The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-10-12
New York Letter.

EXCITEMENT IN WALL sTREET-TUMBLE IN
RAIL ROAD sToCKs-oRIGIN OF SPECIES
com. VANDERBILT AND DANIEL DREW
ADVICE TO YOUNG INTERCHANGEABLE
BULL, HIS AGE AND COMPREHENSIVE
DEEDs-DREW a BEAR, HIS ACCEssORs,
HIS BENEvOLENCE. AND sUCCEss-vAN-
DERBILT's REPLY-OFFERsS $500 900 FOR
SUIT OF CLoTHEs-CITY GRAVE YARDS
THEIR UsEs
Metropolitan Hotel, Sept. %, 1860,
This is remarkable week in New
York, especially in financial circles. The
scenes Of yesterday and day before, are
without parallel in the recent history of
Wall street, Rumoro fill the air in re-
gard to houses soon to fail. In railway
stocks, particularly, there is an absolute
lack of confidence, and to quote the Ian
guage of o gentleman of the exchange,
Railroad stock has been watered so
much, that the original security is almost
washed away" Two distinct theories
prevailed as to the cause of the panic.
Many believed that no less a parsonage
was managing the rout than the Commo-
dore himself, and this was the story.
Vanderbilt having sold large quantities
of his stocks, at high figure, was now
interested in running down the stock, in
order to buy it in at Il low figure. This
was stoutly denied by the Commodore's
friends, who allege that Vanderbilt never
fails to reward his friends, and punish his
enemies. The other theory places the
cause back many months, and is too mixed
to be described here at length
One fact is apparent, the Railroad
King" Ito whom certain parties in the
street owe and bear him no very good
wilD has taken advantage of the high
prices that prevailed, and is thus far man
ager of the situation, and is fully pre-
pared for a decline in the market.
1t is foreign to my purpose to explain
the tricks and manipulations of wall-street
operators in stocks, but will refer to one
or more of the leading personages, that
figure there.
Charles Darwin, tho English natura-
list, in his great and fascinating work on
the "Origin of Species" explains in part,
the fact of the existence of so many diff
ferent species in the animal Kingdom by
the doctrine of what he calls natural Sc
lection" i. e., the weak aud the unfortu-
nate become extinct, the strong and IA
vored live and mate with their peers and
thus particular species are perpetuated.
There is always this struggle going on
everywhere and among men as among
animals, weak races become extinct or
the subjects of stronger races.
In the battle of life, it is the few strong
determined or favored men, who win the
prizes. Pre-eminently is this true of
wall-street. Ever since 1862, when be-
gan the greatest speculation the world
has ever seen, faces have been appearing
and disappearing there, as in whirling
kaleidoscope, but in all the shifting
groups, certain massive faces are always
seen-taees craven with the lines of
purpose that never failed them. These
men have "clutchcd the golden keys"
Their names are the talismans which un-
veil many dark financial secret, unlock
vaults of untold treasures and set the
genii of panic at work, The world of
change pays their tribute, not ofapplause
merely, but of hard cash, and without
murmur of rebellion against their sovcr-
eighty,
Cornelius Vanderbilt aud Daniel Drew
are the central Titanic figures in a group
of lesser but yet successful operators,
among whom may be mentioned the late
Henry Keep, Leonard Jerome, W. r.
Travers, Augustus aud Richard Schcll,
W. s, Woodward, John Tobin, il. &,
Simpson, j. Gould, DR.. Shelton, and
Admiral James Fisk, Jr. Sooner or later
the money of the smaller tribe of specula-
tors finds its way into the pockets fthese
men. In conversation with Judge c.,
he remarked--had l the privilege, |
would whisper in the ear of every young