The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-08
Health and Finance.

LleTe IS no pouy OF men 30 eager ant
strong in the pursuit Of money, and Wht
are so charitable and generous upon occa
sion as the habitueS Of Wall street. Thil
popularity Is 10 be accounted for partly
by the fact that they arc essentially pick
ed men. They have graYiated to this nu'
cleus either through special aptitude for
1t, or through CONSPICUOUS success In
other business. From.all over the coun-
try are drawn merchants, bankers or pro-
duce dealers, who have accumulated o
competence, and whose ambition Is never
satisfied until they have entered the larger
arena Of the New York money market.
Messrs. George Opdyke, George Bliss,
Henry Clew and others who might be
named as examples, made their firSt mark
in dry goods merchandising. Mr.. Daniel
Drew was q successful farmer; Mr.. Jay
Gould was lumber dealer; MIR. Stock
well a sewing machine maker; Mr.. Orton
was publisher in an interior town; Mr..
Vanderbilt, as all know, q steamboat cap
tain, after steamboats, were invented, and
previously to that era, a simple ierryman.
Only few Of the Americans may be said
TO have been brought up to banking and
finance. OF the numerous Jews who are
eminent In money circles, on the other
hand, the greater part have been bred, as
Is their custom, TO this branch. The Jews
are pre.eminently the bankers and pawn
brokers Of the civilized world. Their sa-
gscity and their endurance are continual
marvels.,
We are at present concerned with the
physique and the degree Of robust health
OF financiers as elements Of their success
or failure. It Is said TO be a family ira.
ditlon OF the RothChilds mot to have any
trust imposed in the hands Of an unlucky
man. In this they are not unphilosophi.
cal; others frequently act on the idea,
without knowing precisely why they. do
so. II will be found upon close examina'
tion that in nearly every case OF ill.luck
which happens to man Tor to q horse,
for that matter), the remote cause Of the
failure Is In some physical imperEection
or blemish. Notorlously It is the sound
body which carries-we might almost
say, begets-the sound mind; and nowhere
else are the sound mind, the evenly bal
anCed, calm judgment and quick execu-
tive abilityss imperitively demanded as
in Wall street, Take as exRmploS cornor
Illus vanderbilt on the ono hand, who is
noted for his equable, steadfast purpose,
imperturable mind, amid conflict, clash or
crash. For q shlight knowledge Of his
person and his habits, it will be safe to say
that this marvellous confidence in man
In his seventy-eighth year, as displayed
by thousands of capitalist spread all over
the country, springs from the fact that he
is man who gives regular portion oil
his time to business, that his long expert
ence In offices Of trust requiring great ad.
ministrative ability have given him ex.
perience, 80 that his work ls performed
easily; and this again will be found TO
spring from his simple, regular habits Of
life. He eats unstimulsting food, rarely
ever Indulging in the so-called festivities
to which his position might invite him
he sleeps abundantly; takes regular exer.
cise out doors, hence his tondness for
horses, and, II one could be admitted 10
the privacy OF his life, 1t would be found
that he attends strictly to every needful
function OF the body with strict punctu-
ality. On the other hand, look at Horace
F. Clark, his son.inlaw-a much younger
man, but slave to overwork. His re-
sponsibilities were large, his duties oner-
Gus, but they became his master instead
Of his becoming theirs. Wall street ex-
perience Is full Of such warnings Of men
struck down suddenly in the midst Of
multiplied cares-and 1t Is singular that
In such cases our modern theraputists
seem to be almost powerless In the pres.
ence Of these victims Of overworked
brains. Their helpless patients wofully
often never rise again from their sick
beds,
Jacob Little, the magnate Of Wall
street, some years ago lost his mental bal
ance under the pressure OF excitement
and losses. Consider what portentous
consequences hang upon the daily health
Of some Of our great capitalists. Suppose
the news to be telegraphed down town
that Commodore Vanderbilt had been
smitten by apoplexy or paralysis; how
values would shrink, and with what anx-
iety men would cast about for a fit sue
cessor, who should preside over the man
agement Of their property! Yet this TACT
depends upon the proper circulation Of
the aged gentleman's blood and this
again upon the uses to which his vital
forces are put In other matters. Moral
stamina even Is not wholly disconnected
from bodily health, and probity is nur-
tured or destroyed by functional health or
disease. A confirmed dyspeptic is, as q
rule, an unsafe counsellor, trustee or man.
sger. 80 intimate is this connection be-
tween mind and body, that cautious cap.
italists habituRlly contemplate the per.
sonal health and habita!ol fiduciAry agent
much as the examining surgeon OF lie
insurance company does that oI Q candi'
date for q policy, and properly 30 too.
Il Is sufficient reason for an investor or
depositary TO avoid consigniDg his prop
erty to the care ofa constitutional invalid,
or to a habituRl debsuchee. OF course
there arc apparent exceptions To this rule,
like the notorious Fisk, who appear TO
succeed in spite Of their neglect oil the
rples both Of morality, decency and
health. Yet even these the Nemesis
oyertakes sooner or later. This regard
Tor health and habits Is continually In
view and acted on in the deliberations Of
boards Of corporations. When It became
known that Oakes Ames was afflicted
Win disease OF the kidnoyO-a sure SSquela
Of a disordercd digestion and q precursor
OF more dangerous complicationg-it was
urged against him as disqualification
for the Presidency of the Union Pacific
Company. Another prominent stock
holder, long identified with the enter
nTiSe, suffered In his candidacy from re-.
nuted violations Of his bodily health. It
Il related Of the elder RothsChild, that
when on his death bed he advised his son
and heir TO "sell consols for money" as
he knew that the effect Of his demise
would cause Q temporary decline in the
price. Ifone's attention 10 directed to 1t,
thara Il scarchlY rnRdhr OF thia nrticln