his great name, abilities and influence would raise a etorm of pub- lic and professional indignation that would sweep the infamous men from the bench ; m to vote upon vast owned by other purchase of a proxies to give but he was made the mere sport of the miserable ring-politician judges, driven back and forth like a shuttle-cock between Jew and Gentile, the rights of his clients were stolen from them, and all had to be submitted to, awakening no murmurs of surprise or resentment. T his trick enabled Messrs Fisk and Gould quantities of stock men, and by the sufflcitnt number of them control of a maiority of votes on dection day, ihey easily re-elected them- selves, though they owned little or none of the stock— the stock of the men most anxi- ous to turn them out having thus been made to secure their contmuance in power. Their re-election havmg thus been made sure two months beforehand, they of course cared nothing more about the stock. However low it fell they would lose noth- ing, as they owned none of it, so they not only continued to issue new stock and load it upon the market, but also deliberately entered upon a bear campaign to depress the price not only of Erie but of the whole list of stocks. The means adopted to ac- complish this purpose was what is called a " lock-up'' of currency. In the early autumn a large amount of currency is drawn from New York to the west and south to move the crops Of the year. This makes money very 'scarce at the financial centre, and in such demand that high rates of interest prevail and the whole stock^arket is depressed. The mone- tary stringency tlius naturally produced was further increased this season by the fact that Mr. McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury at that '.time, favored the policy of contracting the volume of cunency as a means of getting back to specie payment. A combination was formed by the Erie ring to take advantage of this state of circumstances. They hadlcontrol of some fourteen millions of money, Daniel Drew engaging to supply four millions to the pool. The first step was to sell heavily short of all the leading stocks ; then they suddenly withdrew from circulation all the naoney controlled by them, producing a critical stringency in money and a great fall in stocks, when they covered their short contracts at im- mense profits and the plot was an entire success. As soen as this scheme was well under way and stocks had fallen consider- ably and money readily commanded extor- tionate rates of interest, the timorous Drew became alarmed at the dizzv heights to which the young eagles were bent on soar- ing with him and looked anxiously about for a safe escape. Stocks had already fallen so that a handsome harvest could be gathered, and he was fain to be satisfied with this while bis confederates had their hearts fixed on something much more grand. Among those who had already been forced into a very critical situation by the fall in slocks and the scarcity of money was Henr\ Keep, a former associ- ate of Drew. He was now in the most pressing need of two millions of dollars to sustain nimself, and was willing to grant the most profitable terms to secure it, as he would fail and be ruined tmless it was forthcoming. Faithful to his nature to do the best he can for himself always, regard- less of associates, friends, and promises, Drew seized this fine opportunity of cover- ing a safe retreat, loaned Keep the two millions, and withdrew his funds from the lock up. Fisk and Gould, however, con- tinued to turn the screws and wring their victims without mercy, regarding the writhing and agony as rare sport and amusement. The practices of the New York banks are such that a clique in command of such a large sum of money can often place Wall Street entirely at their mercy. The two customs of certifying checks and loan- ing money on speculative stocks are vulne- rable points that may put the banks and all monetary interests in the power of such a band of conspirators. A check is " cer- tified" by the cashier of the bank on which it is drawn writing "Gtood" across it and signing his name. Properly this means that the maker of the check has funds on deposit to meet it, and the certi- fication is the same as the endorsement of a note, making the bank responsible, it being the cashier's duty to refuse to cash uncertified checks when the maker has in the bank only money enough to meet the •hecks that havck been certified. In fact, however, many of the New York banks often certify checks of depositors in good credit for much larger ixaaa than the maker has on deposit with them ; in other words, the bank endorses the notes of its deposit- ors. As certified checks pass as readily as money, a man may command twice as much capital as he is really worth. Banks also loan money and take stocks for colla- teral security. It is in times of greatest stringency of course that depositors are most apt to have checks certified for much larger sums than they have on deposit and that money is borrowed by speculators on stock held by them. The banks thus be* come indirectly parties to thn speculations and when a crisis comes they suddenly find themselves responsible for certified checks in much larger sums than (he makers of the checks have on deposit, and they are themselves pressed for funds to meet the certified checks, yet dare not call 41 in the demand loans they baye made on stocks, for if they should the stocks would have to be sold in a depressed or falling market, thus increasing the depression and causing a financial crash. In this way the banks themselres are often drawn into a must critical position. None of these opportunities for helpinic on their purpose were neglected by Fisk and Gould during Uieir lock up. They continued to issue new stock and locked up all the money!* brought. Between the tune of their coming into absolute power in July and the 24th of October, 286,000 shares of new stock were secretly issued and put upon the market, increasing the capital stock from $84,265,800 to |57,766,- 800, or an increase of $28,501,000 in about three months. The first week in Novem- ber was a most trying and critical one. Money commanded extraordinary rates of daily interest, all slocks were falling, sev- eral of the banks were greatly embarrassed, many firms were failing and a disasterous crash seemed imminent. Urgent appeals went from Wall Street to Washington for the Secretary of the Treasury to relieve the situation by ro-lssuing some ot the currency that had been withdrawn from circulation under his policy of contraction, but he re- garded it as a mere conteel between specu- lators, in no wise afiecting the business in- terests of the country ana so refused to m- terfere or swerve from bis course of con- traction. Calumny even represented liim as interested with the " lock up " clique, and of course the leading spirits eagerly encouraged this impression. Fisk and Oould now feeling Wall Street securely in their clutches gave the screws another re-, morselcss turn. Another fall in stocks fol- low cd, Erie going to 35, a fall of just 50 per cent since the new management ob- tained control, and N. Y. Central fell to 114, or 23 per cent, since the commence- ment ef the " lock up," b fall that told the making and losing oi many a lari^^e fortune. Other stocks feU in like manner ; more firms failed, the condition of the banks be- came more critical and renewed appeals wero made to Secretary McCuUoch and he was aiisured that unless relief was afforded there must result a financial crash that would involve not only New York but the business interests of the whole country. At length, finding the situation so serious, on Saturday morning, Nov. 7th, he telegraph- ed to New York that he would re-issue $50,000 of currency to relieve the situa- Uon if necessary. This gave assurance that the power of the clique was broken and eo relieved apprehension, but as the currency was not issued the stock market did not react but dragged on through an- other week of depression. The combina- tion taking the news from Washington as their warning, improved this week to cover all their shorts and prepare a new scheme. Ot course stocks would react suddenly when the stringency was remov- ed, so, after covering their shorts, they bought heavily and went long in all the leading stocks, preparatory to reaping an- other uarvest from the coming rise. And now was discovered an opportunity for gratifying a little revenge. When Drew deserted the " lock up,'' knowing that the design of the managers was to depress the price of Erie and being aware of the large secret Issue of new stocky he sold heavily short of Erie and waited for the fall. Fisk and Oould found out that he was short, and resolved to make use of that circumstance, not only to trans- fer large sums of money from his pockets to their own out also to wreak vengeance upon him for turning traitor to them in the "lock-up " plot Accordingly, while th^ made use of the week following the news from Washington to cover their own shorts most advantageously, they managed to keep the Erie declining sl:!-.:htly so that Drew failed to cover his shorts. On Satur- day, the 14th, all their plans being npe, Eno sold for 35 during the regular business hour, but in the afternoon the managers of the " lock up " unlock their twelve millions of currency, and put it in circulation sud- denly, malcing money very plenty and easy and under their new combination for a rise Eri« quickly shot from 85 to 47 — a rise of 12 per cent, in an hour or two. Drew was immediately filled with alarm and realized that he was caught in a trap. Great excite- ment prevailed late in the afternoon and through the evening, for it was now evi- dent that new develo'tments of an impor- tant character were b.. hand. The course of things for the last three months and the fall of 60 per cent, in Erie had dispelled the delusion which had led to such large foreign investments in that stock in July and Aug- ust, and it was now discovered that New York agents of the foreign purchasers had been selling the stock, and it was expected that large amounts of it would arrive from England by the steamer due on Monday, thti 23d. Those who had thuii sold for theii foreign customers when the stoek was de- pressed now naturally desired with Drew that the price should not be suddenly run up again for speculative purposes. A con- sultation was held by the agents of ths foreign stockholders and their sympathiz- ers, and it was decided to resort to the Courts once more for protection. Accord- ingly Saturday qight was employed by Drew in making the necessary affidavits, stating the course of the Erie managers in issuing new stock, for speculative purposes 42 \ An violation or statutes, etc. These affld avits vi&n to be used on Monday to procare the removal of Flsk and Gould from control of the Erie Railway and the appointment of a receiver to talce charge of its affaird. Mr. August Belmont being the most prom> inent agent of the foreign stockholders and a (gentleman of high standing and great influence, the suit was to bo brought in his name. But Drew, true to his nature of 5>ursuing no course vigorously more than a ew hours at the most in a critical situation, and naturally having no very strong confi- dence in the efficacy of the Courts to re- lieve him in his present exigency, had no «ooner sworn to the affidavits than he was ready to betray either party or both pro- vided he could only get himself out of the difficulty. Accordingly, after spending Saturday night in conference with those united with him to oppose Fisk «nd Gould, and in making affidavits to be used by Mr. Belmont in legal proceedings asainst those gentlemen on Monday morn- ing, ho made It bis first business on'Bunday to call on Fisk and endeavor to secure pardon and reli the in- side upon J speedily no com- of no to fore- ;ommenc- re at once •ties were ail way by that there would be the road, , etc , etc., a receiv- is prayed hey go to ed fraud slight of is land of disgrace lonstrous ^? Who the very iorrupt in ised them as before, m as vil- they had Se " a bill Yet this Barnard >riBe this m to ap- i him(m >ilet was ige tians- e mcntiil, an since ed a cor- dial greeting to these men he then so ye- hemently anathematized, and soon the out- rage wan legalized by the same signature that was attached to the writs which had driven the suitors into exile nn the 11th of the preceding March. This infamous step taken, the details were in perfect keeping. The request for a receiver having been granted, who was a proper person for such a responsible trust? The mab whom this upright Judge deemed it most Appropriate, to appoint was none other than jay Gculd! And as the receiver of such a responsible trust must give heavy aod most undoubted bonds, who would lie bis bondsman ? The one bondsman in every way satisfactory to the distinguished Court was James ^sk, Jr. ! With this monstrous proceeding thus sanctioned by th« Supreme Court, the sur- prise party withdrew and left Judge Bar- nard to romplete his toilet at leisure. When the Courts opened at ten o'clock, Mr. Belmont'p. lawyers appeared leforo Judge {Sutherland and commenced pro- ceedings in t,be regular wav, obtaining an injunction and getting Mr. Davies, un ex- judge of the Court of Appeals, appointed receiver. When they had been through with all their trouble and felt themselves now secure, the Urew-Belmont party were somewhat surprised to learn that "the regular way " was altogether too slow a coach to travel by if they would head off Messn;. Fisk and Oould, and were aston- ished not a little to find that n receiver had already been appointed in the interest of Messrs. Fisk and Oouid while Judge Suth erland was still enjoying his last slumbers in the morning and that that receiver was Jay Gould, with James Fisk, Jr., for bondsman. Under the in- fluence of this news m Wall Street that day, Erie fluctuated wildly from 50 up to 61 and tlien back to 48. It seemed as though the utmost length of iniquity to which a judge would dare go had been reached by Judge Barnari in this day's proceedings, but on Wednesday morning he followed it up by an order which madu the one of Monday, black as it was seem " pure as the driven snow." Fisk and Gould wanted to use the funds of the Erie treasury in manipulating their " cor- ner," but there is a statute expressly forbid- ding any railroad to bpeciilate in its own stock, and they felt it worth while to clothe their steps with some small show of legal- ity. To compass their purpose, affidavits were made stating that some doubts existed as to the legality of a recent issue of two or throe liundred tbiousuud bhares of stock, wherefore Mr. Receiver Gould petitioned the Court for instruction and authority to use the funds of the Erie treasury to buy back this stock of doubtful legality at any price less than par, that it might bn can- celled. In other words. Jay Gould, as president ot the Ene Railway, bad issued two or three hundred thousand shares of stock, in direct violation of a statute forbid- ding an increase of capital stock, and dis- poiv(-r his shorts before a corner could be closed on him. Fisk and (^ould, Willi the whole Erie treasury at their dis- posal by order of Judge Barnard, now also set to buying with all their might, doter- miued to corner their early instructor. Drew was 70,000 shares short and the fight was a desperate one. He knew it meant a heavy loss to him, but a corner meant a k f till heavier one, and ho fought aeainst it * accordingly. The battle raged all day long on, Wednesday, and at night Erie stood at 57. Still the contest was not decided. Drew had not secured enough to cover his « contrHCts, Fisk and Gould h7id not secured enough to perfect the corner. The next morning the battle was renewed, both par- ties knowing that the decisive hour would be past and victory decided before that day closed. The books of the company show Eretty accurately where all the stock is — ow much in Europe Hud how much in Wall Street, so Fisk and Gould could tell very nearly how much they h)id to control to secure their corner. On Thurbday the battle raged with a fierceness and violence that quite eclipsed that on the If th of March. Colhslcns and blows were not infrequent in the excitement. As it approached two o'clock Brie stood at 63 and the scales seemed turning against Drew. So desper- ate was the struggle that there was a differ- ence of 10 per cent, between stock deliver- ed immediately and that to be delivered at a quarter to three As the strife was only tor the corner, which must culminate that day, and it was curtain the stock would fall again when the crisis was over, and especially after the steamer arrived on Monday bringing back from Europe a large amount of the stock, there was a difference 44 of 10 per cent, between stock to be deliver- ed that day anil that to be deliveied in three days. It is two u'cloctc and in fifteen minutes more the battle will be over. Pisk and Gould are now confident and Drew's heart is sinkinc as he feels himself falling ipto tbeh- pitiless clutcbe?. The noise of conflict has extended much farther than usual from Wall Btreet, and an unwonted number of lookers-on have gathered around. Every man holding a share of the stock that has been sofickle deems this hia most favorable time to sell and everv available share is now thrown upon the market. Suddenly large quantities of stock supposed to be in Europe majie their appearance. This makes matters seem very dangerous for the side that hua almost won. A hasty investigation shows that some hundred thousand shares issued in certificates of ten shares each, intended for circulation in Europe only, had been laid away by small purchasers in New York and were now oeing brought out. This is a damaging blow to Pisk and Gould and a heavy re- inforcement of their opponent at the very turning point of the battle. However, there must be no wavering or the day is lost. The stock must be absorbed at all hazards and as but ten miauetes more remain they throw themselves into the breech with all the vehemence and nerve for which Pisk is noted, undauntt d by the untoward event. They are gathering In the unexpected stock by the hundred shares per minute, when,|their bank becomes suddenly alarm- ed at the amount of checks that flow in for certification to meet this last grand charge and refuse to certify their checks for any further sums, and dealers refuse to accept their checks unless certified. The blow is vexatious, but Fisk is still undaunted and rallies to the new em^ergency with the en- ergy of a man borne on by the most deter- mined will and desperation combined. Ar- ranp;ements are instantly made to have then* checks certified at another bank an**: they return for the last desperate charge that is to win the dav. But five mmutes have been lost in making the new arrange- ment for having their checks certified and they are the five last, decisive moments of the struggle. Diew improved them while his enemies were crippled. His shorts were covered and the corner was defeated. Erie dropped at once to 42. It had been a battle of giants in which both parties had suflFered severely, each inflicting heavy and damaging blows upon the other and neither gaining a triumph Drew had escaped the ruinous grip of a corner, but had been forced to cover at about 68 his con- tracts for 70,000 shares of which he went sholt at about 88, and the day had cost him about a million and u half dollars. Pisk aud Gould had gratified revenge upon Drew, but as they had bought enormous quantttieit of stock at the high prices and had failed toffetjthelr comer on Drew to re- lieve them of their burdens und the stock had now fallen on their hands, the revenge had cost them, or the Erie Railway, heavily, and the day had probably more than can- celled all their profits from the preceding " lock up " and bear campaign. With this day's battle Dauiel Drew re- tired from all active part in Wall Street affairs. A long career of constant strifes aud battles closed with a severe and bitter blow, but it left him still possessed of mil- lions. He saw the spirit of young America was getting far too strong fur hi« aged nerves anaretired to his native town to devote himself entirely to building and endowing Methodist churchcH, Methodist seminaries and attending Methodist prayer- meetings. He is f-een " on the street " no more except at rare intervals, when he comes down to look on with an expres- sion of mute, child-like wonder on hia countenance and his arms folded behind him as he watches how deftly hia youne pupils now stack the cards and throw the dice ; but to all invitations to take a hand in the game once more he mournfully shakes his head. Through the week following the cul- mination of the struggle between Drew and Pisk the utmost confusion prevailed in regard to Erie matt er^i, several new suits being instituted on the one side and the other, opposing receivers contending for possession, ana the wildest reports circulat- ed as to the designs of Messrs. Fisk and Gould. For a day or two it was fully be- lieved that they intended to abscond to Canada or Europe, taking with t^hem all the funds of the Erie treasury. They bar- ricaded themselves in the Erie offices and it was found impossible to get to them to jierve upon them any papers in the suits that had been instituted. Officers were stationed around the building and at all the ferries and depots to catch them in sase they attempted to escape. After this situa- tion had lasted for a week, late on Sunday night several of the party emerged from the ofllce and started for the ferry. Fisk was immediately approached and served with some legaljape:-, whereupon he re- turned to the office to ascertain their n i- ture. Knowing now that he was closely watched and that he might be served with numberless other legal documents and even be arrested if he made another open at- tempt to cross the ferry, he prepared him- self as if for a masquerade. In this guise, with his identity concealed, he once more emerged from the office and approaching a I 14. 