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OAINTO 25 POUNDS
. _ Brook* vi lle, Mia., Feb. 2Sd. 18M.
D*ar Stb??? Please dnd enclosed P. 0 Order for
tm6 Dozen SCROFULA. SYRUP???SMITH???S. I
have a young man with me who has been cripnled
with Rbeuroatira???conid net walk. After takinv
Bottles is well???able to go to work. Has aalne^
For sale 88 Wall
???^FAYETTEVILLE GA
=LBOnggf (
THE CONSTITUTION:
REAL ESTATE LOANS
(FIVE YEAR LOANS
ON PLANTATIONS IN
MIDDLE AND NORTHERN GEORGIA
Oa better term, then ere offered In Atlnntn-
NegotlAted by FKaNG'18 FONTA IN*.
Fitten Builmk*,
ATLANTA- GA.
VOLUME XVI.
TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 20, 1884.???TWELVE PAGES.
PRICE 5 CENTS
A COMPLETE PAPER.
The Constitution. Interests nil Classes
and Appeals to aQ Tastes.
The leading topic* of this week???s Issue are:
Travel and Abvkntubb??????Mr. Cummlng's Ad
venture With a Snake,'* ???Two Husbands at s
Funeral,??? ???The Mexican Lasso," ???A Panther
Hunt," ???Austria???s Empress," ???A Rat-citch*
Ing Ctam," ???Old Testament Parchmeuta,"
???Found After Twentycne Years,??? ???The Con-
sus of Russia," ???The Sagacous Mule.??????
The Sensations of the Week???
BANK FAILURES
THE KILLING OF CASH
TRIPPLE HANGING.
Around the Camp Fire??????Mrs. Mason," ???General
fill Van Dorn."
Oor Humorous Writers???Uncle Remus, ???Brer
Rabbit aiul Brer Wolf," Betsy Hamilton, ???The
Marriage of Buck Simpson and Zllphy Ann
Dewberry."
News of the Week???"All Through Dixie," ???The
Week la Congress," ???Nows by Wire," ???Short
News Notes," ???Points About Poople," '???Across
the Water," ???During the Week," ???Georgia
News,??? "The Political Field."
TjJlLMAGE'S SERMON:
???PESTIFEROUS LITERATURE.???
The Constitution Departments???"Tho Woman's
Kingdom," ???Our Young People," ???Answers to
Correspondents," "Farms and Fanners," "The
Anti-Liquor Fight,"
Editorials??????Notes on Current Topics," "Let
ters From Our Readers," and many other
things of Interest. #
Something to please every member of tho family.
Ossljr gi.25 a Tear. In Clubs of Five, 01
Kaeh. gnhsCTlbs at Ones. *
ALL THROUGH DIXIE.
m nwi or Toi win ui thi
SOUTHEKJT STAVES.
Wfcatthe Southern Folk* ??re Dolnj???The
ft.tcst New. 6y Midi *c4 Wlr.
to The Constitution.
The past week has been crowded with
events of the mo9t exciting character.
The failures of several banks and business
bouses throughout the country reminded one
ot the panic of 1873. The danger, however,
is now over, and everything will donblless
rnn smooth.
The killing of Cash and a trippte banging
in South Carolina show that the law mnst
and shall be obeyed in that atate.
Crops are growing fine, and the weather
has been ail that could be desired.
Kentucky.
???Tts said that new counties are now created In
Kentucky (or two purposes???for the benefit cf
a landholder who wants a county scat on hli farm
and for the benefit of local politicians who wan
tho county o IS css.
Virginia,
t "* s 'TET??n.iiDao, Vn.] j#aj lu.???Tho w.go> ot lira
operatives lu the factory of tho Swift Creek cotton
manufacturing compiny have been reduced 10 per
cent. Tho rcduoilon was made In conscqnonco of
the dull trade of domestic goods. This Is one of
tho largest factorlca In tho state.
Two thousand people from all sections of Vir
ginia were at the Wagner concert In Richmond.
A Paullct monastery will bo built In the neigh,
borhood of Norfolk, Va.
South Carolina.
Columbia, 8. 0., May IS.???[Special.]???It Is ru
mored that Governor Thompson will make an ef
fort to go to congress from this district. A panto
ular friend of tho goreanor???s says tho report Is not
Iruo.
Columbia, 8. O., May 15.???[8pccUl.]??? 1 Tho Sow
mer???i Guards celebrated their anniversary to-day
with a barbecuo and prize shooting at the Eohont>
sen Plats, near this city. The day pissed off pleaa-
antlj*.
The buffalo gnat Is putting an appearanco In
Orangeburg county, B. C.
A blcydo club has been organized In Greenville,
B. 0,.
The Columbia, 8. C??? theological seminary has
closed nntil next September.
Florida.
Crop, am doing wotl In Florida.
The farmera on the keys of Florida, reported that
the pine apple crop will bo largo,
Key largo, Florldo, Is having a large trade, and
new vessels are being built to accommodate It.
Dr. Baldwin, of Jacksonville, Fla., baa carp from
two lnchea op to throo foot long.
