The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-13
THE YANKEE ALADDIN.
THB MARYELLOUS CAREER OF THE
LATE JAMES FISK, JR.
From Peddier to Prince-How the Mag
mates OF Wall street were Wheedied-
The Wonderful Power OF Brass-'A
DemoralizinS Example.
From the New York Trlbune.l

James Fisk, Jr.. has been described by one
of his admirers as the most fascinating cnarac
ter of the Nineteenth Century. "Talk aoou
Aladdin ~ exclaimed the representative hero
worshipper from whom we quote, "Why, here
you have Aladdin under your very eyes
driving peddler's cart one day and coming
to New York the next as the ruler OF the stock
M m,rket, where he has eXerted greater IN.
duence upon business than any other one
man in the. world" Allowing tor little en-
thusiasm, this DOES not much exagGerate the
extraordinary vicissiLudes OF tins extraor.
Bennington, Vermont, on the lst ol
April, 1884. His father was peddler,
driving one of those capacious wagons, still 80
csmm0f In the rural districts Of New England
stored with calicoes, tlnWare, lacee, trinkets,
and household utensils, at which the farmers
wives aud daughters 90 t6e most Oh me saop- nr.,
ping. From Bennington he removed to Brat
tleboro', where James obtained all the lltlle
education he ever got at the district school.
II was nothing more than the moderate
acquaintance with the alphabet and The copy
book. He never mastered the art OF spelllng,
and to the end OF his life had comlcal con
tempt for grammar. The elder Fisk had the
same commercial Instincts and little of the
same taste for variety In his enterprises which
afterwards distinguished the son. He built on
inn. and in default of satisfactory tenant
useti to manage 1t himself; tho son at such
times was employed as waiter. There Is
report that james made his frst acquaintance
with the outside world In some humble capacity
in connection with a travelling circus OF me-
nagerie; but his ambition was 10 be ped
ler. he began by travelling with his father.
Pretty soon he was entrusted with separ-
ate wagon, and he ended by buying out the
hnsiness. and taking his worthy sire a3 his
hired man to dive one of the vehicles. With
the brightest wagons, the showlest horses,
and the most giittering harness In the stae,
and, william aoundancs OF that reacy VII anu
good. nalured impudeuce tur which he after-
ward became famous, he prospered 30 fast
that he was soon one of the principal )oabers
in Vermont. He bought his supplies OF Jor-
dan d Marsh, In Boston, aud the members OF
this firm were 80 Impressed with his shreWi-
ness that they gave him position In their
establishment as salesman. From salesman
he became q partner. He made some excel
ipnt bargains with the government during the
war. Il is said that he made happy stroke
by smuggling cotton through. the llnes In
four wears he retired from The firm with capi-
tai enough to open dry goods shop OF his
own. In four months more, mis- money was
all gone, and the business was closed up.
Wnen he appeared IN New YORK IN 1864. ana
opened brokers' office in Broad street, his
enlire capital consisted Qf history can be be-
lleved) of a borrowed silver watch. II he had
ANYTHING more than that he soon lost 1t, and
when he introduced himself to the favor OF
Daniel Drew, by negotiating tor hm Tile sale
Of the Bristol line of steamboats,, he was prac-
tically penniless. Mr.. Drew flst set him up
as q broker, In partnership Win beiden, ana
employed the new firm In carrying On his
famous war with Vanderbilt for the possession
of the Erie Railroad. That warfare is mat
ter of history, which we need not here re-.
count. When The crisis came, on the eve OF
the election for directors, In October. 1867,
there were three contestants IN Inc Held.
Fisk was serving under the Drew party, VINO
wanted tu be Retained 10 office. VanderDilt,
master of Harlem, Hudson RIVER, aud Central,
seemed to be on the point ofsecuring Erie also.
