Middletown transcript., 1872-01-13

Subsequently, in 1853, they bought ou,
his intcrcat 10 the firm, and he came to
New York. where he was employed BY
Daniel Drew to negotisss tho sslc Of the
Stonipgtou line Of sesaners. Under the
patronage of Mr.. Drew ho went into Wall
street spcculsiions with varied success.
aud formed 10 1865 the stock -brokiug 6rm
Of Fisk l. Be.den. In 1857 he entered in-
to the directory Of Erie Railway Company
with Jay Gould. aud his career ever since
has been. perhaps. the mos, notorious in
the United States. The Vanderbilt aud
Belmont Erie Iitigaticns. the immense and
daring gold conspiracy Of 1869. the bold
push To gaiu possession Of the Albuny aud
Susquclianna railroad. which almost
involved the State in civil war. the con.
test with the English stockholders Of the
Erie railway. the prologue of which is jus,
drawing to a close by the restoration Of
the seized English s,ock--arc all familiar.
but nll. after the vast amount that has
been talked and written about them 10 the
courts. the legislatures aud the newspa.
pcrs. still retain much Of the mysterious.
They have fixed tho reputation Of the chief
actor, however, as a man remarkable rath-
or for daring enterprise than for patriot
ism or philanthropy in the ends ut which
they aimed. or scroupulousncss in the
choice Of means TO carry them out.
AN INCIDENT IN nis LIFE.
James Fisk, Jr. conceived and executed
u brilliant stroke at the close Of tue late
war between the States. the particulars Of
have never yet been published. With
that sagacity which distinguished him in
all his career. Fisk saw that when. on the
81 Of APRIL, 1865, Gen. Lee was driven
from Petersburg. his surrender could not
be far distant. lie Immediately went to
Boston, consulted some Of his financial
friends and made them partners in his
scheme This was to get the news Of the
surrender Of Lee and collapse Of the Con
fcdcracy for use on Change in London in
advance Of the mail II will be remcm-
bcrcd that the Atlantic cable was not then
laid A small. swift steamer. formerly a
blockade runner. was purchased, fitted out
aud sent to Halifax in ballast. Neither
the captain. nor officers OF the steamer
knew her destination. The secret Of her
mission was solely confded to an ngen, o!
FIX, who was the only passenger on
board.
Steam was KEEP. up day and night, and
everything was in readiness to start across
the Atlantic. Days went by and still the
steamer lay quietly in the harbor If Hall.
fax awaiting the expected message frou
Fisk At length il came. IL Fisk had
+ tried his best he could no, have indiicd q
shorter dispatch It was dated nj y atom
signed Fix and contained bu, one wnrl---
CO. The blockade runner started for
. Queenstown Immediately. aud got ,her,
. two days uhcad of the mail steamer. Tn,
ag"n, specded across Ireland to Londor
and commenced his operations. Befor'
twenty. -four hours ,lap.rd he sold short
Cha, is, sold what he had not go,l 81.
U0n .OO0 in Confederate bouis lie hat
orders from FIX to sell Ms long as hr conlt
get buyers, but was restrained by part
ncr of one of the Boston men. who wa
:, cursed with prudence. Bn, the operation
= was pretty successful the syndicate
The story gors. divided between 81 nel
900 and s r"O 900 the proceeds If III,
. speculation " This was lii, for Jane
TtSh, Jt WUlNH was WHY
TRAITS Is MS CHARACTER.
+. lie was man who hal great abhorene
!, Of all hypocrisy, aud whose theory Of lif
=, it Was tn show TO the world his worse side
a aud 10 conceal very carefully all his gon
:. qualities from the public kuowlcdgc II
;, was ostentarious "f his faults. and neyc
e could be persuaded to do anything in pub
| lie except on rare occasions, snch us ,ha
/ Of the Chicago fire, which would lead I'll
NJ public ,o think him n generous and large
>, hearted man During The last four or Ii.
sear. Of his life, in which |, was general
supposed ,ha, be lived in style of nnes
n amplcd luxury, and spent enormous
:. y mounts on his personal enjoyment I'll
:, truth was. ,ha, except his four-in-hnn,
y his box nj the theatre, and Que or tw
r. matters Of that kinl--whch all the worl
~ knew about-he lived in a much more sin
n Pile style than three. four,hs Of the persor
~ who have his income