Four bushels of Irish potatoes planted In New-
iranarllle. Fla, returned ninety bushels.
Improvements am going on all over Key Weal,
Fla.
The tnrtleaeaaon at Cedar Key, has opened with
good prospects.
George and Jasper Brown and John Avis killed a
bear Tuesday morning about a mile from Daytona,
Fla. It weighed dressed four hundred pounds, and
Sras very fat.
Atrangementa are being made for an editorial
walking match in Jacksonville.
Mare than 1,500 bushels ot tomatoes hare been
this season shipped from Lake Worth outside to
Jacksonville.
Mississippi.
Vk-xiauxs, May 15.???The general assembly ol
the Presbyterian church south convened here to.
slay, Alter an address by the presiding modera
tor, Dr. Pryor, Bev. T. D. Witherspoon, of Louis
ville, was elected moderator, Some routine busi
ness was then transacted, and a recess sras taken.
Tbs evening session was spent in bearing tbs
reports of the executive committee and of the
churches, and tho convention adjourned until to-
Vicuawiw, Mlis., May IS.???The general assem-
blyofthe Presbyterian church south, met this
morning. Delegates from the Northern general
assembly. Rev, Drs. Mitchell and Nelson were in
troduced by the moderator and were cordially
received. The report of the Columbia theologi
cal seminary was read, showing 40 students, no
debts and imi roved finances.
Columbus, Mira, May 17.-(8peda!.J???This after
noon, while Mr. R. B. Spiers, manager ef the tele-'
phone exchange, aad his assistant, A. B. Meek,
were plajfolly fighting a mock dnel la the ex
change ofilce, tie piztol of the Utter proved to be
leaded in one chamber, and was discharged, kill,
log Mr. Eplerz almost Instantly. It was a deplora
ble accident indeed, and brings grief to the whole
community.
Kaxcszz. Mias., May 17???Colonel J. F. H. Cla*
tome, the dlatlognlihed historian, died this mcm-
lng, aged 75 years. Be was for many yean
propijnffif Jo politics aad represented Mleriaslppl
In congress during several terms. Hfs later yean
were devoted to the preparation ol a history of
Mississippi and the aonthwest. The manuscript
of the last volume ol the work was lost in afire
which destroyed bln residence a few months ago.
North Carolina.
Chaulotte, N. C.. May 13.???[Special]???To-days'
cold blooded murder was committed at Crump gold
mint', tight miles south of hero. One negro nun
struck his comptnlon with a pick, and killing him
Instantly. Tho two men became engaged In a
quarrel, and before anyono could Interfere tho
deed w&s done. Rufus Hearn was the
name of tbe murdered man, and toe murderer
waa named West Thomaason. Tbomreson and
Ream worked together at tho Crump mine, and
at the Ume tbe quarrel arose Thomauon had
pick in his hand with which ho had been
digging ore. As Beam advanced Thomatson
raised bis pick and let It descend npon Bearn'
head with terrible force. The long charp Iron
pointed Instrument sank Into Boarn'a head abrut
flvo Inches, making a terrible hole, through which
a handful of Hearn???s brain wai poured out. Tho
blow Imbedcd tbe pick so tightly In tho unform-
nate negroe's tknll that In trying to extricate
bis body was dragged about ten feet by Thomas
son, who. In savagely jerking the pick, finally sue
oeeded In Jerking It out. Be then threw
the bloody weapon to the ground, and picking up
a shotgun qnckly made his escape from tho neigh
borhood. Tho causo of the quarrel that led to tho
tragedy Is unknown. Jt wsb a meat cold-blooded
affair, and the friends ot tho murdered man are
terribly Indignant, and vow veugencc. The mur-
dcrerla a resident ol Charlotte, and bis family
lives here. The killing took place early In the
morning, and Thomaason died Just before sun
down. Beam escaped to South Carolina, It la
thought.
Jackson, N. C., people are coining money from
mining, Messrs Long A Hooper, near Rest Lai'ort,
recently sold from their mine 1200 worth of mica,
the work of two banda two weoks.
Louisiana.
Kbw Ohlxans, May 12 ???The leveo oa Walker???s
place broke at 9 o'clock last night. Captain Gnat,
of the Mlislsslppl River Valley railroad unt men
and material to tho break at once. The water now
extends along the railroad track (or a distant* ol
several miles. The crevasse waa censed by the
breaking ofadykeor dam across thomonthef the
Msnabao bayon, formerly koown as Iberville
river, once a navigable stream (ram the Mississippi
Into Lika Marlpas.
BuizviroBT, La., May 13-The river haa risen
six Inches. 11 Is now thirty-two feet ono inch above
low water and six Inches below the disastrous
March flood.
New Orleans, May 14.???A dispatch from Alex
andria to tho Times Democrat aays: a fiendish
murder sras committed near Colfax, Grant parish,
last Wednesday, the vlcUm being Frink H Page,and
tho murderer William Saunders, colored. Tbe act
was prompted by revenge. Page was formally
woll know i republican leader In the parish. Be
was returning homo from Colfax, where ho had
been a witness against Saunders, who was charged
with stealing. Page waa waylaid In a lonely place
and knocked down with a brick. Saunders beat
hla head Into a pnlp. Be then secured a knlf j from
Page???s poeket and cut hli throat from car to car.
