The Morning herald., 1875-09-02
THE CAREER OF RALST9N.
FROM POVERTY TO POWER.

A correspondent of the New York 1'i
bune writes to that journal in substance al
follows, Of the dead Bank President
From mate Of Mississippi steamboat
to head Of one of the largest banking in
stitutions in the world-undoubtedly the
largest in the western half of the world
$ GEMS a Transformation dazzling and dra.
matte. But it was gradual one. In this
instance, as in all others, it was no royal
road that led to position and power. The
climb was hard one and had its different
stages and halting places by no single
bound was the hight reached. Diferen,
indeed the fall. Yesterday, looking up,
men wondered; to-day, looking down, they
stand aghast. For one of the adventurous
who then stood with feet seemingly firm
planted high up the hill, which SO many
aspire to climb, now lies crushed and
shapeless mass at our feet. Less far in
deed from top to bottom than from bottom
to top; for the one journey Of years are
necessary, for the other single minute
suffices. 1t is very hard at just this point
to refrain from preaching. But l will.
The corpse found floating and drifting
about the bay of San Francisco has beer
dragged ashore, and if You can LOOK upon
it without learning something, all that the
ghastly lesson conveys, indeed, sermon
would but be thrown away.
William c. Ralston was the most rest
less and ambitious man 1 ever knew, and
among restless and ambitious men my lot
has principally fallen. As already hinted,
his beginning was an obscure one. The
precise details of his early life | do not re-
and will not endeavor to repeat,
though have had them from his own lips.
But unless l much mistake, the banks of
the Mississippi River were the only banks
with which he had to do prior to emigra-
ting to California in the early gold days,
and with these he had to do in the capaci-
ty of mate-some say deck-hand only-of
a stern-wheel steamboat. To the compara-
tive lowness of this starting point, may we
not attribute that aspiring. ambition which
led to fall? For you may have noticed
that men born to middle station in life
pod always in it contentedly, while those
born in the lower levels are scarce ever
satisfied till they have climbed to the top of
The social shaft. 1t does not exactly follow
hat those who start on the top round of
he ladder are uneasy till they have climbed
o the bottom, but it's very frequently the
'ase. In this matter society is like the
'cean, that which breaks loose from the
'ottom struggles up, and good ships which
re launched and expected to swim on the
urface go down if accident knocks hole
n them. Little by little, Mr.. Ralston got .
N. But the more he got on the longer
7ere his strides Most men set for them
elves point in life at which to rest when ,
eached-at least they say they will rest at ,
!; he never did. The only point where I
e proposed to stop was when he had gotten ,
far as he could 60, and this programme ,
arried with it very few limitations as you n
an we'll imagine. Nothing short Of all ,
ould satisfy the man. As in business, 40
18th pleasure. For pleasure in itself he r
id not really care-indeed, I much doubt
he knew what twas. Lavish surround /
'gs contributed little to his happiness, but r
emaintained the establishment Of a prince. d
low it was afterward, when railroads came A
be built, do not know, but in the day G
my knowledge he was whirled to his f
'untry seat by relays Of horses at the close
each days business, with all the speed
I'd more of style than any two railroads +
'uld furnish. For horses, as horses, he
red very little, and about horses, as Il
'rses, he knew less; but his stables were n
IL of the most famous of gosrs. For f.
inc, he had no inordinate fondness, I d
ink, but down in his cellars you found a, a,
ands which are commonly supposed to be Fl
served for the tables Of royalty alone. W
is hospitality" was marvellous; but 1 do a, a,
It know that any QUE can soy he was hos r.
table. Go to him with letter of intro #
'ction-or without one, if you happened ~
be an eminent editor, prize-6ghter, law g
r, theologian, horse-thief or member ct
any one of.the learned professions and Of Of
insisted upon you making his house bl
ur home while you stayed, furnishing o. o.
u with horses, steamboats,, palace cars, or "
ything else you wanted to go with when
n went. Invited down to his country F.