Taussig, Fisher & Company (New York, NY)

Episode Information

Episode UID
1733392090885
Episode Type
Suspension โ†’ Closure
Bank Type
private
Bank ID
173339209 hash
Start Date
September 22, 1873
Location
New York, New York (40.714, -74.006)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini (chosen from majority vote of a three-model LLM ensemble)
Short Digest
0a2629031d7b2f86

Response Measures

None

Description

Articles report the firm's failure/suspension but give only short hope-to-resume language; no clear evidence of reopening or receivership in these items.

Events (1)

1. September 22, 1873 Suspension
Cause
Macro News
Cause Details
Collapse tied to the wider 1873 stock/railroad panic and inability to borrow funds after market crash; firm heavily involved in railroad stocks.
Newspaper Excerpt
The failure of Taussig, Fisher & Co. of No. 32 Broad-st. in a bad one.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from New-York Tribune, September 22, 1873

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Article Text

been closed on Friday, many who had gone down during the day might have been saved. BROWN. WADSWORTH & CO. firm of Brown. Wadsworth & Co. have been doing business at No. 22 Nassau-st. for about years. A member of the house stated that they The had two They suspended could because they were afraid to go on. held out a while longer, but in of affairs everywhere they condition have simply whatsoever the dared present not until chaotic receive they or do any business where the bottom was. They serious losses, and cusor avoid knew deliver more thought had that suspended their to tomers had abundantly secured them. They had never been carrying so small a line of stocks since beginning business. They were principally interested in NewYork Central, Harlem, Lake Shore, Rock Island, and Pacific Mail. As soon as confidence should be restored accounts cleared they hoped to resume. For several had considered the firm of Jay and had doubted if they could earry and insecure, months they attempting: Cooke & the Co. load of stocks they were of Fisk & Hatch, came could have thunderbolt. tremendous The suspension 'They however, trusted all like their money," said the speaker, " with that firm on Friday morning." The closing of the Stock Exchange the firm regarded as commendable, as it would afford time for relief, and by this morning confidence would be in a measure restored. Except for that, almost no house in the street would have been able to stand. As matters now stood, it was doubtful if any, or at least any considerable number, of firms in the street could pay their debts.though with the restoration of confidence all would yet go well with the larger portion. The outlook was, however, somewhat gloomy even for the whole country. The suspension of Jay Cooke & Co. affected an immense number of correspondents throughout the country. Though Wall-st. influenced the country so extensively and 80 generally, yet time only could determine what would be the effect of the crash on general business and remote sections. LAWRENCE JOSEPH. Lawrence Joseph, commission broker of No. 14 Newst., announced his suspension early Saturday morning. He said that his suspension came about in this way The Bank of the Commonwealth had all his money, and when the announcement came that it had suspenped he "lost his head," and announced his own susHe said he was even on stocks and pension. completely owed from not cent to anybody. If anybody wanted money him he he who were willing to furnish it, and to recover the most of his of hoped had soon friends beenadealing lin from the stocks Bank the Commonwealth He had of every variety, but need not have suspended had he taken time to consider where he stood. He should withdraw his announcement of suspension if possible to-day. For months the street had been looking for trouble in of the firm of