The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-01-24
Anoidents In the Lie OF james Flax. Jr.

thsre were mahy, xss1axEs sbie obsntsra
@ nS:io oe esfange, indeedSwer it not'so: for
NO man can rise il I. lew years from comps-
Without The es.n and os wide vide
| bearing the stamp Of genius. =. "o'o
The story Of the elder Rothschiid's journey
!.om aa.53 1rnsseis to London. after heSasd been
terloo, aud OF his immense and suoSassful
speculations there in consequence, is Wsli
known. But James Fisk, Jr., conceived ana
close Of our war of the rebellion, the particn.
,aTs Of which, We think, have never yet been
pu;nhsned. with that sagacity which distin-
gnished him in al bis career, Fisk saw that
driven from Petersburg his sIirrender could
not be far distant.
He Immediately went to Boston, consulted
With some OF his financial friends and m ade
them partners in his scheme. This was to
get the news OF the surrender OF Lee and col
lapse OF the Confederacy for use on Change in
London In advance Of the mail. 1t will be re-
membered that the Atlantic cable WAS not
then laid. small, swift steamer, formerly
| DIooksoe runner. was purchased. fitted out
ana sent to Halifax in ballast. Neither the
captain nor officers OF the steamer knew her
destination; Tho secret of her mission was
solely conhded to an agent of Fisk's, who was
the only passenger on boar I'd. Steam was
lai kepii up DAY and night, and everything was in
Teau,ness sn a for start across the. Atlantic.
Days went by, and still the steamer lay quietly
In the harbor of Halifax, awaiting the expect
cd message from Fisk. At length it came. II
James Fisk, Jr., had tried his best he could
dated at Boston, signed Fisk, and contained
but one word-"gol'' The blockade runner
started for Queenstown immediately. and got
Inere TWO days ahead Of the mail steamer.
Inc agent speeded across Irela nd to London
ana commenced his operations. Before twen-
ty-four hours elapsed he sold .'short" {that is.
SOLD what h, had got.) $4,000 900 in, Oonfede.
rate bonds. He had orders from Flax to sell
a0 long A6 he COuld lint
strained by partner of ono OF the Boston
men. who was cureed witk prudence. But the
operation was pretty successful, the '.syndi-
Gate" divided between 81, ,00O, 900 and 81 OCO.-
QUO, the proceeds OF the ''spuculat;on.' This
was a hit for James Fisk, Jr., which was very
welcome. % II. - -
his fertility OF resource when closely cornered
ny powerful opponent. Vanderbilt had
crush lim. The readicst way to do that, he
vi the Erie Kailroad. With this end in view.
he ISSUED an order lowering the rates on
freight FROM Chicago, and asked Erie to do
likewise; Fisk assented. and cattle were con-
sequently brought from the West in great
numbers and at small cost. BY special agree
ment, the rates on Vanderbilt's line and on
risks we're made uniform. After q few weeks,
however, Vanderbilt showed his hand. div
ing the Erie officers snort notice, he broke
faith with Fisk, and announced that for
twenty days the freight on the Central Kali
road for cattle from Chicago would be 81 go
per head. instead OF s4 lie expected to
crush Erie by this move, but he reckonad
without Fisk. The latter made no alteration
IN the rate on the Erie Road, but quietly di-
rected his agent in the West to purchase
O.OO0 head OF cattle aud send them by Van
uerbiits route. The cattle were soon pur-
chased, and Fisk had the pleasure uf seeing
Vanderbilt carrying freight for hiro for
or course. the Commodore soon grew tired OF
lighting against such odds, aud the rates
were again raised to those OF the Erie. Fisk
cleared $lO0.000 by this transaction, direct
from the Central. But this was not the full
extent OF tho damage done the Commode
When the Central WIS blocked with Eisk'a
10000 head OF cattle, the Erie was open and
carrying other freight ut it's own rates.
Fisk appeared to be utterly reckless in hia
conduct towards his opponents, but it was
only in appearance. lie WAS really sharpor
than the best OF his legal advisors. Wien
tue great Erie ltigstion was at its height, it
was stated that the Eric officers were water
ing" the stock of the road-thst is, issuing
extra certificates OF stock to an unlimited eI.
tent. The Vanderbilt interest in the suit OBJ
tanned an injunction from Judge BalcOmb
restraining the President, Vice President.
Secretary and Treasurer OF the Erie Railway
company from signing the certificates Of
stock which were ready for issuance. This
was damper ON the hopes OF Fisk and his
colleagues, but the cunning Yice-President
soon discovered q way of delivorance. Fisk
got his counsel to get out legal document
WHICH Wouiu nave the eu6ct or comp ellinQ
him {FiBk) and the other officers OF the road
to do their duty. And he directed 1t to be
done, and 1t was done in this manner: Appli-
cation WAS made to Judge Gilbert, in Brook
lyn, on behalf of the directors Of the Erie
hallway Company, for an order restraining
the officers OF the company from refusing to
90 their duty. Judge Gilbert issued the or
der. 1t was something new in law, and was
called mandatory injunction.". Armed
with this document, some OF the directors
went TO the officers of the road and demand
ed that they immediately sign the certificates
OF stock which were prepared. Jay Gould,
James Fisk and the other officers wore thu
forced to do their duty" as required by law.
Before the Vanderbilt people realized the sit
uatlon and got out another injunction, So
000 QUO Of certificates OF stock were signed
and issued.
But the bright side Of the character of the
deceased is moro pleasant to dwell on, cspe-
cially at this time. His open-handed genero-
sity when our citizens were sending relief 20
Chicago will not soon be forgotten. He
drove two OF his best carriage horses, with
Two others, to his relief wagon, through the
streets, and collected from the people a large
quantity OF storea, which he sent by special
train to the suffering city of the West. This
reilef was timely and prevented great suffer.
ing. 1t is now said that he was most chari-
table to the poor, and that, too, without os-
tentatlOn; that le WAS penerOnH and kind of