Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26

FERDINAND WARD.
brOther-in-law and son; but the chances are
that he viii soon re-enter business life, either
In Philadelphia Chicago. / think that the
hustle Of Chicago would suit his active taste,
but II he were to turn up in Philadelphia the
Cuakers would take in their signs and close
their doors until he could be induced to leave
the city. The history of Ferdinand Ward is
still too fresh in the popular mind to call for
recital here He began life as printers devil
in the little town of Geneseo, Y. Y, and by the
time he was thirty he was signing his checks
for hundreds of thousands, going into vast
financial deals that required millions Of CAPT
tal, and leading by single hair an
sx-President of the United States, who was also
one OF the most famous warriors Of his day. He
Is stu young man, and, in a certain sense. has
the world before him; for more than one man
has come out of Jail and settled down to a sue
cessful business life in New York Ed. Stokes
the proprietor Of the Hoffman House, is one Of
these, and William C. Gilman, the forger, Is an
other. James ID. Fish, although too old a man
20 engage in commercial life again, has been
living quietly and almost unnoticed here ever
since his release from the penitentiary. Stroll
srs in the park see him nearly every pleasant
morning walking there in company with his lit
Gle daughter, whose mother was Sallie Reber
The comic opera singer.
Another wreck and a famous one, too, is
Rufus Hatch, whose first speculations were in
steel pens and turkeys. and who now, although
shorn Of his former wealth, looks about as
5ovial and has as hearty a laugh in the old
days The old gentleman lives in Spuyten
Duyvii, but. Like many another Of his Glass;
comes down to Wall street every day, takes
cocktail at Delmonico's and looks over the ticker
Rufus Hatch was born in Maine. and early in
the hfties turned up in Chicago where he put
his slight knowledge Of railroad matters to
practical account II was at this time that the
whole west went wild on tine subject of railroad
construction, and Hatch joined a corps Of en-
glneers At Sl25 day. But the practical side
OF rsilroading did not suit his speculative mind
and in So, during the Crimean war. he
turned up IN Chicago. and. with two or three
associates. opened a sort Of grain market on a
very small scale. OF course II was not long be-
fore Hatch found the grain business too small
Tor him and. with the money he had made, he
drifted 20 New York and plunged into the mael-
strom Of speculation. He made his reputation
rs hnsncier by his transaction with such men
~ Samuel J. Tilden Daniel Drew Jim Fisk
Jay Gould and Commodore Vanderbilt and was
concerned In some of the largest pools and
deals ever known in the history of the street
Although he has lost his money now he has
kept his friends. and there is hardly any one
TO be found within gunshot Of the exchange
who has a hard word to say about Old Uncle
Rufus.
The quaintest of all modern financial wrecks
has lately drifted to New York, not
To make his fortune, but after he had lost
IT, He must be nearly SERENITY wears of age; is
1u, gsunt ungainly and shabbily dressed In
the summer he wears an old brown straw hat
which ne exchanges. as soon the snow begins
To nv. FOR a big rusty sombrero which he is
supposed 70 use as a night cap. He sleeps on
q big sofa in his Office. and his son. still a Young
man. is worth several million dollars and Is
president Of the Chicago board Of trade and
PRESIDENT OF the Chicago Art Institute also
But the father. the old man of whom / am writ
Ing now, does not care for art and keeps q