The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-03
S, S, S. FOR TIL BLOOD

| two friends In the Waldorf Astoria.
This Is the time" said Keene, when
the well-to-do ought to put their hands
into their pockets to relieve the poor.
The people in this hotel should give $780,
900 toward it. and II they don't, will"
I'll give $1,000" said one Of his com-
panlons.
I'll do the same" said the other.
| keene walked to the telephone. called
up the mayor. and told him that $4,000
| was waiting to relieve the sufferings of
4 the destitute poor. The only stipuln-
ton was that it should reach them i'm
medlately.
1t was q holiday. and the mayor had
to get hold. OF the commissioner OF
charities before he could promise that
the money would be applied lmmedlate-
| ~. Meanwhile. Keene sent for the
head Of one of the principal charitable
organizations Of the city, and placed
In his hands s10.00O--eIght from his own
pocket and two from his friends. The
only, proviso attached to the gift was
/ Get It to the needy to-day"
| A little later, thelmayor, having made
his arrangements called up Mr.. Keene
md announced that his gift was accept
ed. Keenes response was "All right"
and he gave $4,000 to very practical
charity. instead of the 5000 he had at
first intended for the purpose.
Keene's rise to fortune has been re-
| makabie, and in some respects ro-
! mantle one. He was born In London q
little more than sixty years ago. He
| came to America at the age Of sewn
teen. For few years he lived in the
south, and studied law there. As soon
| us he was admitted to the bar In the
late Sos, lie Joined the tfronE of young
men drawn westward by the California
gold discoveries, and began his practice
in San Francis -.
The, young lawyers practice related
| chiefly, TO mining claims. He became
familiar with mining stocks and prop
| critics. and soon was more mining
Spectator than lawyer. He made mo-
ney in his ventures. but his health was
poor. and n physician advised him to
take a long trip. So he closed up his
business affairs, packed his effects. and
started for the Atlantic coast, to be alb
sent year.
That was an important trip for
keene. 1t made him q rich man. Some
bsIiiC UCAOI He oeGOlllE pOsSeSSeu
of some shares of q mining stock that
was selling at almost nothing. 1t was
believed to be practically worthless, bu.
! soon after kee7e's departure 1t panned
out wonderfully rich. The stock went
up like a rocket from one figure TO
three. keene was away; news Travelled
slowly in those days. He knew nothing
OF his good fortune for long time, but
when he returned to San Francisco he
| found that his few hundreds had grown
to 100000. Had he remained ut home
he would have sold out probably at the
first advance, netting perhaps one tenth
OF what he actually realized. As he
himself says. It was q lucky journey.
The former lawyer, having brains,
confidence, sound Judgment, and $780,
600 at his command, was ready 10 at
tempt larger affairs. Ee became bro
ker and Spectator: invested freely, and
came out luckily in all his undertake
Iags.
Those were days Of great speculation
In San Francisco. Mnckay. Flood, Fair,
and O'Brien were the leaders. Keene
took his place with these men, became
one of the board. and soon had rcpu-
tation for good luck and sound judg-
ment.
! The boom and the rush OF money Cor
investment had forced prices to O very
high point. Keene saw that the inilu-
tion could not last. When he believed
that the turn was close at hand he
went short Of the Comstock securities,
which had received more attention, and
! had been forced higher than any other.
In taking this course he had Mnckay,
| Flood, Fair and the powerful Bank OF
California against him. For a tina
there was q lively contest between
these rival influences, then the market
began to sag under The influence of
Keenc's persistent sales, and soon It
was going down with rush. In the
smash-up OF values that ensued Keene
realized three millions from his short In.
terest In the Belcher. Crown Point, and
Ophir mines. This coup made him ia
nous all over the country as the first
man who had successfully fought the
Pacific coast trlumvlrnte before named
Although Keene had been on the bear
| side Of the market, he was then, nor
afterward, destroyer OF values. In
this case he simply took advantage of q
condition of affairs that was certain to
oring about the same result. After the
crash. when values were on n sancr
level, he did his utmost to restore pros
perity. The Bank OF California had
been dragged down In the ruin, md
koenc SGT to work to ,rehabilItate II, and
put up million dollars. along with d.
Q. Mills and Lucky" Baldwin,, for the
purpose. 1t was due to the combined
efforts OF these mon that the slump did
! not extend further.
keene continued his speculative ca
reer In California until, in 1877, his for
tune had grown TO 100000. Then he
started for Earope to rccuperate his
henlth again. BY that time the un-
varying success OF his operations had
made hls name known to inanciers, and
spectators. though he had contend his
attention entirely to the Pacific coast.
1t was In 1877, In the course OF his
journey, TINT Keene frst appeared In
Wall street. He came to see. but he
stopped to conquer. Tho attraction OF
the larger market, the opportunity for
great undertakings were Irresistible.
keene transferred his interests to New
York. and ut once became ono OF the
prominent figures In Wall street.
Ono fact that tho California million
afro foon learned was that he could not
run the Wall street market TO suit him
self, as he had done In Sna Franclgco.