45 carriage that stood in waiting, Instrncted the driver, in a ioud disguised voice, to drive to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, aud then entered the carriage. Tiie driver drove lapidly up the street a few bloclcs aud then in obedience to previous secret instructions disobeyed the ioud direc- tion given out as a blind, drove to the Courtland Street ferry, and by tbis circuitous passage landed his precious freight safely in New Jersey. Some offl cers, suspecting such a move, had crossed over the ferry to the Erie depot in Jersey City. Here they found a director's car and an engine ready for a start, though they were informed no train was going out. Waiting to watch developments, they soon hcurd an unusual whi9tle up the road towards the Bergen tunnel. At sound of ibis the track-master feigned much excite ment at the position of the director's car, told the engineer he had no business on that track and ordered him to start up and back down upon another track. The en- gineer started up but, instead of backing down as directed, kept increasing his speed and passed off up the road, leaving the officers standing alone. These ch'cum- stances were put together and it was now considered as a certainty that Fisk and Gould had run away and carried all the money of the Erie Railway with them, and announcements to that effect were made in all the papers next morning. When Fisk got the morning papers from New York and read thi; news, he tele- graphed back an indignant deniel and his card was published in the same papers next morning. He declared he had only gone to Binghamptou on matters connected with the business of the roa MAUISTHATBS— MR. FISK OLOUIB8 OVBR TUB BVBMT IN PRINT. Mr. Fisk closed the first yeai of bis pro* mineuce in New 1 ork by an act betray- ing the worst and mont 'dangerous trait of his character— a -trait much more dan- gerous to himself than to its victims— a delight ill spiteful, wanton bootless revenge. On the mot-ning of December 28rd the citi- zcns of New York were startlea by an item of news in the morning papers that sound- ed more like an echo of the days of lettret do eacliet and the French Bastilo thau the niaeteentb ctsntury &ud ilie land that boasts of being in the van of liberty and personal sfcurity. A di9tlnguli cause, hand- led In the rouLihest manner, and all friends were refused admittance to see him till morning. About niue o'clock on the night of De-^ uembtT 22ud, while the New England Society m New York were around the " festive board " commemorating the land- ing of the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, and the Sitchems of Tammany Hall were in like mauBur celebrating the election of A. Oakey Hall as Mayor, Samuel Bowles, Esq.. the well known editor of the Springfield Republican, was standing in the main hall of the Fifth Avonue Hot:: 1, talking with some friends, 'hen two men came in, one of whom passijd behind him then turned suddenly, seized him by the arms, and rushed him along towards the street while the other held a crumpled paper in his face, saying it was an order in his arrest and helping push him out of the houo3. When they reached the sidewalk a carriage was in waiting into which Mr. Bowles was hurriedly forced and then driven rapidly away to Ludlow Street jail. The movement was so sudden, and the spectators were taken so completely by surprise, that no interference could be made on his behalf. When securely be hind the bars of the jail, Mr. Bowies wa s permitted to read the legal document in virtue di. which he had thus been seized and incarcerated. The foundation of the proceeding proved to be as follows : — SUPBRIOB COURT, CITY OF NEW YORK. , Jakbs Fisk, Ja., 1 vs. \ \ Sakvbii BowiiBS and othere, compoBlng f ,< the firm of Samual BowUa A Co. J . . ; ^- ) City and Coumty of Nbw York, m.; James Fisk, Jr., being dnly sworn, de-: noses aiul nays ttial be id the plaintiff in the 48 above entitled notion ; that on the 38th day of Novemhor, 1808, the defendant, Samuel Bowk'H, being the principal editor or editor in cnief of certain newspapers publiahed by the said Samuel Bowles & Co., in the City of Springfi said of a man ho is honorable no matter what his acta, but with the jailer's Icey once turned on him hu must bow his head in nhiimc forever. He seeme to l)e imbued witli the Greek morals and philosophy, wliifh placed thcdiH£race not in stealini; the tax but in getting caught. The next morning of course Mr. Bowles was immediately bailed and released, the ball iH-'ing put at the moderate sum of $50,- 000. Ho rather enjoyed the episode than otherwise, and nothing else that Mr. Fisk could possibly have done would have been such a benefit to Mr. Bowles. " Every honest man in the country saw the prin- ciple of his own liberty rudely struck ut in the per-on of the Spriugfldd editor,, and felt that if such imperial olitrages as this / were possible under the machinations of the greatest scapegraces outside of Slug Sing, and with the connivance of com ti and sheriffs, personal freedom and safety were at an end and the time lor avigiliiiK«i committee had arrived. The whohf presi of the country teemed with denunciationa of the outrage and indignation and sympathy for the victim. Letters ilowed in upon Mr. Bowles by the bushel and the most distinguished citizens of Boston of- fered him the comxdiment of a public re- ception and dinner, which was modestly declined. The act which Mr. Fisk in- tended should disgrace and mortify Mr. Bowles raised him instantly to an honored fame and prominence which he would Srobably otherwise never have achieved, tut Mr. Fisk evidently felt he had done . a very "smart" thing and gloried so much in the edat of this climax to bis first year of conspicuous position before the public that he went into print on the subject as follows : At HoikiB, Boston, Mass , ' ' ' Christmas Bay. On the 38th of November last "Samuel Bowles, Esq , of Springfield, Mass,," pub- lished an editorial headed "The New Hero of Wall Sireet." It was devoted to a bit- ter, abusive, untruthful and unprovoked attack on my origin, vocation, hubits, ptr- sonal appearance, and family afilictions. For example, with a reckless disregard of truth and railroad possibilities, "Samuel Bowles, Esq., of Springfield, Mass.," said : "But Fisk has probably destroyed the credit of the railroad while piling up a tor- tune for himself. The multiplication of its stock has been fearful. From thirty millions of nominal capital a year ago it has been raised to sixty or seventy millions, and what there is to show for the differ- ence beyond some worthless securities of 3 the Hurt ford &, Etiu Railroad and a mil- lion or two of real i state it is now impo.ssiblo to say." Were it not iuconsistunt with my well-known good nature and forgiving disiKtsUion, I Hhould uriheiiitatingly pronounce " Samuel Bowles, £-q., of Springfield. Ma^," an abandoned falsifier and a fool ou that Kiiigle statement. Further on, the Spring- field Itepublican has asserted its capacity for wholesale slander by the followiug as- tounding calumny on the Bench and Bar of New"York : " Nothing so audncious, nothing more gigantic in the way of swindiing has ever been perpetrated iu this CO itryandyet it maybe that Mr. Fisk ai< a his associates have done nothing that they eannot legally justify, aljeast in the New York Couris. sevefal of which they seem wholly to own. Fisk's operavious are said to be under the legal guidance of both David Dudley Field and Charles O'Con- nor, and now both Judge Barnard ot the State and Judge Blatcbl'ord of the United States Court back up and help on hu pro- ceedings." The alleged indifference of the New York city authorities to the incarceration of " Samuel Bowles, Esq., of Springfield, Mass." was not, you will see, entirely un- justifiable. Culpable as I am iu telling " silks, poplins and velvets by tlie yard," the generous nature of " Samuel Bowles, E'?q.,of Springfield, Mass.," is not finally and utterly turned against mc until he has ascertained that I am guilty of having a father who is unhappily au inmate of a lunatij asylum. This sours all milk of human kindness in the breast of the Springfield journalist, and he prophetically con.^ignsme to u " mad houv or state pri- son." Under the circumstances, Messrs. Editors, don't you think I had cause to feel vexed with '• Samuel Bowles, Esq., of Springfield, Mass." ? In order to protect my rights I appealed to the law, which is the highest expression of human wisdom, for the good government of mankind. If any error has been committed, those who made the law committed It. I regret that the wife of " Samuel Bowles, Esq., of Springfield, Mass., was disturbed or even annoyed by her husband's temporary ab- sence. As for the sympathy of the syco- pliantic horde of office seekers and small beer editors, who clamored around the jail gates tor their comrade's release, tlielr abuse I expected and am indifferent to. Mr. Bowles proposed the game himself and I bowled him over the first innings. I think it will be generally conceded that I have as much right to defend my person- al character as any newspaper has to at- tack it. At all events I shall do so with the most unflinching determination until it l! hi yM ^ 50 is proren to tbe contrary. Mr. BowleB seed not fear but tbat I will bring him to trial before a Judicial tribunal, utid tben " let {uBlice bo done tbougb the beavcus full," and these are a few of the .'ea&ons, Messrs. Editors, why I arrested and loclced up " Samuel Bowles, Esq., of SpnngfielJ, JISaES," jj. J , Your obedient servant, Jamej FisK, Jr. This letter needs no comment. The peculiar notions which the writer enter- tains as to the duty of " New York rity officials," his interpretation and applica- tion of " law," as well as some of the things which give him pleasure and which he thinks very " smart," are perfectly ap- parent. The letter is a faithful photograph of the man. It is evident from his own wordo that he was stunp, not by what he quotes in his affidavits and makes the ground of bis complaint, and that he cared not a btraw for its efl'ect upon bis railroad, but that the personalties inilicted the wound that Mr. Fiak sought not "jus- tice" at the hands or "the Uw," but re- venge. When ho had kept Mr. Bowles in jail over night he was quite eatit-lied, felt his " personal character'' amply defended, and despite tbg braegart conclusion of bis letter nothing more ever came of the suit. He hafi previously coramenoed a suit for libel atjainat Mr. Bowels in the Massachu- setts Oourt-, "cutting the damage at $50,- 000. The sudden discontinnauce of this suit and the instantaneous bringing an- other in New York and spiriting Mr. Bowles into jail makes his real purpose manifest and shows how little he cared to " let justice be dene." The article in the i2e/J«/>Z/ea» was writ- ten in the cheap ceusationat stylo which lia*^ largely characterized the columns of tuat paper, and, in parts at least, was utter- ly reckless of the truth and of private feel- ings and disgustingly coarse and vulgar. The paragraph which undoubtedly did most to 'excite Mr. Flak's desire for re- venge, -.1 justly, was tbat running: " The appellation of ' fat, fair and forty,' if often applied to well preserved women, lycloogs peculiarly to him. lie is almost as broad asbcis b^gh, and so round tbat he rolls nlbcr than walks, nut his nervous energy is stimulated rather than deadened by his lat which gives indeed a momentum to bis mental movement and bis personal Influence." This i^ grossly and scnrrilously falsf, iu tbe first place, i^nd in the second, were it true, it would \)e con^ the less unjustifiable, mean, coarse and unworthy a place in any paper n)akine the slightest c'aim to de- cency. Again it proceeds : " Yankee of course, and Ycrmouter at that, and a ped- ler to^ boot, do we not tell the whole secret of his life ?" A sneer at the people pro- bably coDStitntiug nineteeu-twentielhs of the liepublican'a patrons, a special fling at Yermoutcrs as of emmence in the con- temptible, the climax capped with the sneer " a pedlar to boot," and yet Mr. Bowles says, " there is nothing in it that ridiculed Mr. Fibk's previous occupation." But Mr. Bowles has shown the worth of his opinion on the subject by giving two of an almost exactly opposite character. In one place he has said "there is a rolick- ing impudence in the style of the article ; but bow could the subject be treated sympathetically in any otlier way? You might as well paint a red rose with white coloring as to portray Mr. Fisk's character in any other Uian the style used." In an- other place Imias said it was " a friendly warning ... to husband the rwources of bis health . . . and to dedicate his energies to better and more legidmute pur- poses." The journalist that prostitutes his posi- tion and panders to the morbid taste for sensation in order to secure a lurge circu- lation for his p»iper, deserves to be ranked with the publisher of obscene literature, lie is even meanc^r, for he does more to corrupt public taste and makes a pretence to decency while eugnged in the filthiest xvork for gain. The extent to which private rlij^htsaud feelings are outraiied in this country, in order that papers, claiming, like the Republican, to be decent, may make their columns " racy," has grown to be al- most insuS'erable, and had Mr. Fisk pushed his suit for libel in a proper way and suc- ceeded in mulcting Mr. iiowles in a heavy;, sum, as he richly deserved, nearly everj one would have rejoiced and thanked him for doing a good servi-ie to the public. Buv proceeding by an outrage upon the la^v, abandoning all punishment and seeming satisfied after securing the otfender in jail a few hours by means of a conspiracy, was too sudden a passage from the sublime *,o the ridiculousand (or the moment stamped as a hero and martyr a man whose legal incarceration would have been well de- served. CHAPTER IX. /' THE IMPUKSaAUIO— TUEATBICAL8— A MAR- BLE PALACE— PUINCB EKIB. ■ H r , Having achieved all the notoriety pos- sible in railroad management by the close of 1809, Mr. Fisk suddenly blossomed into an entirely new rofo before the New York public with the opening of 1870, becoming all at once the Ma>cenas of the stage. It has been a favorite pastime of royalty in 51 lole secret !ople pro- atiKlhs of il fling at the con- with the yet Mr. in it that upation." worth of ving two aracter. 3 a rolick- artiule ; treated F? You ith white character In an- I friendly resourcea [licate his mate pur- his posi- taste for •ge circu- >e ranked literature. 3 more to iretence to liest Kvork private d in this iming, like n!iy make a to be al- 13k pushed and buc- na heavy i, itly ever^ inked hini blic. Buv I the law. 1 seeming er in jail a jacy, was ublime ♦o it stamped tioae lei^al I well de- r;.j.,-. ,i . i ^ 1— A MAR- riety pos- tho close omed into few York becoming stage. It royalty in all ages to dally with the children of Mel- pomene, Thalia or Terpsichore, accord- ing (o taste and temperament. Mr. Fiak's financial resources being bow quita royal, he became a patron of liistrionic art as a mean") of using a portion of his revenue in a good cause at ihe simo time that, it yield- ed him much amusement uud recreation. And this he did ou a scale quite wortliy the inost illustrious of his royal prototypes and in a style of grandeur that mauy a prince might envy. First, he ]»urchased Pike's Opera House, a araud new marble palace at the cornur of 23rd Street and 8th Avenue, the naiiT*, bsiug at once changed to '" The Gnuid dpera House" on his comi-ig into possession. H« next alfnosl entiivily rebuilt what is now the Pilh Avenue Theatre, in 33d Street, making it one ot tlie moat elegant little theatres in the world. In May he leased the Acideray of Music, in 14th Str , and was thus operating all at one time, the tlinie iiasHt places of amuseia!;at in Now York He pnpared entertain- ments at each of the tiirt-e establishmeats without the; sliglitesr, regiird to expense, de- termined ou having every detail and av'>- pointmout perfect. Thirty thousand dol- lars and more was said to have been ex- pended in Dreparin;^ one pii.'ce alone for the stage. Bat ho sooa l)ecam8 conscious of the quloksanrl, upon whicli ^Wtrnpressarbx seemed fated to stand in this country. Tie public ilid not sustain him in his un- sparing outlay forthi.'ir entertainment and he soon found himself losirii^ heavily at each of his three theatres. When became into possession of Pike's Opera House, French Comic Opera waa on the boards there, imd had been a very unprofit- able venture for hiS predecessor. This he continued for a time, but finding it could not be made to pay, he closed the establishment for some changes and to prepare for the presentation of Shak- speare's grand play of " The Tempest." Elaborate preparations were made for the revival of this piece which had been longab- ibsent from the Now York boards, and when the curtain rose upon an audience in the Grand Opera House they were dazzled with tha new splendors and beautiful dec- orations and frescoes which had complete- ly transformed the appearance of the place. And the change behind the scenes had been no less complete, every appoint- ment being now of the most perfect style. But this play, too, failed to meet the re- ward which the etiorts expended in ^ts presentation merited and was withdrawn after a brief unprosperous season. The little "Boudoir Theatre" in, S4th Street, had been built for Mr. John Broug- li«m,the well-known actor and playwright was called after him " Brougham's The* atre." Bat he had not been installed in his elegant house long ere Mr. Fisk's hearty and generous admiration for him waned and then changed into an irroconcilable unpleasantness. Mr. Brougham's manage* ment failed of the anticipated success, and after two unsuccessful months he was turn* ed out of his beautiful possession rather un* ceremoniously, and its came was changed to the "Firth Avenue Theatre." The French Opera which had been withdrawn from the Qrand Opera House was given another trial here, but with a succesa equally lacking in encouragement for ita long continuance. At the Academy of Music the celebrated Opera of "Lurline" was presented after the moat expensive preparations, being render- ed in English and Italian on alternate nights. But the result was so discourag- ing that ifter a run of two weeks it had to bo withdrawn and the do<9rs closed, about fCO.OOC having been lost in the enterprise. His first season of thearical experience had been one of expensive schooling and amusement, to him. But oisasterous as each venture had been pecuniarily, he was not discouraged or crippled. Though any other manager would most likely hare been ruined financially by the looses incur- red at either of the puces, Mr. Fisk stood up under them all without a nerve shaken and whiffed his cigar as calmly as though all had gone prosperously. He, however, did not a re to go over the same ground again the following season. The lease of the Acar'.emy of Music was not renewed, and the Fifth Avenue Theatre was hased and passed out of Mr. Fisk's personal supervision. But he titill retained control of the Grand Oper House, and concentrat- ed all his attention in the theatrical line to this one place. It is very doubtful if his fortune does not still continue to grow worse rather tha:? better from this enter* prise. One piece alone has had any last* ing success and long run with him. " The Twelve Temptations" was brought out the second Tf inter of his management and had a long run to crowded houses and must have been a fine pecuniary success. It was a piece in the speciACular, "Black Crook" style, depending largely upon ih&k/dUt and the exhibition of the charms of the female form for its attraction. New attractions ^ ore added from time to time, and to keep up the interest at the close a corps of beautiful blondes alternated with one of ravishing brunettes from night to uight. But Mr. Fisk has shown his strongest admiration for theatrical amuseoaent to be in Opera Bouffe. This seems to be hb ideal of fun and fine music combined and ''■-i 52 he has manifested the most unflinchios determination to bring the public to his : taste and way of thlnkiog. It has formed < the coutinueus programme at his Orand ^ Opera House the past season and has becu given, as h everything that he presents, ] with all the attractions that an unstinted ;^ •xpenditure of money could ^/oduce. He ^ sent Max Maretsek, the most experienced > opera manager in the country, to Euvope .,iui his spe<;ial agent to Import a first-class '. company for his theatre, and left uoching ' undone to present French Opera to the citizens of New York in its most at^jactive ' jfuise. To lend variety and increase the charms, three difTerent leading artisls were introduced to sustain a single part, each . carrying it through one act. Almost with- out regard to pecuniary results, he has '. manifested the must persistent determina- ' tion to give Opera Bouffe a ilrm hold upon I Kew Yorkers as it had upon Parsians. The . ejTort LiiS not been bo far successful ihat any other manager could present it in New ' York wilTiout spepoily becoming bankrupt. Mr. Fisk started in his theatrical career ' by st'curiDg the ablest and most eiperienc- ' ed managers in the ro'iutry to direct his establishments, and this would seem to be the course of wisdom and prudence ; but ' somehow his relations soon proved unpleas- , ant and incompatible with all of them. Brougham, Bergfeldt, Tayleure, and Maret- .zek, all eminently first-class men in their ' lines, came '*,nd passed in quick succession ' in the management of bis various enter- ^ prises on the stace. It is almost rm axiom that two first-clas men can nt " work ' advantageously together in the head man- agement of any enierprise, a truth that has been well illustrated here. All these men employed by Mr. Fisk were men of mark- ed ability, excellent judgment and taste and high culture in their calling, and of a mental cast and self-respect that could yield no servile or sycophantic deference to the notions of Mr. l^'isk in matters per- taining to their profession, while he is a \man whose individuality is so marked and 'positive fis to make harmony impossible unless he is yielded to, hence irreconcilable difierences soon aroRe, and, under the law that obtains in thiiage and country, the taste, judgment and preference of the man holdiii.