The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-07

nose and dark brown eyes. His eye is not
so searching as that of the sIittle Magician
just mentioned. His manner is less terse, more
easy and careless as he nonchalantly twiddles his
Eyeglasses; he wears in his Office a black silk
smoking cap, usually on the back of his head,
giving him an open. jolly look. 1t is only after
you have left him that you realize that he is one
of the uncrowned financial kings of this country.
Austin Corbin, who has acquired new promi-
nence in the financial world OF late by identify
ing himself with the Drexel- Observation-Disclosures
dictate, is one of the most popular men In Wall
street. Of about the medium height. with a
rudy complexion. pleasant gray eyes and a ro-
bust physique, at ffty-eight he is as energetic,
enterprising and ambitious as ever. He was
born in Newport, N. H., studied law and was
graduated at the Harvard Law School. Fora time
he practiced law in his native town as a partner
of Ex-Governor Metcalf, OF New Hampshire.
In 1851 he went to Davenport, Ia, and be-
came a banker. He there really organized the
first national bank in this country; he made the
first application under the new law, but 1t was
inadvertently faulty in the matter of some minor
technicalities, and the document was returned
from Washington that this might be remedied.
In the meantime four other banks made appiica-
ton, and whom he secured the admission OF his
bank to the new system it was No. 8. He Is
worth about So, 900, 900. He has always been a
stanch Democrat, but was a personal friend OF
General Grant. He is president of the Long
Island, Indiana. Bloomington & Western. Elmi-
ra, Cortland u Northern and Manhattan Beach
railroads. He came to New York in 1865, and
has eversince been a banker here. In winter he
lives in Brooklyn, but in summer he spends
much of his leisure time at his fine farm of 700
acres, at Babylon, Long Island, whore Russell
Sage, also, has a country seat, whittier, by the
way, he retired at the solicitation of Mr.. Gould
and other friends when tho fnan-
cial tornado of 1884 had blown
away millions of the put and call
kings fortune. and his nervous system was so
shattered by the strain that he needed the re-
tirement of his home near the sounding ocean.
Mr.. Corbin IS a member of the Union League,
Manhattan and Saturday Night Clubs, Of New
York, of the Somerset Club, of Boston, and the
Conservative Club, of London. He is domestic.
however, in his tastes. He is by nature a build
or UP, not an iconoclast. In endeavoring to pull
the Reading out of the slough of despopd he is
engaged in a copgenial task. He is considered
one of the souarest men in the domain of
finance. His integrity has never been ques-
toned.
The continued exports of gold have been an
unfavorable fenture of the financial situation
latterly. and Baron Woerishoffer is disposed to
ayNcoosidsrable stress upon this as a bear point
on stocks, but conservative bankers disagree
with him. The outside public is buying bonds
rather than stocks, but with gradually increas-
ing exports of wheat. Notwithstanding all the
trickery of the exporters, and with the prospect
of a better state of railroad affairs before long,
the bull party is still numerous.
OSCAR WILLoUGHBY RIGGS.