The morning call., 1891-03-06
THE LATE LEONARD JEROME.

The obituary notices of the late Mr. Jer-
ONE hardly convey correct picture of the
man. He was one of the largest-hearted
and longest-headed men of his day. In
early youth he had set up for himself a goal
which he proposed to reaeh-fortune, sta
ton, the good word of his fellow men and
the enjoyment of the good things of this
world, without provoking strife or rousing
envy That goal he attained and he oeeu-
pied it for thirty years.
He did not reach it all at once. At the
age of 40 Leonard jerome was poor. I'M
known, obscure and unconsidered by his ac-
quaintance. With a mere trihe of money
he entered Wall street. 1t was the period
when railroad building had been overdone
in the first attempts to provide the grain
growing West with an outlet to the Eastern
seaboard. jerome foresaw the crash of
1857, operated accordingly and made mill
ion in six months. 1t was then his inten-
ton to retire, but the approach of the war,
with the inevitable suspension of specie
payments and issues Of paper money, kept
him in Wall street. During the four or five
years of speculation which followed the
firing on Fort Sumter he was one of the
kings of the street. WHAT sums he made
and lost during that eventful cycle lie prob
ably had forgotten long before he died.
There were days when his gains footed up
hundreds of thousands. On other days his
losses would have broken most men. Sam
uei Hallett employed him to float an overissue
of Indiana State bonds. When the fraud
was discovered it took all that Jerome had
to redeem the bonds. BY the advice OF
Commodore Vanderbilt he bought some
Hudson River stock. 1t fell from the hour
be purchased and kept falling from day to
day. One morning he landed from his
yacht, lay down on pile of deals on a
wharf, reviewed his situation and came
to the conclusion that he was ruined.
There was but one way to save himself
that was to corner Hudson River. After
brief consultation with the Commodore he
went down 10 the street, undertook the
operation and effected the first successful
corner ever accomplished in Wall street,
with a profit to himself Of several millions.
He was more than a successful money
maker. He was an ardent, enthusiastic,
passionate patriot. at the news Of vicio-
ries by the Union armies his blood tiugled
in his veins, and he exalted in the yoeiierous
enthusiasm of a boy; when defeats befel he
went home discouraged man. He would
have joined the army had that been posi-
bic; but as lie could not give his blood, he
gave the next best thing-his money. No
applicant for aid for the Union cause. or
the necessities of the army, ever applied TO
him in vain, and his checks, like his heart,
we're always large. He had no tolerance for
copperheads, or Northern sneaks. When
the draft riots took place in New York, and
the Office of the New York Times was
threatened, he, on behalf of the proprietors,
declined an offer Of additional police protee-
ton. He said the Times would protect it
self. He converted the business office into
a fortress, and the upper story into an ar.
senal OF hand grenades. Had the mob car
ried out their intention it would probably
have taken long string of ambulances to
have carried off the dead and wounded from
Printing-house Square. But the rioters
knew their man.
For thirty years Mr.. Jerome enjoyed af-
huence, public respect. and the deep affec-
tion OF all who knew him. His three
children-all daughters made exception
ally good marriages in England. Their
father divided his time between their homes
and his own quarters in New York Until
within year or two ago be en- joyed remark
ably good health. His tall gaunt frame.
with his tremendous mustaehes. was
familiar to every one. When the Prince of
Wales came to this country Jerome dined at
the same table with him. The Prince
inquired who he was. On being in