The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-17
A BUDGET OF PERSONALITY.
The Former Financial Lions of Wall
Street Two Leading Politicians.
Noted After Dinner Speakers-Judge Hilton
to Marry Mrs. A. I. Stewart-Dramatic
Stars and Their Affaires de CGur.
Former Financial Lions.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
New YORK, Oct. l6.-A small, slightly built,
sandy compexioned man was munching at
free lunch counter in Cedar street the other day.
The fact was of no importance, only it happened
to be Hank" Smith, the former Wall-street
millionaire. He failed for a million or more last
year. and has never got on his feet again. He
pulled down William Heath, the broker, who
found premature grave. Henry n Smith was
almost as unpopular in Wall street as j. Pier
pont Morgan, and was without the latters skill
as a inancer. He was simply Light Horse
Harry Of speculation, bat he made and lost
two enormous fortunes. He was formerly
ia the financial field as lieutenant of
Jay Could and helped to engineer the terrible
black Friday gold panic in 1869. Mr.. Gould
never forgave Smith for showing the books at
the time of the famous Erie suits, and he let
William Heath & Co., Smiths brokers. go to the
wall knowing they would drag down the bear
Spectator with them. FL. N. Smith was per-
Bstent bear, and saw the market go twenty
points against him. In his best days he lived in
fine style and had quite high position among
those who esteem successful speculation Tor the
wealth they have won He was always exceed
AnglY scrupulous in regard to his personal ap-
pearance, and like many another gallant in New
York, wore corsets. Owing to the peculiar angle
assumed by his coat tails, he was once called
upon to officially, 80 to speak, deny that he wore
hustle He did SO with ladylike pout. He was
purse proud and supercilious, and as there was
never much to him but his money, he found few
friends in his overthrow. lie had none OF the
generous characteristics for example, OF James
r. Keene, who made some enemies by taxing
too independent q course IN his daring specula-
tive campaigns, but who has soul above money
for mere moneys sake, and whose nature is
graced with the chivalrous instincts OF a Knight
of the Round Table. He is one of the wounded
lions of Wall street, but may yet again shake
Wall street by his roaring Then there was Dan
lei Drew, an ignorant man, who boosted that he
read nothing, not even the newspapers. When
he no longer had the Erie treasury at his back
he was caught in the Niagara swirl of blind
speculation and swept to his utter ruin. AS he
walked slowly along Wall street in the heyday of
his wealth. bordering apparently on the drift OF
the market he looked like an old farmerin store
clothes" on a visit to the city to see the sights.
He had small cunning, which could not save him
Ia the financial tempests that whistled through
Wall street. Jacob Little had his day still
saSlier. He looked swarthy Cuban, and
Dld stagers in Wall street tell how he embarked
In enormous operations in stocks, particularly
Fort Wayne, and how he tainted, and had to be
carried out of the old William street board
room when bull leader of the day run the mar
ket up on him with lightning rapdity one morn
Ing in 1864 if / remember rightly, and Jacob
Little. whose sombre face is now seen on the
walls of one of the rooms in the Stock Exchange
as one of the former speculative giants, col
lapsed physically and financially. 1t was a
knockdown blow in the brutal ring of specula
ton, and the victim never responded to the call
of time" [ have heard of a man who once
borrowed half million easily who became so re-
duced as to solicit a loan of fifty cents from the
same house of which he had formerly borrowed
hundreds of thousands
OSCAR WLLoUGHBY RIGGS.