^* the purse strings prevailed over the meu of culture and education and the latter retired leavmg Mr. Fjsk to carry out .his own pecular notions. The treatment of Mr. Brougham was such as might well have prove ked a personal encounter had that gentlei .\n been as Impulsive and as indi8erenttoa"6cene" as Mr Fisk,but being a man with the passions trained into a bet- ter control and knowing the quieiest way was the best in such circumstances, their connection ended without blows. But the more irascible Maretzek was destined to a bellicose clcsie of relations with his impul- sive and blunt patron. The Opera Bouffe company that had been imf)orted from Europe for the Grand Opera House were m rehearsal for their first appearance at the same time that Nilssen arrived. The company was in charge ot Maretzek at the rehearsals, and as he had been sent abroad to select it, the tacit undcrAtanding was that hft would >ie ihe conductor at the Grand Opera House for the season ; but Mr. Fisk had failed to enter int ■> any writ- ten agreement in the mutter and Leid Meretzek entirely at the mercy ot his plea- sure and caprice — an insecurity which the veteran impressario did not ai all relish. Feeling that nothing was s'^cure as to his position with Mr. Fisk, he '.as naturally disinclined to neglect any other opportun- ity that he might have and therefere ac- cepted a proposition to act as condvtctor at the first Nilsson concert. Now, Mr. Fisk looked upon the Nilsson company as an "opposition show" to his and was for that reason somewhat jealous of it, and hearing that his man Max was to conduct on the occasion of the first appearance of the Swedish songstress he wrot** a note order- ing him not to do so. Mr. Fisk was pre- sent on the opening night '^f the "opposi- tion show" and his temper was somewhat rii filed when the grand entree revealed to his sight bis man Max coming forward in full dress, baton in hand and makinrr his bow a conductor in defiance of the im- perial note of warning. Despite the puri- fying influence of the sublime emotions awakened by the echo of another world that sounded in the unearthly strains of the wonderful songstress and the elefation far above all things earthly to which she lifted her auditors, the displeasure of Mr. Fisk excited by the act of disobedience wae sof- tened only for the moment, if at all. On reaching the Grand Opera House the next morning he gave orders that if Maretzek came to conduct the rehearsal that day, word should be brought him immediately. Maretzek came and his arrival was announced as direc^ted. Mr. Fisk hastened down into the theatre and approached the conductor's stand with an expression that meant "business" on his countenance. Ho proceeded at once to call Max to account fmr disobeying the pote and conducting an "opppsiti(m show." Max attempted to explain, but Mr. Fisk knew the whole ctory, refused to be ap- pfeased, and instead of waiting to hear the explanation, proceeded to pronounce Mar- etzek a "thief," "swindler," "liar," and other kindred epithets. This was more than Max could endure and he immediate- 53 v^:. 8. But the estined to a bis impul- 3era Bouffe »orted from House were pearance at rived. The et7,ek at the sent abroad tanding was uctor at the season ; but any writ- tr and Leld ot his plea- which the ai all relish. ure as to his naturally r opportun- Iherefere ac- ondvictor at w, Mr. Fisk pany as an vas for that and hearing id act on the aiice of the I note order- k was pre- he "opposi- s somewhat revealed to r forward in i makinft his of the im- te the pUri- me emotions lother world strains of the ?lefation far ch she lifted of Mr. Fisk snce wae sof- t. if at all. nd Opera he gave I to conduct 1 should be iretzck came as directed. < the theatre 8 Stand with iness" on his 1 at once to ring the pote tion show." t Mr. Fisk i to be ap- ; to hear the lounce Mar- "liar," and J was more immediate- ly descended from his stand and levelled a powerful blow at Mr. Fisk's nose. The latter parried and dodged in such a way ihut the blow did no serious damage, ana then the ttwo closed in a fierce struggle and soon went down, Fisk coming on top. The shrieks and fright of the assembled corps de ballet and prime donne would have won them great credit at an evening perform- ance, and in fact it is doubtful if the whole scene would not have excelled in interest anything; that has ever been put upon the Grand Opera House boards, could it have taken place before an audience in the evening. Whon Bome of the bystanders recovered sufficient presence of mind to separate the combatants it v/as found that oo great damage bad been done beyond a serious soiling of Mr. Fisk's tidy toilet and attire ana tko makmg of a slightly black eye for Maretzek. Beyond affording a racy topic for the newsoapers for two or three days, and a suit commenced or threatened by each of the parties, but of which noth- ing ever came, the matter died away like its many predecesaord and Mr. Fisk's con- nection with the last of his distiuisuished managers ended. With his Opera BouSe prime donne, too, Mr. Fisk seems not to get on at all well. At the beginning of the season M'lles Moata- land and Silly, the two leading characters whom Marefzek had brongtit out, seemed to please Mr. Fisk not a little, and they in turn seemed dazzled by tlio graadeur of the great impresmrio, and all went " merry as a marriage boil" for a time. Ere long, however, disagreements and uupleasant re- lations erew up, Montiland and Silly dis- appeared from the Grand Opera House boards and Aimee was summoned from London by telegram. She at oace became a great favorite with the trequentera of Opera Bouffe and everything went smooth- ly till the close of the season at the Grand Opera House. When the company started on a summer tour, however, Aimee became Indignant at some treatment of her in the matter of her salary, and the difficulty grew so great tliat she suddenly refused to sing any more in the performances going on in Boston and left the cooipany in dis- gust. Perhaps Mr. Fisk would have been ob- liged to close his last theatre and with- draw from theitrical business altogether were it not that the Grand Opera House has been otherwise turned to such good account that he is not entailed with much if any expense for the rent of the theatre. He paid $820,000 for the edifice. In the summer of 1869 the second floor was most sumptuously fitted up and be- came the offices oil the Erie Railway. It is unequalled in elegance by any building in the world used for a similar ptirposo. The doors are of massive, elegantly carved black walnut, all the offices are fitted up and furnished in black walnut and the most expensive glass, and over the door of each office is a silver plate sign indicatins; the department. On the opposite side from the main entrance door is an ante- room where stand several ushers prevent- ing further admission w 'heut first aendins in your card or statini^ ^ our business in advance and gettmg per mi, 'on. Behind the door opening from the a . e-room into the presence-chamber stands a large screen, so that when the doorppens nothmg but a red curtain can be seen. Should your card or business be looked upon favorably and obtain your permission to enter, the usher \7iil bow you throw the door, past tae screen, and there, behind a richiy carved bliick walnut desk of mammoth size, in a luxurious chair, sits James Fisk, Jr., on his throne. About him are numerous clerks, messengers and lackeys doing his bidding and laughing at his humor, which he keeps constantly flowing in the midst of a!l his business. Within his reach are springs send- ing signals to all parts of the building so that every employee in the establishment can be summoned to him instantly in case of necessity. All the ceilings are richly frescoed, that in the main room being an elegant symballc design having at the four sides the words New York. Sin Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis. Oa the floor above is a grand banquetting room fitted up in the same style of splendor, where sumptuous entertainments are ocoasionrlly given. The Erie Railway pays $75,000 rent for the ^ipartiaeats occupied for its offices, and in addition to this is the reat of the stores on the ground floor and some other property included in the purchase— the whole mak- ing the investment a very profitable one aside from the theatre and the apartments appr«ypri>ited to the owner's private use. Mr. Fisk's residence is in the immediate vicinity on 23rd Street, which makes all his arrangements very complete. Here, snrrouuded by all the luxury which bis taste and wealth can devise, he lends a much more lordly and imperial life than many a modern Prince, and in his sump- tuous halls may well be called " Prince Erie." \ I .n;nin.'i. nin u fir .•jh .,j< !('■.♦ 5)^ ! r ,nj, i, i^i.i ■ ^':-. li'A U'i\ '"..t '.'mr-'i.^ .-'liv-y iAm^ ,ii< :'v.-.' s'l • [; ■r.ct'f'iS.* ".(1 .>\l »dt .iutj[ii L\i.i\'.:'.:Jh. k.iit tiJ''Un, /Jft.iU- 54 CHAPTER X ^f A i^IOH AGAIN— METAMOHPHOBK— AT THB BOSTON PEACK JOBn>BK — A FLOATING PALACE — SUNDAY TRIPS XST THB HUD- SON—THE ADIOBAL. ^ ' ' 1*^ if 'V /■ •' i si< ' •'....'.■ Through r11 the varied phases of his Mfe since leaviDe his peddling bucinees at Battleborn, Mr. Fisk bad never held anv position which compelled people to look at him daily in all his spiendors with any- thing like the uttention he attracted in that first Btace of bis career. But he had now Achieved a notoriety so great that the gay throng of the city would gaze at him as the country people once had done, were opportunity offered. The summer of 1869 gave tbe opportunity, and he enjoyed all the gratificaliou in this respect that could be desired. The Narraganset Steamship Company was formed this season. Mr. Fisk became its president and thereby name into control of the finest line of steamers running on Lotg Island Sound. The two boats, Providgice and Bristol, were thoroughly overhauled, renovated, fitted up iu tLe most luxuriant style, re- furnished with elegant cnrpcts, upholster- ing, bronzes and general fixtures. The dining rooms were conducted on the a la carte, or European plan, and supplied all the accommodations and luxuries of a first- clafs hotel. To add to the pleasure of tbe lovely ride up the Sound, a fine band of music accompanies each steamer and delights the passengers with sweet strains of choice music throush the first four hours of the trip. This novel feature adds much to th« enjoyment of the lour- ney and is highly appreciated by the pub- lic. It is to be regretted that the famous North River line has not followed the in- novation. Everything objectionable un- der tbe former management disappeared, and this became one of the most delight- ful and wholly enjoyable trips to be had anywhere in the world. It was in these steamers that Mr, Fsik seemed to take his special pride that sum- mer, as he justly mi/^ht Each afternoon, a half hour •r so before it was time for the steamer to start, he came upon the pier, in a " nobby " citizen's suit, disappeared in some of the company's offices, and soon emerged again in a full Admiral's uniform of tho finest make. In this attire, which was quite becoming to him, he took his place at the gangway, where he must be seen by all wbo entered, His appearance the first few evenings created a grand sen- sation. The gay company that were pro- menading tbe decks andisaloons, admiring the rich gilding, furniture, bronzes and mirrors, and listening to the music, sud- denly turned their attention upon the man who had achieved so much notoriety, wbo had furnished the pleasures they were then enjoying, and wbo dictated orders to the noble stearaer and the crew. All crowded around to get a view of the man they had heard so much about of late. Young ladies whi»>perfd to rach other and turned to gazo ai liim hfter they paired in ; fathers pointed him out to thdr wives and children, and no one wished to mi^«» a fight of him. There, in his i-legaiit uniform, with the huge diiimond sparkling in his shirt-bosom, »t.)od the man who had trapped both Vandorbilt and Drew, who had bten the shield end sword of the Erie <"xil< s in " Fort Taylor," who had made all "Wall Street howl under his manipulations, who had purchaf-«d the Grand Opera House, built the Fifth Av#nue Theatre, and jeaeed the Aradcmv of Music — all within one short year. He w»;s now the cynofiure of all ey**, and crested tlie same si-OFation among the gaily drenned denizens of the city as he hsd rormorly done among rustic villagers. The situaiion wss one which he evidently enjftyed 'o the full, though he peerocd sublimely u^ccnacious of the curiosity direotod to him, and issued his ordTS and directions ma rapi'ily and iutperatively as though he were wholly ab- sorbed in his dulies Pritctsely on the mo- ment announced for rlartiiig, he gave the command, and the elegant ((t< amer put out into the stream, witJi her heavy load of passcrgers crowding her declifl. music play- ing, flags flying, all her crew in uniform, each man having a badge on his cap show- ing bis office and dv.ty. It was a moment that was a full renewal of the feeling of pride which the young pedler felt on the morning when he first mounted his bril- liant new oart and dashed out of Brattle- boro with his four-in-hand and followers. The Admiral remained on board till the steamer was well out in the bay, or hauled round into the East Hiver. Here he was met by a small tug-boat that came out to bear him baci to the city. As he parted from the steamer that was now his pride, the company crowded around for another glimpse of him, %nd tbe officers gave their commander a partinis sfllute. The sensation and dramatic effect of Mr. Fisk's arrival upon the ))ier and casting oft from the steamer upon tbe tug, was greatly intensified, the first few evenings, by his being aoc^ mpanied by his female favorite of the hour, attired like himself In naval style -a jacket of navy blue, with gilt but- tons and epaulettes, a hat in tbe sailor style, and decked out ia all matters of de- tail in a manner evidently indicating a careful consultation of the Admiral's tasts. The custom of going out into the stream with the departing steamer was not con- 55 "^?r t iety, who jpy were d orders rew. All the man of late, other and parked in ; K'ivL's and in* a fight uniform, Dg in his who had )rew, "who f the Erie ) made all pulationB, ud Opera Theatre, Music— all s now the I tlie same d denizens )ne iimong was one > the full, nconii!CiouB and issued ipi'lly and wholly ab- 5n the mo- e gave the lor put out '>8pitably, and an arrangement very nice for Messrs. Fisk and Oould was made on the heads-I- win-ti\ils-yDu-lo8e plan. An agreement was made that the stock should be taken of the towns at par after the election, pro- vided thata^ the election the officers would vote as Mr. Fisk wished. For the fulfil- ment of this agreement the town officers had the private bond of Messrs. Fisk and Oould. The latter gentlemen probably were well aware that, as the town officers had no power to sell except for cash down, this agreement was wh lly illegal and could not be enforced against them after they had secured the votes in their favor. On the 3rd of August considerable of the stock held by the towns was presented for transfer. The treasurer at once transferred all stock which he thought had been ac- tually purchased bsd paid for, vsrhflther by tke ijiie or Ramsey party; but he refused to transfer such stock as he suspected had been bought only by bargain, under the convenient arrangement patched up in Ne w York. The next day a war of inj unc- tions commenced. The Erie party got an injunction from Judge Barnard m New York forbidding any voce to be cast ou the forfeited stock that had been re-issued and was held as collateral security for a loan to the company. On the same day Mr. Ram- sey got an injunction from Judge Pnrker at Owego forbidding the transfer of stock held by the towns of Oneonta and Worcester. The next day. August 5th, Mr. Shearman, the lawyer of the Erie party, went to Oswego and got the injunction obtained by Mr. Ramsey removed, and then elnewhere|! obtained an order commanding the transi^r that had been forbidden the day before. Encou- raged by so much success, a bolder step was taken. An order was obtained re- straining Mr. Rameey from acting as an officer of the road. With Mr. Ramsey in the board, it was equally divided; bis re- moval therefore placed his opponents in the majority, and as the vice-president was in the interest of the Erie party this move gave them a great advantage, putting them Si possession of the transfer books and enabliog them to make the transfers to their own liking. But Mr. R&msey did no( surrender quietly. An angry a.^r'^rtion of conflicting rights prevailed all day at the offices ot the company in Albany, and became so serious that the police had to be called in to preserve order and prevent the two parties from coming to a trial of mus- cular strength to deteririne which should hold possession. Night put an end to this angry (rrowl, but Mr. Ramsey knew the opponents he had to deal with and that immt jiate, decisive measures were neces- sary to foil them. Therefore he improved the evening. It was felt on both sides that pos8ei,aion of the transfer books greatly increased the chances of iiuccess for the party holding them, as they were to be closed on the 7th and it was now the eveniner of the 6th. Accordingly Mr. Ram- sey had the books removed from the office that night, and when his enemies came in next morning the prize they most coveted in getting possession was not to be found. Many were the wild goose chases made to regain possession of these l)ooks. They were heard of, now in Pittsfield, out of the State, now in Troy only six miles away, then in Schenectedy ; but on the arrival of offieers at the place where rumor had last placed them, they were found- to be quite as far off in some other direction, and the pursuit was like seekin,^ the gold at the end of the rainbow. A great point was attempted to be made against Mr. Ramsey for ihe abstraction of the books in this manner, his opponents crying out agaiast the dishonesty, violation of power and rights, and dread of justice, implied in the act. And another step served them still better to the same effect. The nieht the books were removed, Mr. Ramsey got seve- ral of his friends to subscribe for consider- able sums of the stock of the company which had not yet been taken lip, he pro- mising to provide for the 10 per cent, of the price which was to be paid in immedi- ately in order to enable them to have the stock entered in their names. This of course was not a bonajide subscription, but was resorted to as a means of controlling the election. As such it made Mr. Ram- sey obnoxious to the charge of unfair and lawless acts, and he made his position in this respect still weaker by the means taken to secure the necessary 10 per cent, of the subscription money. He took the equip- ment bonds of the company and pledged them as collateral security for a lean. This was exceeding any power that he ever could have had, and his enemies were not slow to seize the handle thus afforded them. So immeasur- ably superior to his. opponents was the strength of Mr. Ramsey's position in the matter of personal character, business and social standing, that charges from them against his integrity fell like peas pelted at the Rocky Mountains ; but in the excite- ment of the hour they tended somewhat to damage and weaken his position. But the Erie party were not left to exer- cise their power long, though the books, the most valuable part of the corporation for their immediate purpose, had been re- ffS moved beyond their reach. The next mom- inj?, the 6th, ju8t as they were j^etting ready to exercise their newly acquired functions!, an injunction was obtained and 8»'rvrd ripon them by the HamBsy party, re- strainiDg them trom acting as officers of the corporation. The rond was thus left •withi ut a head or mana^^sment Tiiisnew roovro was immediately tVlpgiapbea to the Grand Ope- 1 a House in >iew York Mr. Shearman was there nt Mr. Fisk's side and .'mmediattJy saw the le.fi;al sispect r>f the situation. '1 he corporation beinf; left with- out ofHct'rF, an order must be obtained ap- pointing H receiver to talso charge of the road. Mr. Shearman iuimedialely set al>out prephrinp tlie papers necessary to Ci.