Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-05-17
THE CAREER OF IVES.
Che Young NapOleOn's Sensational
Life in the World Of Finance.

The death of Henry S. Ives stirred
up many interesting "reminiscences in
Wall street, says the New York Sun.
Many persons have ascribed to him
a place among the great tinanclers
which his doing did not call for. The
Terdict of Wall street was that young
Ives in no way displayed genius, but
on the contrary he developed all the
traits of the pickpOcket.
1t must be said that Ives was self
iSh and vindictive and without an idea
of integrity. Yet it must be added
that Ives did not love money for
money 1t was his ambition to be
powerful Ives was a schemer. and all
his plans, morning, noon and night,
were to assert his financial intellect
above Mr.. GOulds
Unlike Mr.. Gould and unlike Mr..
Sage, Ives was a spendthrift. He was
a drinker, and no extravaganza that
was ever committed by TIE widest
young man of New York ever APP
preached that of Ives as soon as he
was assured Of a few thousand dol
lars. Mr. Gould and those around
him as quickly as they ascertained
this trait in Ives character knew that
it was only a question of time when
they would be called upon to read of
the young mans downfall. They said
that Ives was clawer, but that he had
no balance or svdnd financial judg-
ment. In Wall street there are liars,
but they do not lie all the time. There
are intervals when they tell the truth,
when they believe the truth will do
better than lie; but this young man
lied all the time.
Yet young Ives was wise from his
point Of view in one or two directions.
This was demonstrated one Or two
years ago when he established what
was called the Strangers club. Ives
leased the premises and spent $4,000
in adjoining them. All western men
with whom he had financial relations,
and even strangers with whom he
was about to make connections, were
invited to take up bed and board in
this club. Ives and his ieutenantS
corralled them when they arrived and
hour of their departure they never
left the Strangers club without Ives
or one of his lieutenantS close to them.
These western men had money to in
vest, and Ives frequently boosted that
he was not going to have them get
into the clutches Of fnanciers who
could take it away from him.
Another point that has never been
brought out about his life in the Jail
is that although arrested for SWindling
the stockholders and the bOndholderS
of this road he had brokers running
to and from Wall street investing the
proceeds of his swindle in dividend
paying bonds. While there he invested
S1,250,0O0 in the best class of bonds,
and Notwithstanding the adversely
that confronted him, he leaves today
this fortune to his young widow. Ives
said one thing in Ludlow street Jail
that has always been remembered in
Wall street. 1t was this:
IF 1 ever get out of here l will hire
better lawyers. / can do anything in
manipulating railroads and escape jail
if [ only have competent lawyers"
Many people have had an idea that
Ives was crushed at that time. This
is not the truth. Ever since he had
had gOrgeously furnished offices in
the Manhattan Banking company's
building at 40 Wall street. In these
offices We're fine paintings and the
deepest of velvet carpets. But there
were offices within offices, and it was
harder to see Ives than the car of
all the Russias.
Since his escape from the Jail he
formulated the reorganization Of half
dozen great financial enterprises.
Hardly a thing he put his hand to
turned out a failure, except the Bal
timOre and Ohio deal and he always
charged that disaster to Mr.. Gould and
Mr. Sage. The latter had lent him
large sums of money. and, when he
failed to meet the loans, promptly
squeezed the financial existence ont
of him.