The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-12-13
MEN OF THE DAY,

Jay Gould: his career: his successes:
his hair-breadth escapes and unexpected
combinations--.,re inexplicable oonun-
drums to those who know him but slight
ly. In fact they astonish those who know
him best. His iraii and delicate figure:
his small head: his retiring and modest
mannerS-give no indication Of what the
man is doing. But the brain spaces may
be filled with gray matter The frail
lhgsiqa@ saves him from distracting or
destructive passions and appetites. as we'll
as from the temptations Of hospitality,
He is an extreme example ct the power
of concentration, But this alone does
not explain this curious phenomenon.
The absence of strong characteristics and
o. positive personality saves him from
the mistakes that. sooner or latter, inc
yitable ruin nine-tcnths of the ablest and
bodest operators The very positiveness
Of their indiyiiua!ities prevents them
from being rightly impressed with the
facts that do not tit their views. They
shed unwclcone facts as a duck does the
rain. SO long as they are in the current
they succeed. They are seldom ready
for the turn in the tide.
Gould's character. mental and moral,
protects him from this danger He is
constantly and impartially rterptire. lie
has no pugnacious convictions to ward
of facts, from any quarter. He is passive
indifferent to everything except the truth
in all matters affecting values: as ready
to be Bull as Bear.
Besides. he has as complete a system
of news gathering as any newspaper. His
house is 4 workshop, where capable en-
ployes send and receive dispatches from
all parts of the country. particularly dur
ing the crop growing and harvesting
seasons. He knows 10 ton what every
important railroad is doing. aud at what
cost and profit. His frequent long jour
news always furnish him vast number
Of facts and hints. No important fact
escapes him. lie gets his knowledge at
first hand.
That !rall little crcature-not strong
enough for the pleasures that divert most
men and ruin niany-is Il highly organ
lied mass of nervous tissue. with lust
enough flesh and blood and boues to keep
it together. But for that reason it pre-
scntS to ordinary men an inscrutable
problem. Gouid's physical constitution
gives him natural impasSivity of appear
auce and enables him to he an easy mas
ter of the diplomacy that makes or
breaks pools and combinations" that
accomplishcS each of the successive steps
in such long series of shrewd bargains as
have created line of s. 900 miles of rail
way. without exciting any ones suspicion
that he was doing anything extraordina-
ry.
GouldS success is 4 standing temper
ance lecture to burly boys of Wall
street who think they can hoist in a
dozen drinks a day and keep their heads
clear enough TO contend against his SUI
perior Information and constant watch
fulness and observation-disclosures. While
their reddening noses become yearly
more glowing beacons of warning and
their brains get more and more fatty and
stupciied. this untiriug and always self
possessed operator brings to the battles
ofthe street a growing range of knowledge
and Il greater readiness for dealing with
sudden emergencies.
The luck is in the man and in his
methods and mental and moral charac-
teristics When | say moral | simply
use the word in its Wall street sense. He
is the embodiment of Wall street specu-
lation. He does not claim to be anything
else.