Jay Cooke & Co., but no one had dreamed the fall of Fisk & Hatch. There had been too much railroad building and too much stock watering. The developments of the last few day might have a salutary effect upon this kind of business. FEARING & DILLINGER. The firm of Fearing & Dillinger of No. 22 Broad-st. were commission brokers, who, like so many others, had been dealing in stocks of every kind. They were principally "long" on the Vanderbilt stocks: more especially Western Union. Their customers had failed to increase their margins, and they were thus left helpless. They need not have suspended quite as early, but could only have held out a short time. They had been doing business with a considerable degree of security, and the crash had come without a hint of warning. MILLER & WALSH. The firm of Miller & Walsh have an office at No. 17 Broad-st. Their business, however, is small, and they were reluctant to enter into any conversation concerncondition. They attributed their suspension to the of accommodations and obtain money from their ing ity to failure their banking customers. their They precau- inabil- suspended on Saturday morning. and only as a tionary measure. They had not made an examination of their books and knew not where they stood. They had been dealing in stocks of every kind, but had considered themselves safe until 24 hours before their fall. KETCHUM & BELKNAP. Ketchum & Belknap of No. 24 Broad-st. suspended at about 11 a. m., but in the general uproar this caused very little additional excitement. The firm had miscellaneous stocks.but mainly Vanderbilts. One of the partners stated doing the firm was not largely speculative, but was that business in safe stocks-though nothing seemed " safe It was impossible to tell where the concern stood. Though now. much of the stock held was for customers on margins," the firm had considerable on their own ac- of count. The cause of the suspension was the want Vandermargins everywhere felt, and holding too much bilt stock. WILLIAMS & BOSTWICK. Williams & Bostwick, of No. 49 Wall-st., dealt a good be in gold exchange, and they were reported to that heavily deal loaded with Arkansas bonds. The firm said therethey were unable to borrow any money and were forced to suspend. They could not estimate their fore liabilities, but hoped as soon all matters quieted down to make a settlement and resume. c. G. WHITE. C.G. White,Lajbroker clearing through H. G. Godet, of No. 25 New-st., failed early in the day. He was formerly that of speculator. His name was confounded with S. a V. White, and some excitement was temporarily caused by the,mistake. TAUSSIG, FISHER & CO. The failure of Taussig, Fisher & Co. of No. 32 Broad-st. in a bad one. The firm were concerned railroad enterprises. and held some stocks. The partners refused to any pressed many was apparently would of mako the start destatement, and could not tell whether they or not. The branch house of this firm in St. Louis, the again Gemp & Co., closed their doors soon after house. Taussig, announcement of the failure of the New-York rail The branch house has also been engaged in many road enterprises, but the firm hope to resume in a few days. P. M. MYERS & CO. The news of the suspension of Peter M. Myers & Co. of became known 'at the Stock Exchange it closed. Mr. Myers said cent just unable to borrow money without paying 2 or No. 24 before Pine-st., that they per If were it, and they thought it best to a few moments they would not Mr. Myera told of one man who had a suspend. day waited for stop. of have was the had on firm, they his to to the Exchange to hand in the ticket imposway he heard the Exchange had closed. It was sible when to state what the amount of their liabilities was, but the firm hope to resume soon. W. G. MOORHEAD & CO. The unimportant firm of W. G. Moorhead & Co. of No. 20 Wall-st., also suspended. MEASURES OF RELIEF.


