Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-10
GOTHAM GOSSIP.
Wall Street, and the Fate of a Once
Great Spectator.
A Lesson From Stock Gambling Old Thur
low Weed-A Mystery Which Died
With Him-Mrs. Langty'sFlir-
tatioa and Her Quarrel.
CLUB LIFE IN THE METROPOLIS.


CLUB LIFE IN THE METROPOLIS.
Sfoetai Correspondence Of The S,1nday Register.
NEW YORK, December THE re-
cent arrest of John M. Tobin fer street
intoxication may have shocked some
who knew him in his grandeur, but it
will hardly surprise those who are
aware Of the natural tendency of spec
ulation to iBtemperaDee. Most Wall
street men are hard drinkers, and all oc-
cssiOns of special excitement ut once.
increase the bag trade in shat vicinity.
Many speeulatsss are carried home
drunk as an almost daily occurrence,
and this gives employment TO the car
riages seen in that locality. It was To
bins misfortune, however taat having
lost his property he Also lost Ais' regard
fcr deeeRcy, and herce was picked up
drunk in the street. Tobin haB- besu a
great man in Wall stFeet, having once
held the office of president of the :Hspi-
son River railroad, this being jus5 before
nne Vanderbilt regime. He was in his
earlier days employed at me oLatOn Il,
land ferry --h-ssc he wOn' Vanderbilts
confidence by his general ability. He
saw that the commodore WIS operating
H heavily in stocks, and this led hira,tb'
try his luck. The imitation was Just be-
ginning, and all who had nerve were
sure to win.. Addison G. jerome was
then the leaderat the stock bosrd, where 1
foTnearly q year he commanded enthu.-
siastio admiration by his dashing hits,
most of which were successful. He was
a middle-sized, quiet-lOOking mon, with
q gray eye, which indicated that de-
cision which marked his character. He
made enough to be rated millionaire,
but all spectators must eventuallymeet
their doom, and his came in 1854, when \
he attempted to cope with Henry Keep.
The latter drew him into an operation
in old Southern las it was then termedD
by which he lost $500, $40, and soon af-
terward he died victim of speculation.
Tobin's MOEen,ents.
Jerome led TObin into the field and
for a time they operated together.
When the death of Addie Jerome o.
Cured, his brother Leonard soon en-
gagged in the wild schemes of that day
of bubbles. 1t was then whispered that
Tobin was working in connection with
Vanderbilt, which made the former a
power in the market. This was par
tally correct. He was the Commo-
dore's agent in that great corner in Har-
lem which made such sensation in the
spring of 1864. His TALL, straight form
much resembled that Of the commo-
dore himself, and though. his keen eye
often glared fiercely upon the Wall
street crowd, his smile, when in good
humor, was genial and even fascinating
Hudson river was then down TO 80, and
its capital was only S4,000,00O. Tobin
had made enough to buy this stock on
a margin to o controlling extent, and
the result was that he became its presi-
dent. He was rated ut this, time at
S3,OO0,000, and might still heve been
immensely rich. had he not been lured
into some unlucky. schemes. Soon al
ter his grand success in Hudson. river,
he began bulling gold, which bad de-
clined from 2S5 to 200. Tobin thought
it might be advanced at least 20 per
cent, and threw his whole strength
into the operation. The Union victo-
ries, however, which then occurred,
sent gold down to mark which cost
Tobin $2,OO0,000. Wall street men
never know when to stop. Tobin
might have been rich had he avoided
the stock board. This, however, was
until fsb Is. He continued sPscuhtt ting
sinking in misery until at lest lie IL
picked up drunk in the streets.
Passing Away.
How old men and old buildings pass
away Thurlow. Weed and the old
postoffice are now among our hOnored
memories. The former was the
richest printer on record: Sixty
Sixty wears ago be worked in this city
in the same Office with James and John
Harper, who also became rich through
industry and enterprise. What dis
tinguished trio, to begin in one small
Office! AS Weeds strongest associations
were with Albany, 1t was, highly
proper that he should be buried there.
His funeral brought together larger
number of politicians and journalists
than New York had ever previously
witnessed. We shall miss those inter
esting "reminiscences which bore his
| initials, and which his age and eSper-
| fence rendered so attractive. TO return
| to the old postoffice, it was demolished
with great rapidity, and the complete
ness of the work is shown by the bones
which have been discovered in its deep.
est recessas, Nearly century ana
three quarters have elapsed since TINS
structure was erected, and 1t was then
the prandest church in America Inc
population of the city at that time was
| 10 600, most of whom lived below Wall
street. This church indeed was built
| in the suburbs, and, st. PauPs tone
quarter mile further up was also
suburban movement forty years later
in date. All oar best churches
indeed have been built to
attract those who were going up
town. and when it's population gave
place to business they were demolished.
The old pOstoffiCe plat had but two
owners previous to its last sale-the
cburoh trustees and the government.
When built the land WAS probably
worth equal to 500 of our currency,
hut its present owners value 1t at $lOOO,-
600. This may seem large ad.
vance, and yet. had thahSlO9 been Kept
at compound interest from the creation
of the church. until the. present day IL
would have amounteGkto more than six
times the abaye mentioned valuation.
Remarkable Secret.
Weed gave the wsrld his Statements
eoneerniHg the Morgan affair, but there
was another mystery of which he was
the sole depository, and when aled
with lin. 1t was hoped he would re-
veal il by posthum0us statement, but
he thonSht It unwise TO lift the veil
from a painful tragedy. 1 refer to the
CbaneslIor Lansing mystery. The
Chancellor, who held q high IP2e eaa s;t.
both in social and professional lie, as
appeared In sudden and unacco1nt.
bic manner. He was seen one stsfm ~
atSarnnnn nnar DARK walking down Ce