Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-14


The noxt day Ed came 60 the once ana
invited me to lunch, where, after max
ing some disparaging remarks abont the
country cut OF my garments, he offered
TO introduce me to his tailor, who was
never in hurry for his money. After
business that day we walked up town
together, and, prompted by Ed, order
cd $3.50 worth Of garments, then went
to his outfittor and ordered nearly an
equal amount in shirts, ties, gloves, etc
One amusing result was that when,
few days later, walked down to our
Office CONNIE IL faut in garb, my em-
ployers raised my salary to $50 week,
but this left me poorer than when l had
husbanded my poor little $40. Soon
after, piloted by Ed, ventured $50 on
a margin in gold. Unluclily won, in
vested again and again, and within IA
days was 1884 ahead. paid my tailor
and outftter's bill. bought 500
watch ON credit and gave wine supper
on borrowed money. Soon after this l
went to board Mt the old ST. Nicholas,
the then fashionable hotel From that
timo / began to drift more and more
away from home influences,
Soon after the wine supper episode
threw up my position, and Ed and
started ON our own account under the
name of L. Weed g. Co. My partners
parents were wealthy, and his father
had boon we'll known in the street,
which fact gave us standing.
The years / speak of were fortunate
ones for Wall street, stocks Of every
kind on the boom, the general wealth
of the country massing up by leaps and
bounds, and every kind of speculative
enterprise being launched. Our firm
history was the usual ono of broker
firms in that tumultuous arena-the Wall
street Of those days-commissions in
plenty, greenbacks in plenty, but ones
bank account never growing, for what
was made by day in the wild excitement
Of shifting values was thrown away
amid wilder scenes at night Those,
too, were indeed the flush times for
tho professional gambler, for men were
not content unless they burned the can
die at both ends. Day faro banks We're
open everywhere around the exchange,
and enormous sums were nightly staked
In the up town games. These were cv-
erywhere, all protected, and the propri-
etors invested their money for rent, fix
lures, etc, with as much confidence
and kept their doors open as freely as If
embarked in legitimate speculation.
Hundreds who spent the business hours
Of the day in the mad excitement Of the
exchange hockcd around tho green cloth
at night, devoting the same intensity Of
thought and brain TO tho turning Of
card which earlier in the day they had
given to the market reports of the world.
Small wonder that death cut such wide
swnths in tho army of brokers Stats
tics show that it was moro fatal to be-
long to that army than to an army in the
field.
We had latterly somewhat neglected
business, our real business being at
night, when we made the pursuit Of
pleasure hard work. Soon the finances
Of our firm not only ran low, but were
on three several occasions exhausted, 80
that we not only had recourse to bor-
rowing, but We're barely saved from
bankruptcy by liberal donations from
Eds parents, His father was fine, jol-
ly old gentleman and took it quite as
matter Of course that it was his duty to
help US Off the rocks when wo ran on
them. My partner took everything easy,
but /, having no indulgent parent be-
hind mo ever ready to draw check,
began to be uneasy over tho financial
! gttNnnffAF EYVuYfea1tr ,rt, hg,f4.,-s,.-
it never occurred to me to cut down my
personal expenses, and continued liv-
ing at the same extravugant rate us
when money was plenty, dining and
winning and being diued and wined.
| Just hero an important character one
destined to have an influence for evil ON
my future life, came upon the scene,
and Twill halt for moment in my mar
rativo to give some account of him.
This man was James Irving, popular
ly known as Jimmy Irving, chief of the
New York detective force, and bad
hearted, worthless scamp he was. was
with several friends in the Fifth Avenue
hotel one cold January night when he
came in and one Of our party, knowing
him, introduced us. He was q man Of
medium height, rather heavy set, blond
mustache, pleasant eyes, but with a
weak mouth and chin and flushed
face, telling n tale Of dissipation. 1t
was when Boss Tweed ruled supreme in
New York, and the whole administra.
tion was honeycombed with corruption.
Except under similar political condi-
lions could such man attain to so re.
sponsible an office in great city as
that Of chief of the detective force-a
position which at that time invested
him with all but autocratic power, an
old rounder and barroom loafer, without
one attribute OF true manliness and not
possessed Of any quality which would
point him out us III man for the place.
Nevertheless, when the position became
vacant his political pull caused his SO.
lection. From being mere detective
on the staff he became chief. And truly
this meant something in those DAYS.
The great civil war had but lately end.
ed, and the country was still reelinV
from the mighty conflict. The flush
times resultant from the enormous
money issue of the government kent
everything booming. The foundations
Of society were shaken, and vice no lon
gcr hid itself in the dark caves and dens
i af tho trf.,at oftx-