Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-05-26
FTVW IHV IIlTUOFW EVVnInE 70
A Tremendous Reputation.

It's pretty dull day for lawsuits that Mr..
james Fisk, jr., don't sue somebody for $780,.
600 in damages And when YOU come 10
consider of it moment what a reputation
this must have been before ever il was fred
into In dimensions how extensive, in purity
how Immaculate, in brittleness and FACILITY
how sensitive TO the breath Of suspicion +!
Imagine this genial creature Fisk, spreading
out his moral character like a map before
the country. Think of the sprightlncss with
which he jumped from his pcdlar's cart into
wall Street and commenced unroling to a gap
ing universe the mammoth proportions of
his personal reputation. 1t was hardly spread
before a merit-hatng, honesty and
modesty-despising world commenced to throw
rotten oranges at it. A shot from Spring
field carried away 100000 worth Of it In
tho twinkling Of bedpost--but the great Fix
hardly missed it, With head over his shoulder
he just said TO his attorney, "Bring suit for il -
and kept on spreading himself From some
other source-we forget what, for we sat gaz-
ing so intently at the character that we hardly
noticed whence came the attacks-an offensive
missile slammed up against it, james merely
said over his shoulder, " Sue him for hun
dred thousand" and the suit was brought
Then, as the Fisk stood with his face to the
Rocky Mountains and his back 10 all the ages
iDscribing ia brazen letters, James Fisk ir."
across the backbone Of the continent, Mr.. Q.
5. Bushnell, of New Haven, chunks some de-
cayed fruit at the picture, inficting damage
to the amount of another 100000, for
which suit is Immediately brought. Hardly
had the papers been served, when with a kerr
whish, ker-slop, the New York Times lets of
whole bucket-iull Of remarks, damaging
the whiteness Of Fisk 5 character to the tune Of
at least amillion--judgment for which amount
Mr.. Fisk will at some leisure moment slip into
court and ask to have entered in his behalf
Well its rather a magnificent spectacle
1t exhibits genius, all this. For, Mr.. James
Fisk, jr., if we may trust the oath appended
to his income returus---and here we mean to
step so gently as not to spatter single cents
worth Of mud upon his veracity---was not
successful in business last year. lie had no
income. Under oath he says So Not cent
Of income. He returns one watch. That's
all. So having no money, and hard luck, he
has set up this magnificent character, the
largest and whitest ever spread before the
American people, and proposes 60 take his
chances for damages against the little boys
who come along rubbing against it, or throw
ing watermelon rinds at it. With an ordi-
nary degree of success he will make hand
some thing Of it, Should he get verdiets in
his favor, in the suits already begun, they
will bring him in one and half to two mil
lions, which will keep him through the year
comfortably. And as the people keep throw
ing things at him, he has prospect Of max
ing living by libel suits for several years
to come.
Aud these things we enjoy. For they
make everything lively. But sitting here
thinking it wondering at the immensely
and the purity Of this mans character, adj
miring the genius with which he makes it
profitable to himself as well as beautiful to
all the world, and then remembering that it
is likely to cost the newspaper press Of the
country untold millions for the privilege Of
firing at tit occurs to us-and we make
the suggestion-that the press club together
and buy the whole piece, at fair valuation.
Firing at it at retail prices will impoverish
everybody. Let US take what there is left
of it, at wholesale Then Mr.. Fisk will get
it off his hands, which will really be a god
send to him. and we can all have a shy at it
at a reasonable cost.