The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-29
The History of Newspaper Fiasco,

Let the cobber stick to his last, is an old
proverb. 1t embodies n truth of expert
ence. man is more likely to succeed ia
a business he understands than in one he
has yet to learn. If you can do something
better than other people, your chances of
making living are first rate. Therefore
though now we are sorry 20 say even
skilled labor must fold its hands and use
up the savings bank accumulation laid by
for a rainy day-the man who has learned
trade and mastered ii is, in the long run,
more secure of his bread than one who can
do nothing except WELD a yardstlck.
JAY GOULD, long years ago, was leather
merchant in the swamp. He was not, like
his friend of the Black Friday, GRANT, di-
rectly in the tanning business. but he was
In leather. Being II thrifty man Of tenn
perate habits, with a nose for money, he
probably laid by in the swamp nice little
nest egg. We believe he was mt one time
associated in business with the late Mr..
LEUPP, once n prominent figure in New
York society, and n gentleman of highly
refined and cultivated tastes.
Great fortunes have been made in the
Swamp, and il is a sort of aristocratic bust
htHs ttulIts iuDu-h tnt SAlttlo ~ CAlitN
have q nasty smell, and you might not
think that bright pure gold and patrician
pride could be mined and coined there.
Mr.. LEUPP was at one time very rich, and
built what was In his day one Of the largest
and very finest houses in New York, on the
east side Of Madison square. Here he gave
elegant dinners, and distinguished for
eigners especially, and artists aud literary
men used to eat them. one day, however.
being distraught with business troubles.
Mr.. LEuPP went into his bath room and
shot himself dead. Afterward, the spa
cious house was occupied by Mr.. RoNALDs
whose beautiful wife used TO hold court
there, and delight her guests with her
charming musical gift and incompatible
social grace and tact. She went abroad,
separated from her husband, and passed
out OF her old circle. Then the great house
was hired by the Atheneum Club at one
time n prosperous association OF artists,
men OF letters, those who liked to think
Themselves so, and other people who took
to club life. The Athengum Club launched
out bravely in the LEUPP mansion, but
soon came to grief, through bad manage
mont and perhaps bad rum, ana died, the
Officers suing some of the members for
their share Of the debt of the defunct con-
Germ. Then Mr. BARREDA, the Peruvian
gunno millionaire, bought the house, and
spent large sum OF money in altering IL
ana making il more modern, if not more
attractive. Mr.. BARREDA has suffered from
the times, and the LEuPP house is now for
sal.
But this is an aside. Wen, JAY GorLD
left the swamp and went into stocks. Per
ma he did wisely, for he had wonder
ful capacity for stock gambling, an elastic
conscience, and a relentless purpose in his
pu' nj Of gold This could not bc called
ali instance of "A cobbler abandoning his
last, for leather was not his natural spec
h'tv, but speculation was. Perhaps, how
ever, before his career is ended, ne may
wish he had never left the swamp. Tn
less AN signs fam JAY GorLD il likely TO be
cleaned ont some day.
But low, then, does the ola provcrb appl,
to TINS "restless spcculator," rs his stool
pig 9u cuphcmistically calls him? Because
In AN evil moment he went outside OIL
hock Gambling and running railways and
WEN INTO the newspaper business. Now
seems 70 some men a. easy a. lying to
run newspaper But il Is not so, by a.n,
uie'n'' IT l. trade by itself, as distinc
"'N s'VSk gambling rs the shoe busm1s