The murderer was seen by a pairing colored boy,
who gavo the alarm and Baundors was arrested.
Thu Mexican government has appropriated 1200,-
010 for the Now Orleans world's fair.
Good stands ol corn and cotton are reported from
many accilona of New Orleans.
Alabama.
I^btipEri^.Ala., May 12.???[Special].???Thiiironi'
log Tit about half-j,ail ono o'clock am, this city
was visited by a terrible and destructive fire,
totally demolishing four frsmo buildings on tbo
east ildo. Too general Impression Is that it Is the
work ol an incendiary, as all fonr ol tbo buildings
were caught in tbe rear cad, and burning in
about equal proportions whan first discovered,
Among thoso sustaining losses are Clabang <fc Rid'
die, general groceries, lost 15,5(0; Insurance t5,0C0
Wilson A Burns, general groceries, lota $8.i??0,
Insurance ,2.700; J. G. Savsry, aoloon and billiard
hall, loaat5.500, Insurance UStO: Samuel Ghana
ler, furniture store, lots 12 009, Insurant* 11,050
The gallant hook and ladder oompany worked
faithfully to save the adjoining buildings and
esme out Victorians In the end with compsrallv.ly
no damigo done, Talladega needs better fire
fsdlltiri.
MoNTOONESY, Ala., Msy 13.???[3pcclal. ] ???Matt
Bunt, muter of trains of the Louisville and
Nashvlll railroad, dropped dead this afternoon
Montgomery, Ala., May 14 -[Special]???The
phumaccuial association elected C U Condlders, ol
Mobile, president; R B Collier, vloo president; A
B Stollenmauck, of Birmingham, second vice pres-
idem; K P Galt, secretary; M M Stone, treasurer:
L L Brodfletd, W F Punch, and R B Wlldman,
execmtve committee. Adjourned to meet In
Anniston on the first Tuesday in May next.
Mobile, Ala.. May 14.???The failure of Emllo
Deamet, at Mosa Point, Mlaa., creates a low of
IIOO.COO.
BiexiKonax,. May 15.-[Speclal.]???The muslo
festival wblcn closed last nlgbt has proven a muen
greater auoceM than wu anticipated. Tho open
house wu filled to Its utmost capacity at every per
formance. The muslo wu grand and highly ap
preciated.
Mobile, May 15 ???[Special ]???The Alabama Odd
Fellows, after a harmonious and pleaunt sculon
of three daya, wonnd np tho work of their grand
lodge by an i xcurtlon to Point (liter, and then so
Jonroed to meet at Huntsville on the second Tues
day in May next
OrXLUca, Ala, May 17.-[8pecUl,]-Tho trial of
yonng Abercrombie lor tho kllltug oi Marshal
But of this city, some months rince, which Has
occupied Lee connty circuit court for several days,
wu brouiht to e sudden termination this morn
ing by the Insanity of ono of the Jurors, Mr.
Folk. It waa declare d a mistrial, and u tho proof
of the prisoner???s insanity bad bcem overwhelm'
log. Judge Clayton ordered him unt to the state
lnnailcuylnm. The Juror, nnlcu he Improves,
will follow in a day or two. This probably coda
tbe cue.
Tbe oat crop of Tuscaloosa connty, Ala., Is re
ported as being finer than known for years.
Rich discoveries of phosphates in Augusts county
The crop outlook of Dallu ccanty, Alt., Is
ip???endld. Corn Is being ploughed the second Ume,
cotton chapped and tho first ploughing. Tbe av
erage in corn lncieued.
Tennessee.
Cuattanocoa, Tcnn., Msy l2.-(9pecia!]-Y????-
terday afternoon a party of boys bathing near Cltlco
furnace on the Tennessee river, Andrew Meddler,
aged eleven years, went beyond bis depth, and
belog unable to swim sras drowned before assist
ance could reach bins. Not one of tbe boys in the
party wu able to swire. Meddler's body wu re
covered.
Cmattaxoooa, Team, Msy U-[9pecial]-Lut
night, at Lueiog station on the ClncinaaU Booth-
era railroad, Peter BulUrae, a fireman on the con*
???traction tnln, wes undlng the track to prevent
the driven from slipping, by some meane be fell
under a car that wu alowly moving. Ills rigbt
leg. below the knee, wu horribly mangled, and
one finger of Ua hand wuenteff. Be wu brought
to this dry lut night, and Dr Baxter empnteted the
mntitated leg. Be la in e fair way to recover.
Kajhvoli May 13 ???The Jury in theceee of Wm.
Spence, who bu been for some days oa trial here
charged with tho murderof bis aon-ln law,Edward
Wheat, to-day rendered a verdict of murder In the
first degree
CiiArraiiooaa, Tenn.. May li???[Special]???Iko
Hawes, an engineer on tho Memphis and Charles
ton railroad, received intelligence to-day that ho
had drawn fifteen thousand dollars in tho Louis
iana state lottery.
