would be a hard question to tell what Gould is
worth. I know men who believe that he is to-day the richest citizen in
New York. I know others who are confident that he is not worth over one
million, and others who are certain that he is on the eve of bankruptcy,
but this last is preposterous.

His wealth is, of course, subject to fluctuation, and possibly Mr. Gould
himself could not tell its exact magnitude; certainly no one knows,
unless he does, what the precise amount is; but the writer would say at
least seventy-five millions. Indeed, if the truth was known, we would
not be surprised if it would amount to nearly one hundred millions.

He is incessantly engaged in great operations, and these cannot be
managed without vast sums. He is determined that no one shall be
acquainted with his affairs. Despite this outward immobility, the strain
of these colossal operations upon his brain and nerves cannot be
otherwise than very wearing. It is said that he is troubled with
sleeplessness, and that many of his gigantic schemes are worked out
while he is lying in bed awake. Occasionally he gets up at night, lights
the gas, walks the floor and tears paper into bits. It may be remembered
that Fisk testified on his investigation by the Congressional Committee
respecting the transactions of Black Friday, that he observed Jay Gould
tearing up paper and throwing the pieces into the waste-basket, and thus
he knew that his partner had some work on hand. He scarcely ever smiles
and never lifts his voice above a conversational tone. He has no friends
so far as known, but a host of enemies.

His life is in great speculations. His greatest crime in the eyes of his
fellow-speculators is, that he succeeds so well in doing to Wall Street,
what Wall Street is perpetually, but vainly trying to do to him.

JOHN WANNAMAKER.

In the summer of 1838, John Wannamaker was born in Philadelphia. His
father was a brick-maker, and while out of school mornings, nights and
Saturdays, the boy John was engaged in turning bricks which were laid in
the sun to dry. Thus early those habits of industry were instilled into
the lad who, by his own diligence, was destined to one day become the
merchant prince of Philadelphia.

A few years later, school was abandoned for steady employment which was
found in a store four miles from his home, where he boarded, for he had
not the means to do otherwise, thereby walking eight miles per day,
aside from his duti