Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-14
shown this same spirit in his work. II

adaptability to the inevitaoic'
The Cowboy Pianist gave private
sofyee at his swell rooms on Thirteenth
street the other night. He wore two
regulation revolvers in his belt aud the
handle Of bowie stuck out Of his boot.
A lssso lay on the Steinway grand. lie
play ed a polonaisc Of Chopin S and fired
his pistol with his left hand while he
was running o chromatic scale with his
right. And yet there were mean
spirited musicians there who would not
acknowledge that be had "cleaned
out A" Chopin. He called his entertain
ment a roundup. and he advertises to
put rope round Beethoyen's horns at
S,einway Hall on Friday night.
THE MIGHTY DOLLAR.
1t would be idle to attempt to write
something worth the readers attention
in regard to the speculation in Wall
street at the present moment. There
is no speculation and will be none until
the pending questions of the strikes OF
the Reading syndicate, the Transconti.
mental war, and the exports OF gold
have assumed clearer aspect. The
trading at the Stock Exchange is now a
mere petty gamble between brokers who
try to make living out of each other.
There has been within the last four
or five months a great deal of talk, both
in and out of Wall street, about the
breaking up of the old firm Of W. f.
Conner & Co., and the change which
was supposed to have occurred in his
personal relations with Jay Gould and
Morosin. 1t was reported that fierce
quarrel had taken place among all OF
them that Conner was caught despe-
rately short in July and August, and
that Morosini was seriously crippled by
the loss be sustained in the failure of
William Heath & Co. Apart from that
it was said that the health Of his wife
was so affected by the runaway
Of the daughter that he had decided to
leave New York and go to live in
California. OF Conner it was, on
the other hand, repeatedly said that
be was going to make an assignment.
1t has turned out since there was
not word of truth in all these ru-
mors that the personal relations of
Gould, Conner, and Morosini are as
friendly as they have ever been that
Morosini never intended to leave New
York except for 4 short trip for the
benefit of his wife's health IA trip
which the lady has since given up,
and that the firm Of W. f. Common a Co.
is as strong as ever, although posi-
bly, it may not do as large business
as when Gould was special partner
in it.
The facts in regard to the breaking
up Of the old concern begin to leak out,
and are now given here for the first
time.
HISTORY or TIE FIRM.
The firm Of W. f. Connor d Co.,
and consisting of Conner, Jay Gould,
and Morosini, was started in January,
1879, when the famous Belden concern
was broken up, and when, through the
efforts mainly Of "Wash " COnn0r,
Jay Gould was saved from absolute
ruin. That was not the first time that
these two men came to GOuld's rescue.
Morosini was with Gould for seventeen
years-served him with loyalty which
was the admiration Of men who had
even been ruined by Gould-and who
consequently considered Morosini as his
accomplice. 1t was Morosini again
who, when in the Erie Railroad Com
pany, saved Gould from State pri-
son. Again, in the bank panic
of 1884, it was Conner and Moro
SIM who saved Gould from
most disastrous collapse. Immense
loans Of his had been thrown out by
the banks, and he found himself unable
to carry his heavy loads Of securities.
lie told Connor and Morosini that he
hoped they would stand by him and
help him. They answered that they
would, told him not to come down town
at all, and Strengthened out everything.
1t was at that time that George Gould
first showed his hand. His father took
him into the office Of the firm in 1881,
when he was mere boy Of the most
elementary education, and without any
idea of business matters except what
he obtained from conversations with
his father, and derived from occasion
ally travelling with him over the So
called Gould system Of railroads. But
George was always handsome boy,
and the home influence of a most worthy
and ladylike mother made Of him
young man Of very pleasing manners.
He was at first fayorite with every
body who came in contact with him,
whether it be at his fathers office, at
the now deceased Turf Club, or behind
the scenes of the theatre. He continues
still to be what is called young man
Of fine address by outsiders, who call
for him to talk on matters Of business,
or whom he meets in the park,
or at the Racquet Club. But it is
now several years since he be-
gan to show his claws in the in
ner sanctum of his fathers office. For
the first two years he was in the firm
he behaved very modestly, and outside
Of the fact Of his giving occasionally
some "puts and calls" to theatrical
managers, who admitted him behind
the scenes, neither his father nor any
Of the partners had anything to COM
plain Of. But step by step, as he be-
came initiated, both in the routine and
the detail Of his fathers and the firms
business, he began to show a pro-
nounced disposition for running the
shop"
1t seems that the first serious conflict
between him and W. E. Conner was
caused by George Gould's demand that
the salaries Of the clerks should be re-
duced and their luncheon cut off. But
Connor, as the head Of the firm, OPP
posed point blank, saying that nobody
more than Jay Gould needed trusted
and loyal employees, and that these
could not be got unless we'll paid aud
we'll treated. For the last three years
disputes Of this and Of more impor-
tant nature occurred very frequently,