Cuattanoooa, Tcnn., May 14.???[Special]???About
the first ol tho year the barn of James Ford, across
tbo river, wu uurned. Two men named Moors
and More wore arretted, charged with the horning
and when on trial charged Dick Stringer with
having bite 1 them to do it. This, Springer in-
dlgnanUy denied. It appears that alter tho
charges were made Ford has made many remarks
osIchUtcd. it la said, to injnro tho g??od namo and
reputation of Stringer, and that Individual has
brought suit against Ford for >10.000 damages for
defamation of eharaeier.
biLATTANoooa, Tonu., May 15???[Special]???Thrco
serious accidents occurred In this city this morn'
Ing. While J. M. Martin was engaged lu papering
Davis's meal market, the ladder on which ho was
standing slipped and threw him on one of tho
meat hooks attached to tho wall. Tho bonk passed
through his clothing and entered his abdomen,
and Marlin bang Impaled for several minutes
until assistance came and relieved blm. Be Is
seriously Injured.
Lewis Anderson was working near a circular taw
In Woodworth's sawmill, when his hand came In
contact with the saw and ws^kvered at the wrist.
In breaking away, bis npper aim alsocamoln com
tact with tbe uw. It was terribly mangled, and
some unesalneu Is felton that account. Be Is from
Ringgold, Ga., where bo hu a wlfo and five chil
dren Uvlng.
About twelve o'clock to-day at the ume place,
Alex Gatdenblre fell from tbe trestle work at tbo
mill to the ground beneath. The fall
was about SO feet. His Injuries were confined
ptlidpally to hla back and It was wonderful It
wu not broken. Gardenhlro was taken to bis
borne, where hls suffering was considerable, ills
injuries are very painful, but not nccestarily fatal.
Chattanooga, May . 40.???[??????pcclal.]???Sir Titus
Salt, Mr Cbtrle Stead, of
titr, England, and William Donaldson
of Glasgow, owners of 23,003 acres of mineral lauds
near Chattanooga, arrived bero yesterday and do
aided to erect two largo blast lu macro on their tract
with a capacity ot 2* tons per day. Tho In
vestment will reach 5500,000 and will bo expended
with In tbe next fifteen months,
CnaTraNoooa, May 17.???[Special.]???Lut Satur
day W B Moore, Jr, oonnocted with the Georgia
Central railroad, came to this city aud registered
at tho Hamllton house. He had considerable bag.
gsge. Be expressed a desire to go in tbo cave
undor Lookout mountain. Bis friends tried to ills B
suadohlm. b ut to no effect. Ho made preparation^
and started. Since that time nothing has been
hcardoiblm, and It Is suppo sed ho has lost bis
way In the care, and this belle! Is ilronglhoacd b
the (ut t hat hla baggage is still at tbo Hamilton
bouse. This evening a party wu msdo up to go
through the cave to search for him.
Tho Knoxville, Tenn., cotton mills, soon to bo
put tn operation, will employ 150 hands, mostly
woman and children.
Qtarfia.
Acwotrm, Gx, May It???[iprclalj???It has bean
believed for a long time that Mr. Henry Bouse,
who resides two miles cast of Acworth, had a ver y
rich gold mine on hts promises. Bo has ] ast raadu
a con treat, selling the mining privileges for 510.000
Savannah, Ga., Hay 12.???[Special ]???Yesterday
afternoon Charles Fish, while gathering wild
flowers In tbe woods, was bitten In the right calf
by a rattlesnake. Fish had tho presence ol mind
m Mill hi., ley light, -toppl'J-; th.' wa-d ''osr ci
the virus. Wbon he got to the city he drank
considerable wblik y, stupefying him. Both fangs
ot the snako entered hls leg. Fish Is lu a fair way
uf recovery.
Marietta, May 14.???[Specla 1]-Laat Monday
craning Jailer MoDonald went Into the Jail to
carry a bucket into ono of tho cells. As ho oponr d
tbo door, a negro named John Barksdale struck him
a fistful blow upon tho head and grappled with
blm In a straggle for liberty. McDonald???s cries for
help were responded to by Sheriff Coryell and
others. Tho sherilTa pistol cowed tho negto
Into tubmlrslen, and ho wu led to hls cell and
chained to the floor. The negro hujost been re.
leased from the chalngang. Be is now confined for
criminally asunlilng a small girl.
McVille, Ga??? May 16.???[8pedal.]-Onrtown suf
fered by a sweeping fire lut nlgbt. It brokeoutln
the storeoccupled by T. B. Nnficet, atoneo'cloek,
and spread rapidly over the business part ol tbo
town. It wu undoubtedly Incendiary. Tho clip
sent turned out promptly and battled manfully for
two boon or more, and succeeded in saving much
valuable properly that would have been destroyed'
The following are ihe sufferers;
T B Norfleet, stock 13,(ICO; insurance 12,000.
Harris & Herts, damaged in moving stock 12.COO;
folly covered.