>tairi the de«ii ed order. A judge must be had to grant the order. There were three judges of the First District in the city, while *,he fourth wns absent in Poughkeepsie, at, the bedside of his dyiug mother. There were judges of the Second District to be found in J:irook]yu in cuseof need. But there 8€< mtd some magic virtue in the orders of the one absent judjre, consequenily he was summoned from his dying mother by tele- graph and came down to New York. This was Judge George G. Barnard. The pfipers were nut ready till ten o'clock al n'ght. At that hour the judpe who had come down from Poughkeepsie for ' ucpur- puHe was so near ut band and was so quick to perceive iho merits of the case that fifteen minutes or thereabouts sufficed for the whole process of taking the papers to Lim, obtaining a hearmg and securing his signature to the document. The receivers appoinlpd for this important trust were James Fisk, Jr. ! and Mr. Oourter. Equipped with Juda;e Barnard's order, Mr. Fisli and party left for Albany by the eleven o'clock p. m. train to assume the de- licate iceponsjbility; but on arriving there in ihe morning they found the Ramsey party had been as qviiok as themselves to ^mderstand the situation and had had the Hon. R. H. Pruyn appointed receiver a few minutes earlier than Mr. Fisk received his autliority. When Judge Barnard's re- ceivers went to the offices to take posses- oion they found them alreadj' held by the opposing receiver's representatives, with Mr. Van Vaulkenburg in command. Mr FisL introduc 'd himself to Mr. Van Vaulk- enburg find announced hia mission. The gentleman m possessioL iuttm ited that be did not propose to surrender the trust of which he had been put in charge Thereupon Mr. Fuk turned to the choice band of supporters he had brought up from New York with him and Mid, "Come on, boys!'' ''^her, adclressing himself to Mr. Van Vaulkcn- burgi Jie continued, " this is my twenty- sixth raid, and I'm going to take you fel- lows if it cofcts a million dollars." With these words he and his " boys " proceeded to take possession and oust the occupants by force; but this attempt took a very un- expected tv.rnandMr. Fisk and his "boys" got 1 ustled down stairs with u tiaste that p?id no regard to ceremony, Mr. Van Vaulkenburg proving to be a man of such muscular activity that Mr. Fisk instead of " taking you fellows," suddenly brought up oh the sidewalk with his ppmce attire and toilet in a rather disordered condition. He had h!'.rdly had time to adjust his hat prop«.'rly, when a fussy little mrn stepped up ind march !?d him off to the station house tor creating a disturbance. On reaching police headquarters Mr. Fisk was released, and found that the little man who had marched him off" so promptly was not a policeman at all, but an emphyee of the railroad and a supporter of Mr. Ratastry. Such an ignonimous and ludicrous re- sult of the first move in his twenty-sixth raid might well have afflicted Mr. Fisk with a little chagrin and disturbed hla temper ; but he seemed to appreciate the comic element of the proceeding quite as fully as any one, so lively is his sense of the ridiculous and humorous, and on bdng set free at the station house he Immediately returned to the offices from whicli he had been so summarily ejected and actually led his opponents in venting humor at his own expeniic over the episode ^n which he came out at the litile end of the horn. To Mr. Van Vaulkenburg who had so kindly assisted Ja his hasty exit \.i was espec'ally pleasant ar.d facetious, and saluted him ^a tJie poclicspirik "Perhaps itwas right to dJs^emble jour love. But why did yon Kick me down ttairti f " He seated himself upon a table, swingin'? his feet beneath after the manner of tht. evening gathering in a country variety store, ana in that situation he manifested his high admi'-atloa ^or man'y elrength of character atd muscle by complimenting Iilr. Van Vau)'>..nturg, saying he had never before met a man who dared face him and do Lis duty in that ^ay, and that ne wanted just such a man in his empioy. He further proposed that, instead of any more fus3 of this kind, himself and Mr. Ramsey should play a game of " seven up " to determine which should h'eve possession of the road. When Mr. Fisk got back to the scene ot his rout he found that Mr. Pruyn had ar- rived and was now in possession irx propria persona, so the two opposing receivers met face to face, and each oiaimed to be in pessession. The news of the afiair ^* ti.'S morning was immediately teleg aphed to New York, anfl upon the strength of the telegram Mr. Shearman made a i>.e.v uffida- 59 ti:e' vit and obtnhud ficra Judge Barnard a new itijnrction ffirbiclding everybody from inlcrlering with n ceivtrs Fi^k and Courter, and ulso gruntins; nn absolute "writ of assistnncp," firiioweriDg the shetitt" to iniprtssthe wholo jw«»c rom ^//«.s into hi'' serviofc to pxfcute this Inst injunction. This new injunction and writ were tele- graplwd to AJt»!iny »nd about three o'clock p.m. the fiheritt nntually attempted to pro- ceed upon nuihority purmrtina: to lave been obtaintd fmm'New York, based upoii HCtB that had occurred in Albany only five hours previous. Tl e authority was con- temptously (iisrepfinlfd. A counterblast was fired in the shnjie of nu order for the arrest of Mr. Fit k Jor conten^pt, of Court in Interfering witii its officer, Roceiver Pruyn. This closed the active liostillties of the day and it bcinp nov.- evident that no crisis or decifion could be rcachtd, a truce till nine o'clock Mondiiy morning was agreed upon and tlie two npposing cliiefs withdrew, each leaving deputies behind to maintain the situation m statu quo till the hour ap- poirted. Mr. risk left inunedi;'.tely for New York to receive instructions from his legal Slicks arid ^ot tlic original copy of Judge arnard's Jdst iijuuciion and the writ of aBBit.tiuice. With these and a retinue of a dozen or fifteen "l.oys" Le departed for the front ngain Sunday eveEicg, determined on a brilliuut rouj) de grace in his first charge on the morrow. lie lireeented himself at the gceco of action Monday morning but was conipjotely surp ised by his advers:ary'8 crying "check !" before he had made a single move. During his sojourn at the Grand Opera Houte, the Ramsey party bad obtained a new injunction restrainine everybody from interfering with Receiver Pruyn end expresf-ly enjoining sheriflTs from proceetlinsj to any measures on the authority of the writ of assistance. A truin with forty or fifty Ramsey men and Mr. Siuitli as legal adviser, was early started from Albanp, seiving this injunc- tion on sL "riffs and installing deputies of Receiver Pruyn as they went. Mr. Fisk thus found himself (flt;ctually foiled and the situation looked very unfavorable for his prospects. Bat a consultation was held with his lawyers and advisers, and a brilliant dovice wns hit upon lor bringing matters to ;> dead lock and the road to a stand still. As his enemies were now in possession of tue Albany end of the road beyoLd the power of removal except by actual force* he determined to got posses- sion of as much of the other end as pos- sible, so that while his opponents governed the head he might han^j on by the tail. There was but one way of aecomplishing tkia now most desirable object. The power of his opponent was extending to- ward Binghamtrn as fast as stenm could take it una nothing but electricity could get there ahead of it. Accordingly, he te- legrnphed his orders, injunctions and writa of afsistancc to Bintrhainton, where Erie is much more of a power than at Albany, nnd there he met with better pucccfs than where he was perpomdly i)ro8(nt. Men were found ready and eager to do his bid- ding and under hia telcgrojihed ordcs and documents the Binuhnmton end of the road was immediately taken posse sftion of in his name as rcceivt r. An Erie superin- tendent was placed in rhaige. A train standing at the station ready to sturt was not permitted to proceed tilt fn Erie engine had been substituted, an Erie conductor placed in charge, and an Erie j^herilt ^as on board to distribute Erie irjunctims nnd writs of assistance and rejlace fdl employees by Erie sympathizers, wherever the train stopped. There were four Albany and SuEquehanna engines at Bin^.hamton. The tberiH of Erie got pofsef.sion e'f three of them, and was riding down the track on one of those he had crptured to secuie the fourth, when the engineer of the latter suddenly moved a switch in such a wsy as to send the sheriff and the engine bearing him off the track, then jumped quickly upon his own, let on the steam and made good time towards Albany. The doings of the Eric men at Bingham- ton had been ttlegraiihed to Albany, and Mr. Van Vaulkenburg was at length fully roused and determined on the jiu*t de- cisive measures. Mr. Fitk had not been j.ermitted to enter the Albany & Sus^que- hanna offices at all that day, but his deputy and brother receiver, Mr. Courier, had re- mained since Saturday to assert po&tcssion for the Fiek parij'. When news of the proceedings at Binchamtou arrived and tired Mr. Van Vaulkcnburg's will, he Im- mediately notified Mr. Courter that the farce of his pretended possession had gone far enough, and that he must leave the £ remises at once. The experience of aturday morning being fresh in Mr. Courter's memory, he deemed it best to go without aiislgtance and retired, though un- der protest. .Mr. Van Vaulkenburg then telegraphed along the road ordering his trains to stop where they were. The train that left Albany in the morning had reached Barpetsville, twenty-five miles from Binghamton, when, hearing of the situation at the latter place, thej decided not to proceed and fell back to Bainbridge, thirty-six miles from Binghamton and there waited further developments. The aftarnoon train from Binghamton, thoroughly transformed into an Eric estab- lishment, proceeded on its way, sherlfi 60 aboard, and put the road into Erie liancls as it went. Wlian thejr readied Afton, thirty miles Iroin Bini{hKmton, they were met by a telegram from Mr. Van Vauluan- burg warning them that any further ad- vance would be at their peril. They there- fore halted and telegraphed for further in- struct ioDs from Mr. Fiak at Albany. They received a peremptory order to proceed and accordingly started again. It waa now late in the night and they advanced with much caution, feeling their way aa they went, to see that no bridge had been destroyed or railk torn up by their adver- saritis. The Ramsey party had with them a patent " frof ," designed to got displaced cars ou to the track, but it now occurred to some one that it was cuually well adapted to throwing them off. This they fixed to a rail and then took up a position on a side track to await the enemy's »pproacQ. The Erie party came in sight of the Bainbridge station and, all dangerous places being passed, they moved on more boldly and un- suspiciously when, just before reaching the station, they suddenly became conscious of something irregular and found themselves ofi the track. The Ramsey train now im- mediately moved up on to the main track be- hind them and they \ "'e prisoners. The Ramaey party gallantly helped the»n out of their car, and finding themselves captured they quietly surrendered. Emboldened by success, the Ramsey party now resolved to advance and started onco more towards Binghampton early Tuesday morning. They removed the Erie men placed in cbarge the provious day and restored the former employees. All went smoothly till they reached a spot known as " the Tunnel," about fifteen miles from Binghampton. The tunnel is some two hundred feet long,oa the brow of a hill, and is approached from either side by a steep up grade and over a sharply curving track. On reaching this point at about 10 a.m. they received news of a new Eric train that had come up from Binghampton with several hundred men te give them battle. At this intelligence they halted and the two hostile bands stood on the op- posite sides of the tunnel all day re- connoitering and preparing, neither party apparently daring to attack. The Fisk party was composed of employees ot the Erie road and work-stiops and was increased during the day by the arrival of new trains bringing up men and pro>isions, till their forces numbered about eight hundred. But their very numbers toTd against them. Without discipline, or- iCaniztition or conscious purpose, with no acknowledged commanders, they were a mere unwieldy mob. to whom fifty men withlin acknowledged leader would have been infinitely superior. The Ramiiey company was also reinforced during the day by the arrival of another train from Albany and by the gathering of syntpa- thieers from the vicinity, and now num- bered about four hundred, ur one half the party on the other side of the tuq- nel. Besides being fewer in number, which in this case was doubtless an advantage the men directing their movements were gentlemen of such personal force and char, acter as to establish sumetbine like organ> izatiou among them, and, still more, they were all inspired by a defluim principle and strong feeling, a uulfyiug and strengtiieniug clement ia which their op- ponents were entirely lacking. At last, after such feeble preparation as was possi- ble under the circumstances, aud under imperative urders by tulegiaph from commander Fisk at Albany to com- mence offensive operations, the Erie party decided to advance and took the initiative about seven o'clock in the evening. Their chief reliance seems to have been upon the amount of momen- tum they could get up, and this was un- doubtedly the one point in which they were strongest ; but since Cassar'a day mere motnentum as a determining clement ia warfare has dwindled in importance as against scientific manccavering much more than these improvised warriors seem to have been conscious of. However, as this was their best it not their only weapo);, it was probably the pirt of wisdom to ad^pt it siuce they were under peremptory commands to advance. Their philosophy seems to have been to load a train as heavily as possible aud set it going, trusting to luck for all the rest. They put together the heaviest train they could make up, filled it with men (though for what purpose does does not appear, unless for their weij;ht and to dis- pose of them somehoiD) and started it through the long tuunel. With hearts trembling in trepidation, more fr.im the darkness and the utter indeflnitenoss of purpose than from anv apprehended harm, these crusaders moved cautiously through the tunnel, emerged upon the Albany side and halted to take breath. They found a single rai! removed by their opponents. This was replaced, and once more they moved forward, having now a down grade. The Ramsey men had been warned of the approach, and were not afraid even to try momentum as the first move, probably con- scious that this could determine nothing, an"! only serve as a signal for further ope- rations depending much more upon 8kill,or- ganization, and Cf- nmanders, in which they felt superior. Accordingly when the rail, was replaced, and the attacking train was «& 61 advancing apjain, the Ramsey train started, too, puffing up the hill must dct«rmincd1y, bent on luischkf. The Erie train moving slowly down the hill, turned a sharp cor- ner, and suddenly became aware of the approach of their enemy under full head- way with the manifest iutention of a colli- flion. PcrhapH the Erie men had " sogered" Tinder McLcUan, for they had evidently expected to go through this wrar without huiting anybojy. The sudden prospect of danger, therefore, took them wholly by surpripe and threw them into the greatest consternation. The conductor swung his hat and gesticulated frantically to Induce the Ramsey train to stop. The engineer instanily whistled " aown brakes r then whistled the rignal of danger and reversed his engine. The Ramsey engineer merely whistled "pet out of the way!" steamed ahead with his full streugtb, and smash! went the two engines into each other. The shock and panic to Erie was complete. The men leaped from the train, and With- out stopping to see what had happened, " skedaddled " for the Binghamton side of the tunnel wi'h their utmost speed, somo ruuning through the tunnel, others over the hili above it, each gomg like an Olym- pian runner, as if life depended upon reaching the other end, affording one of the most unique and amusing foot races ever witnessed. Their engine and train participated in the hasty retreat, and backed up to the home side of the tunnel. The R;»msey men, having intended the collision, were not in the least disturbed or demoralized, but were perfectly self-pos- sessed and set upon the Erie men with shouts, and sticks and stones, as they jumped from their cars In a panic, and pursued them a short distance in their flight. As the Erie train was moving slowly, reversed the engine and put on the brakes the moment dangpr was foreseen, and as the grade was too heavy for the Ramsey train to get up nflich speed, the col- lision did little damage beyond smash- ing therill ut Binghamton and tlut (THiii tliiit Wivs i-nptured at Buin'Tklgo, arrived iu Alb my thuy were roculvtd wfth tlie ntu-it eiitiuiMiastic detuonstratluna l>y a larito <:rowJ of cU'z'ms; wherever Erie m.-n or sympithi/.ir.-* appeared in the ncidhborliKO 1 Uii- of r ot they were treated to ii Hliovvor of jipprobrlous epithets by the W(»m('u Hud cLiillii.n and requeHted to "clfar out;" a;id everywhere the f^elini; Boeiiu'd iiniinimoaH In f'lvof of Mr. RiiOisey and decidi'dly bitter ;vgrtinst Erie. To all tbi!4 Mr. Fi:*k ni luifost-'d characierlstic In- dilK;n ncj aul o!i Tui'sUy afternoon there appeared in III'* ivipurs a letter from hi ui in which lie said: "Quick sharp work and so much to be done on a stampiu;; /ground new to me, left nie only to l^el ti»at the Rraat majority of thoijood people of Albany were running away with a wron;.; idea of our side of the qneMlion ami overlooked the great beneiits and advantages we were bringing to their doors I should buppose thj^i people of thlM good city would welcome u:) wUbopen arms. Look at the pi^st. lias not every- thing been done by the Central lino to make you a men^locd station, to ruin your shipping and wipe out your instruments of business and leave you with nothinu on hand but pleasure all the time, which is very tiresome— or rather to leave you a Rip Van Winkle sleeps'.... Mr. Ramsey and myself hav>t long been friends and nothing biit the wtiit'are of the great interest* in- volved woulil have brought me in collision with him. I have the liighest regard for bim, barring my opinion of bim as a rail- road manag^jr. I am sorry that he stands to-day between i;hu interests of the people and our corporation. There can be but one lesult, and that will lie free admission to us in Albany. For all we ask we give you four-fold In return. The star of the Al- bany & Susquehanna road, as a mere local road, has set. It must new be part of the groat thoroughfare from the Atlantic to the Paciflc... It I4 evident the hostility to our interests is stimulated by those in the Interest of the Central. . . . The interest of the Erie is to run it ;. the interest of the Central is to discontinue it. . . . It is not a auestion of to day but of the future,, and I link my holding out powers will laiBtwith those who arc opposi>d to me. I ask no advantage to which my castj dors not en- title me. Give Mr Kanisc^ the advantages of every douht and what idr'left will waft us on to victory." The evening after this letter appeared in print a largo public uiceiing wu^ held in Albany, ui which Hpeeches were made by Mr. Riiusey and sevei'til oiUvrcmiuunt citi- zens, and uowiiero (>t>( their mission that they did not deem It wonh while to get out of their carri »gc. Mr. Fisk merely pointed to a bundle 01 papers sticking out of his pocket as he lay back in his barouche and looking up to the wiudowa with a cigar in his mouth, said, " ilere'n an order and writ of assistance from friend Barn- ard, fresh up from N»!W York, f. -a it tells me to take possession." Mr. Van Valken- burg merely looked dowo^rom the window and smiled at tlie humorous man.'. There was no more of (he *- I'm i^oing to take you fellows if it costs a million dollars" style or tone in this last demand. All that was fione and Mi*. Fisk seemed to have come direct from "kissing the iilarutiy stone." He lay there at ease in his carriage and looked up at Mr. Vm Vaulkenburg as Romeo looks up ut Juliet io the balcony scene, and in tones as soft as a lover's as- sured Mr. Van Vaulkenburg that if ,he would only yield obeisance to " theni doc- uments" from Judge Barnard he should oe splendidly fixed for life, and have a high seat beside tlie divinities that preside over the Qrand OpiTa House, the Ene treasury, the ]Narraganset Steamship Com- pany or Tammany Hall. While the kind- hearted man was thus cooing in the guaviter in modo style and harmlessly amusing "yon 63 fellows " with a most humorous Fccnc, ho wa» BUihlfnJy tmt upon by tho pohct', who •rrostt'd Lmi on a warrant from Juil^n Clut» fur a (tODiipirany against the public peace and order in attempting to taiio poi<- M!88ionof the Albany & SusquthHiina Itall- road ()lHce« by force. Ho turned hiH eyes from Mr. Vau Vaulkenburg to tho police with a most comical expression on Ids countenance, looked at, them a moment in a puzzled way, then said, " All right I Git in horel" took the policemuu who hud arreelid him into his carriage and said, *' Proceed, driver ! Goodbye, Van Vaulk- enbur^. Come and Bee me if you git a chance, and bring aUjug something ^ood to eat." Thus the afiernoon's drive and entertainment of his rivils with a liitlo amutsement ended in beiug ignominoufly marched vS under arrest and t»ken into the presence of Judge Clute as a culprit. He immediately gave bail, however, and was released from custody and returned to the liebiTan House to tell the outrages and indignilicB that had been perpetrated upon him, and make himself a i;reat hero by giving his minions and retainers a graphic description of a moHt dastardly at- tempt to assassinate him. Thia last story was founded upon a rumor that as he approached the Albany & Susquehanna offlc(. 