Article from Perrysburg Journal, October 3, 1873

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Article Text

Monday was carried through with a ritsh Government had purchased $10,000,000 in bonds, but this had not relieved the street. Everybody had bonds, and everybody wanted the cash for them. A run had been made on the First National Bank of Hoboken, but up to the hour of closing it had paid all demands. One reason for therun was the fact that it had $207,0 of its funds locked up in the Bank of the Commonwealth, which had suspended. The President had reached New York and had arranged for conference with the Secretary of the Treasury and leading New York financiers on the following day. The President had expressed full determination to use the power of the Treasury to the etc. tent of $16,000,000 balance and $44,000,000 reserves. Among others the following addid tional firms had failed Ketchum & Belknap E. C. Brodhead; Saxe & Rogers; Taussig & Fisher; P. M. Meyers; Miller & Walsh Lorenz Josephs; Fearing & Dillinger; Wil liams & Bostwick. The extent of the shrinkage in stock values for the week ending the 20th had been, on some of the leading lines, as follows: Harlem, 393 per cent.; Western Union, 35; Panama, 32: Wa bash, 23; Northwestern 19: Rock Island, 191/2 total shrinkage, according to the best authorities, of over $100,000,000. Telegrams from Philadelphia, of the 20th, state that since the preceding day a better feeling had prevailed in financial circles. It was thought that the crisis had been passed. The run upon the Fidelity Deposit had continued up to the time of closing the institution on the 20th, and every claim had been met. Dur ing the day over $950,000 had been paid out over the paying teller's desk. The Union Banking Company had suspended. The failure was said to have been bad one, and that it would not be able to settle up at over 50 cents on the dollar. San Francisco dispatches of the 20th say that, so far, the Pacific coast interests had not been compromised by the embarrassments in the East. No trouble was apprehenped to general business, except the increased degree of caution Incident to such state of things. A St. Louis dispatch of the 20th announced that the banking firm of Taussig, Gemp & Co. had suspended, in consequence of the suspension of Taussig, Fisher & Co. of New York, of which house it was branch. According to a dispatch from San Francisco of the 20th, fire had broken out in the Yellow Jacket Mine, In Nevada, In the 1,300 foot level. Six lives had been lost. At last accounts the fire had been got under control. A Memphis dispateh of the 20th says the ravages of the yellow fever in that city had been stayed somewhat. The disease had ap peared in New Orleans, and the dengue or break bone fever raged also as an epidemic, In Shreveport the fever exhibited no abate ment. New cases were not so numerous, but the ratio of deaths had been fully as great as at any time since the appearance of the scourge. A telegram from Burlington, Iowa, dated September 20, says that a destructive fire had broken out in the heart of the city at one o'clock in the morning of that day, which swept over two squares before it could be checked. The estimated loss reached $200,000. The Grand Lodge of the I. O. of O.F., in session at Baltimore, Md., adjourned on the 20th, having first voted to hold the next annual Communication at Atlanta, Ga. to News from Washington on the 21st was the effect that the Comptroller of the Currency had directed the collection paper of the First National Bank of Washington to be deposited with the National Metropolitan Bank for collection. The result of the conference held in New York on the 21st, between the President and Secretary of the Treasury and leading financiers, had been the issuance of an order directing the purchase of all five-twenties offered at private sale. It was thought that this measure would release $20,000,000 to $25,000,000 greenbacks, without touching the reserves. The bank statement for New York appeared on the evening of the 20th. From that it appeared that they had sustained loss of $1,579,700 specie and $2,409,300 legal tenders, contraction of $6,114,500 in loans and $9,277, 400 in deposits, during the week ending on that date. In anticipation of a run upon their institutions, the Inter-Occan of the 22d says that the Presidents of the fourteen savings banks of Chicago had conference on the 21st, and mutually agreed to hereafter insist upon requiring thirty days' notice for the with drawal of deposits, according to their respective rules. An Augusta, Ga., dispatch of the 22d says that on the 19th a terrific storm passed over Florida in the vicinity of Tallahassee. A large number of dwellings had been blown down, and the crops in all that section ruined. Three or four lives had been lost, several persons persons injured and large number of cattle killed. The town of St. Marks had been completely washed away, only two houses being left standing, and twenty families had been made homeless. The town of Newport had also been swept out of existence. A telegram from Philadelphia, of the the 22d, says that the financial horizon had better and clearer outlook, and that by the following day matters would resume their normal condition. The Citizens', the Iron, the State and the Keystone banks had temporarily suspended, but arrangements had been made to enable them to resume immediately. A New York dispatch of the 22d says that the financial atmosphere had become much clearer. The business of the day had developed remarkable strength in the banks, only two of them finding it necessary to call for loan certificates at the Clearing House. The Stock Exchange had not been opened, though set tlements were making on generally satisfacin tory terms. It was thought that business the stock line would speedily be resumed. A Washington dispatch of the 22d says that the President and Secretary of the Treasury had reached that city. The President felt confident that the right method had been hit upon to afford help from the Treasury, and the general conclusion reached by the informal interchange of views was, that if further help appeared to be needed it should be given 80 far as it was possible for the Treasury to act. It had been decided to send $20,000,000 to New York, to enable the Assistant Treasurer in that city to buy all the bonds that may be offered. In Chicago, on the 22d, the impression prevailed that the worst had been reached. Money was very tight, but no further failures had been announced. For the first time in the commercial history of that city the usual order of things was reversed in prices. There was scarcely any dealing in "options' in the Board of Trade. Cash wheat sold at $1.05, while seller October ran as high as $1.07 to $1.071/4. "Had it not been for the panie, remarked a leading dealer to reporter, "before the month closed the difference would have been greater the other way.' Ou the 22d, the President appointed Oscar