Tom Eason, storebonre. $1,600; lnanrance 8310;
daraajo to other properirdK); fully Insnred.
C Jordan, storehouse, II 200; partial Insurance.
T J Durden, two stores. 11.000; lnaorenoo 5500.
Tho following bad no Insurance:
W B Clements, store and bllllsrds, 81,000.
D A Everett, merchandise, |8u0.
8 M Bland, 5800.
J T Kemp, store.
J F Cook, dwelling.
Tbe Utal loss is about 515,000.
Savannah, Oa., Hay 17 ???[ jpeclal]-Darenport
Jackson, son of Ocnerel B. R. Jackson, died this
morning, aged 54 years
Augusta, Ga., May 17.-[8pttdalJ-Tbe Intelli
gent* of Davenport Jackson???s death to day In
Savannah, hu caused the profoundcst sorrow In
Augusta. This wu his home unlllhowentabroad.
Recently it wu the arena of bis active life ahd the
field of bis public triumphs. Tho feeling of re
gard at the lore of inch a brilliant and promising
Columbus, Oa., May 17.-[8fcc!a!J???Quito a len-
satlonwu created about dark this evening bye
personal encounter between ex-Alderman J.C.
Andrews and E. M. Johnson, a prominent grocery
merchant, which occurred on Broad street. Ten
or a dozen shots were fired, tbuugh neither party
wuhlL Dr. J L. Jordon, of M. D. Hood A Co.,
at hls store half a block off. wu strack by a spent
Rail bat not hurt The parties have been con-
meted In buttress, out of which tho ml-iunder
atandloggrew. Both wets aliened and putunder
bond,
BxuNiwrck, Oa,, May I7.~{ (pedalJ-A Mr. Kean
wu arrested here yesterday charged with tho
murder cf a negro In Camden connty eome ycu
to.
Elujat, Ga., May 17.-[ipedal.l-Yesterday
morning Dan Evans, of thlaoonnty, pot the muz.
stlof a loaded gun In hls month And fired It eff,
blowing hU'bralns ont. Cause not known.
Caexclltom. May 17.-[8pe*tal]-Jndga McClnn,
wire left Carrollton wlih bit family lut winter for
Arkansas, returned this week. Reis satisfied
wl'blifeln the west, and says be trill spend tho
balance of ble days in good old Georgia.
CauoLLTow, May 17.???[Special]???A mad dog was
Ulbd on the streets bere lut nlghL Be bad bit
ten several other dogs, and thi town It excited
to-day on the subject.
Rcxi. May 17.???[ipedatf-Two negroes were ar
rested tOHlay lor manalactnriog mattresses without
license- While under arrest one drew a pistol on
the marshal, but wu speedily disarmed. Upon
being searched bath were found thorough ly armed
with pistols and kalret.
METROPOLITAN MEN.
SPECULATORS WHO DO NOT KNOW
> HOW TO INVEST.
Viliard, Fish acd Orant la tqe Whirlpool of
W??ll Bire??t-Th?? Failures of tho Yenr *nd
WbiiThey Portend-T???? Grant 6c WaTd
end Marine H??t>k Failure*???Bto,
fThc scries of sketches And illustrations continued
in thin number of The Constitution are copy
righted by tho author, and all rights of publica
tion is auy form are reserved }
New York, May 15 ???I wrote recently of Joy
Gould as an Investor rather than a speculator, j
might have laid stress on tho foot that, notwlth-
standing tho general depreciation of tho stocks ho
Is carrying In great blocks, he is a very wlso Inves
tor. Kvents of tho last week In Wall street empha
sise that there arc many speculators who do not
Invest wisely; whomako money, but who cannot
always ???get away with It."
The Erst Important failure of this clan during
tho present year was that of nenry Viliard. Hls
Btory and that of hls fall may havoa moral for many
readers; it will certainly havo an Interest. Ho Is a
Hanoverian Dutchman. Ho camo here when quite
niNRY YILT.ARD.
young and still poor. Ha tried all sortaof ventures
for a living; and at tho opening of tho war was an
attache of the New York Herald. Ho conceived
the Idea of establishing a southern bureau for that
paper daring the war, with tho ltosslan???s notion
that It was of no consequence which side ho
fought for so that It paid him. At that angry pe
riod tho northern pooplo would liavo resented tho
enterprise of tho Herald in furnishing war news
from a southern standpMnt; aud Mr. Vlllard, had
he carried out hls plan, would probably have been
regarded In tho south ar a spy.
But he saw nothing absurd lti the
chimdrtcal notion and told hlHplan to Tecumieh
8herx??an. Tho general, enraged at the suggestion,
threatened to hang Vlllard as a spy if ho attempted
to carryout Isis* schcmo. Viliard thereupon wroto
h her man down as a madman; ami Vlllard did not
have Pope's opinion of madness which is near
allied to genius in hls mind. Hls schemo falling
the Herald did not longer want Vlllard; ho drifted
to tho Tribune, whero he again failed; tbeneo bo
went Into an emigration schemo which failed,
but which led him into relations
with theNortborn Pacific enterprises Ho became
a clerk,'then a financial agent ol that road; he was
a plausible talker and was soon mado something
more Important; and when finally tho enterprise
had gotten Into a shape which made tho more sub
stantial fit Its projectors decliuo personal promi
nence cjsd responsibility tbo g)lb tongued Mr.
