Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-24
JOHN JACOB ASTON.

dleberg, in the grand duchy of Baden, in the |
year l763. In March, 1874, he landed at Bal |
timore, having sailed from London in the pre-
ccdng November, and been detained three |
months by the ice in Chesapeake Bay.
at is said that in storm offou coast, which |
threatened the destruction ofthe ship and crew, !
while the other passengers were lost in ap?re- !
hension, and regardless of aught save self pre-
servation, Mr. Astor appeared upon deck, ar
raycd in his best clothes This excited some
surprise, and when asked his object in discard
! ing the more appropriate garb he had worn
! during the voyage, he replled-'that if lie es.
! capped with his life it would be with his best
clothes, and il he perished no matter what be-
came Of them Luckily the storm passed over.
During his detention in the Chesapeake, he
made the acquaintance ofa countryman of his,
a furrer by trade, who willingly initiated him
into the mysteries of his craft. and counselcd
him to invest the proceeds of his merchandise
"a portion of which consisted Of musical in
struments from brothers. manufactory in Lon
don-in fnrs. Mr. Astor was then twenty
years of age, and having decided to become
furrer, brought to his new pursuit all the ac-
,ivity OF youth, with those habits OF diligent
observation which had developed themselves in
his character.
THIS was at the close of the revolutionary
war. Peace had been proclaimed with Great
Britain the year previous; but the British mill
tary outposts within our territory had not been
} with Canada was restricted. Mr.. Astor has
been heard to observe that, at the time, he pro-
phesied that ten years would elupse before Os-
: wcgo Niagara, Detroit, Michilimecknac and
other posts within our lines, would be reln-
Quished and said to himself, then when the
frontiers are surrendered, | will make my for
= tune in the fur trade
Both predictions were accomplished. The
treaty with Great Britain, of 1919, removed
restrictions on our trade with her colonies, and
surrendered the above outposts, and then Mr..
b As,or, having the trade with the Canadas and
with our western country, both open to his en-.
terprise, proceeded rapidly to realise the for
; tune, the foundation Of which was laid in more
lIldil zen NtuIS VI lliI III ullu IdtiChb IiHu2'S'
By The first year of the present century, he
had amas scd something like S250c00, Forty
, four years have since elapsed. BY the natural
course Of accumulation, this sum would have a
mounted, at the end Of such period, to nearly
S6,GOOOO0 but, in Mr.. Astor's hands, it has
increased to nearer tour times that amount, for
we should be moderate in cstimat NC his aCtu-
al wealth at S2O,000,00O. I'm 1900 the man
ofthiry-scven could look back with satisfaction
upon the career of the boy OF eighteen, vino,
under the shade Of linien-tree, near his na.
tive village, had resolved on the eve of leaving
his home for foreign land, 10 be honest and
industrious and nerer 10 gamble"
In 1909 he founded the American fur compa-
ny, hnt. soon dissatisfied with even the large
profits derived from that concern, he conceived
the idea of founding permanent settlement on
! the Pacific, connected with the settled portions
, of the country by a series of trading posts, and
, by these means tn monopollse the fur trade
, west of the Rocky Mountains within the pre-.
o cncts Of the United States The provisions
goods, and ammunition Of the Pacific settle
, ment were to be supplied by a vessel sent an
nually from New York. The same vessel was
. also 10 convey supplies 10 the Russian establish
. meuts in the NORTH ard receive furs in eX
= change With these latter and those amassed
, at the settlement during the year, she was tC
q proceed 10 Canton, and invest the proceeds d
her cargo IN silks, teas aud uankeens, Ac
q cordingly IN 1910, party Of 60 men started
4 from New York for Oregon, and IN September
i of the same yenr, the ronquin was despatched
- on the same errand. This vessel and one OF
- two subsequent ones were lnst-thc colonst'
. were exposed 10 every trial and suflering--aud
e. during the war of 1872, the settlement, unpro
n tcctrd by The Government ofthe United States
l. aud threatened by a British man of war, was
# trcachcrousy sold, by one of Mr. Astor's part
Il ner's to the northwest fur company.
n Thus ended grand and well contrived en-
:. terprise, after so great an outlay and loss al
would have annihilated most American fortunes
IS About 81 100000 We're expended in the car
:. rying out of plans which were entirely frus
r trated, aud which were in progress at the same
7. time that the American fur company was il
i. toll operation, when the ships of the protector
u were in every sea, and his cargoes in every
n, principal city of our country.
l. "As an instance Of the magnitude of th,
4 nf Astn ia SIS tpl that had hi. a