St. Landry democrat., 1885-02-28
kEENE,s LUCK.

The Fallen Prince of Wall Street Getting On,
His Feet Again-Lucky Bull Strikes in New
York Central and Lake Shore Make Him.
Nearly Half q Million Winner.
NEW YORK, February 20.-The news
went around on Wall street to-day that
Jas. K. Keene was trading in stocks
again, and that he had a hand in the late
manipulation of the market. 1t was the,
first news that the street had obtained of
Keene being on his feet again. It was,
less than year ago that in the language
of Wall street Keene clay down" and
confessed himself "broke." He was
cleaned out and owed 100000 besides in
balances on his "privileges,' which he,
gave notes for. Had he been driven to it,
he might have scraped together 100000
or so in
GOATS AND DOGS"
by which is meant old laces, diamonds.
pictures and the like, that he had accu-
mulated in his prosperous days. His
money was entirely gone, and without
money he is helpless. The predictions
about his future were conflicting. Some
said his days in the street were ended,
but others who knew his pluck, said he
would get a start again. He finally
scraped little money together, and two.
months ago he caught drop, and then
a raise in petroleum.. and cleared $780,
900. That sum enabled him to settle
every embarrassing obligation and also
to begin specializing in a triaing way,
for him, in stocks. He began ''bulling'7
NEW YORK CENTRAL
with his old tactics, and that, with the,
strength impaired by its supporters, sent
it up. He realized ten points on his line
in New York Central, and not many days
ago counted up and found he had came.
out 100000 ahead. Lake Shore showed
strength to-day, and the story is that
Keene was slong'' of that. The stock
closed at sc IA bid. 1t has been as low
as SO 3-4. When it was around 60 he.
told friend he thought the stock would
go up. Keene was in his Office this after,
noon, but would say nothing. There was
number in his Office chatting and
smiling, and judging by their looks they
were on
RIGHT SIDE OF THE MARKET.
At the close of 1879 Keene counted Ltg
riches at $4,000, 900, and no one put
them below $l3,000,000. When he came
from California to New York he was
worth $4,000, 900, and s'played it up" He
came in 1877, and got in on the rise He
bought enormous quantities of stocks
during the railroad riots, and when the
disturbances ended prices jumped up
in way that added to his fortune faster
than he could have hoped for. The ter
rible t'squeeZe" he received in wheat
marked the beginning of his downfall.
He tried to "bull" wheat, and took S.
600, 1000 in cash to Chicago. He bought
wheat, corn, pork, etc, and saw wheat
go up from less than 81 to S1.39. Then
it broke, and he sold out under ninety
cents, and every dollar of the $8,000,OO0
was gone.
RAN a NEWSPAPER.
Keene is an Englishman. When he
first came to this country he peddled milk
someWere in the Western part of this
State. He afterWard taught school for a
time, and subsequently edited a news
paper in the Western country. When
the Comstock mine was at its height he
discovered that the ore had run out. He
scraped together all he could and sold
the stock short Then he circulated
news that the ore had given out and the
Comstocks dropped like plummet.