8 in the afternoon, so gi eat Jiad grown the exasperation against him that two men stood on a balcony armed with pistols determined to shoot him, and were only prevented from doing so by the dissuasion of one of their friends. With these re- citals Mr. Flsk still maintained the air of a hero despite the decidedly unfavorable current of the day's events for his cause. Immediately upon acquainting himself with the condition of affairs on Tuesday, the Governor notified all sheriffs and other officers to take no further proceedings in favor of either side, but to maintain mat- ters just as they r- stood, treating the party in actual poSi.es:^iou as beiug there of right, till the Courts should decide between the contestants. Each party bemg now in actual possession of one end of tlie road, of course this order must bring its business to a stand still. But the next morning brought the details of the riot at the tunnel and the Governor now determined on more decisive measures. He at once gave the opposing • receivers notice that tiieir proceedings must cease and they must come to some agreement in tbe mat- ter, or else he should declare the district through which the road ran to be in a state of insurrection to the State and take possession of tne road m a military measure and run it as a military road till the dispute was settled. Tne parties held a consultation but could come to no agre«> mcnt, and therefore the opposing roceivcii unlt«>d ill a wri;ten request to the (ioveruor lo take possession of the road and run it in the name of the State till the legal com- plications were decided. This ho con- sciiteil to do. General James McQuade and Colonel Robert L^^nox ijunks were detailed from his stntf to take pcMsession and conduct the jitl'airs of the road. They entered at onco upon their new diillos, and in a day or two had nil tlie bridges and rails rnplacL'd ana the road in regular operation again. Wednesday morning was Judge Peek- ham's turn ngain to isfrue a new onler setting aside i-'arnard'rf of the diiy br-foie. The Alt^anians had now come to expect a iresh injunction from one or other of the parties every morning as btlny; as nuich a mutter of courso as their breukfast. In this they were not disiippointf fl by iho judi;e upon whom they had conferred so many and varied honorf. lie oprncrl tho morning in the usual way, stay in tr pio- cefidingH undur the orders from Nvw York the previous day and attempiin^j 'o tie up Mr. Pisk's hands in vfttidus w^ytJ. ThesH matters and the arraneemeat with tlie Governor nipass this end a suit was instituted against Messrs. Ramsey, Van Vaulkenburg, Phelps and Smith (their counsel) for ab- stractirg the books of the company, and orders tor their arrest, with ball fixed at a large sura, were asked for. This request being on the face of it of a most monstrous character, the petitioners took it before Judge Barnard, who of course granted it without hesitation. These orders were ob- tained on ex parte representations, without notice to the parlies against whom the ap- plied, and were kept a dead secret till the moment for which they were specially designed, the whole success of the ploi depending upon its being sprung as a sur- prise at a proper moment. Not satisfied with these legal documents, Mr. Fisk, re- taining a vivid memory of Mr. Van Vaulkenburg's muscular powers, thought it prudent to take up to the election what he, aftf^ all, deemed much more potent than the law, and what might l)e much needed to make Barnard's orders respected 60 far from home, and at the same time 65 thousand orces now he annual 18 to occur nfldent of uisites for le by-laws the polls om 12 to no stock jirty days inspectors chosen and must and the ist be prc- ors on the [on of the very much strength in held, and 3688 by fair n was plan- t a parallel B, civilized imspectors year were jy the by- o act. An 10 ting was was obtain- )8en inspoc- 13 were laid ices inspec- e party. To 3 others, it isey and all B way. To instituted lulkenborg, sel) for ab- npany, and il fixed at a lis request ; monstrous i: it before granted it rs were ob- ns, without lom the ap- secret till re specially »f the plot ng as a sur- [ot sntisfied [r. Pisk, re- Mr. Van rs, thought iction what lore potent t be much •8 respected same time guard him from another ungraceful liust ling down stairs and h;isty flight to New York iiy special private coaveyauce. Ac- cordingly some fifty Now York rouiihs of the wurat type, chosen for their especial fitness for the ocoision, wore secured to go to Albnny to stand behind Judge Barnard's law and Mr. Fisk'^ tiigniiy and protect the sanctity of the Albauy & Susquehanna ballot-box. Thus armed and equipped with legal documents and " tools to do it with," Mr. Fisk with a i^mnll army of Iwgal advisers, clerks, boon companions, and lai'-keys, de- parted for " the from" once more the day before the election, that h»i might be on the " stamping ground" in time to arrange care- fully all the details for llie last grand charge in his "twenty-sixih raid." In his suit of rooms at the Delavau House on the night of the 6tli and the morning of ibe 7th of Septfmbi'r, the whole plan was arranged with such precision of detail as to "work like a clock," and was carefully kept from all knowledge of the enfmy. The hardy men of muscle, carefuily select- ed fron- ■ "■ eiainf nt social element that rules Ne>. i ork city, f^upplios forces for the State e^itahlisUinent at Sing Sing and elects the like of B;irnard to the beach of the Supreme Court, were left to follow by a later train and reached Albany on the morning of the 7th, the day of the election. The personnel of this unique company ot New York's masters on appearing in Albany has been graphically pictured by Mr. Char- les Francis Adams, Jr. : " A breakfast was negotiated for them at the salotm in the station, and taere they stood and fed, as rough a set of patriots as ever stuffed a ballot-box or hit from the shoulder. Some of them had coats and some had not ; their clothes were in various stages of dilapidation, as also were their countenances; open shirts displayed mus- cular breasts and rolled up trousers stock- ingless feet; one man saved himself the trouble of rolling up both legs of his trousers by having only one ... a claiss subsequently described as men with scarred faces and noses and black eyee Under the circumstances it was Uttlo to be won- dered at that while they indulged in a ' square meal' the keeper of the saloon gave directions to have his silver counted." After being fed, these choice spirits were each supplied with a few proxies of Albany ^> Susquehanna stock, which entitled them Ui enter the ofilces of the company as stockholders. Of course Mr. Fisk could have voted himself just t.s wetl on his own stock, but it was deemed especially desirable that these delegates from the slums ot New York should bo present out of respect to Mr. Van Vaulkenburg's much 6 admired muscular powers, and this was tlie best and only sure means of securing their peaceable admission to the room. As the hour of noon approached it was time to set the ball in motion. All the ac- tors were requ:-ed to set their watches ex- actly together and each was instructed as to the precise second at which ho should speak his piece and play his part. Ur. Thomas G. Shearman, of the eminent law firm of Field & Shearman, acted a^ master of ceremonies on the occasion. The im- provised stockholders were marched from the depot to the poll in due seasvn, and, proxies in hand, were admitted to the room by the police on guard. The inspec- tors were waylaid on their way to the of- fices a few moments only before the time for them to enter upon the discharge of their duties, and were served with the or- der forbidding thsm to act. This was a complete surprise, as it was planned to be, and of couise threw the Ramsey men into a little confusion. At a quarter before twelve, master of ceremonies Shearman guve the nod which was the sigaal for ac- tor No. 1 to move the organization of a meeting of stockholders to elect inspectors in the place of those removed. The move was secoaded and carried, the fifty roughs with whom the room was packed giving a lusty *' aye " when they caught the signal, " this is the place to laugh." The meeting organized, the vote proceed in like manner and resulted in the election of inspectors in every respect satisfactory to Mr. Fisk. The preliminaiies thus all succes.-tfully car* ricd in their favor, at a few seconds past twelve, the hour prescribed by the by-laws, the newly chosen inspectors entered upon their duty, the ballot-box (which consisted of a straw hat) was placed in position and the voting commenced. But with every- thing thus nicely started entirely in hia favor, Mr. Shearman, like all mlisters of ceremonies upon important occasions, was a till a little anxious lest something should nappen to mar the smooth flow before the entertainment was over. Messrs. Ramsey, Van Vaulkenburg, Phelps and Smith were in the adjoining room and were looked upon as a possible disturbing element. The polls would be closed in an hour, and if these gents could only be tied up and pre- vented from action for that length of time, all would be over and well. And a httlo string, especially designed for this very emergency, had been brought along and was now produced to do the desired tieing up. The order granted by Judge Barnard for the arrest of these gentlemen for the abstraction of the books, and which had been carefully held back from all publicity, was now produced and at about the same moment that the newly-organized polla m n\ i 06 «*. ■were opened the sheriff arrested them. This was the final blow, and if snccess-ful — if an hour oould be occupied in marching the arrestf'd gentlemen before a magistrate and getting bondsmen to give the outra- geously large bail ($25,8(W) demanded— entire success of llio eowp de main nnd cohi plcte triumph for Mr. Fisk seemed beyond a preadventure. But, alas for human de- vices ! this move did not work so success- f'llJy as was lioped. Either Mr. Shearman and the sheriff differed as to the proper manner for the latter to proceed in the dis- charge of his duty or else the sheritrs courage failed him at the vital moment through » consciousness of the outrageous character of the proceeding. The sheriff did not deem it iudigpens ible that his pHsoncra should be taken from the build- ing and carried before a magistrals. He obligingly consented to hure the formali- tieB of giving the required bail gone through wit! there in the room wliere they werp and was guilty of the (In Eric eyes) unpardonable breach of duty and sin of having blank bail bonds in his pockets and furoiphing them for the occasion in- stead of requiring time to be spent in send- ing to a stationer's. With these kindnesses Mr. Ramsey immediately set about fur- nishing satisfactory bondsmen, not in the least disconcerted by the surprise sprung upon him— doubly ohtrageous in its nature and the manner of its execution. Any number of most unquestionable men stood xeady to give the bail demanded, and, in- terpose every captious, technical, pettifog- ging, frivolo'iis, objection that ne could in ** sparring for wind" and the passage of the. hour, Mr. Shearman was unable to con- sume more than a few minutes of time in the ceremony of bail giving. Before this ceremony was ov(!r, however, and the move thus blocked, Mr. Smith, by direction of Mr. Ramsey, had gone into the entry of the building, there organized another meet- ing, chosen another set of inspectors, opened another poll and proceeded to hold their own election. A few minutes after twelve, therefore, there were two polls open and two elections goins on. But Mr. Ramsey, despite the traps sprung upon him and the numerous troublesome irons he had in the fire, still found time to cope with bis enemies in wielding the now much cnfeejled.weapon of injunctions. Just as the Fisk poll was about to open, its Inspectors were served with an injunction forbidding them to hold an election unless they allowed votes to be cast upon the twenty-four hundred shares of stock which had lM;en p!aced in the bands of a receiver on the ground that it was illegal and could not be voted on. Of course it was intended by this order to give the men from whom this stock had been taken the privilege of voting upon it, they clearly being the only persons that could b}' any posaibilily have anj' right to vote up; in it. But Mr. tahearmra, eminent law- yer as he was, managed to make this order serve exactly the opposite purpnpc from that for which be knew it was designed. Mr. Fuller, the receiver, being present, was directed to vote upon the stock, and ho proceeded to do s > and voted din'Clly against the wishes of the men whf) owned the stock and to whom the order was ex- pressly intended to give the right of voting thereon. Thus twenty-four hundred votes were given to Fisk on Steele owned by Ui-j most active opponents. Some fifteen minutes later a second injunc- tion wus served on the Fisk inspectors en- joining them absolutely from bclrting an election ; but the delegation from th« Five Point?, partly perhaps from their eagerness to exercise the dignity of their novel and very ephemeral character as stockholders, and furtly from Mr. Shearman's desire to work as rapidly as possible, for fear of in- terference, had voted early, as they were accustomed to do when "repeating" in New York, and nearly all the votes of the Fisk party Lad been safely deposited in the strfiw hat before the last injunction came, BO it was necessary to violate it only a little to receive the few that remained to ha cast. So well was the programme matured and rehearsed beforehand, and such was the presence of mind displayed by the ac- complished master of ceremonies, that only a single desired detail in the performance had been omitted, but this little oversight was an important one. In their haste to organize and get their poll open first, the new Fisk inspectors had omitted to take the oath prescribed by the by-laws before enterljg upon the discharge of their duties. The b( (As, which the by-laws required should be present for inspection on election d«y, had been secretly replaced by Mr. Ramsey the night before, aad so the pro- ceedings of his inspectors had been every way regular, and in accordance with the by-laws, and Mr. Shearman's solo cLiim to have his poll treated as the legal one rested upon the circumstance of Its having been organized a few minutes before the rival poll. Neither party voted at the other's poll, so of course each elected its own ticket without «ne opposing vote. At the Fisk poll 13,400 votes were cast, and the in- spectors declared their ticket elected. At the Ramsey poll 10,743 votes were cast and the inspectors declared their ticket elected. Thus the election was over and mattera sto»d just as before— with two opposing se^3 of officers claiming the road. Th6 ;:i 67 Fisk party had sought to win a little moral support, add an air of respectability to their ticliet and gain an aUvantag^'. by electing General McQuede and Colonel Banks among their directors. These gen- tlemen being already in possession of tlie road and runniog it in the name of the State, by their election on the Fisk ticket the road was alreaey in the possession of the Erie party— nine points gained. But these gentlemen resignad immediately on hearing of- their election, which had been without Iheir consent or knowledge, and thus Mr. Fisk was left no better oil than on the morning when Mr. Van Yaulkenburg bustled him down stairs a month before. He was obliged to return to New York with his " boy8," more empty handed than he came, while the Governor otill retained possession of the road, and directed the Court to decide which election was valid and which set of directors was entitled to have possession. It was nearly three months before the issue <:amo on for trial and even then Mi'. Fisk's lawyers naade a stivnuous efiort to obtain further delay, but in vain. Tne question was tried before Judge E. Darwin Smith at Rochester. After a most thorough trial and a careful consideration of the points raised the substance of Judge Smith's de- cision was that the proceeding of the I isk party, purporting to be an election, was a fraud, copsptracy and outrage from begin- ning to end, a great disgrxe to every one concerned in it, a scandal to the Stutu, ana utterly null and void. The Kumsay directors were declared legally elected and entitled to possession of the road. When the news of this decision reached New York, Mr. Fisk's lawyers obtained an order to prevent the judgment being entered, but that formality had beeiind dollars was no more than a proper sum for the Eilc party to pay to indemnify Mr. Rauipay and the road. Of course Judge Smith's opinion was appealed from ; but the Uciicral Term sustained his judgment as to the total illcgalil^ of the election of the Fisk lioard and tlie entite legality of that of the Ramsay board, though overruling (not on its merits but upon technical grounds) the allowanco of extra costs. And thus was a final quietus upon Mr. Fisk's twenty-si ith raid. CHAPTER Xn. BLA.CK FRIDAY— THE GREAT GOLD CON- Sl'XRACY— WALL STUEnT AN^i TUK FIFTH ^ AVENUE HOTEL— GATHHRINO OF THB •,¥ WniRLWIND— A BATTLK OF GIANTS— ' BUUYINO TUB DEAD— THE PLOT — " GONE WUEBIC TUK WOODBINE TWINETH." Towards the close of summer, 1809, a feeling seemed to prevail that speculating in gold, which had been sa extensively engaged in and been the making and breaking of many fine fortunes since the outbrealk of the war in 1861, was drawing rapidly to a close, and that the conn. - wttnld soon return to specie payments* August 21st, gold was selling for about 181, and so general was the feeling that it was destined to make steady progress towards par that many large operators sold heavily short to profit by the anticipated fall. In the spring gold fell to 131, at whieh price Jay Gould bought several millions and then, inducing various newspapers to magnify t le probabilities from the Ala- bama claims, a European war, the Cuban insurrection, and various other matters that really had about as much infiucnce upon gold as upon the moon, he pushed the price up to 145 and gathered a' rich harvest. It was under reaction from this " buU" movemo came the young " bloods" who dnve dc vn grandly in their dogcarts with liveried footmen, and the dignified gents of more mature years in tbeir coupet. That the scene might not be lacking in any of its proprieties, Semea Fisk, Jr., came driving down and turned into Broad Street in company with two rlcbty attired actres- ses, one of them chiefly known to fame- 69 ere either ons on the the ranks n this way this day. tirely now ist intimi- loom was ith clerks >al8 them- ired in the efore. To ames Fisk, }o1d Room and en- ?ard by of- that gold DO one to at day the raggadocio rnmcnt of- them and (the only >rming the ettle up or led. The the clique, d running, ]ch ns had vcn in the losed upon unreliev- pftving the d night ees- ind a night fl, the fiun ?ew York, tvir with a lockery of lose whose courBe of rose with ere wholly lat the day ter of their tie Held to The region fold Room than usual. (, but long the small ■fl were on o improve ur for out- arlier hour ; "bloods" ir dogcarts ! dignified leir coupes. lacking in c, Jr., came road Street [red actres- Q to fame throueh her charm« as displaced in " Ma- zeppa" and " TheFrench Spy." Long be- fore the regular business hour tbe ureatest excitement prevailed, for the clique hi^d ^already tiisplayed unbroken nerve aod power niiid turned on the 8crow.<» another relentless stage, and many men riding down in their carnages were met far up Broad- way by their clerk;) who bad run to tell them the excitintr news that gold was going at 153 ! But all outside dealings and quo- tations are apocryphal, and brokers base all their demands for margins upon tiie quotations at the regular board; so, wildly as the price might fluctuate, no panic could come till th^ board opened at ten o'clock. When this hour arrived, New Street and every passage leading to the Gold Room was completely blocked up by one dense mass of humanity, all under the greatest state of excitement. Inside on the floor were gathered all the great dealers, or as manjr as culd be packed within the limit- ed circle, and the gallery WiS equally crowed with men all of whose worldly for- tunes now bung tremblingly in the bil- ance. At length the hour of ten arrived, the hammer fell and the board opened. The yell that immediately went up in the contending bids rent the air till it seemed the very roof must be lifted, and in the din, so far surpassing all that had ever been heard there before, even the trained ears could hardly distinguish a word. In a mo- ment, however, the presiding officer caught and recorded ibe price 150 1— six per cent, a Jvance on tlio highest price of the day before ! A howl went up from the crowd outside. Buch a manifestation of strength and determination on the part of the clique surprised even those who knew tuey were powvful. A livid pallor spread to nearly every face and a large portion of the crowd instantly bolted from the room, the brokers to demand a renewal of margins, the oper- ators to provide for the demand cr settle on the best terms they could obtain, many of both classes knowing ibe quotation meant their em ire ruin, w The clique and their ageat'i stood ready to take advantai;e of the paaic. *' Settle up !" they cried, " or a higher rate will ue demanded^iUonce. The Government is with vs and we have you wholly in our power." It was now well known that the short) intdreat was about $250 OGO.OOO and thai the clique themselves he d in gold and contracts for delivery something like $120,- d. New failures were reported and the gloom thickL-ntd. The Gold Board met but without doing any business ud- iourned till Monday to give the Gold Ex- change time to arrange the accounts and effect thti clearances, and this produced a more contentid feeling. The Gold Exchange Bank increased its force of cltirks and kept thein all busily at work through the night and as constantly as their physical powers would permit ; yet Monday morning came and found the bank unprepared to discharge its duties or give anj' relief to the situation, not even Thursday's accounts having been straight- ened. Men had gone to their homes on Satureay in the full confidence that when they returned again the bank would bu ready to effect the clearances and the situ- ation would then be fully known at least and men would be abl« to know how they were conning out. The disappointment was therefore very bitter aud i umors be- gan to prevail tliat the bank itself was in- volved. The situation sremed helpless under the circumstances and no one knew what to do. Several meetings of the Gold Board were iield, and numerous proposi- tions were made, but they finally adjourned to give the bank one more opportunity of clearling the obstruction, thus entailing one more night of anxious suspense upon thote who?