Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-04-21
TRAITS OF JAMES FISK, JR.,
AS seen by His Longtime
COachman.
Ills generosity, His shreVvdness and
Daring I'm business Transactions.

IEmnanCftnma.
lhere is connected with the stan of the Bow
uoin square theatre handsome, genial man,
who, If he cared, could relate many an interest.
ing story concerning one Of the most n,ctureaona
hgures in American history James Fisk. ir.
Tor whom he was coachman for many wears
says the Boston Herald. This man Is MIR A /
DIeeu' VINO is employed at the Bowdoin Suuare
theatre during the season, but who In the summer
spends his hours comfortably on his beantif,, 90
tate in Wolfboro, N. H.
n, ne public may say what IL peases about
lsk, remarked Mr.. Breed. but shall always
nave the greatest affection for that big-hearted
man know what am talking about too for I
saw 50 much of him. His home in Boston was AT
NO. "a Chester square, a house he purchased from
MI NJ. INA Eharies o Rogers Of the Boston Journal
mrs FISK lived here, and drove her out almost
| talk of the town. '' wv
Fisk used to come to Boston about every vee,
ana spend Sunday with his wife. Mrs Fisk was
most exemplary woman, his confdant and adj
wiser In many things. He wrote to her constant
" when away. She lived in magnificent STYLE
her every want was anticipated She lacked
nothing in life Of comfort and luxury, and 90 far
as money could buy happiness, was happy She
was Always intensely loyal TO him. On the night
! ne was shot she fastened to New York and reach.
ed his bedside in time to be- recognized"
| FIsk's Generosity,
! Fisk didn't care much for money as money. l
have heard him say: 4 care nothing for money.
only want it to do good to Others and this
seems to have been true so far as my experience
went. One night was at the stables on worces-
ter street. putting up the horses after having left
| Mr. Fisk at the Chester square house when n
man called me to the door He was a stranger to
me, but appeared to be in sore distress He said
ms daughter was Ill in the City hospital, and
| that he was out of work and in hard luck gener
| ally, and wanted me to ask Mr.. Fisk If he would
| not give him little assistance
| he seemed like an honest fellow, so told Fisk
| ms story. Fisk at once ordered the horses har-
| messed again, and had me drive him to the CITY
| hospital, where he found that the mans story
was true IN every particular He got the father
| sickness, sent her luXuries of all sorts, and set
that family upon its feet in good shape.
! AZ one time, during strike of deck hands on
bis line OF steamers drove him and Jay Gould
| down TO the steamer wharf in New York He
Immediately made an investigation of the trouble.
Inc men wanted . cents day more for their
| work. He promptly granted the request, and was
| given three rousing cheers for his generosity.
u remember another time, the parade of the
| Sunday school children in New York city on Dec
| Grafton day, how he kindly gave them the use of
all his New York and Boston express teams and
greatly helped along the success of the demon
Jerry Hyde Fisk's groom. now with Mr..
Francis Blake" continued Mr.. Breed with a
laugh, got robbed one night of his watch and
S3O. Fisk heard of II, and after giving Jerry a
good lecture made good the loss, and so it went
along. II stopped to think, l could tell you
enough stories about the Kindness OF Fisk TO I'LL
the Herald. Look how superbly he treated his
gallant 9th regiment They went everywhere at
his expense and made magnificent showing.
atrical affairs, said Mr.. Breed. When he be
came rich, the destinations of the stage exercised
marked influence over him. His ownership OF
Pixies Opera house is a wtllknown fact of theat
rical history. Mr. Fisk was the reputed owner OF
the Fifth avenue theatre at one time. and gave
opera bouffe there before Mr.. DAILY took the man
agement.
His death had the effect of throwing many
professional people out of employment. Levy
the cornet player, was in receipt Of salary it is
l of fnrtt btpl Etclrh had ataN
elusive control of his musical services.
A Far-Sighted Wan.
HE was a very farsighted man and grea
student of human nature He seemed to read al
Individual clear through with those big, clea
eyes of his l am not going to say any thinJ
about his faults He had enough OF them. sup
pose, but saw him sufficiently to know that tn
public judged him wrongly in most things he did
He was tremendous worker when he ono
started in.
when he first came to this city he began on
small salary with Jordan, Marsh & Co, and wa
TO have commission on what he sold. He wen
TO work with gre at earnestness, and won success
He said to the firm: Why do you pay so muc
profit for goods?' referring to cerIain class o
woolens and cottons; and he went into Vermont
, bought wool. and hired large number of mill
to make Bamoral skirts The war came on, ant
both wool and wooden goods rapidly advanced i
price This operation brought large pronts I
the firm"
One of Fisk's Plunges.
One story will serve to illustrate Fsk's method
of making money, with that sagacity which di'
tinguished him in all his career. Fisk saw tina
when, on the 2d of April, 1855, Gen. Lee wa
driven from Petersburg his surrender could nc
be far distant. He Immediately came to Boston
consulted with some of his financial friends an
made them partners in his scheme. This was I
get the news Of the surrender of Lee and the co
lapse OF the confederacy for use on change /
e London in advance of the mail. 1t Will be n
| membered that the Atlantic cable was not the
) working. A small, swift steamer, formerly
= blockade runner was purchased, htted out an
4 sent to Halifax in ballast Neither the capital
? | nor the officers knew of the destination OF IN
D | steamer The secret of her mission was confide
solely to an agent of Fisk's, who was the onl
Y passenger on board.
e thing was always in readiness for start acros
s the Atlantic. , -,
5 Days went by and still the steamer lay in tn
harbor of Halifax awaiting the expected messag
from Fisk. At length 1t came. II James tisi
ST., had tried his best he could not have indite
: a shorter despatch. II was sea dated at bosto'
!, The blockade runner started for Queenstow
Immediately, and got there two days ahead c
\ land to London and commenced his operations
q Before "a hours elapsed he had sold short that
d sold what he had not got) S5,OOOOOl IN conteHe
ate bonds. He had orders from FISK TO sci
9 long as ne could get buyers, but was restraine
+ nv q partner of one of the Boston men who wa
$ Cursed with prudence But the operation Wa
Ill |
tween 81. OOO, 600 and S4OOO,OOO as the proceeds
= the speculation.
g Fertility of Resource
: Another incident in his career illustrates his fe
8 tility of resource when closely cornered by poV
erful opponent. Vanderbilt had grown jealous
s Fisk. and determined to crush him. The readie
: vay to do that, he thought, would be by destro
X INC the business of the Erie railroad. With tn
and in view be issued an order lowering the rat,
q an freight from Chicago and asked Erie 70
y the same Fisk assented, and cattle were Drougl
> from the West in large numbers and at sma
cost By special agreement the rates on Nande
a bilt's line and Fisk's were uniform. Atter Ie
l. weeks however, Vanderbilt showed nus mar
n Civing the Erie officers short notice, he Oroh
n faith with Fisk and announced that Tor @' ga.
Ia he freight on the Central railroad for cattle ire
y Sbica9o would be s. 80 per head instead OF
j, ne ex1ected TO crush Erie by this move, but
N sackoned without FISK. The latter made no .
terstion In the rate on the Erie road, out quiet
directed his agent In the West to purchase iOV ~
6ead of cattle and send them 10y Vanderbilt
route The cattle were soon purchassu, al
Fist had the pleasure Of seeing Vanderbilt carr
Inc freight for him for less than the cost OF Iu
inc the trains Vanderbilts line was Oloek'
1f with freight which Il was NECESSARY sa 90 9or