Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-08-22
From the Knickerbocker.
III OW TO PROS RI.
OR, THE FATAL MISTAKE.
BY A. B. JOHNSON, ESQ.

BY A. B. JOHNSON, ESQ.
OF the few oyergrown fortunes that have been
made in our country, the greater number seem to
have fallen into the possession of naturazed cit
izens rather than natives, notwithstanding the su-
perior shrewdness with which our self-complacen-
cy is prone to endue Yankee intellect. Of our
naturalized citizens, the French, with Girard as
an exemplar, seem TO have accumulated the larg-
est fortunes; and the Germans, with Astor in the
foreground, seem to stand next in the grade OF
wealth accumulator, although possibly they may
contend for precedence over The former class
while the Scotch, with Robert Lenox at their head,
or Duncan Of Providence, or Greig of Cansnda-
qua may be unwilling to concede pre-emnence
to either of the others.
Among the successful Germans in moderate
way, one some years ago resided in Baltimore,
who from the humble employment Of blacksmith,
had arrived in the possession Of pretty large es-
tate. How his name was pronounced and spelled
in German is uncertain but it had become An
glicised into the word Heapupt.' He was an
old man at the period Of our last with Great
Britain, but still occupied in commerce, which oc-
casioned frequent visits by him to New York,
where his present historian became accidentally
acquainted with him at private boarding house.
As his humble origin was known to the boarders,
they took interest in the conversation of the old
man, although his language and manners retained
many traces Of his early rough employments, but
modified BY aquickness ofPercep,ion and shrewd-
made men. He perceived that his conversation
Il
fed with the homage thus given spontaneously TO
his sagacity; and he often remarked TO young men,
that the great point for a man to discover was
what he was fit for; when this is learned, the pro-
gress of man toward wealth becomes sure.
though it may be slow. He was fond of adding
in illustration that he had lost much time fruiiless
~ as a blacksmith, before he discovered that he
was not fit for that business, but was for mercan-
tile pursuits.
He began merchandising and matrimony togeth-
er, and to economise time and money turned a he-
cessary preliminary journey TO Philadelphia into
wedding tour. The facilities for travel were not
good in those days, and as he wished TO enjoy the
Journey with his bride, he hired one horse chase.
in which he and his wife left Baltimore on the
morning Of the wedding. The day was bright
as the occasion, and the bride had tasked all her
pecuniary resources not to discredt by her dress
the elevated position of merchants lady, into
which she was emerging from condition as hum
BILE as her husbands. She glored in the posses
sion of pea-green silk pelisse with silk hat to
match |; and her appearance when thus arrayed
and sitting in the chaise, fully justified her judg-
ment in their procurement
The happy husband was perhaps as proud as
hs wife, but his pride rejected externals and re-
joiced ia purse which, though not very large, yet
contained what with prudence would supply the
expenses Of the journey and obtain the few special
articles of merchandise whose procurement con-
stituted the great object of the expedition. But
everything in nature seems to conspire against
pride. They had not travelled many hours in
;heir open vehicle over an intensely dusty road,
before the husband saw with alarm that the dust
was making fearful havoc with the fine hablllmen's
of his bride, and especially with her hat. She
had. unconscious OF the mischief, applied repeat
edIy her moist hands, tthe temperature was july
to adjust the hat as the current OF air or the JOLT
ing Of the chase disturbed its proper position, and
every touch had combined with the dust in leav-
ing the marks of her pretty fingers distinctly and
indelibly imprinted on the silk. Nor was that the
whole mischief: the dust had insinuated itself In
90 all the seems and creyices Of the hat and rib
bons, and aided by a soft moisture exuded from
parts beneath, the whole superstructure was so
pitilessly rined, that when they arrived at Havre
de Grace. where the night was 70 be passed, and
whe re some cousins of the bride resided, new
hat became indispensable. The fortune OF the wife
had been expended on the bridal-dress, so the new
hat had 10 be procured with the money ofthe hus-
band, causing an,inroad that he had not anliciPa-
ted bu. his gallanuy conquered his avarice, apd
he determined thai the joys Of the honeymoon