- operations were bound up by the d^ilay f ii the clearing house. Tuesday morniLg found things in no better condi- tion ut tlio Gold Exchange Bank, and those whose action was frntf-red hj this blockup were now almost desperate. The murmurs a:;ainst the b ink and the imputa- tions upon its solvency and good faith, were now loud and numeroiu. Tiie Gold Board met and it was now felt that some- thing must bo done in lependent of the Gold Exchantre to settle the balances for Friday's dealings, as that institution had proved its inability to do so. Various plans were suggested but none of them seemed practicat)le or satisfactory till it was announced that the Bank of New York wou!d undertake to act as a clearing house for Friday's transactions. This an- nouncement was hailed with joy and pro- mised relief at Ia$t. The brokers iiumedi- atelj' made out their 8tat«nnents and hand- ed them in to the bank, aud early in the afternoon clerks began te gather at the bank to get the balances of their firms settled. The line formed and erew rapid- ly till it c> tended out of the building into the street and then far up the sidewalk on "Wall Street. The bank olHcers and clerka had been busily at work but the busineon was new to them and when they realized the vast volume of work to be done they became discouraged at once aud t^aw they had undertaken a task they could not per- form. Greatas was thu I mortification and disastrous as they knew ii o consequence would be upon the Street, imy therefore, at half past two, announced ilicir utter in- ability to effect the clearances and discontin- ued the work. The insttnt cfiect of this an- nouncement was a new panic. Distrust now spread everywhere. New York Cen- tral dropped at once to 145, completing a fall of 73 per cent, in a few days. A. great universal crash seemed imminent. A new meeting of the Gold Bourd was held and after many propositions, a committee of twenty was appointed to settle Friday's business. New hope caught upon this more, and it looked as though the end of the agony would now soon be reached. Tlie apartments of the banking house of Jay Cooke & Co., corner of Wall and Nassau Streets, were placed at the service of the committee, and they went immedi- ately to their work. Brokers handf^d in their statements and went home confident that the committ(;e would straigliten mat- ters and afford relief by morning. All night long the committee and their clerks worked busily and made excellent progress in effecting the balances. Only one diffi- culty hanapered them— one or two firms had failed to hand in their statements. Im the early part of the evening these firms had promised to have their statements in by ten o'clock, but this they failed to do, making a new promise that they should certainly be in early in the morning. With this the committee were contented and pushed forward with the other state- ments. Morning came, but one of the statements still lingered. The hnur for the meeting of the Gold Board came and one of the committee went down to report progress. He represented tliat they were very much encouraged, had nearly com- pleted all \ho accounts, and as soon as they had one mire statement, which they were promised soon, all the details would be ar- ranged and the settlements could go for- ward. This preductd a favorable effect, and the members scattered, feeling that their difficulties would ue rciievtid before the day was over. At two o'clock the Gold Board met again, and the member of the committee came in to make a further report. He was evidently very deeply 7? moved and liewaslistenpd to in inprcssivc silence as he announced that tlie o<- ; dila- tory s* ; ^meiit. had not be?) has ,. -•! ir thai th«i oomRiittce were i ndU«d lu Dnn did not intend to hand it in, and tbu: v \\h- out it theyr could not go on or e. ct iwy relief of the bltuation. He announced . f. delinquent firm to be Jay Gould's. The memb.-rs were aliuoRt frantic at this an- nounoemcnt of the connuct of that Arm. and shouted, "Haugthcm! Lynch thera !" It was felt the firm were prolonging the troubles purposely to profit by the situa- tion. But nothing could be done. The co:iimitte»i was discharged and the Board thrown back upon it« wits to get out ')f the difficulty. The Gold Exchange Bank had now be«>ii placed in the hands of a m- ceivcr and the situation had become sadly compiiciited. The glooin cf this day was greatly deep- eae'i by the announcement of the failure of the great firm of Lockwood & Co. It was a firm of thirty years' standing and with niany millions of capital. They were largely loaded with western railroad stocks, itnd the great sudden decline had swamped them. By a rule of the board, if a member failH, hiri cold, if he has any with the bank, may be sold h o i^udily for a hopeful BUhjetit. "He was eager to join Ihc gold plor, jind was riire it could be carried out Huoccssf ully aud ri-presented that he was privy to all llie plans of iho President, and could tlnd out ail they wished to know, oven if he conid not himself control the policy «)f the G.dard and Kimber, having lostfuitu in the success of the more daring ticheme of a perfect corner, sold out their cold and retired from the clique. Pisk had iiot thuti far had much to do with the mat- ter, but Gould being now alarmed by the desertion of his confederates, and having but little f«»ath in Corbin, was in desperate need of some man of tremend- ous nerve and boldness to come to his res- cue, and Fisk came in to fill the breach and made his public appearance in the Gold R»K)m on Thursday. Pislc's own characteristic and poetic desci*' tionof his advent in the affair wai : " '•:■' :>3a Gould found himself loaded dowr • i ■' rjunwales and likely to go under, tK :r:-i.*d fellow never said a word. H(\- o- fyroud for that. But I saw him tenring up bits of pa- per, and when Gould pnioa off corners of newspapers and tears 'em up in bits, I knew there was t oiible. Tlieii I came in to help. He knows I'd go iny bottom dol- lar on him, and I saitl to uim, Lowk iiere, old fellow ! When I was a boy on a farm m Vermont. I've seen the old iiian go out to yoke up Buck and Brindlo ; ho'd li*^ 'he heavyyokeon to lirindle's in-ck, k( bow, and then, holding up the otht •• ; nc*. motion to old Buck to come und • at old Buck would back oil and ott, p.. n:\fc- times before he could persuade '' -ui ler^ the yoke would get too hetiVj f.T<,,:d. And Gould, old fellow. Wall Si. eot )n't be persuaded and tlje yoke is gi :t ■ 'ng baavy, and here I am to give you a lif ; It was determined to push . ;< y for- ward in the attempt at u cornrr dnd at the same lime guard this move by resorting to > another trick so that even it the Govern- ment should sell gold to break tho coiner the clique could yet save themselves. This supplementary trick was for two or three dealers of little means but good credit to buy heavily and keep forcing the price up, while other membdrs of the clicjue wouUl sell heavily at the high prices thm created; then if the corner failed and a panic sent ^ the price down, those of the clique who had bought the enormou:» i^uins would fail aud t)e unable to keep their contracts and so lose little or nothing, while those who had sold to responsible men at the high rates would make enoimous sums, and the clique could then divide the spoil among the members. This is the explanation of Albert Speyers and Bcldon buying at 160 or above when Gould was selling at about 150. Speyera failed on contracts for $47,- 000,000 and Beldeu on contracts f or f 50,- 000,000. After the co" lapse Flsk repudiated large numbers of purchases made uu his account at the bigh prices, saying they were unau- thorized, but insisted on the execution of all sales made for him. Many suits for large sums were brought against him to en- force the contract of purchases made by his brokers and the Grand Opera House property was attached in the proceedings. The suits have been worried through two years and a half of delay aud no decision or trial has yet been obtained by the plain- tilfd. For quite a time after the panic Mr. Pisk remained closely barricaded in the Grand Opera House, at first because of the threats against him, afterwards to, avoid being served with papers in the suits conimenccd against him. During this time the whole r<^ion of the Opera House was kept under complete espionage. If any one was seen Btanduig about nep*- there with nd apparent 11 74 business, or looking up at the Opera ilouso windows and duora, iio was iramcdiatcly approachod by a Bmall squad of Mr. Fisk'a minionB and warned to tako the next car up or down town, or quit tlic vicinity at ooce — a wiiruini; whicli ttio recipient inva- riably deemed it wlsn to heed. In this way the service of legal documents was eluded for a long time. Soon after the collapse, and when his part m the affair leaked out, Mr. Corbin WM suddenly non est, and was rumored to have gone Ui Kentucky. Some allusion to his whereabouts being made in Mr. Fisk's presence, he made the characteristic re- mark that enjoyed a nine days' celebrity — " He'p gone where the woodbine twineth." The must persistent and scandalous efforts were made to implicate the Presi- dent in tho gold speculation. All the haberdasher bills and private notes of Mrs. Grant for the months preceding were pried into to give coloring to the insinuation, but all in vam. Congress appomted a commit- tee to investigate the charge, and it was proven to be utterly baseless. Fisk, Gould, and Corbin, weie examined by the commit- tee. Corbin said that when he went to the Opera House, after the panic, Fisk said to him, " O, Gould has sunk right down under it Yon won't see anythine left of him but a pair of eyes and a suit of clothes.' Hi.' ! CHAPTER Xin. THR COLONKL— THE GALLANT NINTH— THK FIRST MOONLIGHT PAKADB— THE TWELVE TEMPTATIONS AND A BDTTBR BILIi— IN CAMP AT LONG BRANCH— AT BONKRK HILL— SENSATION AMONG THE PURITANS. In the latter part of. March. 1870, rumors began to circulate in New Yorlc that the many-sided Mr. Fisk was about to create another new sensaiion and appear in still another entirely new role — that of Colonel of the Ninth Regiment National Guard, State of New York. At first the journalists treated tho rumor as a jest, and ridiculed the idea as they ridiculed the idea of tho Boston Peace Jubilee a year before. And the members of the National Guard espe- cially scouted the story as too absurd for anything but a laugh, deeming it impossible that a regiment with such an excellent war reco?4 would be guilty of such a breach of etprit de corps as to go outside of its own organiziitiou and select a civilian, and owe of Mr. Fisk's character, for its commander. Bat confirmation followed upon ru- mor so speedily that tho news soon ceased to be regarded as a jest, and on the 7tb of April all doubts in the matter were put at rest by his election. The regiment was not in a flourishing condition, either in numbers or llnanciallyt and the rank and file were very desirous of adopting some means, of tilling their ranks and their treasury and securing for their organization a prominent staudine in the National Guard. The readi«.-8l and easiest means of nccumpllsbiug this pur< pose seemed to be to capture Admiral Fitik and transfer him from the navy to ^he land forces as their Colonel. The Admiral did not at all object to being thus captured, but on the contrary seemed ou what, at a ]Methodiat prayer-meeting, would be called the"anxl(>UH seat." Li'iUt.-Colon(!l i:irainc, a most excellent officer who had served with the regiment through the war, was first elected to fill the vacant Colonelcy. Ho was by every consideration entitled to tho place and iu every way worthy of it. The commission-^, ed ollicers felt this and could not disregard his claims, but his election seemed a great disappointment to the privates. Toey loved and honored him but they had set their hearts upon the Pruice of Erie as the man who could speedily lift them over all their difiiculiies into a fi.)uri8hing condition and give them the most good times. In defence to what was thusknoivn to bo the desire of the men. Colonel Braine iinmedi' atelv resigned his new office, was n^^-elected Lieutenant Colonel, and Admiral Fisk was elected Colonel. The event created no little surprise in military circles and was variously com- mented on by the pros?. Many surmises were indulged as to the remote designs and consequences of this new movo^ Home afieciing to see in it a scheme of datk por- tent and a determination to have a band of reliable men ready at command in the event of another aiTair like the Albany and Sesquehanna railroad war. To be the sub- ject of such absurd suspicion is the price Mr. Fisk has to pay for the character he has achieved. In sucking tho Colocncly of the Ninth he merely had the same am- bition that any other man would have and sought it for tho opportunity it gave him of gratifying the desire of being con- spicuous and making a sensation which he had a,lready manifested in so many other ways. ThAugh he h i never had any experience in military matters, not even to play soldier with broomstick and paper chipeau when a boy, he assumed his new charge with an unhesitating confidence, thinking there was not much in its requirementa beyond a uniform and a sword. At his first meeting with his command he freely vacMilated his ideas on the military art and the needs of «0r tbo regiment and at once announced his intentions and will in an imperious tone. The rei;ihient mustered snmetbiog less than two bundred and fifty men when thev first assembled to receive their new Col- onel. Feeling that money was the great motive power bcro as elsewhere, he im- mediately offered a prize of $500 for the company that would secure the greatest number of recruits by the 1st of July. There was one letter in the regiment wholly vacant. A new company was immediately organized to fill this vacant letter and constituted the special Fisk 6uard. Recruiting went briskly forward, and so many of the Colo- nel's retainers in the various departments of Erie enrolled themselves under the ban- ners of the Ninth that the lonesome ap- pearance of its thin ranks quickly disap- peared and the lines lengthened rapidly. On the 14th of April the Ninth marphed out for its hrst moonlight parade under its new commander The event had been look- ed forward to with the peculiar interest that now attaches to everything that Mr. Fisk does. It was a lovely moonlight evening, and the Colonel led his regiment post the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Delmonico's, and the numerous club houses on Fifth Avenue. He was gazed at everywhere with the luuial curiosity and interest, and the spec- kle excited a significant smile and many sallies of wit from the contemptuous grandees who looked down from club-room windows. Durine the whole of this march he ac'ed (what he really is to |,ho regi- ment) only as a figure-head, all the orders being given by the Lieutenant-Colonel. The next grand show of the 9th was May 13ih, when they were taken to the Orand Opera House to witness "The Twelve Temptations." Owing to the elaborate toilet of the Colonel for the oc- casion he wa» nearly an hour behind time, and the audience were kept waiting in their peats till near nine o'clock before the curtain rose. Then the Manager-Colonel came marching in with his command, and his ballet commenced dancing to amuse his soldier boys. As he stood at the grand entrance, drinking deeply of the glory of the occasion, his warriors filing past him to their choice seats, a constable stepped up and served a summons and complaint upon him. He glanced at the legal docu ment and found a grocer ha'^ sued him for a >bulter bill of. ^1.2^. He became ex- ceedingly irate and indignant when be tound out the nature of the document, stamped it under his feet, and stalked off to hia private box with a most lordly 86- inch stride, declaring it a trick patched up by some one to insult him in the presence of bis men. The soldiers saw that 8ome« thing had been done to oiTend their Colo nel's dignity and deported tluiuscivi'S in such a way that the constable serving the papers found it ndvitablo to get out of the Grand Opera House as noon as possible. The soothing straips of thu orchestra, the lively and graceful pat of his favoro dan- sense, the bewildering nvazes of the ravish- ing ballet, the wonderful gyrations of Herr Yon AJax, the grand trauHformation scene at the close, nil delighted his brave men wonderfully, but their influence could not recall the Colonel to his wonted spirits and make him forget that little inrident of the butter bill. After the performance ho en- tertained hia ofilcers and some of his chief danseuMH at a eumpiuous entertainment in his elegant banqeting hall. Recruiting progressed quite sucocssfully, and by the first of July the regiment num- bered' about seven hundred m^n, and the subject of a summer encampment began to be considered. Long Branch is now the gayest of our seaside watering places ; at 'Long Branch Mr. Fif>k bos his summer n>bidcnce ; to Long "Branch runs Mr. Fit>k'H floating palace, the "Plymouth Rock;" and tu I^ong Branch it was decided to go for the sum- mer encampment. They were to go into camp for ten days— for instruction, the Colonel informecf them, and*not for fun. The strictest military regulations of camp life were to be observed and the men were notified beforehand not to ask for leavtg of absence during the time, as none would be granted. Saturday, August 20th, was fixed upon for the day of departure. The morning dawned bright and beautiful and the boys of the gallant Nintlk were seen gathering from every direction for the grand event. The regiment was ordered to be la line at eight o'clock, but the usual delays mcident to such occasions were ex- perienced and it was nine o'clock before the line was formed. The Colonel appear- ed mounted upon a grand chestnut charger and wore an elegant uniform said to have cost two thousand dollars. As he took his place at the head of the column ho made a much better fieurethan had bs^n generally anticipated. Be had now learned enough of the commands to start and halt his ngi- men t^ so be was now able to put them m motion without be!ng prompted by Col- -/uel Braine. As they marched down Broadway the eidewalks and windows were crowded on either side. The^ regi- ment made a fine appearance and marched well, but the Colonel was the chief object of interest and the centre of all the curi- osity. They were, late in reaching the wharf and the Plymouth Rock had to wait half an hour or eo beyond her appomted time for starting. Aa she put out into thb ii 76 gtroain ?omo vosgel in (he bay flred a salute which nhc relumed and tben sttamcd on her way iiml mado tip bur lost time before reacliiii^ ^^undy lloek. Whon the ond of Hie journey was reach- ed and theAdJutaat. hnd formed bis inon in lino pri'p-iratory to marcMnj? to the cumpgrotuid, a most ludicrous scene oq- cnrrt'd. Tlie Colonel wiabed to make u little preliminary display and ttrnighten nnt tbH niiiflcles that had been cramped durinii^tbc ride ; Ixit bo knew not the com- mands which it now devolved upon him to tfivo, tto his Lieutenant-Cohmel was placed clorfe behind to prompt him in an undertone. The Colonel quickly repeated the first order to bis men without making the proper paudo hetweoa the warnin;^ and order. This naturaliy caused an awkward execution of the order by tho men. As soon as ho had repeated tho first order, Ooloncl Braine prompted him on the next that he mi/^ht have it ready when the pro- per time Clime ; but without waiting at all he repeated it to the men ms soon as he cauelit it himself, without obt^ervin^ whether they were ready for it or not, and in the same unmilitary-like manner in which he had given tho first. Tbu ccnse- nurnee was a still more awkward exliibi- tion on the part of the men and a laugh. This slightly di^tconcerted the gal- lant Colonel and his only thought now was to catch and repeat tho commands. He deemed it wholly the regiment's business and none o'^f his Iiow they were executed if he only got them out. With all his attention turned behind him to hear his prompter, he forgot his men e»tlrely. Tney had but lialf finished "Shoulder arms!" when "Right shoulder shift arms !" came upon them and t!iey were thrown into utter confusion. If the Colonel did not understand the prompter exactly he blurted out some- thing souodine as nearly like it as possible, like the boy in the Sunday school. The result was that every one set up & great laugh at his Highness, which ho turned in the tiest way by joibing in it himself, and turned over the regiment to the orders of the Adjutant and rode off to the camp at its bead. The march of course led it by all the large' hotels and here as in the city the regiment, or the Colonel, created a great sensation. The camp was very elegantly laid out and was christened "Canap Gould" in com- pliment to the one singleman who shares every secret of Mr. Fisk's breast, who htis been his one trusted, insepaiable compan- ion and confederate through all his noted career, and on whom he says he would "go his bottom dollur." It was in the midst of the almost unprecedently hot period of that summer that they readied their camp. The first thing the Colonel did on reaching his grand tout was to doff alt his fine feathers instantly and make himself aa comfortable as p098li)le. His elegsiiit new uniform hDUubsorbed an immense (|uiintity of perspiration from him th*it day and he realized 'that "sogcring" was not ail fun. Ho felt with Sidney Smith thot it would be verv comfortable to take off hU flesh and sit in hi-) bones for a time. Having reduced himself to a condition of ontird dMabitle, he proceeded on a tour of inspection round the camp to acquaint himself with the con- dition and wants of his men. They were very much amused to see their commander so greatly changed, the peacock stripped of all his gaudy plumage, aud this tour of in- spection made the camp jolly in tho exf- treme. This, however, was only the begin- ning of the hu'tnors of the day. Ai the Colonel approaohcd his marquee on com pletingthe circuit of the camp, he was met by almost all tue band men, who were Ger- mans, and respectfully petitioned him that they bo supplied with lager for p. beverage. But the Colonel was determined on mili- tary rig«r while in camp and answered "Oh, no ! we brought you down hero to play music, not to drink lager beer. You cad't play that on me ' Bat the Teutons pleaded that their tu.'or.L^ were parchi^ from blowing so much «m their instru- ments, and finally the kind-hearted Colonel relaxed so far as to lot them have some lager. This del^ation had hardly retired when another son of the Fatherland ap- peared, saluted the Colonel, and said, "I vants to go out." " You can't have a pass from me," was the reply. "Den me goes midout it I I bet you ten dollar me goes out von I pleazhe !