Vlllard was put forward an tbo figure head of the
Mveral oonoerus under which tho ono enterprise
had come to bo organized. It fs always a
Mfo th>qg to bow*re of *ny ???pterpriso
big ba.Uk tak??s several titles to desjjmste
also or mg oorpora???l iurf or firms of whftD*
clerks suddenly becomo tho chiefs. Viliard first of jvfr.Fish???s bank to Mr.VIMi
all showed hls nowspaper training In his conduc' * *
such suddenness as to pass unheeded in die major.
Ity of instances. When a few liko Keene
and Viliard develop Into promlnenco they usually
sink into mere notoriety. When Keene came to
New York from California, .about ten years ago,
some of hls injudicious friends 8*14 ho was after
Jay Gould???s lion skin. A witty writer on one of
Gould's papers suggested that Gould did not wear
the skin of a lion, but that of a fox. Thereupon,
the little journal which Kocno at onto started to
expras hls ideas. Intimated that Kcono Intended
to don tho bear tkin and . ???tan
Gould???s bull skin," alluding at onco
to Gould???s ???bullish" tendencies and
hls former occupation aa a tanner. Hererndely
Gould???s writer in reply suggested that Mr. Keene
might flad it hard laborto ???walk back to California
on bis uppers." Of course there was no such open
declaration of hostility, but for most of the dccado
past Gould and Kcono havo been antagonistic! but
both made money, and, of courso, mado It off some
body other than each other. Gould has kept hls;
Keeno failed last week, and for tho same reason
that Vlllard did. Ho invested unwisely. Ho put
monoy In non productivo horses, consuming yachts
non-interest paying theatres and operas,
In expemivo fashionable country bouses, lu pict
ures: with Uttlo merit that never soil well under
the hammer, in bric-a-brac which could bo du??
plicated anywhere aud which was not thcreforo
wanted. Ho Indulged In tho luxury of a personal
newipaper organ In Wall street; In expensive ed
itorial notices In other papers. He lived extravl-
gantly; at about tho cost ol 9250,000 a' year. It In
said. Ho took great rhki In hls ???put" and ???call"
business. When Wall street and stocks were dull,
ho ventured Into the produco exchargo
and gambled in tho luturo price
grain. Ho even bought and sold
oil on speculation; and rcckleaily put up or down
th (prices of poor men's light and food. Of courso
nobody under theso circumstances is going tosym
pathtzs wltli him. Romo of hls rival speculators
are helping him tldo over hls present troubles, but
it is temporary relief only, given to sustain the
market, not Kcono; and in tho end It will avail
Keene nothing, for as well expect the leopard to
change hls spots as Mr. Keono to abandon hls habits
of speculation.
I am compelled to write whilo yet the full extent
of the Grant, Ward and Fish failure! Is unannouno
cd; they can only ba anticipated; but enough
is known If it Is not yet mako public, to warrant
the prediction {that by tho ilmo this is published
tbo telegraph will havo told your readots that
these sensational collapses form tho most disgrace
ful failure in American annals. The
dlxcrcdlt Is not Individual; It re-
fleets through Mr. Kish as tho head of oco
tho 'consorvatlvo banks" of tho city, on tho wholo
banking system of tbo metropolis; and through ex
President Grant, It Is universally glvon an aspect
discreditable to tho nation. It Is no answer to say
that tho clearing bouse, which Is tho head center of
tho associated banks, first exposed and stopped tbo
reckless practices of Mr. Fish's Marino bank; or
that the country Is In no way to bo Justly reflected
ou for General Grant's misfortunes or mistakes: tho
faet remains that tho banks generally suffer sus
pldon, and tbo foreign and domostlo press, which
voices public sentiment,/t fleet unfavorably ou tho
gpcctaclo of an ez president resorting to business
In any form after leaving hls placo of honor and
dignity. And whou thcro is attached to such falls
uros tbe lightest surplckn of dlihonorablo practices
the Injury done is well i lgh Irreparablo.
James D. Fish 1?? nut talked of Just now as one of
the ???conservative bankers" of tho city but was so
regarded until he failed. Tho Idea seems to have
been based ou the fact that hls was a bank with a
chlrfly small capital; certaluly nothing In
LUf list of loons and Investments whlab constitute
list of loons and investments jyhlob constitute
I first of If - Vlal.???a Kanlr in Vr. Kith'll nrlvafn firm nf krnlrnra
sign It to repay the loan with which he had made
the purchase. He drew monthly from Grant A
Ward all the profits which appeared on their books
as coming to him and invested these, where it doe*
not appear; but they aggregate many hundreds of
thousands . of dollars, and appear to havw
been wholly fictitious profits on Imaginary coin
tracts and speculations piid out of the principal
of borrowed money on which Grant dc Ward had
promised to pay three per cent a month lntercqtl
If this Is conservative broking a little of it wQl
bankrupt most Now York banks Mr. Fish also
figured as a member of a Utile municipal "ring**
lu this city. Ho waa boadtmin for City Controller
Grant and City Chamberlain Tappan, who desig
nate the banks In which tho city funds are depost*
ted; and tho city bad 91.000.090 of deposits in Mr.