Eldridge was the leader Of the Boston, Hart
ford and Erie party. which wanted to get into
the Erie directory for the purpose OF making
that company guarantee the bonds or tnelr
own worthless roI id. E'dridge was assisted by
Gould. AS result Of the compromise by
Fisk and Gould were both chosen directors Of.
Erie, and from the month Of October, 1867,
dates the memorable association Of these two
choice spirits since so famous iu the money
markets of the world. They were not the
counterparts, but the compliments OF each
ether. Fisk was bold, inscriptions. dashlnE,
enterprising, ready in execution, powerful lI
order OF nep. Gould was arlful, reucent,
iong-headed, clear OF brain, t.rlile of nven.
ton, tenacious Of purpose, and no more Dur
dened with unnecessary scruples than his
more noisy and hasny companion. They
were not long in Joining fortunes. At the
tine Of the famous Erie corner the next
March. they were ostenslbly working on
opposite sides, Gould acting for Vander-
bill, and Fisk being the man tO whom Drew
entrusted fifty thousand shares OF new
stock. secretly Issued, 10 be used when
VanderbilL's brokers began 10 buy. The mys-
teries of that transaction are fully known ouly
TO few of the principal actoIs. An inlunc.
tlon OF Judge Barnard's had forbidden Drew
or anybody connected with the road 10 manu-
facture any more stock by the issue sue , Oh coz r.
yertible bonds. But Drew was "shorL" OF
Erie; the Vanderbilt pool threatened ruin,
and stock must BIZ had. The new certificates
had already been made out In the name oil
James Fisk, Jr., and were IN the hands OF the
secretary, who was eDjoiued from issuing
them. Mr.. Fisk saw way out OF ne dinlcul'
ty. The secretary gave The certificate books
TO an employee of the road, with directions to
carry them carefully to the lrausfer office.
The messenger returned In moment empty
handed, and told the astonished secre ary
that MIR. Fisk had met him at the Scor, taken
the books, and run away with them" on
the same day the convertible bonds cores
ponding TO these certificates were placed on
the sscretary's desk, and as soon as Wander
bilt had forced up the price Of Erie, Fisk's
new shares were thrown upon the market,
and bought by Vander0ilL's agents before
their origin was suspected. Mr. Fisk uuior-
tunately had not vet cultivated The Intimate
relations with Judge Barnard which he subse-
ouantly sustained. When the Drew pirty up.
pied for au order from Judge Gilbert. IN
BROOKLYN, enjoniug Barnard's injnnclions:
the petitioner who accused that ornament OF
the New York BEECH of corrupt conspiracy
to speculate In Erie stock, was none other
Than Fisk's pa.tner. Mr.. Belden. The next
mornin. Barnard issued an order of arrest for
contempt, and Fisk, with The whole Erie Direc.
tory, fed to Jersey City, carry ing 900
of money and the books and papers Of the
cImpany. Among the most valuable OF the
assets transferred on that occasion to Taylor's
Hotel was Miss Helen Josephine Mansfield.
"I'went to jersey" testified this fAir creature
some weeks ago In the suit Whlcn mas ]uSI
come TO 80 tragcal termination, with the
officers Of the Erie Company, and the IaliToa9
to amuse himself. He had made flly or sixty
thousand dollars by his days work IN Broad
street, and he had the satisfaction OF knowing
that he had not only beaten Vanderbilt and
Barnard. but outwlIted even hls particular
friend and patron, mr. Drew. He had now
pracll lcaify the greater share OF the manage
ment On his shoulders, though In name ne was
only comptroller. He sofieaed puoilc mag
nation BY subsidlzin2 gang OF rulnans: os-
1ensiply in the Vanderbilt Interest, 70 peslese
nForL TAYLOR" as if for the purpose OF kidnap-
ping the directors, and organizing oana "
railway hands to mount guard about lhe
hotel. He logged the steps OF MIR. Drew,
who was stealing over to New York by night
TO make secret compromise Tor himself alone
with MIR. Vanderbilt, and when Drew carried
off the funds OF The company Fisk compelled