•• ejaculated the insubor- dinate Teuton, and the Colonel was looking very ranch puzzled what to do with such a troublesome 'customer when the Adju- tant came to • his rescue by putting the man under arrest and marching him off towards the guard -house. As soon as the Colonel divined the nature of this act ' of discipline he shouted " Adjutant, put that man in the guard -house." In his now and close quartern the German was soon joined by two other men who had been caught attempting to break bounds After the party had been kept in confinement for an hour or two they bpc&mo penitent and asked to be taken to the Colonel to obtain his pardon. AA fhey came up in front of the marquee the Colonel fixing a determined eye on the obstreperous Teuton said "Well, old boy 1 don't you think you'd 've lost your ten dollars if you'd made the bet? I guess you would I" Then addressing himself to all the numerous applicants around him for passes to go out n and those ^bo bad been caught attempt- ioK to run out, be continued, " Now look ••here, no cbn.p iseoiog to leave without ii {>aB8 from me. Tliis camp ought to lie ike u country grave yard— no one who is outside Hhnuld want to come In and no one wbo is inside can get out " Wlih this be dismissi'd tiiem to tbtlr tentc. But as Boon as the uarltuesa set in nearly half the men were trying to steal out of cnnip to see what was going on among the gny world of fashion. Tlie Colonel uad l^etn suspicious of this and so was on the locli- out. He Joited personally in pursuit of deserters and chasing them atfurded him great fun for a time, but the novelty of it soon wore otF as in his other pleasurci). He wap, however, determined to establish a Bvstem of thorough discipline, and go spent the ^'reater part of the night chasing denerters and bringing them buck to camp. " Why !" said he. " hoW the deuce could I teach ibese men all I know about military science if they arc all the way from here to West End V" The men soon settled down quietly under their discipline, all worked smoothly and the ten days were made what the Colonel announced f^ey were to be— a Eeriod of. instruction. And he applied imself to the schooling as rigorously aa he did the men. The ludicreus predica- ment in which he bad found himself on arriving had shown hioi that there were some further requisites for a Colonel besides a uniform and a sword, aud be devoted himself vigorouf<1y to mastering the manual of arms and tti - more element- ary evolutions. The first dress perade was rather awkward, like the previous display, but both men and commander improved very perceptably each day, and at the close of the ten days they presented the aopearance of a well drilled regiment. Their dress parade was the feature of the day at Long Branch while they remained All the company at the hotels poured out to witness It; carriages crowded arotmd the encampment as far as any view could be obtained, and the pageant was one such as it rarely w^essed — Mr. Fisk, as ever, still being the great centre of all the curiosity and attraction. Many rumors were afloat as to grand occasions that were going to be during the stay of the Ninth at the Branch. The Governor was goins to spend severttl days there out of special compli- ment to the regiment, and join in its festiyities and be its guest, as it were. General Grant, who has a cottage here, was to smile upon the encampmeDt, and many distinguished men were going to be present with their ladies. Bat all these ramors ended in disappointment. Goyemor Hoff- man did indeed make a fl>iDg visit to the encampment, but declined even t«t review the regiment, naying he preferndto nee dress piirude, nnd returntd to the city the same day. Tbet-u little silent, negative flights were felt ratlu r keenly, and it was then fully re- alized that great us was the utt('nii<-n" the regiment uttlwcted it mm «!»>ielly from causes not at all llatterinK. To com pen- 8(^te for some of the illstippoiptuicnts a grand ball in h()nc>r of ib(^ Ninth whs cpttcn up at the Contincntiil Hotel. TLo reeiment'totik itn meals at tliu* hotel during its whole stay. It was announced thnt va- rious distiiigiiisbed citizens and milittiry men were to be present ot this ball. The appointed night came on. The dining hall was speedily met^iniorphised iuto a jjrnnd ball room very tastefully decurated. The hour for the ball to open arrived, but with it came none of the iir passed off quite pleasantly, and all had a good time, but if. lacked what its promoters would have been most glad to have— the smiles of the elite. ^ The last dress parade oitality t»> the Ninth Regiment, New York Btate National Guard, which letter, I understand, was delivered to you by a commiltse of the regiment and re- ferred by you to the Board of Aldermen. I infer from the published proceedings that the letter,' which was simply designed to obtain your official permission for the visit of my regiment, was misconstrued into an application for special favors at the x- pense ot your city, a perversion for which there was no warrant and no excuse. The reason^ ot my application to you was that (ao I was informed) the law of your Btate did not allow the entry of an armed force •without the sanction of the Federal Oov- ernment. or of the Chief Magistrate of the State or city to be tjntertd. Havmg waited a sufficient time for your decision, and my regiment not having received from you the coui tesy of a reply, I have applied, in the name or the regiment, to His Excellency theGc/vernor of the Commonwealth, for permission to enter your city f.ud he has most courteously and prorap' j granted the request I bog, therefore, that you will relieve the Common Council from further consideration of the subject, a;? their action or inaction is a matter of perfect indiffer- ence to tho gentlemen under mycoii.-mHnd. I have the honor to be, your ob?d'ent servant, Jamb9 Fisk, Jr., Colonel Command'ng. CHAPTER XIV. J0SIT5 AND THE GUM SHOES— AXOTlIRU MID- NIGHT AHKE9T — THK HEEL OP ACinLLES — HINC ILLvK LACnRY:»/15 — TOUCHING SCENES— A HOUNET'S NKsT— rUT 5.£i IN MY LITTLE BED. The last new episode in Mr. Fisk'n ca- reer v;hich caused his name to fiuuro con- spicuously in Ibc papers for a few days, was of a totally different nature from all Us predecess rs, reading more like a chapter from Ixion or the Odyssey, while the others savored of the Arabian Nights, and be- traying thJit, through all his stern battling and the many rude blasts that have beaten upon him, he has still prcfiei ved a tender and eensitive heart an"d strong alTiJctions, and that therein is his one vulnerable point —the one sof*, spot In the heel of Achilles. In January List the footsteps of a young man were dogged about the city the greater part of the night till he was finally caught and arrested on a charge of heavy embezzlements from the Brook- lyn Oil Refining Company, of hich he was secretary. The features of the case developed rapidly. The young gent prov- ed to have the kind of friends and influence that could unbolt his prison doors. He was soon restored to his full liberty, and it was then made to appear that his arrest had been mstigated by James Fisk, Jr., that there was a modern Helen in the case and that slighted love accounted for tho milk in this cocoanut. Miss Helen Josephine Mansfield, a beau- tiful Boston M'rl. went to California with her mother at sixteen, in 1864, to join her stepfather, there met ana married the actor, Frank Lawlor the next year, lived with him about two years, when he obtam- f.d a divorse without opposition on her part, both being in new York at the time. She subsequently met Mr. J^'isk and he was greatly smitten with her at once and lav- ished upon her all the kindness and atten- tion for which he is noted wherever his affections are enlisted. She lived on 23rd Street, near the Grand Opera House, m an elegant residence frescoed and furnished in the most luxtiriant manner, sumptuously supplied with everything that I3ybarite taste cou'd desire or wealth procure. Phe had one of the grandest turnouts that was 'j^er seen in the Park, enjoyed the pleasuies 80 of Long Branch and was a conspicuous specimen of a certain type of beauty. There was no otlier place like Josie's for Mr. Fifik in tlie sociul hours. But this was one of those coursis tluit proverbialy never run pmootl), and in tiiue some disagreement sprung no in cdnsequencc of which Mr. Pibk received a note discontinuinfi the ac- quaintance and directing the removal of evcryttiing belongius to him in the house. This ivUi nutnraL'y wounded the stout heart not, a little and was said to have af- tected him to tears. Among iho frtqucntors of Josie's elegjaut parlors was E hvunl 8. Stokes, a fashion- able youHii New Yorker, voU acquainted with Mr Fisk from business connection. On receiving the note that moved him so deep- ly, the AdmiiYd took it to Mr. Stokes, and with tears in his eyes, as was reported, said, "See here, Ned, she won't even let me leave my gum shoes in the house !" It was ill Viiin that Mr. Stokes endeavored to niiikc light of the matter and say all would come round right again. Mr. Fisk wanted him to discontinue visiting at Jo- sie's, but this he woula not consent to promise, and the Admiral retired with clouded brow. Soon Mv. Stokes was in- formed of the rescinding of certain verbal contracts for large amounts which he had with th<; Erie Railway. Next he was asked either to stll out his share in the Brooklyn Oil Refining Co., i>r buy out the other owni rs. He accepted the latter alternative, and an agreement upon price was fixed between him and Mr. Fisk, but the other owners wtjitld not assent to the arrange- ment made by Mr. Fisk, so it fell through. From these and other indications, Mr. Stokes knowing he had incurred the dis- pleasure and enmity of Mr. Fisk, sent him a note asking for an intf rview at Delmoni- co's, that they might reconcile such an un- ■wtwthy dilTeience. The Admiral responded to the apnointment, and on reabhlng the rendezvous remarked to Mr. Stokes, "I thought I could cut nearer a man's heart than any one in New York, but you go plump through it." The interview pro- mised little result, the one thing that would satisfy Mr. Fisk being just the one thing that the other would not consent to, and therefore Mr. Stokes proposed that they should leave it to Josie to decide between them. Mr. Fisk assented to the proposal. He had to drill with the Ninth that even- ing, and left the famed restaurant sayine to Stokes, " Meet me in Josie's at half-past ten." At the later interview the parties holding the same determination, Josie declined to decide between them, seeing ao reason why they should not all be friends, neither con- cerning himself about the doings of the other. But Mr. Flfk was inexorable in the stand ho had take:: and saiJ, " It won't do, Josie ! You can't run two engines on one track in contrary' directions at the same time." The interview was prblonged till the small hours of the night, and was said to have been attended with more tears, but at last ended without any change of the situation. The next development in the matter was the arrest of Mr. Stokes on the charge of embezzlement, when all the facts as related came out in the paper:^. Tiie charge was speedily dismissed as ucsustuined, and the whole affair was q- i'lOy smothered, it proving to have stir- '<\ up a more than usually troublesome horuet's nest. The next day after the above facts ap- peared in the papers, Mr. Fisk appeared in a characteristic letter to the Wvrld, denying many of tlie statements, and iemiudrng that paper of the " sacred mandate, " Thou shalt not bear false witness again t thy neigh- tor." But the most amusing part of this letter was not in the body of the letter it- self. It is said the most Important part of a lady's letter is always in the poht.'-crlpt, and the remark is equally applicable to Mr. Flsk'd letter in tnis ii;sta:ica. After quite a long statement of thcfncts and the- appending of thti sign manual came : "P. 8. I only wish, where your article states I burst into tears, that you gave the truth. Years ago, befote the world battled so fearfully, I have a vague recollection that emotions could be aroused which would call forth tears, but that is many years ago, far back, before energy had taken such complete hold of us all, and before ambition swayed the minds of men as it now does. But the memcjry of thoee days is lasting, and I can recall ihat when night came a'mother's hand was laic) upon my head, and I was taught to repeat a simple prayer, and then I heard the words, 'My son, I must put you in your little bed; "J. P., Jr" CHAPTER XV. MANIPUIiiiTINO JUSTICE— THK N. Y. EO- PKBHB COTTBT— STBA.NQK JUDICIAL IN CONSISTBNCIBS— NOW YOn SRE IT ANU NOW YOU DON'T— THE LAW'S DELAY- KIOBIYBBB — A GREAT NAME TAIINISHBD — niCH PBBY MAKES TBUK MEN THIBVBS. Of the many remarkable things Mr. Fisk has done, and of all the wonderful power he has obtained, the most surprising undoubtedly Is his connection with the Supreme Court, his power tiierein, and the things which he has done by its apeu and active support. \ 81 Whim Mr. Fisk fir^t became conuectecl -with the Erie Railroad, ana in.tbcmuKi^ tyde of suits connneuced soon after liis advent, th«, party witli wbich be was idea-. tifled was bitterly and scatblagly denouuued by Judge Ge'^rge G. Biirujird as a baud of "• thieves, scouudrels and rescals \vhu bad infested Wall Street and Broad Street for years," and tbey were Anally driven out of the btate by hinj. ■There are eight judicial dialricts of the Supremo Court in Kew York, each presid- ed over by a different set of )udG;e8, yet the power of each judge extends over the whole State, so that in this Court a man living in BuHalo may bring a suit in New York. Of courss this whole system rests upon the asssumption that the ditierent iudges, being each of the same power, will treat each other's proceedings with courtesy and respect, for if they wantonly or lightly exercise their authority they might go on issillug orders, injunclions and procosses subsequent to each other ad injinitum and no issue ever be reached. When Judge Bar nard granted his first orders and iujuuc- tions m the Vanderbilt-Erie war, the party with which Mr. Fisic trained topk advan- tage of this possibilty of abuse of power, and got subsequent injunctions and orders in various districts tieing up all of Judge Barnard's proceedings. These orders were promptly disregarded by Judge Barnard as being anomalous, monstrous and beyond a judge's right or power. The question came up in the General Term of the Supretno Court in June, 1868, in one of the Vander- bilt cases, and the decision was unanimous agamst such a power in a judge, and in giving the opinion of the Court, Judge Oaidozo said : " The idea that a cause by such manadia as " a great law, refoi'tner" the brother of Mr. Cyrus Field,' who laid the fitst Atlantic* cable, and a' man of the highest social and professional standing. Mr. Shearman is one of the few thorough read lawyers among the younger » members of the l^ew York oar, a man of eminent professional statiding and the sa- perinlendetit of the Sunday School in Henry Ward Beecher's Church. Dudley Field, a son of D ivid Dudley, is the third member of the firm. At ttietiaieof tho first hjgal scandal raised by the VauderblltT Erie war, the opinion entertained by thia firm as to the moral and profes^oual char- . acter of Judge Barnard had been placed beyond any doubt. Mr. Shearman had Already published an article in the North Amtrican lievmo, portraying this very judge in the most derogatory terms, as a man utterly devoid of the legal attainments or moral character befitting his position; David Dudley Field was at that very thne actively exerting himself to bring about the impeachment of this same judee, as being notoriously corrupt, a scandal and disgrace to the bench; and the opinion which Dudley Field, the son, had of the man was proven in one of those very casts by evidence taken before the judge himself Rhovving that he had attempted to bribe the judge to slsa au order by offering him tnoL>ey if he consented and threateniag his impeachment it he refused. The next scene occurs after a lapse of, some six months after the opening scandal, this record of the firm of Field «& Shear- , man, and the forgoing words from Judge ,, Cardozo. And this scene finds Judge B^ , nard in the most intimate relations wiUi, Fisk and tbe very tr.'sn whom, when we , last heard him, he was denouncing fw ; ,: " thieves, 8Coan''iro!s and rascals," granting ^.^ at their rcquera some of the most astoundt . ing orders that ever emanated from a cpu"* Judge Cardozo is seen doing the ver things which when we last heard him J decloied himself "shocked" at the vt, ' idcd of, and " trusted he had seen the I of it in this high tribunal"— taking c not from another distxict merely, biit , f^^r^ ;; a fellow judge in his own disirjip ,t m "5" under circumstancea far wore iHKf ntrnx^ < • ' than those in the case whichJhe kiji hic:i^,,g m' 80 severely reprobated and dedared be* yond the power of a judge only a few months before. And the firm of F,M & ishearman is disclosed as bavins suddenly ceased their warfare upon the judge whom they had denounced as too corrupt to be tolerated, and now all *he suits of their dis- tinguished railread clifrnt are dragged be- fore this very judge by look lad by crook, by precisely the same manoeuvres which the judge had declared wholly without warrant and illegal, and had disregarded fhe proceedings on that ground, and been snstained in his course by th'6 decision of his General Term. Several important suits commenced agarast the Ene Railway in other districts, for the express purpose that they might not be tried before Bar- nard, have by an abuse of the law been dragged befoi-e this very jndae whom the attorneys manoeuvering these tactics liad reoorde'd themselves as knowing to be cor- rupt, and doing thereby jwst what tbia judge had declared could not be done. In the Albany & Susquehanna war, Barnard and Peckham followed each other with counter injunctions morning after morn- ing, eaeh one tieing up all the other had done, till the law fell into utier contempt, and was wholly unneeded. The numerous suits commenced against Flsk to eaforce the contracts entered into on his behalf on Black Friday, and which he repudiated, were brought iu the Court of Common Pleas, probably for the express purpose of avoiding Barnard ; but when they were all commenced, that jud;^e colly issued an order commanding all these suits to be transferred "from the Common Pleas and brought before him. This order was appealed from as being quite beyond his power. The question came up in tlie Gen- eral Term after much delay, and Barnard being d^.' alifled from sitting iu review of one of '.r own cpsea, there were only two judges to ;3;i'-» • pui* ii. Tud'^je Ingraham promptly decit>;a that R vrrard had ex- ceeded his auiuorlby, and thnt the suite could rot 'ie ; Jto < ut ci: the Common Pleas in 'A>t :v^-jiacr rii,i*-'^;j:)(eil. CitiVn . was n-;>t '.«"!,'■) 10 ■;. .'ilk', sc tie case ij si another 1' "ti: i- Iviy. r^ -i . ,r at length forced to dispoBf -'f ♦>'(.' t'juesiiou somehow, t. r- dOzo gAXQ no 'n .okr ob 'he w.bject at Jill but merely failed David Dudley Field 13,000 00 Field & Shearman 5,000 0& William M. EvsrU 15,000 CO 0. A. Seward 24000 00 E. W. Stoughton 15.500 00 John K. Porter 22,000 CO William Fulierton 1 1 ,000 00 John B. Burrill 21,000 00 James T. Brady... 