The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-22
Ole gstsLLIasltan.
WHEN JAZZ GOpLD QUAKED.
his Narrow Escape from Utter Ruin
Three Years Ago,

NnFeo fears Ago,
n. Y, Times Of sunday.
1.-THE history OF Wall street can never b,
written-no, my boy, not 1.-THE Of it,
remarked one OF the magnates Of the stool
market to a Times reporter yesterday
There is one chapter particularly in tina
history which has been kept amazingly
quiet Pm confident that not more than .
dozen men have ever known anything
about it, and the majority OF that dozen art
quite content to let the world continue it.
jogging along in the dark, 1t is IN inter
esting story, all the more so from the fac
that Jay Gould figures in the front OF it
and figures in way that most folks will
wonder at. It's kind o related to hi.
latest experience, too, The story, in nut
shell, is that as late as three years ago Jay
Gould was showed into a corner, and hall
dozen strong men were debating terms &c
him-terms which contemplated nothing
else than his almost utter ruin. And Gould
had lost his backbone. He was ready to
slide under, throw up everything, retire
from the street and commence again,
suppose, to peddle tinware to the back
woodsmen OF Delaware county"
In possession OF this rather surprising
bit Of history a representative OF the Times
called for further light upon Mr., Russell
Sage, who figures in the story and knows
all about It, Mr.. Sage was very busy; Mr.,
Sage was likewise very shy. The reporter,
however, persisted in asking questions.
81 don't want to be interviewed on the
subject" insisted Mr., Sage; ~ can't afford
to be mixed up in it,"
"iut the story is true, every word OF it,
isn't it"
eyes, yes; your story is straight; but you
had better follow my advice and not print
it. Now, won't say another word, and |
don't want to be quoted"
Mr.. Sage turned to his puts and calls.
The reporter was quite satisfied.
"Jim kcene was the fellow who had
Gould down." explained the Tima inior-
mant-an ''insiderh known everywhere in
Wall strickland Keene was happy.
kccne, you know, came on here from the
Pacific slope, proposing TO clean out Wall
street the moment he arrived. But, some
how, keene got to staggering more than
the street did. He met Gould in several
deals, and each man tried to convince the
other that he had no othergods before him;
but, my boy, they gouged oneanothef right
along the same. Finally Came the big
Western Union deal. Gould was in with
Belden, Jim Fisk's old Chnm, who went
headiOng overheard on Black Friday.
Keeno was working with Shirley and Sc
lover, and the trio went to other
heavy operators and whispered that
Gould Was badly short Of Western
Union; then Sam Mills got instructions to
run up pool. Over 100000 shares OF
stock were bought, out OF M entire capital
stock OF S3G,O 900, and fellows on tho in.
side, were already beginning to count up
profits when KGene suddenly deserted
them, struck hands with Gould, and the
two walked off with spoils to the amount
Of 100000, But, my boy, before that
$4,000 WIS divided Mr. KcGne was very,
very wrOth-and all but Il few pennies OF
that same 100000 had gone to the bottom
Of Jay GOuld's pocket. lie had tripped
keene up on little private game OF
their own. MIR. Kecne bought new pistol,
and Mr., keene's friend, Splover, Chucked
Gould down an Exchange place areaway.
"Gould went to dealing heavily in At
lantiC and Pacific Telegraph, and had Dor.
rowed an immense block for speculation.
Old Commodore Garrison Joined with
Keene to form q pool, and Gould was adj
mitted to it. The market doomed, and
prices shot up from 10 to So Gould went
west, and in the meantime Kecne and the
Commodore went in for themselves and
bought right and leit.-Dut somehow the
milk came out ireer than they had expect
ed. More stock was piled on them than
they could stagger under. They suddenly
discovered that Gould had been selling all
the time they were buying. Ills trip west
was a clever schGme-mighty clever;
but the break came sooner than
Gould anticipated. Garrison STAN
peeled rs soon as he learned
the true condition OF things, and his hold.
ing went overheard for cash. When
Gould got back n surprise was awaiting
him. The stock he had expected to pick
up at his own figures to return for that
the omNrkCt.. 1t was safely slowed away in
Russell Sage's safe, who had taken II IN at
from II to 20, and was quite willing to tell
Gould al about 1t when that individual
dropped down town. GOuld's Jig was up.
His pretty little game had bo6meranged,
and Sage was holding him OH the hip to
the tune Of 100000 or so clear.
Garrison worried nightly over his i'll
luck. All, how sorry the Commodore was
that he hadn't held on to his stock u little
longer instead Of letting Russell Sage get
grip on it. But the old mans courage had
Oozed out just at the wrong minute, and
the profits which could have been his went
into the Sage till. 1t wasn't long before he
was taken toSaratoga stricken by paralysis.
Keene was in eCstAcies over his own good
fortune, for lie didn't unload single
share, though scared about Ms badly Us
Garrison. But he recognized the fact that
his escape had been Il wonderfully narrow
one, and that Gould had come mighty near
beating him, His longing for revenge lost
nothing Of its vigOr. 1t was not long ere
lie seemed about to accomplish that
revenge Gould was down, Keene was
on top, and Gould had lost his pluck, lost
1t entirely.
an the spring Of 1873 Gould went West
to look after the interests Of his pet Union
Pacific Railroad. Just at that time he
wasn't touching any other stock in the
market Union Pacific was all lie could
be induced to think about. The sermons
lie heard at Church-he does 90 to church
sometimes, You knox-all meant Union
Pacific, and the funny stories told him
we're good or bad as he could twist them
into Union Pacific yarns After talking
Union Pacific all day he carried It to bed
Min Lin, nnl ms, hn,. In nnnrnL lfnini,