Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-11-02
LIFE IN WALL STREET.


A Picture from Life of n Noted Financier.
Unlike most financial operators, say 8
8 New York exchange, Jay Gould loves
to keep out of sight. He never appears
in Wall street when he can avoid 1t,
especially of late. If he is seen there,
his appearance is always interpreted
significantly. Somebody always pre-
tends to know exactly what he is doing
or intends to do. The rumor runs !:
"Go1lld is on the street; what mischief
is he up to now9" And, OF course,
there are certain persons who, assuming
to understand why he is there, go around
looking owl-like for the remainder OF the
day, and gaining thereby reputation
for mysterious wisdom. The great
speculator is very retiring by nature.
He is not in the least gregarious, not
even social, although always polite and
gentle. Very domestic, he seems to
have no private vices, and spends much
of his time at home. He has four or
five children, the eldest, George, being
his. frequent companion. His wife is
intelligent, amiable, and said to be in
teresting but scarcely anybody knows
her. She cares nothing for society, and
is wholly devoted to her husband and
family. She dresses plainly, but richly,
and invariably refuses to be put down as
manager of any of the public balls or
entertainments given during the season.
She is said to be quite charitable,
seldom refusing when asked for dona-
tions, but never wanting her name men
toned or published. Her husband
gives no parties of any kind. Occasion
ally his brokers dine with him when
they have something to talk over but
he generally dimes alone with his family.
He is a very moderate eater drinks no
wine but half a bottle OF Bordeaux at
dinner; rarely attends any place OF
amusement goes to bed about eleven
o'clock and rises at six. He has an
Office and several clerks at work In his
house on Fifth avenue, and telegraphic
wire connecting with his office down
town.
He frequently drives in the park on
pleasant afternoons with his wife and
children, and sometimes with his boy,
George. His turnouts, OF which he has
several, are very plain, not calculated to
attract the least attention. His own
dress, while it is exceedingly neat-his
linen being of the finest, and his outer
garments of the best-is entirely quiet,
and usually Of black or dark brown
color. His person is well known from
repeated illustrations and caricatures IN
weeklies. He is under the medium
height; quite light; dark complenoned;
with very dark eyes, hair, and full
beard and mustache. His face is ex-
tremely calm, not unpleasant, nor win
ming either-what might be called veil
ed. Its expression does not exactly re-
iect confidence; but no one would be
ant to repose confidence in the mystery
that is behind it. While the man does
not appear selfish, there is an absence OF
all sympathy. When he speaks, his
voice is very low, and not devoid OF
sweetness. His manners are OF the
qmetest, and his general outgiving,
emitting the affectional element, is al
most feminine. What is understood as
the moral seems omitted in him; he i'm
presses one as an intellectual force, too
Intelligent to hate and too thoughtful to
love. He scarcely ever smiles, and he
never employs a superfuous word, or
lifts his voice above common conversa-
tional key. He appears to be man
whom nothing could excite, and one OF
his brokers says you never can tell from
his expression when he reads telegram
whether he has made five millions or lost
ten.
JAY Gould is, on the whole, the most
incomprehensible of New Workers. He
seems to be a financial genius, All en-
bodiment of the money making faculty.
He has no friends so far as known, and
a host of enemies, many Of whom have
never seen him; enemies who have been
losers, as they believe, through his
agency. In all probability he consults
his own interest alone; he has no prin-
ciple but gain; his life is in great specu-
lations; they are like opium to the con-
frmed opium eater; he subslsts on their
excitement and cannot give them up.
Money has become subsidiary with him
to the sensation of making it, the plan,
the prosecution, the ingenious adapta-
ton of means to ends. He is the spirit
of operating incarnated. In his busl-
ness he is, no doubt, utterly selfish; he
is the opposite of model for any man.
But he is not materially worse than the
men he is associated with. He is dl-
rect and natural outgrowth of the stock
exchange. His greatest crime, in the
eyes of his fellow spectators, is that he
succeeds in doing to Wall street what
Wall street is perpetually trying to do to
him