6,000 00 A, J. Vanderpoel 10,000 00 Brown, Hall & Vanderpoel 1 /lOO 00 Edwards Fierrepont 80.000 CO Martin & Smith 12,'^0 00 J. C. Brvncroft Davis 10.012 00 Levi Underweod 11.602 00 JohnGanson 15 000 00 Ganson & Smith 3.0J?1 50 C.N.Potter 7,000 00 Dimmick & Whitney 5,000 00 J. N. Whiting 2,500 00 William H. Morgan 2, * 77 80 Cortlandt Parker 3,100 00 Peter Cagger 2 000 00 Samuel Hand 000 00 L. Seymour 250 00 J. — . Bosworth i KK) 00 Chapman & Martin 1 /uO 00 Isaac W. Scudder i o«o oo John Hopper (00 Devlin 00 Lane > 00 H. Harris rj Lyman Tremain ('O Rumsev, Jones & Robie.. rSO DaviAllumsfy fftO Bradley & Kendall XK) 00 Spencer, Thomson A Mills ,>f)0 00 L.Zabriskie 500' 00 D. D. & D. Field, Da? and Field & Shearman, ./ one and the same, the amou Qrm was $48,280 10. .0,5 '0 70 ir thoujcUt of liim, could do what ))e has done. It is true that he is not Uoubled with diflid<'iii- or sensitive as to public or private opiuKjU, and that, had he been, he could cever have achieved what he ha-^ but these mere negative qivdiUes could never have made James Fisk., .Jr. Many brilliant, positive endowments have been displayed in the schemes h» iias conceived, and not one man in tiiooabads has the executive ability to do what hehss done, and dally does. Not one man it thousands could attend to the affnir.^ thai cons!itute his daily duties, withrjut being completely worn out m a month — c.^uld not possibly get through them at all — yet lie turns them all off as hardly more than so much fun. He has many of the same mental qualities that have made a Kis- marck, and had he been an educated man, fas would have undoubtedly led an equally remark'! ble career in a v^ry different field and written his name en his country's his- tory as one of hev most remarkable public men. 86 "JimFisk" isanamo hardly less famil- iar than a hou8<>Uold wonl throughout the ]«ngt]i and broadth of the land to day, nor is it unknown beyond ihc sea. The name of but few raen living ia so often on the lips and in the oars of as many people in Rll ranks of society, and the name of no other man not holding ofHcial political po- sition to give him prominence and caase him to be talked of and written about, is daily found in so many newspapers, the sabject of leading editorial a or gossiping correspondence, represented as the prime mover of some gigantic enterprise that evokes a murmur of amazement from the milltilude, the manipulator of Legislatures aiid men of bishcst official position, the party of chief prominence and interest in some great litigation involving millions of dollars and crowding the court room with the most brilliant and dis- tinguished legal lights in tho country — all for his own private, personal, stlflah schemes, and in utter disregard, contempt and defiance of all the laws alike of God, of the btate and of society. And yet, three years ago, this name was wholly unknown to the world I All this notorety, promin- ence and power has been achieved as if by magic, and has been steadily maintain- ed and increased by a man who started without money, influence, social position or education, without experience in aflairs of the kind through which he has become promment, or any training naturally tend- mg to fit him for such a career, and while every possible combination of powir and infiuence known to civilization has been exerted in opposition. While the press, wlik'h vaunts «o loudly and self- complacently ol its irresistible powtr and influence in tiicfBo latter dayp, has be^n howling Mt his heels at every step, pouring detraction and derision upon him, and do- ing its utmost to create a repulsive stench around him, he has uniformly triumphed where it has tried to thwart, risen where it has tried to crush, and drawn the gnycand prominence which it has sought to turn away. While the Titans whoa name and tame will long live in the traditions of Wall Street, were engaged in a fierce struggle, Wih young protege ot one of them ran oli with the spoil over which they were contending, truppiug them bofli by bis strategy, and gaining, a'l his first stroke, an advantage and supremacy which they havo Fsince been unable to re- cover or skake. Unlimited capital, both of this country and Enirland, managed by the most crafty and distinguisned veterans of the world at stock jobbing, has been unavailing against him, and finally, after many vain etforts, abandoued tho attempt. With the ablest and keenest legal talent of the world ar.-ayed against him, in pro- ceedings where there seemed no doubt that the most fundamental principles of law and equity had been w:mton1y violated and outraged, ha has been uniformly tri* umphant in the courts, and kept himself out of the clutches of the law. Whiie the owners of one of the finest railroaa franchises in the world have be^n clamoring for their rights, anq using their moct strenuous exer- tions to recover control of their property, some voice in its management, and some share in its earnings, he has nteadily main- ed his al)solute power and authority over the corporation, and held it tirmly in his grip, despite all the stockholders, aided by bis envious rivals, c )uld do. While it was daily blnsoned before >h<:. public that his control of tlieErie Ro iw ; was tho moat daring usurpation and oii :!.:>;, and his dis- position of its earnings the boldt-fct robbery and wholly illegal, a Legislature, the ma- jority in which the was in oppoF.itlon to the parly engineering his scheme, passed a law enabling him to retain his control of tho corporation beyond the voice or reach of tho 8toc'< holders for six years, and this law, though its avowed purpose and immeiiiate consequence were well known, received the signature of Governor John T. HofTmaa. Though all decent society has barred and bolted her doors against him, turned oer back and applied handkerchiet and cologne water to her nose where ever his namu has been mentioned, he has forced her to think of him, talk of him, £uzc at him, be depen- dent upon him, and admire not a few of hisarcomodatioQs for her; he has appear- ed in her farorite haunts, at the height of her fashionable season, unabashed, con- spicuous, the lion of the hour, always openly manifesting his contempt for her, feeling above her. When he appears in his grand four in-haod equipage up- m the new world's avenue of greatcb't renown, whose name stands as the symbol ef the greatest wealth, refii.emcnt, ' and highest social position, and dashes into Central Park, where drive the elite o.nd great from every quarter of the world, he draws ihs gnze of all, in hi£h and low degrc, us does no one else, forcing those who affect ^o despise him to stand under his shadow, and the ladies who are the envied leaders of America's most exclusive class, whose presence he is forbidden, he makes obscure by tho super- ior splendors of his favorite of the hour. The brilliant audiences that nightly assem- ble in the two most elegant theatres in the great metropolis, find themselves in esiab- lishments of which ho is the owner and figurehead, and admiring splendors that are embodiments of bis taste, pie* 8« pond under bis direction. The gay •ceken of pleasure in summer travel, en- joylag ibe lovsly ride up Long Island iound, find tbemaelves on bit steamers— the finest in the world, and more replete eiven witli refining pleasures than any otker. tk)journen to tbe summer seaside pleasures, where the moat distinguished men of the nation spek recreation and rest ia a brief rerpite from official or business cares and oppressive heat, find him the most conspictious personage at their favor- ite report, and it is his "floating palace" that benrs them to and fro. Wlipn the Chief Magistrate of the nnti'>ri goes out v-HhhiB frtmily for an cvi-riitig drive, the iiisplcndent "Prince Eiie" pc^'sses hira in eclipsic splendor "n tbe road, and uui ishinply fltiunts ii his face a common (!an»euiie—\o-(ley a Parisienne, to-morrow a Berlinese — imported 1 or him by his special ugeat, sent to Europe for this purpose. When wealth, fashion, beauty, and rejR'-'«ment gathers to mingle it» splendors in rl^ sunses pageant at Long Branch, and witLt « the spectacle of areji^iment at dress peradj, the comman- der of the men in line, the central point of attraction and sensation, the cynosure of all pt fo' shoddy, home of the Puritans, the ono city that prides itself on a society graded upon individual worth in character and intellect, so far forgets her self- respect UH to exhibit a Blight aberration from her fixed orbit, under the periodical influence of her ex-dry-goodsman, and when his carriage halts in her great tho roughfare, immediately there gather? around a crowd so dense as to make pas- sing next to impossible, and begear the ingenuity of the police and put them in despair till they forget themselves,, and join those who have momentarily ceased to respect their batons and brass buttons, had the crowd gaz« into the car- riage to inspect its Idue silk lining, and stare with a persistence that makes tbe genteel coachman blush on hia box and make short trips up and down the street to brea kthe embarrnsbing gaze. The man in whose career auch are the salient features, who, fnun beinsr unknown years ago, is now so notorious an 'VS., ' . • iw J, - 1 'i' ; B 1 -itlr' 4*"' ilM } U 1 f- ~^: •K'' ftS.^J' ■ , ^.- ,d-^ f ft <^, ,t. ^. ) I • '*■' »t^, !^ 'I '4 i>T-} » J- I/! 0«l 'ir«'%';i,:;.lJri,,A D D E N D A : «»"'«'«..■? ii/*'- • ■ ■ • • • I > ,* . /Uw CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF FISK'S DEATH, AND AN Vv •flif» ■! XNTERVIEW WITH STOKES, THE ASSASSIN. ■'1 ■ tt 1 Ml >JBl •J -til K *'_^'. -•'»'.iil«H i5)*Iy;(i;'r fjiiT .frfevsJH ti>'j[;-nr'4i I ^«'"n munni^pi^dt tn . ^u ( "- tant^sill , About four o'clock Saturday af lernuon, January 0, Fisk alighted from his carriage in front of tho Grand Central Hotel, in Broadway, and bidding bis coachman wait for him, entered the hotel, and commence^ ascending the ladies' staircuBe. On reach- ing the first landing, sevcu steps fi om the street, he was shotTn the abdomen by Ed- ward 8. Stokes, who stood at the head of the stairs. As ia^usually the case with c-uch wounds, tho Tlctim was for tho moment lug:dly conscious of the injury he had re- ceived, far, scurcely sloppirg, he uttered the exclamation, " Oh I" and still presented a mark for his adver- sary, who fired a second shot, which tookefiect in the fleshy part of the left arm atM>ve the elbow, producinga wound that in itself was only trivial. He then stag- gered, and turned ap{)arently with the In- tention of seeking* safety in flight. The wounded man mansged to reach the font oi the stairs, where he fell. Thowing his pistol under a sofa in the ladles' parlor, Stokes endeavored to make his escape by the Mercer Street entrance, but was seized by some : employees of the house, and handed over to the custody of the police. The wounded man was immediately re- moved to a room inlthe hotel, where every thing was done of which surgical skill was capable to save his life. All was un- avaihng. Toward daylight next morning he commenced sinking rapidly, and ex- pired a lUtle before eleven on Sunday tore- noon. Bis wile, summoned from Boston by telegraph, was present at his bedside during his last hours. Monday forenoon the body of the de- ceased lay in state in the large hall of the Erie Ballway Company, in the Grand Opera-house building, guarded by members «t the Ninth Begiment, of which he was ' <^lonel. In the afternoon, after a brief funeral service, the body was transported by railroad to Brattleborough, Yt, and there interred in the village cemetery, ^^here Fiek had recently purchased a '"' family burial lot.vp »;«;— ; a-v«-i.!> Thus ends the first act of the tragedy—* titogedy commeiiciog vith a farce in which ^inent personages of the l)ench and bar condescended to play the role of chief comedians, little dreaming the' curtain was to deiKcndupon such a bloody rcene. After being confronted with Fisk, who recognized him, Stokes was removed to a police station-hpuse for the night. The next morning he was taken to the Tombs. It was remarked that,on being brought out of the cell where he had been confined, he was dressed with scrupulous neatness, and bore but little evidence of anxiety. He stepped lightly into the carriage, and on the way to the Tombs chatted in a lively and unconcerned manner with the ofiScera who accompained him. Commissioner Smith was waiting when the prisoner reached the Kloomy building. His uame was entered in the ordinary manner, and he was simply committed to await the result of his vic- tim's injuries. As he was crossing the Tombs court-yard be said ta the police cap- tain, " One year ago to-day Fisk had me arrested for embezzling $05,000." He was then locked up with another prisoner in cell No. 78, but not until after a remon- strance with the captain, and a request that he might be ' locked up alone. His request could no be acceded to, and he was left with his new acquaintance. The prisoner was subsequently removed to another cell. In the course of the after- noon a consultation took place in the prison office with his counsel, Messrs. John Graham, John McKeon, WiiliardO. Bart- lett, and Boger A. Pryor. The consulta- tion lasted for one hour and a half, and its purport was, of course, kept secret. In a brief interview between Stokes and a reporter for the New York Time». with whom he was acquainted, he seemed loajth to refer to the subject which was the all- absorbing topic of the day, and a stranger would not have ?uspected that he -^as thp principal actor in the bloody dram«k of thie, previous evening. The following is part of the conversation, as given in the Timet. Beporter— "Mr. Stokes, lam sorry tt> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ !.0 I.I Ufi Uii 122 us |4£ 2.0 |l.25 1, ,.4 1 ,.6 < ■ 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716)a72-4S03 m \ iV n\ V 4 ^ v\ ^ '^ 4^ r v\ ^ . .,.;<' meet you heie, with this teriible crime haiisiD£ ever your head." Mr. Stoltes— "You need have no fcara for me. 1 am no murderer. I have read the papers, and I assure you there is a tale yet untold." Reporter— "Can you bear to hear the worst V* (He bad not yet been informed of Colonel Fisk's death.) I Mr. Htokes^-'Certainly ; I can bear to f i hear any thin jr." ' Reporter— "Mr. Pisk is dead." ' Mr. Stokes (calmly). "Is that so ?" Reporter— "Yes ; he died about an hour ago." Mr. Stokes— "Well, 't is a sad loss to the business community; but i>he papers shouul. not prejudge me by calling me a murderer. Some of the narratives read like a romance. I never wished Colonel Fisk any personal harm, and never dreamed ot otfering him any. I could say more, but you can w Indictment'upon tbis'ofience. The corooer has fitated that be means to do justice ia this matter, and iChe means to do justice, he does not mean unnecessarily to feed the fire that is now burning. The tragical character of Colonel Fish's death was cal- culated, without reference to nis merits or demerits, to inspire the community with horror. Itisveiy natural that humanity should recoil' «at the 'perpetration of such a deed as this, eyen thoofl^h it was committed under circum- stances perfectly justifiable or excusable. To have a human being sent out of thib world to his long account by the hand of his lellow-man, even under such circum- stances as the Deity himself would jostify, is an act not to be treated with levity, but -With gravity. The coroner has a discre- tion as to the expedition that shall charac- terize this complaint The statute pro- vides that ' the testimony of tdl those wit- nesses examined before the jury shall be reduced to writing by the coroner, and shall be returned by him, together with the inquisition of ^he jury, and recognizances and examinations taken by such coroner, to the next criminal court of record that shall be held in the county.' Now, if there is an intention to spring the case up- on the existing courts, it is a violation of this statute, and if the coroner has the dis- cretion, he has a right to show, by the tar- diness with which he shall return thes^e proceedings, that he is determined that tbis prisoner shall not be sacrificed at the stake without that fair and deliberate trial which the constitution guara 'tees to every man. You have only to refer to many familiar cases to satisfy your mind. If the trial of McFarland ' was proceeded with at auy time within thirty days after the . commission of the deed, he must have been convicted ; the public mind was so incensed against him that he must he condemned ; but when that sober second thought came upon the people, the healthy reaction set it, and' he was not only acquitted, but the jury, on the past of the public, originally so incens- ed against him, almost applauded him for the act. The reason the law gives you this discretionary power is that heat like this may subside. It is no time to offer a vic- tim upon the altar of public justice when men's minds are so heited that they can not give the prisoner's case that calm con- sideration which is his just right This kud of Lynch law hinted at in reference to this case is not in vogue in this com- munity, and I submit, therefore, with all respect, that if you desire that no injustice should be exiended to the prisoner, yon will keep this case until the latest moment from the court The law socores to this tiianafairtnal, and it is impossible, under the circumstances that now surround this case, to consider it calmly and dispassion- ately. As an oflEicer of the law, in the in- cipsent statres of this matter, if you think it would be' unjust to the prisoner to hand over the case at once to the prose- cuting officer, under your oath you are bound not id resign It to that court, and you are bound to cive the prisoner an opportunity of fair and impartial trial, which can not come to him under the circumstances I have warned youagakst" c . , . u , u- . ■- ^ After some further discussion between Mr. M'Eeon and Assistant District Attor- ney Sullivan, the coroner said ho should take the matter into consideration. Mr. Stokes wa3 then formally committed to the Tombs to await the action of the Grand Jury, and the pioceedings terminated. Mr. Stokes is still a young man,haviiig been bom in Philadelphia in the vear 1841. He received an excellent school education, and was accounted an apt and proficient scho- lar. In early life he was fond of all kinds of athletic sports, and was considered a skillful gymnast. At the age of eighteen he wont to New York, where for several months he was employed as a clerk by a large produce firm. He thou entered into partnership with Mr. Badlong,and the firm of " Stokes & Budlong" became well known OS an enterprising and highly suc- cessful house in the produce busi- ness. Mr. Stokea, who rapidly accumu- lated a ve^ handsome fortune, was accounted odi of the shrewdest operators on the Produce Exchange, even before he became of age, and while his share of the business was transacted in his father's name. It was not until shortly before his marriage that he persuaded hi'i father's family to remove their residence from Philadelphia to New York. Mr. Stokes's business connection with James Fisk was of recent date, and origi- nated in a desire to obtain certain reduc- tions in freight over the Erie road for the products of his kerosene oil-works on Long Island. The connection proved to be a disastrous one for Stokes. For a time the two men were friendly and harmoni- ous; a dispute arising between them in re- lation to a^jvoman whoso name is notori- ous, they became hostile. Fisk contrived, by help'of hired roughs, to seize the oil- works under pretence of taking the pro- perty for debt, and not only kept posses- sion of them, but continued to persecute his fori know t a char after f c point, ■. mdictn charge, series ended of Stc very c mortifv Court It \ %: 93 )le, under ound'this ispassion- in the in- {rou think r to hand le prose* >ath yon it to to Hire fair and ne to him warned between let Attor- 10 should lion. Mr. tted to the the Grand aated. aviiig been 1841. He Ration, and cient scho- all kinds sidered a t to New bs he was ;e produce partnership )f " Stokes known £rbly 8UC- iuco busi- y accumu- tune, was I operators before he lare of the 19 father'd before his lii father's ence from his former friend by every contnvance know to the law. Be caused his arrest on a charge of embezzlement; and finally, after forcing him to the wall, was on the point, it is alleged, of procuring another indictment agamst him on a criminal charge. Ii ia unnecessary to dwell on the series of legal proceedings which ended in the complete discomforture of Stokes before the courts. On the very day of the shootinij he suflered a mortifvius: defcjit in the Yorkville Police Court and found himself at the end Oi his tether, while his antagonist wai still as fresh as over, elate with victory, and back* ed by an unlimited supply of money. Mr. Stoki^ is slightly built, of fine per- sonal appearance, rather dark in complex- ion, and about five fcut nine ianlK'u in height. His hair, which a couple of years agowas jet-black, ia now of an iron -gray tint, and were it not for his active move* meuts he might pass for a man of forty* fiTcyear.'i. He was married about uiuo years ago, and has one child, a daughter, who is now about eight years of st^e, I • :tion with , and orisl- tain reduc- tad for the -works on i proved to For a time d harmoni- them in re- le is notori- contrived, Izo the oil- fit the pro- kept posses- o persecute (• » '(''■'His 'if V;'<**"i".i -v '^ ?,^\ ;^t^^Jl»'j!(;; « ^ , 1 1 ? .1 . . I. 1'. .* i f, y - ;1,» .U.4 t ,.'«.'- t <> t S » t f. I. ' '1 1' * «•'> V «a« t» I S ' < , 1." i ). ^ »v V ' .;<'K'» <;v^,. mf \ 'Ir - -1 ,^ v'^'?a' % .*^ A :'iv-.>vr *i;. m^^: ^ .ajransHAM MUM'T:aaoL wj-.vaii h.J--' a- ^ ■•Kr : %.. t&. m I Mm' "^i -'«; \