Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-15

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tahlis,ssd Record ~ 49, !sss.I
sight and osnsseeshsD - 5s,s:::.ss
dsrsd csmpstltors. I
James Robert Keene. W. 1ied -.
Gently. was highly vitalissd combina-
ton OF marvellous powers and contra
dictory traits. A master speculator,
one Of the greatest tacticians which
Wall street ever knew, adamant when
reused to resistance and 1mplacable a.
Z foe, he also had hidden strains %
simplicity and benevolence. The imam.
cial world knew him % the daring op.
orator, some called him Robin Hood,
and men who reared great fortunes
made use OF him - they would IN IN.
strument Of precision such confidence
did they have In his powers Of analy.
sis and his ability to carry out what
be had decided to do.
Il was the turf which found hiG
heart. AZ child he loved horsea: @
q man he idolised them. His GREATEST
Joy in life was In rearing vlctoes for
his colors and in advancing tho inter.
est Of the American sport Of racing.
His sarlonic humor dropped from him
% Z mask when he breathed the air Of
the track.
Had Record Winnings.
From 1893 to 1908 the remarkable
turf winnings Of Mr.. Keene during
which time his horses were trained
by James Rowe) exceeded 100000,
and no other stable In til world has
that record.
At least a million dollars OF thslargs
sum won in the period above named
was earned by horses whose immedl.
ate sires or dams, were by Domino
and 1t was the purchase Of this 10.
nowned racer as yearling In 1894
for $1,000 which laid the foundation
Of his enormous successes.
Paid Dig Prizes Fer Information.
Il can lay bare the one sole reason
for my triumph with 4 word. The
world is my spy. pay the highest
price for Information"
Some years ago one Of his friends
asked James r. Keene to what he at
tributed his great success In life, and
the nnancier replied in the words quot
ed above. Certainly none Of his friends
and associates ever accused Mr.. Keene
of not knowing every detail Of any
thing in which he was interested. To
them he always seemed to know ~
erything that any one else knew and
more besides.
The story Of the last thirty years Of
his life is the story Of most Of tho sem
sationai deals put through In Wall
street during that period and Of the
triumphs Of famous race horses on the
turf before the sport Of kings" was
killed by the Hughes anti-racing law.
Outside Of his business Mr.. Keene had
but one hobby-horse racing-and no
INDUCED in that to the limit Domino.
Peter Pan, Colin. sysonby, Commando.
Ballot. Celt. Sweep and dozen other
great racers belonged to him.
Keene was in the vortex Of specula-
ton once when suddenly II was notic.
ed that he began to lose interest He
had foreseen the end and was unload.
ing his securities and stocks - fast -
he could. His fellow brokers called
him crazy. .sf &
At the top Of the market he had
empfied his strong boxes. Gold stocks
that had been selling at $500 and gao
q share dropped like lead and continp
ued to fall; Mr.. Keene drew out Of the
market with fortune Of $6O00O00
and soon after that the Bank Of Calf
fornia failed. The president Of the IN
in despair threw himself into
Keene performed an important pubic
service, for largely through him guar
antee fund OF $S,OOOOOO was raised
with which to pay deposit0rS. and Of
this he subscribed million himself.
When the atmosphere cleared some
what Mr.. Keene. who was ,still in III
health. crossed the continent to New
York on his way to . long vacation In
Europe. He scented q. bigger Snme
here than he had, ever played. The
street was challenge to the audacity
Of the man trained in the adventurous
west. The lure Of the metropolis held
him. -. s..
Going After Gould. d..
One Of the stories told Of Mr.. Keene
is that one day he saw ~ Could il
Broadway.
II have 100000" ha said. ~
guess will 90 after that mans scalp"
The conflict did not come then and
there, as for q time he and Mr. Gould
were on good terms and were allies in
several operations. When the clash
came. years later, and disaster over
took the house Of Keene one Of its
choicest possessions, a picture by Ross
Bonheur, was sold in meeting Z debt
Mr.. Gould bought 1t. so the sequel
goes, and hung it in his houSe at Fifth
avenue and Forty-seventh street and
ever afterward designated 1t % '.Jim
Keene's Scalp" IL,
The break between the men was due
20 little dispute in which Major ]. r.
selover. a Keene follower, wound up
with throwing Jay Gould down m
areaway. Mr.. Gould, stu, smartinS
under the indignity. went 70 his once
and started some things whick made
the major $4,000 poorer before IT, daZ
was done.