The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-07-06
a NAPOLEON OF
Az English View eff Jay Gould and His
Operations.

issue, says: slneTe Is now gong Oh III ALL
erica a development of the power OF al IN
diyidual capitalist which is well worth atten-
ton as a feature in modern society. Inc
tendency of capital in that country to roll up
with extraordinary rapidly has often been
noticed, and nowhere else could the colossal
fortunes Of Astor, Vanderbilt or A. !. Stew
art have been accumulated il the lifetime OF
one man. But the operations ot MIR. Gould
are Of far greater extent Than those OF any
previous capitalist, and the movement OF
which be is The head is SO clearly a portion
of a general evolution that W. on this side OF
the Atlantic may notice his course with pro-
fit to ourselves. MIR. Jay Gould is chiefly
known here as one of the famous EGie til
umyirate-Fjsh and Lane being the others
who carried on d successful war 10 shares by
the aid Of a printing press kept in full work
on their premises. Drew and Vanderbilt
found to their cost that it was impossible to
tcorner' or control q stock when all Of the
scribb]ing paper in New York could be got
into the market against them. Some day,
doubtless, a calm inquirer will set forth the
philosophy Of the corner in full, and when
he does SO Mr.. Jay Gould will assuredly fig
ure as the founder of q school. Never, per
haps, was q holder game played in its way
than that Of this very Erie triumvirate in
rigging the gold market. The story is old,
but its moral is always applicable. At the
time when their operations began gold and
greenbacks stood in a definite relation to one
another, they factuated more or less, of
course, as this or that buyer came into the
market, but nothing very serious had occur
red since the great initiation Of The civil war.
Suddenly the happy idea came into the heads
of these worthless, or rather into the head Of
one Of them, to purchase all the gold IN the
market and lock it up; those who were oD-
liged to buy gold for business purposes were
compelled by their necessities to buy at the
figure demanded by the ring. The matter
began to get serious. Gold went up and up
like 8 tube of mercury in boiling water and
there WAS no saying where it would all end.
New York, eXcitable at all times, near went
out OF its senses. A mob at length collected
in front Of the office Of the three cOnspirat-
ors, and affairs looked rather ugly for the
triumvirate. To borrow a phrase from Mr..
Jevon's mathematical metaphysical language
of economy, the ultimate ditferentiatlons Of
finabutility figured in the shape eff a lamp
post and a rope. This, it has always been
said, did not suit Mr.. Jay Could. The intro
duction of brute force formed no part of his
calculations, and, in American parlance, he
cleft without even stopping to open the
glass door which afforded the only way to
the rear. His holder allies stood out, the
United States Treasurer sold gold, and the
corner came to an end.
Il is unnecessary to follow Mr.. Gould any
further, or through other phases of stock
jobbing after this. Corners are devoid of
interest, whether in wheat, gold, corn, pork
or anything else, save as showing the power
which, under our present system OF produc-
ton and exchange, may be gripped By an
INSCRIPTIONS man or knot Of men working
for the same end. But it was only as gam
bier in stocks that MIR. Jay Gould was work
ing, and it was presumed his lack of physi-
Cal courage and the loss of one or two of his
associates would cripple him for larger
schemes. Precisely the contrary has occur
red, and during the long period Of depression
following the panic, this strange financial
genius has emerged beyond comparison the
ablest handler Of capital in the United States
That he is acting in accordance with the ten
dency Of events does not Of course detract
from his ability: but the result is remarkable
@ dAu WuUlA " AdIsCAOuS u " LAC 1hGt llAt
the same power which broke up the gold
ring can step in and break up a monopoly
created by Jay Gould-the ablest combina-
ton for the benefit of the few that ever ex-
listed. His mode of operation is peculiar,
and, according to trustworthy evidence, his
own immediate associates, after a long dis
%cussion, in which he himself has taken little
or no part, were often unaware Of the part
ultimately to be adopted. The mere money
part Of the business seems to have no charm
for him, ii particular; he buys q State Leg
islat ire SIS he buys newspapers and railroads
as 8 portion of a grand scheme of CONSOLE
2 dation which extends beyond what perhaps
he himself forsees.
AS a result of q series of extraordinary
and successful operations, Mr.. Jay Gould has
acquired q prestige somewhat similar TO that
which Prince Bismarck has or had in EurOp-
can politics. Any successful coup is regard
ed as 8 part OF his skillful proceedings. But
men arc only just beginning TO perceive the
outcome.
There ore others moving in the same di
%rection, but at this moment Mr.. Jay Gould is
master of the main line OF transportation be-
tween tle Atlantic and the Pacific; he is lay
ing his plans, according to all accounts, for
combination with the other roads being push
ed through in the United States Territory.
He has a monopoly Of the telegraphic com
munications, proposes to connect them with
submarine cables in the same interest, whilst
the project Of Q line Of purely freight steam
ers carrying in connection with the affiliated
roads from the West is also attributed to his
genius.
Now, even assuming that one Of these
plans breaks down, for a time, only q gene
raj tendency in favor of combination ae