Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-09-28
A CELEBRATED SPECULATOR.
Jim Keene's Unsuccessful Career in
New XOrk-Ris Uptown Flat.
I"Gathf, in the PhiladeIDhia Tines1

t''Gath'' in the Philadelphia Timesl
James Keene, the celebrated speculator is
living this summer in rented cottage of q
very plain character at Far Rockaway, to
which place he goes every night, giving more
time to his family in these days of privation
than when he was at the top of the social
him say that he sometimes has to borrow his
fare over the ferry, not that he is so desper-
ately hard up, but that he has pinched his
expenses at every point in order to get square
with tie world and have another start He
is of a rather cold bearing and is accused of
having too much confidence in himself, SO
that from time to time he has lost the sup
port of powerful men who would have, with
little solicitation on his part, helped him
through.
Mr.. Keene's condition when he came to
New York city was very substantial. He
had at least four million dollars and was
presumed to have in California further back
ing. He arrived in the city when there was
no leader to Wall street, and TIE brokers
came around him with hungry eyes to get
his orders. One of those brokers, who has
made three million dollars by his commits
sions, has refused to cal ~ stocks for him of
late, and another who is deep in his account
would not even carry two hundred shares for
him. He was one of the chief inventors of
the grain speculation coincident with the
stock market. He was sharply reproved for
having put speculation into the necessaries
of life and in the end he lost three million
dollars in wheat, following the advice of Ru-
fus Hatch. 1t is said he met Hatch at the
tape measure, who was reading the quota
tions with his eyes full of tears, and he
blubbered: 'Keene, if you don't help me
l shall break" Keens went to his assist
ance and Hatch showed him how a great
deal of money might be made, but it end
ed in Keene being a great loser. He also
made a heayy loss in the Hannibal and ST.
Boston, had attempted to scoop the whole
street.
A friend of Duff incautiously said to an
other person at a restaurant table: ''The
ms1 you see yonder is Jim Keene and we
are going to break him. This person be-
thought it we'll to go and tell Keene, whom
he had not previously known. Keene found
that he was in the tolls, so he got to work
quietly and began to buy this stock, and
for some of it he paid as high as 325, and
the same stock he ultimately sold at 70.
He made the most of his money in North
elm Pacific preferred. He believe / himself
in 1875, just after the Pittsburg riots,
when he became bull, worth forty mil
lion dollars. When he sold his race horse
Foxhall he was already hard pressed, and
unable to leave the city lest his absence
might be interpreted as fright or desertion.
He had no person to send but woman, vino
had taken a sympathetic view of his case and
was good negotiant She sold Foxhall TO
Lord Rosebery for twenty five thousand dol
lars, which was two thousand dollars more
than Keene expected. Keene's fiat up town
is said to bring him the comfortable sum of
eighteen hundred dollars month. It is no
great amount of money to a man still in
the street, satisfied that there is no future
for him unless he re-establishes himself
there.