The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-31
KINGS OF WALL STREET FALLEN
OF a Once Brilliant Galaxy Only
Three Are Left.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
About decade ago certain Autograph
was widely circulated among the brokers
and spectators of Wall street, and hard
ly an office In the street and its vicinity
did not boast a copy of this production,
conspicuously exhibited in q gorgeous
frame.
The production was entitled "Kings Of
Wall Street." and consisted of about thirty
portraits of milllonaires who had made
their fortunes in the street, and who, at
that time, We're regarded as powers in the
financial world. Jay Gould and Wander
bilt were in the center, and were surround
ed by the minor luminaries of finance, but
none Of those whose likenesses appeared
we're credited with less than two or three
million dollars.
The picture has long ceased to be shown
in any brokers' office. A glance at 1t
would certainly not be calculated to I'M
crease the number of persons anxious to
speculate. Indeed, any one DESTROYS of
illustrating the evils of speculation could
hardly do better than provide himself with
a COPY. Many of those whose counterfeit
presentments appear on 1t are dead some
are still to be seen around the Exchange
whole number that did not lose all, or
nearly ait of their wealth. The Gould
and Vanderbilt fortunes survive but the
millions of the others have all been lost IN
the maelstrom of speculation.
Let us take the old portrait sheet and
inquire the fate of few of the kings of
Wall Street" Here is Commodore Stock
well. once president of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company. He was worth sew
eral millions, all invested in the enter
prises over which he presided. He Of
Tended Jay Could ana the Little Wiz
ard" determined to give him a little les
son in finance So Gould pressed the mar
ket for Pacific Mail so low that Stock
well was not able to cover the margins
on his loans, and his millions vanished in
a week. Now he is a broker on the Con-
solidated exchange, and is not too proud
TO take a commission to buy or sell lew
shares at a time. when / was rich"
he sometimes says, "every one called me
Commodore Stockwell: when things be-
gan to go wrong Il was Mr. Stockwell,
and after the smash that little red-head-
cd fellow, Stockwell."
In Jay Gould's time no man was moro
feared on the street than w. y. Common,
who was Gould's chief broker and as
ISOLATED with him in most of his daring
operations. It was Conner who attended
TO the details of booming a stock when
10 was desired 10 uitOdu - vi Ah' Dhbit's
It was in his Office that the mareuvers of
tho day following were decided upon. Con-
nor is still "A fairly rich man, but his old
power on the street has vanished. His
brilliant and aggressive tactics arc thing
of the past. He Is still a member of tho
firm Of Conner e. Co., but contents him
self with advising others. His most dar-
ing exploit was with the Louisville, New
Albany and Chicago railroad, of which
the common stock, after selling readily at
28 fell to /, and the preferred, on which
a. dividend was declared, dropped from
Al TO g.
Every one was surprised when, few
months ago, Clarence McKim, reputed 20
be worth several millions, failed for
few thousand dollars. McKim was the
most daring and consistent bear ever
known on the street. IL was his inability
10 perceive anything but the bear side OF
the market that caused his collapse. He
Is reported as having made a million dol,
lars in one day during the Barring panic.
but the great rise In Lackawanna and
Sugar in 1884 took most OF his profit ana
caused his failure for such a petty amount
soon afterward. He may come to the
front again, as his reputation on the
street Is an excellent one, and he IS
general favorlte.
one OF the most brilliant smaller meto-
ors of a few years back was Billy
Tompkins. lie Is known to have made
5000 coo from $500 In a single year, by means
of the pyramid" system which he intro.
duced This system leaves all the profits
on deal for the purchase of more stock.
and II a security continues to rise or fall
It makes rich man out of poor one in
a short time. But, unfortunately. stock
won't always rise or fall, but behaves ia
an altogether illogical and inexplicable
manner. This BILLY" discovered, aud he
lost all he had gained on sudden break
IN the market. lie takes a flyer on ton
or twenty shares just now.
Turning again 10 the plate of wall
Street Kings" one OF the "kngs" whose
portrait appears is Rufus Hatch, known
In the days Of his prosperity as Uncle
Rufus" In his time he cornered the cot
ton, wheat and opium markets. IT'S name
on Change was one to conjure with. and
he WIS worth at the hight Of bis power