The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-07-04
DIR. sTRoUsBrRc.


rum IN InlSddelpnla bulletin.
IL cabfe brings the news ~ =
death of DR.. Strousberg. the for,.
German railway king. His caraar lst
q remarkable one, resembling that 3
many great spectators, both Furorasp
and American, but still especially a a.
to point a moral, if not to adorn 4 taIs
1t may be doubted, however, WHAT.
be was guilty of the dishonesty NIL.
which he was charged when, nearlv ~
years ago, all the vast enterprises oas
schemes that he had been carrvinc
his shoulders collapsed. He. was 4.
birth an east Prussian Jew. But in H.
youth he left Neidenburg, his nativs
town, and settled in England, where hs
was baptized as a Christian
Although occupied in bus; ,,aa,
he found time for considerable litaror~
work he conducted the Merchant'smas
azine and Sharpe's London maoazins
from both of which he made money I'M
the chief source Of his wealth was RI
insurance agency. Having got a fortune
and having presumably learned tia
more enterprising commercial methods
OF the English, he returned to Germanv
about 20 years ago, to apply both his
fortune and his experience upon bis
countrymen, who are proverbially slow
In business matters. He o astonishad
the plodding Germans by the vastness
of his projects. He undertook what
Secondhand proyed-two much for 4
single man to achieve; but for several
years, as contractor, railway protector
and tinancier his success was equal Ia
his expectations. Not only in Germany
but also in Russia, his power was fell.
Unfortunately, DR.. Strousberg did
not count upon the effect which the mol.
itical aspirations of Count Bismarck
might produce upon his ventures. and
when the Prussian statesman deity sue
ceeded in forcing a war upon France.
whatever may have been ths benefit Ger
many derived from that master-stroke
of diplomacy and war, DR.. Strousbero
was ruined. For some time he man
aged to keep his head above water, but
the German victories caused a fever Of
financial speculation which, eliminating
in a panic in 1878, carried off all the I'M
steady stock gamblers and schemers.
DR.. Strousberg had tried to recover his
balance by throwing fresh capital after
that which was lost; but, when the end
came and his affairs were investigated.
it was found that he had Hypothetical
his property several times, and that
many of the corporations Of which he had
been the founder were only bubbles.
Two years he staggered under his In
creasing burden, and then his Russian
ventures collapsed also; he was tried
for fraud and acquitted, ct Moscow, and
went into bankruptcy in 1875. Since
that time, by small enterprises, he had
attempted to wipe out his losses and
once more to take a leading position
among the daring spectators Of Ger
many; but he has not; so far as is known,
been more than moderately successful.
DIR. Strousberg's career suggests the
equally dazzling and yicissitous career
of George Hudson, the English railway
king, who for three years literally held
the balance of power in the speculative
financial world of Great Britain. For
Ia years he sat parliament, but his
bubble burst, and the last years OF his
life-he died in 1S71-he lived upon an
annuity derived from the charity OF q
few friends. But we need not go either
to Germany on to England for examples
Of the ups and downs of the stock gam
bler's life. Within six months have we
not seen Willard and Keene fall? Judg
ing from past experience Jay Gould
himself, the acknowledged railway king
of the present time, is not free from
danger similar TO that which oYercarne
Strz.usberg, Hudson and these others.
Every speculator-no matter how gIgan-
tic he appears-has a Vulnerable spot,
which sooner or later is bound to be hlt
by evil fortune.