the Coliseum, where the jubilee was held, and from the very audacity of the act, attracted more attention from the gazing multitude than was bestowed upon the President himself. Fisk, however, was not working for empty honors. He saw from the beginning, that he could, by Ciceroning the President from New York to Boston and back, gain immense advantage in aid of his contemplated "Gold Corner." He even had the boldness to suppose that he might obtain from the President a pledge to discontinue the sales of gold in August and September. Whether this could be done or not, Fisk resolved to attempt it, and if he failed, then to play bluff on the strength of a paraded intimacy with the President and his views. That is, if he could not obtain such a pledge as he wanted, he could intimate that "it is all right." This insinuation, made at the critical moment, gave immense strength to the " Corner," but when, a few hours later, it was stated so positively that the Government officers were with the conspirators, that declaration invoked instantaneous and irretrievable ruin. This, the account of the operations of the "Gold Ring," in another chapter, will fully set forth.

In 1870 the "Plymouth Rock," by far the most elegantly finished and furnished steamboat on New York waters, was launched for the Long Branch trade. This vessel was the great sensation of the season, the pride of Admiral Fisk, and the object of admiration to all who went on board. There never was anything like it in the way of steamboat or ship. It surpassed in size and accommodations all previous efforts,

and it will be unequalled until some new genius. appears more lavish and versatile than Fisk.

If to these steamers be added the ferry boats, plying between the Erie depot in Pavonia and Twenty-third street, "James Fisk, Jr.," and "Jay Gould," the list of vessels in the Admiral's fleet will be complete. These ferry boats, of course, were far superior in finish to any other ferry boats in the country, for whatever belonged to Fisk or was controlled by him must necessarily outshine all else of its kind. To this general rule, the ferry boats were in no sense exceptions.

CHAPTER VI.

FISK AS A MILITARY MAN-COL. FISK.

The Albany and Susquehanna Railroad War-A battle of words—A battle of injunctions-A battle of shellalahs, stones, oaths and pistols-Fisk in Albany-Scenes that are rare-Fisk Arrested-Erie defeated-The corrupt courts of New York-The villany of New York judges-Writs, decrees and judgments bought and sold in Wall street-The downfall of rascality-Fisk is chosen Colonel of the Ninth Regiment-Great sensation-The condition of the Regiment-How Col. Fisk brought it out-Dress parades-"Camp Gould," Long Branch-Trip to Boston-The alarm of the City Fathers-Fisk not allowed to say his prayers on Boston Commons on Sunday-He worships in the theatre-The Orangemen's parade-The Riot-The gal lant Ninth in action—The mishap to the Colonel-Killed, wounded and missing.

THE Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, connecting the Hudson at Albany with the Susquehanna at Binghamton, was completed in January, 1869. The building of the road was the result of private enterprise, and the line was intended to secure merely a local purpose, by giving an outlet to the products of the rich section of the State through which it passed. It was barely completed, however, when Fisk discovered that by gaining possession of this line he would be able to compete with Vanderbilt for the trade between New England and the West. That is, if the Erie Railway could deliver and receive freight at Albany, it would come directly in competition with the New York Central. Seeing this, Fisk resolved to get the prize, by treaty, by strategy, or by force.

The managers of the new road could not be persuaded to sell out. Gould and Fisk then began to scheme for the capture of the road, by the purchase of stock and the election of a board of directors, at the next annual election, that would be favorable to their purpose. The stock was controlled by a few men, who were opposed to the Erie party, but, nevertheless, Fisk contrived by paying far more than its value, to get a considerable quantity of it. There were numerous sums held by the towns along the line of the road, and the struggle to gain possession of these was sharp and varied. The stock was in reality worth only about 20 cents on the dollar, but the town officers were prohibited by law from selling any portion of it for less than its par value. Fisk entered into an arrangement with some of these town officers, whereby the stock was to be voted for his party, with the understanding that, after the election, he would purchase it at par. When this stock was presented at the office of the company for transfer, the secretary refused to make the transfer, unless evidences of actual sale were produced. This of course was virtually a defeat of the Erie scheme; there was no evidence of actual sale in existence, for the very good reason that there had been no actual sale of the stock in question.

This action of the secretary brought on a war of Injunctions." Fisk had frequently felt the force of the strong arm of the law descending upon his head with all the power of judicial decrees. But he had now become proprietor of one of those anomalous establishments in New York, called a "Court of Jus

tice." In this he had manufactured to order writs and decrees at the shortest notice, suited to any case. Over one of these establishments George G. Barnard presided. He was so thoroughly convinced of the propriety of yielding swift and implicit obedience to his master, Fisk, that he never questioned the power of his machinery to produce any article of legal document that "Prince Erie" should order, either by messenger, letter, or telegraphic dispatch. There is not the slightest doubt in the mind of any one, familiar with the organization of this admiral institution, that if Fisk had been in Paris, in 1871, he could have saved that City from invasion, by simply telegraphing by cable, to "His Honor" Judge Barnard for an injunction forbidding Van Moltke to open his batteries on the French capitol. Had "Prince Erie" demanded such an injunction, "His Honor" would certainly have issued it. Precisely how the arrival of "Prince Erie Admiral Colonel Fisk" at the Prussian Headquarters, armed with one of Barnard's formidable writs, would have affected Kaiser William, the Crown Prince, and the old hero, Von Moltke, cannot well be described. The situation would have been new, and therefore embarrassing. The wily minister, Count Bismark, would have been more familiar with the New York mode of warfare, and might have somewhat interfered with the execution of the writ. Of course he would have been forthwith indicted for contempt of "His Honor's" court, a warrant would have been telegraphed under the sea, and, unless he had fled the realm, as “Prince Frie" once did to New Jersey, he