Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-23

elysium which were never attained, who
beheld as by a mirage In the financial
desert green spot which promised
running brooks Of prosperity that the
weary travellers never reached.
Then came the Readings first collapse.
The company stopped uncer its trst
load OF Indebtedness as a drunken man in
slough OF financial despond, and there IL
has remained 10 this day.
Mr. Gowen Is one OF the most interest
Ing men IN the financial world. About
six feet In height, proportiopately well
built, with q fun clean-shaven ruddy face
and pleasant yet keen gay eye, his hab.
itual expression Is soft, kindly and per-
suasiyc In his Bfty-hfth year he is hope
iul and sanguine as boy. Heisa perfect
master Of English. He has none Of the
boorishness which characterizes some oil
the famous nnanciers who have come
from the farm-yard to rule Wall street.
No matter how busy he may be, no matter
how delicate the question propounded to
him by the most indiscreet Of visitors, he
has an answer ready, plain and TO the
point or one of Delphic vagueness, sufil-
Client TO give hint Of events that are to
come 70 pass, while dextrously, rs a Tai
lyrand, reiraining from committing him
self. He has unusual facility Of express
sion. He Is one OF the best and readiest
OF speakers, very earnestly very convincing,
interesting and witty. In the homely irish
| phrase, he could talk the birds on the
! bushes.
He Is a lawyer by profession and an ex-
cellent one. His FIRST connection with
! tho Reading railroad was in legal ca
pacity. He was the Fouche Of that cor
poratlonis fight with the murderous Mol
! w Maguires, about dozen years ago; he
made The name Of Gowen terror TO the
lawlcss classes in the mining districts OF
| Pennsylvania. None doubted his courage,
! his persistency or his acuteness. He
broke up one Of the worst gangs OF assas-
| sins that ever existed In this country.
About dozen of them, If | remem.
| Der rightly, were hanged as a result of
his fearless and relentless war upon them,
and since then no more has been heard OF
the Molly Magulres. His connection
with this memorable crusade against
crime led him TO take deeper Interest In
the development OF the coal regions and
he became director In the Reading
road; still later he was elected its presi-
dent and he was recently elected TO that
Office for the third time, Most OF his for
tune Is supposed to be bound up IN that
corporations he IL not considered very
wealthy, although from time TO time he
has had opportunities Of accommodating a
large fortune. lie is not much OF money
maker for himself. The affairs OF the
Reading are in desperate condi.
tlon, but he feels In honor-bound
TO violently antagonize the power.
full syndicate which now seeks
to gain possession of the property and
heavily tax the luckless stockholders. II
the syndicate succeeds it win be one OF
the most notable events in the financial
history OF this country, but IL VIII only
win after n stubborn fight with franklin
b Gowen. 1t Is by no means certain
who will win. Mr. Gowen is OF Amerl.
can birth, but his near ancestors were
English and he fights with the true bull
dog English obstinacy.
Some think he is lighting in the dark
and that the junior securities are all con
trollcd by his opponents hut this Sir
Launcelot OF finance is as defiant rs ever
ho thinks his financial armor is strong
enough TO withstand his enemies his
lance is couched, he IL eager to ride the
desperate tilt IN the monetary arena
AS to stocks the outlook is more uncer
tain than usual and quick turns seem like
ly TO pay the best for the present, Or, II
picturesque language OF Henry Clews
"Those who buy on the slumps and sci
on the jumps will make more money thar
a jackass can cart down hill on a spring
wagon.n
NtfeN \ n