Fish???s bauk. Ferdinand Ward; Mr, Fish's
partner, and the Janlor of Grant & Ward, was tbo
other bondsman of Controller Grant, (no relAtivd
of tho genoral) and tho comptroller gavo to Grant
Ward tbo saloat a big percentage of millions of
city bond f. Mr. Fish wa- also the receiver of twe
or more bankrupt corporations; and though two
years ago ho Indignantly denied a report of Senator
John J. Kternsn that ho had received enormous
fees as such receiver It is now settled that ha haa
since been entitled to big sums ou the usual system
of conducting receiverships in this city.
Mr. Fl&h Is not yet openly condemned for hk
partin the transactions which havo bankrupted
tbo Mailno bank and Grant & Ward, and whlck
havo despoiled many Innocent depositors and sonM
avaricious Investors lured by promises ot threo and
11 vo percent a month. Thus far tho scapegoats aiw
Ferdinand Ward and William 8. Warner. The fin!
was Fish's partner in hls roal estate transactions, ft
director In tho Marine bank and the active, ale
though the Junior, member of Ward & Grant.
Threo years ago when this firm was formed Ward
was n clerk in tho produce exchange,and was wonk
nothing. Hls present failure Is for some mllllous;bft
is a Uttlo iadt finite yot as to tho number of mJl-
lions; but amonghlschlef creditors and tho onft
preferred" overall other claimants, Is W. 8. War
ner, to whom ho assigned his houses and personal
property valued at 9275,000, and who was a clerk
In Grant & Ward???s house, lu which he has invested
at the utmost 92O.C0O Ward appears to have been
more reckless than Fish lu hls operations and
thcro Ir little question that it will be efltibli'hed
that ho has been guilty of criminal actions In hi*
various financial operations,
Nowhere thus far has a harsh word been saldoC
General Grant. Borne pity, a good many meaning-*
less regrbts; some unfeeling remarks about Ms
Igunraceo of business; nothing more than thtfl.haft
been said. No one feels that he was a party to tfcft
deception which "has boon practiced, while every
body regrets tho soemlngly unnecessary loaning of
hls name to tho bualnef a of a more stock gambUng
firm- His friends say that it was done to aid Ml
boys, but boys who have to depend for such aid
usually accomplish very Uttlo, A great name dosft
not amount to much aa a banking capital unless ft
big capital In bank goes with the name.
I mot tho general during tho first oxcUomcntof
tho suspension coming out of tho United
Bank building, hobbling on crutches to tho cheap
cabin which ho had ridden down town. Hlft
usually stolid faco had on it a deep, mated expres
sion of melancholy not common to it even in hJa
most sombre moods, and ho Is soldom otherwise
than serious. He did not shrink from observa
tion; he simply Ignored It absolutely; Idontthlnk
Grant ever indulged In a furtive glance, even to
ico who was looking at him. IIo was
of Northern Pacific; It wasln the papers every day,
and he was always named In connection with It
The road under hls mansgomont soon camo Into
great prominence,not only in tho papers bnton tho
exchanges. It was all this tlmo on tho vorgo of
bankruptcy, yet escaped It temporarily bccauso of
the Indorsement with tho gulllblo public which
somo papers which Vlllard Influenced and
bankers through whom he dealt
knowingly or unknowingly gavo
Hls great advertising schcmo of a picnic trip over
the road of Kuropean and American financiers and
editors as guests of tho Northern Pacific was under
taken and successfully carried out at tbe very
time the road was about to collapse financially.
In fact Vlllard hsd publicly failed before all hls
guests reached their homes. Vlllard, It now ap
pears, had talked of hls entcrpil* h >o much that
he finally ctino to bellevo too much of what bo
had laid. It seems that ho made somo earnings In
the stock when he first began to boom It, and
those earning* ho iuvested in the stock to
asko more. He actually camo
Ullcvo in the stock in whose sudden
fluctuations produced by hls own maulpnlatloa ho
bad made monoy. Then he began to count hi*
prospective earnings and to invest theso In real cs
tato and Improvt ments; tbe chief decoration In
each coso being a big mortgage and sometimes two.
