The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-14

~ old time coffee merchants of
n New York, has unconsciously
furnished another brick to be
thrown at wall Street by those gen.
tlcmca from Missouri and elsewhere
who FOR various purposes get t o be
chairmen of investigating commit
tees. Year after year. decade after
decade such inquests of financial
coroners have been sitting on the
corpse Of Mammon. as represented by
that district wherein men and women
purchase and sell securities. And just
as regularly when Mammon gets
rood and ready the earnest, Mortified
financial Curoners are shaken of and
Mlmmon starts on his job again.
just as II nothing ever had happened
t. annoy him or ever would.
Sow Mr.. Wakeman along
wiki "a BOOK of historical narrative,
welded to personal "reminiscences,
about Lower wall Street and Vicin-
ity." which is put forth by the Spice
MIL Publishing Company. for his
friends and associates among veteran
business men OF the city, and informs
the rising generation that even Capt.
Kidd himself, the redoubtable, CORY,
aA@NA lAAlAS . Lhiht was ultdpl0
10 withstand contact with Wall Street
and remain virtuous. Mr.. Wakeman
does not make this charge directly;
he leaves IL to be inferred from
,arlier historical data which he
quotes. But the discriminating reader.
especially If he is getting ready to
lam Wall street one for luck" can
have no doubt as to the facts in the
case.
originally William Kidd resided in
Pearl street. among quiet, respectable
people. Then. for some reason. the
lure Of Wall street proved too strong
and he purchased a home there, the
first house built on the north side OF
that thoroughfare. The lot obtained
by Mr.. Kid is o the site of IS
Wall street. and he paid for 1t the
sum Of f60 somewhere about the year
1890. Parenthetically it may be
added that despite the efforts of up
filters 20 have Wall street sold for
taxes the site of 56 is still worth as
much as the $500 paid for II by Kidd.
Now begins the story of swift and
sudden downfall. The erstwhile re-
spectacle resident of quiet Pearl street
moved into his new home and COM
menced TO branch out into real estate
deals in partnership with Gov. Dom
gan. At once the uplifting investiga-
tor from Missouri or elsewhere will
notice this alliance between a profess
sional Spectator and n man holding
high political position.
Undoubtedly the firm prospered.
This is more than indicated by the
fact that in 1895 Col. Robert Livingston
of New York brought Capt. Kidd to
the attention Of the English Govern
ment at a critical time. One of the
most profitable Of legitimate business
enterprises then followed was the
slave trade. Many q good and honest
citizen had his savings invested in a
ship which sailed from New York to
Africa. where the crew landed, swooped
down on a village Of unsuspecting a
tiyes. bound them in chains and car
RED them off to America. When they
reached New York the slaves could
readily be sold for large sums Of
money.
But the slave trade had one draw
back. II was so exceedingly profitable
that envious and utterly dishonest
souls, regardless OF the moral law
and ignorant Of the higher ethics,
ruth,essly fitted nj other ships.
the slave traders. and without a
qualm # conscience descended pom
one after another. seized the slavers,
captured the crews and carried the
cirgoes OF African natives to ports
other than New York, where they
were sold to the satisfaction of every
J LA 40 90 - Ia. 49,
residing in and round Wall street.
Of course this sort II thing couldn't
- on. 1t had to be stopped. The
men and women who had trustfully
placed their surplus cash in ships
couldn't afford TO lose It. Stealing had
10 be punished and the pirates Of slave
carrying vessels must needs be made
examples. SO Col. Livingston looked
around for a man of resolute deter
mInation able to cope with the impious
pirates, he heard Of Capt. Kidd. he
learned Of the real estate deals,
~douhtedly. He decided that here was
a person eminently qualified to handle
the job, and recommended him to h
E'+l.sh Government as one whose
aincSs for such service was well un-
i"iStOpd in New York" The King and
q few noble lords Joined in a pool for
providing a proper ship. Col. Living
N'nn also subscribing to the fund. 1t
j. interesting to note that "the profits
were to be divided among the owners
oi ne ship, allowing a liberal share to
h.l|.' by which the analytical mind
iitiE perceive that the scheme of the
English King and his partners was
r"iaer wholly philanthropic mol en-.
irr.v unselfsh.
INrrything went smoothly, and early
j. \pnil, 1886. the ship set sail from
i.'Inouth. Pacing the quarter deck
Wa the commander. rejoicing in his
e. n-n.SSlon issued under the great seal
~ ENGLAND, and directed to 1.-The trusty
ana well beloved Captain william
h.Ii commander Of the ship Adven-
'''" Galley" In due time Kidd ar
f.'"i off the American coast. where
'' sailed up and down, occasionally
'h''rlng the harbor Of New York. II
me- mad not again set foot in the con-
mes Of Wall Street all might have
A'n" well with him. But Capt. Kidd
''d I relapse, He simply couldn't keep
away.
II" did go to Wall Street, INC more
al 'ra't, for 1t Is on record that the
Assembly OF the Province Of New York
TAINTED him the sum OF 1850 las a COM
I"'m"ntary return for his services In
protecting the owners OF slave ships.
AM then evidently realizing that IL ne