Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-09
ESTABLISHED 1850.
SOMETHING ABOUT JAY GOULD.
His NapOleOnie Tactics GOuId,s
Personal Appearance.
N z. Cor. Cincinnati Gazette.

" Z. COf. Ctnctnndt1 Gazette.
The recent decline in stocks at a time
when money is so abundant at first
awOke general surprise. 1t soon, how
ever, became apparent that Gould had
turned bear, and was making himself
felt through his varied agencies. Gould
had gradually thrown so wide an extent
of influence over the stock market that
it enables him to carry his plans into
immediate operation. His regular bro
ker Conner is only one of many
agencies which are in his ser
vice. Other brokers are employed
by Conner himself for the
very purpose of carrying out these
secret schemes. 1t was in this manner
that Gould depressed the Elevated stock
until it reached the desired point, when
he loaded himself with all he could
carry. He then at once became bull, and
the quotations rose more rapidly than
they had declined A vast amount of
money was lost by those who sold out
under GOuld's attacks, and the advance
on these very shares now adds million
or more to his wealth. 1t has for ten
years been GOuld's rule to be on the
watch for weak stocks. When he has
made. a selection he forces it down to a
low mark by a series of well concerted
attacks, and then makes heavy pur-
chases, and forces the market up as easily
as he forced it down. Only man of the
highest order of genius can carry on
such a system, and the fact that Gould
succeeds is the greatest proof of his vast
natural powers. His method is pre-
cisely like that which Napoleon found
so successful. The latter massed his
forces on the weak point Of the enemy,
and, having crushed it, soon obtained
complete victory. He then formed al
liances with his former enemies, who
were compelled to serve him. The time
came, however, when his game turned
against him, and Gould, too, will yet
meet his Waterloo. Like the former
conquerOr of Europe, he only bides his
time of doom.
Gould is the most inferior of all lead
ing business men in point of personal
appearance, and a stranger would take
him for a BowerY clothes dealer rather
than a railway king. He has the rapid
motion OF counter jumper, the air of
spruce tratticker in cheap goods. Both
front and side face are inferior, but the
lower part of the latter is concealed in a
heavy beard so intensely black that it
suggests artificial means. Gould leads
hard life. He labOrs with close
application, and is driven by the
pressure of his engagements until
he may be considered a mere bondman
He has no leisure, no society, no
reading, no recreation, but is simply
under the whip and spur of necessity.
To this has been added the conscious
ness of impending danger. He has a
body guard of detectives to protect him
when walking the streets, but he spends
most of his time in his office, being as
secluded as possible. The sense of
danger is certainly very natural. The
fact that Major Selover pitched him
down the stairs into the barber shop
shows that personal violence may be re
peated, and this gave deeper power to
these threatening letters. hardly think
such a man to be envied, notwithstand-
ing his immense wealth.