Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-13
THE BATTLE OF THE
BEASTS.

Fight Between the Wall street bulls
and Bears-Emmense Excitement
in the Gold Room Circus-The
Bulls Beaten Badly, but not Dis.
'couraged.
From the New York Herald March 10.
1t is a fortunate circumstance that
stringent rules prohibit the general public
from witnessing the antics of the bulls
and bears in the Gold Room circus.
Could the yirtuous countrymen who make
periodical visits to see the elephant and
take a near view of sin see the Wall
street animals furiously fighting for the
golden apple and hear them war. we
would surely lose whatever country
credit for common sense we pos
sess. Although perfectly ineligible to
the initiated, the howlings of the
bankers, brokers, and clerks engaged in
gambling for the precious metal is per
fectly bewildering to strangers. The
''bullsn and F'bearsn have language of
their own and act more from the prompt-
ings of instinct than of reason. There
fore those who go 10 the trouble of getting
tickets of admission to the Gold Room
from members of it, and enter there in
the hope of getting financial sswrinkle. y
rarely succeed in getting anything but a
pain in the head. To any one, however
who heard and survived the great Boston
concert, who happened to be brought up
in well filled bedlam or who was born
deaf it is highly interesting mana
gerie.
Wild cGnayds flying about the town
on Tuesday night presaged a financial
storm in the morning. 1t was whispered
that greenbacks had finally succumbed
and sunk beneath the weight of gold
thrown on the market, and that promi
nent brokers, known to fame and the
street, had fed from their accustomed
places of business in wild despair. The
brought confidence, however.
and at ten O'Clock Wall street, Broad
street, Exchange place and every place
where brokers most do congregate was
filed with eager multitudes ready to
transform themselves into bulls or bears
as the occasion might demand.
The all-absorbing question was the
state of the money market and
the intentions of the Government, and in
stead of the customary "How d. do"
was heard on every side the feverish salu-
tation, elbows gold2n The center of at
traction was the Gold Room; it was the
loadstone that drew crowds to its portals.
Outside it, on the street, shouting, showing,
clapping and cheering, a multitude of
bears, with a herd of bulls, reared and
plunged, and inside, around the magic
circle, were to be seen an array of ami
mails of superior breed and greater feroci-
ty, gesticulating, swearing and groaning
with all their might. Never was such a |
scene of excltementsince 'sBlack Friday"
but 1T was not. an excitement begOt of |
fear. Far from it. On the faces of the
crowd no traces of anguish could be found.
no dread of the future betrayed. A ''de'il !
may care, " happy-g o-lucky spirit prevailed, |
md thousands were lost and won good |
II was only the strangers in
he gallery who looked anxious. 1t |
seemed that both bulls and bearr regarded |
he contest for which both sides were /
waiting in the same light as Irishmen are |
TO do shindy-very exciting
md dangerous, but decidedly pleasant in |
he end. Brokers are, and have been, |
accused OF want of patriotism, but there |
we're unmlstakable signs in that surging, |
shouting, laughing crowd, that the near /
in value of Government paper
o gold was hailed with pride and satisfac- |
ION. Hence, although the market was |
everish and unsteady, and bulls and bears |
were equally in the dark as to what the |
lext hour might bring forth, there was no
)anic-
1t was curious TO watch the onset of |
he bulls when business was commenced
t was amusing to note the frantic efforts /
If the bears. A roar as of a herd of |
)ulfaloes, closely pursued by whooping
Sioux, was the signal for the attack of
he former and hOaTse growl of rage
Indicated the action of the latter. A few
minutes of noise and uproar and then
! lull took place, as sudden and unac-
as the beginning of the tumult.
At twenty minutes past one p NJ, the in
LEGATION showed that the fight had com
nenced. 1t turned rapidly from point to
point in response to the changing features
If the day, and there were strong hopes
ndulgel by the bears that gold would 60
Town with rush. Intense excitement
prevailed in the room for half an hour,
md when at length the indicator pointed
o no., the lowest point reached yet, a
wild cheer broke from the exultant bears,
md they reared in defiance. Then the
contest became hotter; the bulls butted
lard against manifest destiny, and did
actually succeed after a fearful amount of
rearing and yelling, in sending up the
price to III, at which point it remained
until late in the evening, when it again
fell into the tens. The fight will no doubt
DC renewed with fury this morning.