The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-21

lean king of finance. has just
0s sailed for Europe for seven
weeks tour.
The recent big coal deal engineered
nv this remarkable financier again
brings into unusual prominence the
banker who figured in the United States
bond deals and the railroad pool of re-
cent memory.
To view Mr. Morgan as a man and !
citizen one mast first of all look upon
him as a charitable man and religious
citizen. for he is both
Here, then, is a pen picture OF the
citizen:
Passing along the aisles of st. |
George's Episcopal church, New York |
city. with heavily chased silver salver |
in hand at the regular collection hour
every Sunday morning, may be seen a
stoutIy built, stately looking gentleman |
mast the summer of life, who might if
he felt disposed include all the running
ernenses of the church, together with |
4be salaries paid the rector and his as |
ristante. in his annual expenditures and
hardly realize the difference in his net |
incone. That he has not done so is not
crown lack of interest, for he is the larg
oct financial supporter Of the church.
and ANYTHING that the Rev. DR.. Rains
ford may desire in advancing the wei
fare of his charge will be forthcoming
while ]. Pierpont Morgan continues to
he one of that churchs vestrymen.
Rrt these relations indicate only one
chase of the character of a many sided
man. Mr.. Morgan is not only prac-
fical Christian, to the extent at least Of
attending church regularly assisting
nersonally in the administration of its
corporate affairs and giving with nota
Sle liberality to the endowment and sup
mort of this religious community, but
he is generous and philanthropic in
other walks of life.
He is also a high and liberal liver,
who enjoys unstintingly all the good
cheer he may chance to derive from a
steam yacht to a good dinner out of the
enormous fortune he has made by the
exercise of his uncommon gifts of in
tellect. AS a connoisseur in art he is
a collector Of peachblow vases and
other treasured trifies, and has donated
some of them to art museums He loves
fast horses and owns them, high class
dogs and breeds them at his own ia
NOUS Cragston kennels, adjoining his
country manor on the Hudson, near
West Point. He is a member of all the
leading clubs Of the metropolis and in
business circles is regarded as the lead
ing financier IN the United States.
1t is not said of Mr.. Morgan by those
who know him best that he has any
inordinate pride of ancestry but it is
certain that he is a notable example
of heredity, for his ancestors have been
nerRof distinction for generations, and
If family" deserves regard in a demo-
cratic country, he may be considered to
have been born to eminence. His IA
Their, Junius y. Morgan, was banker
of prominence being the founder and
actual head of the firm of j. S. Morgan
& Co. of London. This father married
into the Pierpont family, and John
Pierpont the poet, was the maternal
grandfather of J. Pierpont Morgan. The
unusual blending of business traits and
habits with artistics and intellectual
tastes, the prominent characteristics of
Mr. Morgan, are, therefore, traceable
directly to his ancestry.
His birthday was on April 10, 1897
Hartford the place., and he was con-
sequently a very young man when in
1850 he made himself felt as a power in
the financial world. The occasion was
a struggle over the possession of the
Albany and Susquehanna railroad, and
the two magnates with whom he came
in direct conflict were Jay Gould and
James Fisk. Jr. Though then full
partner in the house CT Dabney, Nor
gan & Co. of Exchange place. he was
hardly expected at o. fresh from his
university course at GRttingen, Ger
many, TO demonstrate great fiscal abil-
fly.
Meeting the clustering threats of Fisk
and Gould with calm defiance, he led
the opposition against their schemes
and overwhelmingly defeated them.
One result of this financial victory
was the dissolution Of Dabney. Morgan
& Co. and the formation of the great
banking firm of DreXel, Morgan * Co.
which. by the comparatively recent
death of the senior member has been
changed in name (only) to J. Pierpont
Morgan & Co.
OF this firm Mr.. Morgan is not only
the nominal hut the active executive
head His connection with the banking
house of ]. s. Morgan & Co. Of London
is not so easily defined. but the general
belief is that his is the controlling in
terest in that firm. In Philadelphia the
house of Drexel & Co still exists, and
in it he has a partnership interest His
relations with DreXel Harjes ct Gle OF
Paris are certainly of the closest ma
ture With these connections il will
not occasion surprise when it is said Of
him that he can command more ready
money of his own and of other people
for the furtherance Of any great enter
prise than can any other American
1inancier. So well established is this
reputation that his name is invariably
mentioned in connection with any great
commercial enterprise, bond sale or in
duStrial formation fioated in Wall
street or only having a newspaper sug-
gestion. Occasionally these picturesque
rumors are ludicrouS. But a few weeks
ago a grave statement appeared TO the
effect that a trust was in process OF