The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-13
WALL STREET GOSSIP.

NEW YORK, Dec. 12-''The money market
is on the eve of one of the most exciting
| episodes in the history of the street." said
| Mr.. George Crouch yesterday. could
| his son George, and their followers, are
| away short on the market, and the point
has been about reached when they will
begin to buy in. Everybody of course
knows that this will create a sharp adj
vance in stocks. 1t has been known fol-
some time that there was an unprecedent-
ed short interest in American stocks. and
on settlement days, which occur fortnight
ly, the London people have naturally won
dered and asked who the people were on
the bear side, which is only natural with
big firms carrying any amount of stocks.
Now why did Mr.. Gould, who has more
ready money than perhaps any man in this
country, look with favor upon the great
export of gold unless he desired to bear
the market? The heavy export caused no
little alarm on the street at the time, al
most S6S. 000 900 being sent to Europe, of
which only about S27, 000, 900 has been re-
turned. To be candid. it is believed by
stock brokers in general that Gould was
largely responsible for this large export.
1T is well known that when Gould got
the controlling interest of the Union Pa
cific, he opposed Charles Francis Adams,
who was ousted, and some say evidently
tried to throw the road into the hands of a
receiver, but that Morgan and the Van
derbilts took charge of the floating debt
for three years and blocked the plan.
When these facts are considered, it will
be seen that the Gould people stand a
chance to lose something up in the mil
lions. Spectators, however, are not max
ing any money out of the deal, but the in
vestors who pay for stocks out and out are
the people who are reaping a harvest.
Some people say that Gould's only salvation
will be some terrible crash such as BLACK
Friday" in which event he can buy in
his short interest at profit. But think
Gould will emulate Napoleon IN a certain
sense. AS long as Napoleon was advanc-
ing with his army he carried everything
before him and the enemy fed, but when
he gave the order to retreat, the Cossacks
wheeled around and FASTENED his steps,"
Others corroborated Mr.. Crouch, the
majority adding that there was no clique
or combination opposed to Gould, but that
it was the natural course of the market,
and that Gould had placed himself in the
predicament set forth and would probably
pay the tolls before he got through.
At Mr.. Gould's office it was said that he
had not been down town today. George
had gone to the country, and Eddie, who
was the only representative in the Office,
said that people on the street were famous
for guessing but that this time they had
guessed wrong.
Washington E. Conner had this to say:
There has been heavy short interest in
New York for over year, but, from all
information received from Europe, there
is none there. do not keep Gould's
books, and therefore cannot speak i"telli-
gently regarding his transactions. 1 know
that there are a number of houses in the
street that are large borrowers of stock,
but whom they represent, or whom they
are borrowers for. is merely guess work.