The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-05
The Gould Guards-A Tale Of Wall
Street

t- SseS 1891
Blatt Is an accident insurance agent,
and was trying few days since to In
duce sundry brokers tUtake out accident
policies. They laughed him to scorn,
and finally one in derision, said: III
you'll get Jay Gould to take out an &c
cident policy we'll see him and 60 him
ten times the amount better"
''Pll do it." said Blatt, and he darted
out of the Office.
Blatt is man Of nerve and function;
of good address and great executive
ability. and also of audaciousness. But
/ 1t worried him to think how he should
get at Jay Gould. He knew how well
Gould is fortified. 1t is necessary to
pass the investigative scrutiny of three
men ere one can reach the ear of Gould
in his financial holy of holes. II the
first guard deems the business and the
man worthy the attention of the second
guard, he turns the Gould seeker over
to the second guard. If the second
guard deems the man and his business
worthy he turns him over to the third
guard. If the third guard deems
the man one of the elect he ad.
mits him to the presence of the
great Wall Street pOtentate. It's a
terribly sitting process, and this road to
Gould is strewn with the wrecks of those
who have gone to pieces on one or the
other of the three, and SO come short
of the glory of private interview with
Gould.
Blatt determined in his intercourse
with the three Gould guards to fence in
his business with mystery and import
ance; to state no details but only gener-
alities, inferring affairs and secrets of
great moment to be whispered into no
ear save that of Gould.
So he met the inquiry of guard one
with the reply: II am just off the street
and am the possessor of secret which
must reach none but the ear of Gould
himself.
And with this and bold front he did
actually, to his own amazement, pass
the three and found himself in the pres
ence of Gould. rr
The King of Cash sat idly and alone,
with one leg on the table. He greeted
Blatt with the remark: ..Well, sir, what
is your business with me?''
Blatt' at that moment would have
given part of his being to be out of the
Mighty Presence. But he was in for it,
The Rubicon was passed. The ships
were burned. There was no escape nor
looking back.
So he said, with an air of frank self
depreciation: "Mr Gould, the fact is,
I've come to ask you to take out an &C
cident. policy rt
Gould stared and thenlaughed. That
this man with business of no more i'm.
portance than this should manage to
run the gauntlet of his three guards
amused him. And he also admired the
talent which could do it.
He said: "Bdt why should 1 take out
an accident policy?"
"Well, Mr.. Could" said Blatt, 'the
fact is, A, B and C (naming his three
deriders who were known to Gould) de.
clared that if / could get an accident
policy out of you they'd go ten times
the amount better"
20. they did, did they?'' said Gould,
whose eyes twinkled with satisfaction of
scoring point on the Derisive Three.
what is the highest amount can take
Oh single policy?''
"Ten thousand dollars"
."Make it out, then"
Which Blatt did. But as Gould ten.
dered him the money Blatt remarked:
"Mr. Gould. I've one more favor to ask
of you. l want your signature to q
check for that amount, because if ]
haven't it they won't believe I've capt
ured you and l want it to shake at those
fellows"
"All right" said Gould, and he passed
on his signature.
Blatt in two minutes was back before
his deriders. "Pve got him." he cried.
and then, even before the expression OF
incredulity had time to harden on the
faces of the three, he did shake under
their noses the check with Gould's sig
nature.
Blatt retired with three big accident
policies. The Derisive Three are still
wondering how Blatt got past the Gould
guards.
Toujours raudacet-N Y Graphic.