, 1875-08-28
JAY GOULD
The Mystery of wall Street.


! celebrated Barnum will recall the marvellous
efficacy of his schemes for " interesting the
public" and, at the same time, building up
his own personal fortunes. The story of the
nurse of Washington, of the Fiji mermaid,
| and Of the various contriysnces of that cele-
brated operator has been iold by the trium-
| phant author of these experiments himself,
and Is now part of the literature of the
country. We are reminded good deal of
what Barnum did so triumphantly twenty
five years ago when We sec the exploits of
another character, who, If he had only been
in the museum of the distinguished show
man, might have been called the d" What is
it ?" For the last few years there has been
drifting through Wall street, through our
money markets, through our politics and
society mysterious, shadOwy. scarcely de-
fiued influence, whose form is visible to the
ewes of few, but whose name is upon every
lip.
In former days he was united in blazing
partnership with one of those peculiar, phos-
phOrescent characters which sometimes flash
into prominence in America, only TO fade
away. His partnership came 10 terrible
Mystery" was little more than the silent
member of noisy and obtrusive firm, eager
ly craving notoriety, seeking the eye Of the
public in extraordinary tandem teams. Since
the dissolution of this partnership by the
vanishing into night Of the gaudy butterfly
who for so long n period attracted the eye of
the public, the " Mystery of Wall street - has
walked in darkness and silence. At one time
he had political ambition. We saw him in
Albany moving Legislatures, controlling great
corporations Then we had him as the power
behind the Judicial bench, playing with
Judges as with marionettes, and afterward in
open alliance with great leaders of the old
Tammany ring. His policy was then one of
defiance; be cared little for public opinion.
Money was the only means Of advancement,
and 50 long as he made money he cared moth
ing for has fame But recently the Mystery
has adopted another policy. He is no longer
anxious to be power in Tammany hall, OF a
manager Of Judicial marionettes; he no longer
seeks display; he avoids sunshine his ambi-
tiOn sweeps across the continent he will take
possession Of the great Pacific railroad, built
by the generosity of the public for the Allan
tic and Pacific States; be would become the
arbiter of the journalism of the country by
controlling the telegraph, and, therefore, in
directly controlling the press. From day to
day he grows in strength and power, a
shadowy influence, but appealing to the i'm
agination OF the people to such degree that
his very darkness is a source Of strength, and
operators in Wall street tremble before MS
nod as though he were deity. One day,
when be is " short" he is destroying angel;
another, when he is " long" he Is an aveng-
ing demon. He always carries threat and
a blight.
A sudy of these phenomenal influences
that now and then arise in our society Is the
best means of knowing upon what our gov
erninental and social systems really rest.
Every age has its phenomena, and the Wall
street mystery belongs to ours. In the time
Of the East Indian conquest, when Hastings
and Give were founding the magnificent but
fragile power Of England in India, we had
the nabob, the suddenly rich adyenturer who
returned home laden with the spOils of Hin
doc princes, and who WAS seen in every come
dy as the rich, ignorant upstart, suffering
from liver complaint and dreaming of q seat
in Parliament and marrying his daughter tc
lord. In our own country we had the snd'
denly rich Oil speculator, who tlOated about
Saratoga. We had the Big Bonanza princes
from California, who came decorated witt
quartz and precious stones. Then came th'
shoddy lords who germinated during the war
rich in the wealth that came from fraudulen
contracts and rotten supplies Our Mystery
belongs TO a new type. He speculates upor
the imaginations of mankind. His aim Is Il
deceive the world and to make deception bar
ter and sale. Vested rights are nothing. lh
world is bis oyster and he opens it with HI
sword. This lie of the morning is quoted II
the stock Inst. Wherever We see the Myster.
it is surrounded with mist of lies that fos
about it like a mIasma, poisoning buslnes
and sapping public credit, weakening privat
virtue, throwing distrust into all honest trad
and dealing with business and industry an
all honest, prudent effort, as the bandit VII
feels that society lives for him alone. An
that he is free to plunder it with impunity-
What is this NJ ystery of Wall streetI Is
the real strength of great intellect or
reputation gained by the means employed
effectuaIly thirty years ago by Mr. Barnur
is it genius or quackery? Is the Myster
a power, a name? VIII it live few day:
advertised into wide prominence as the nnrs
: of Washington was advertised, and then t
5 be thrown aside among The old timber an
worn ont masks of the street. or are We resll
passing under the despotism OF finsneia
character so great that It's existence will 3
I incompatible with the freedom Of g grea
: people?-N. T. Herald.
/ For THE BoYs.-A contemplative philosc