Aonntryscitoa tha Hudson aad a Dutoh cistl j
In Madison iqiaro were built, and at each pauk
ALd Insurance presidents who hold mortgages ou
tho premises were expensive and unwelcome
guoits. Of course the babble when pricked col
la. red with aloud sound, but there was nothing
clso sound about It. Millions on paper dlup
penred; transfer! for-largo sums of houica and
castlei which were built but not paid
for wejo recorded until Viliard appeared ten time*
a millionaire; and position In business, grade lu
scclety, and financial credit on which to rebuild
faded out of Mr. VUlard???sgrasp in an honr. As an
illustration ot the substantial character of hla Ins
vestment and as to how he deceived even hlmielf
regarding them. I may mention what Is sometimes
called here ???Vlllard???s nest egg." When he col
lapsed he had deposited with Drexel, Morgan
Co 20,000 shares of Oregon Improvement compa
ny???s stock; par valne 92 000.000; mar
k .t value. 91.OCO 000, provide I that the claim that
the OIC B owned 20,000 ecrcs of certain coal
landa and terminal facilities of Uio Northern Pa
cific was a Jnit one. The new mansgomont of tho
railroad denied the claim; tho stock fell off fifty
percent more; and In all probability the right to
the 2 # ,000sharo* of stock will next be dlvpnted.
Mr. Vlllard, Is Is now announced, has been cn??
gaged m an editorial writer of (ho Tribune: but
they tell me there that they know nothing abontlt,
James R. Keene, like Henry Vlllard, la only an
other example of tho muihroom speculator In
stocks and ???fotnres." This fnngns growth of un
JAMS R. KXZVE.
substantial cap! tailsu U very common bere, bnt few
of the* cxcretceooes grow big enough to be gener*
ally observable; they spring up and die out with
private firm of brokers,
of which <900,000 Is without security! Tho truth is
that Mr Fish Is anything but a conservative bank
president, lfois a woll preserved min of 68 now,
ft Uttlo Inclined to bo "pussy" In figure; and
bou vlvant. Ho Is a widower with grown children,
JAMES d. run.
but they Uro apart from him though ho has two
private residence-:; onu over tho Marino bank in
Wall street, and one lu the Mystic flats In 89th
street, opposite tho Casino theater. Both them
suites of apartment! are exquldtely and richly
furnished with pictures, brlc-a brae, sumptuous
couches, soft rugs, and every Imaginable convene
teuco as well as luxury. He Is a patron of
music and the drama and of the fine arts: and is to
be found among the ???first nfghtera" at every new
original production at theaters or operas. He
ranks, indeed among the Irreverent as one of the
"bald heads"???the older chape to be found In the
front row when Ballet and spectacle are produced
He has numerous acquaintances whom he calls
friends among the operatic and theatrical profes
sions, and hls rooms are noted for the
elegance of the occailonal receptions and
musical entertainments given there. He has
befrlended^naay operatic and dramatic debutantes,
lie has Invested largely In the Casino, one of tho
moat successful of theatrical ventures lu the city,
and Is avtlvo In Its management. Colonel John
McCanllandJ If Riley, the commcdtan of the
Casino, as well as the oompany which owns the
Casino, were depositors with tho Marine bank.
Riley got hls money out in time; but Me*
Canll tells me he lost 18,000 and the
Casino 916 000: bat they can well afford It
on the bails of the present business. Fish, who
purchased Booth's theater property, put a heavy
mortgage on it, altered It at a coat of 9250,000 into
stores, and before it wu finished and occupied
turned It over to an assignee. He bought for him
self property which the bank ctsupled, and to asi
OENEAAL U. f. ORANT,
talking to Kotcoo Conkllng, or rather Coukltaf
was talking In low tones to him, and the ex-sen
ator appeared to bj tho more excited of the two
men. General Grant carries hls crutches only oa-
rkhlonally now; ho had thcro on thisoccartom
and leaned rather heavily on them. Except far
hla lameness I sbanld toy be wu never looking la
better health than at the present time.
There were fictitious profits to General Oraatts
credit to tho amount of 92.600,000 borne onUM
books of Grant dr Ward; they were thereto show
t) persons Invited by Ward to Invest through tk*
house. Grant never sought to draw any parts!
them, and it it doubtful if he ever kqew of the am
ount. He was even solicited by Ward toobteta
a pvrwnial loan of 9150,COO from William H. Vaaq
derbtltfor the use of the house ou Saturday befesft
tho failure: sod he has since deeded hls real es
tate and that qf hls wife to pty the lndebtedoem
To pay a fraction of the lndebtedneas which Waal
ban import'd on him will strip Grant of everything;
hehu in the world, not excepting the cari
ous gift* ol foreign potentates which
ho brought home from hls trip a few years ago;
these made hls other wise modest home a maml
of beauty and luxorlousnesa. Happily for Kf
and hls wife their children are now grown and are
self supporting, and the parents can live la cou-
fort If not affluence ou the Income of the tnmt
fund In the hands of Mr. George Jones.
As for tbe sons of General Grant, who were fn
tire firm of Grant 4 Ward, they appear to hate
done nothing to deserve anything and for tneir lx>*
difference and Ignorance or what wu going oa
about them to have deserved all they got. People
generally dismiss them with this comment, u Ida*
The fsllnre of John F. Smyth, of Albany, ma
ttes some talk because It followed so closuly ihaft
of General Grant for whom ha led Mom York**
contingent of the at Chicago fov years spa
urant???s failure did not draw him down, Wswsr,
It wu devotion to politics and neglett a
that most undid 8myth.
William F. G. Sear
