The Portland daily press., 1872-01-12
Incidents in the Life of James Fisk. Jr

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traoruinary man who on Sunday morning
bade farewell to life, its pomp and yanities
there were many remarkable chapters. IT
would be strange indeed were 1t not so. for M,
man can risesin few years from comparative
lnslgnficance to great wealth and wide eele-
brity without the performance of acts bear
ing the stamp of genius.
| The story of the elder Rothschild's Journey
from Brussels to London after he had been
assured of the overthrow of Napoleon at Wa
terloo, and of his immense and successfnJ
| speeulations there in consequence, is well
| known. But James Fisk, Jr., conceived and
executed an equally brilliant stroke at the
close of our war of the rebellion, the particu-
lars of which, we think, were never yet pub
hshed. With that sagacity which distin-
| gulshed him in his career Fisk saw that when
on the I'd of April, 1865, General Lee was
| dflven from Petersburg. his surrender could
| not be far distant
he Immediately went to Boston, consulted
with some OF his financial friends. and made
| them partners in his scheme This was 10
| get the news of the surrender of Lee and COL
lapse OF the contederacy for use on Change in
London in advance of the mail 1t will he re-
membered that the Atlantic cable was not
then laid. small, swift steamer, formerly
blockade runner, was purchased, fitted ont
and sent to Halifax in ballast. Neither the
captain nor officers of the steamer knew her
destination. The secret of her mission was
solely confided to an agent of Fisk, who was
the only passenger on board. Steam was
kept up day and night, and everything was in
readiness for start across the Atlantic.
Days went by, and still the steamer Law quiet
ly in the harbor of Halifax awaiting the ex-
pected message from Fisk. At length it came.
1t James Fisk, Jr., had tried his best he
could not have indicted shorter dispatch II
was dated at Boston, signed Fisk, and con-
tanned but one word-"Gop' The blockade
runner started for Queenstown immediately
and got there two days ahead of the mail
steamer The agent speeded across Ireland
to London and commenced his operations.
Before twenty-four hours elapsed he sold
"short' THAT is, sold what he had not potl
S5,OOO.0OO in confederate bonds. He had or
ders from Fisk to sell as long as he could get
buyers, but was restrained by partner of
one OF the Boston men, who was cursed with
prudence. But the operation was pretty sue
eessful the syndicate" divided between S3,-
100000 and 81, 900, the proceeds of the
speculation" This was a lift for James Fisk
Jr., which was very welcome.
Another incident in his career illustrates
his fertility of resource when closely cornered
by powerful opponent. Vanderbilt had
grown jealous of Fisk and determined to
crush him, The readiest way to do that he
thought would be by destroying the business
OF the Erie railroad. With this end in view
he issued an order to lower 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
Fisk's were made uniform. After a few
weeks, however, Vanderbilt showed his hand.
Giving the Erie officers short notice he broke
faith with Fisk and announced that for twen-
ty days the freight on the Central road for
cattle from Chicago would be S1.5O per head
instead of S4. He expected to crush Erie by
this move, but he reckoned without Fisk.
The latter made no alteration in the rate on
the Erie road, but quietly directed his agent
in the west to purchase 40, 900 head [of cattle
and send them by Vanderbilt's route. The
cattle were soon purchased and Fisk had the
pleasure of seeing Vanderbilt carrying freight
for him for less than the cost ;ot running the
trains. OF course the commodore soon grew
tired of fighting against such odds, and the
rates were again raised to those of the Erie,
Fisk cleared $780, 900 by this transaction. di-
rect from the Central. But this was not the
full extent of the damage done the commo-
dore. When the Central was blocked with
Fisk's AZ, 900 head of cattle, the Erie was open
and carrying other freight at its own rates.
Fisk appeared to be utterly reckless in his
conduct towards his opponents; but it was
only in appearance. He was really sharper
than the best of his legal advisers When the
great Erie litigation was at its height it was
stated that the Erie officers were watering
the stock of the road-that is, issuing extra
certificates of stock to an unlimited extent.
The Vanderbilt interest in the suit obtained
the injunction from Judge Balcomb restrain
ing the president. vice president, secretary
and treasury of the Erie railway company
from signing tho certificates of the stock
which were ready for issuance. This was a
damper on the hopes of Fisk and his col
leagues; but the cunning vice president soon
discovered way of deliverance. Fisk got his
counsel to get out a legal document which
would have the effect of compelling him
fisk and the other officers of the road to do
their duty. And he directed it to be done,
and it was done, in this manner :-Applica-
tion was made to Judge Gilbert, in BROOKLYN,
on behalf OF the directors of the Erie Railway
company, for an order restraining the officers
of the company from refusing to do their
duty. Judge Gilbert issued the order. 1t
was something new in law and was called a
mandatory injunction"
| Armed with this document, some of.the di-
rectors went to the officers of the road, and
demanded that they Immediately sign the
| certificates of stock which were prepared.
Jay Gould, James Fisk and the other officers
were thus forced to do their ''duty' as requir-
ed by law. Before the Vanderbilt people
realized the situation and got out another in
junction SIC, ,O00, 600 of certificates of stock
were signed and issued.