The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-10-24

houses, wear purple and tine linen, drink Bur-
gundy every day, and make their wives walking
advertisements for jewellers and dry goods deal
ers These persons have no property" they toll
not, neither do they spin''-but in the magnif-
cence of their surroundings and the extravaganza
Of their establishments they rival the famous
robber of the Arabian Nights, who had two or
three acres Of diamonds and precious metals at
his disposal. Everybody wonders where the
magnificent Mr.. Snob and the splendid Mrs. Snob
get the money to pay for all their luxuries; but
once in while there comes grand crash-some
of the lights of Wall street are let in for half a
million, and the finale of Snob, who has not saved
enough to clog the wheels of justice, is tour to
Sing Sing.
Such seems to have been the case With the note
broker Huntington, who now lies in the Tombs,
awaiting trial for forging notes Of hand to the
amount Of over half million Of dollars.
Huntington was undoubtedly man Of consde-
rable ability, which he used for bad ends He
had the implicit confidence Of many men in tie
mercantile world, and put his nearest friends in
for large amounts. Perfectly familiar with the
manner of conducting business in Wall street, he
ascertained what notes good houses had out and
duplicated them without fear of discovery. A
single relapse into the carelessness which, on the
part Of others had caused the success of his ey-
ploits, ruined him in a moment. 1t is a solid
proof of the truth Of the maxim that honesty is
the best policy, that all great rascals, no matter
how able they may be, always do have their re
lapses, and are always discovered.
The career of Huntington has been like dis
play of fireworks, brilliant but evanescent. For
little while he spent money like water. He
had six or eight horses-two pairs for carriages
for himself and wife, and several fast trotters-
his sideboard was brilliant with massive plate
He was great man at Saratoga, Niagara and
Rockaway, where his wife had more trunks
and more diamonds than any one else; and
in town he kept up two matrimonial estab
lishments, one regular and the other irregular
-one Christian home, the other Mahomme-
dan seraglio-one according to the laws Of New
York and the other according to the customs OF
the Mormons- within few doors Of each other
He was prince for an hour. People ate his din
ners, drove his horses, drank his wine, borrowed
his money, and wondered how be got it ALL But
the crash came at last and what are all his for
mer splendors compared with his present posi-
ton ? He bought his luxiries at tremendously
high price.
The case of this man is peculiarly illustrative
of the slapda style Of doing business which has
become quite too common in New York Our
merchants make their money easily and throw it
away ioolishly. In old times trade was a voca-
ton which was pursued by men Of honor.
Fifty years ago the first requisites for mer-
camille life were unsulled integrity and
uDremittng attention to business. Then
merchants met each other with perfect conf
dence; they knew the men they were dealing
with; the word Of one Of their fellows was as
good as his bond. In such time fraud was I'M
known, because il was impossible Now, most OF
our merchants, though generous, liberal and be-
nevolent as their sires, seem enervated BY sue
cess. They trust all their affairs to confidential
clerks, agents, factors, brokers' and it is no
wonder that these men, dazzled by the display
Of their employers, should yield to temptation
The merchants give them every facility by their
lax way Of conducting business, and the mer-
chants are morally responsible for the result.
That this Huntington should have raised five
hundred thousand dollars on forged paper is
INDUSTRIOUS, and is clearly the result Of careless
ness on the part Of the victims.
The great financial centre Of the republic is
full of HuntiDgtons and Schuylers. Every two
or three weeks some of the frauds come to light
IL it is large affair, like the achieve
ments OF the men we have Just
mentioned, 1t creates panic for week or two /;
but II II Is small piece of rascality, it is hushed
up, the victims submitting quietly rather than be
ridiculed by public exposure, by which they
would not get their money back, but receive a
public verdict Of served them right We
have reason TO believe that the frauds which
have been made known to the public are insgul.
cant compared with those which arc undiscovered
or kept secret Wall street IL full OF hurry
skurry, slap-dasb, eadovcr-heels iinanciers, who
never know how they stand on any ono else's
books, or how any one else stands on their owl
The opening for Schuylcrisms aud Huntington
isms il, consequently. magnificent, and it is
improved TO the fullest extent