The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-08
CAREER OF A RICH MAN.

Tn work entitled Fifty Years in both
Hemisphere by Vincent Nolte, n sketch ia
given of the career of John Jacob Aston. the
richest man Of America. We extract the fol-
lowing, which shows how he began his mo-
ney making course: e.
"Astor was born at Heidetbei 2. where the origin.
al name OF his family 10 said to have been Aschtor,
and had come to New York as furriers sppren.
tice His first savings, that Ia to say the wages he
got in the .pe'try warehouse, for beating out and
preparing bear, doe and other skins he invested in
The purchase of all kinds of peisry, bear mink and
rabbit skins, which he got from the Indians who at
that time wandered about the streets OF New York ;
and so soon as he had collected certain quantity
be sent them to Europe. particularly to the Lepsic
fair. There he traded them off for Nuremburg
wares, cheap knives glass beads and other articles
adapted to traffic with the Indians on the Canadian
frontiers and took them himself to the latter points
where he again exchanged them for furs OF various
kinds. As he has often told me, with his own lips,
be carried on this traffic untiriDgly, for twelve long
years; going in person, alternately to the
frontiers. and then to the Leipsic fair, and ved All
the while. as he had ever been accustomed 10 40,
humbly and sparingly. At length he had managed
to bring together considerable capital, ana graz
ually became freghter OF ships, and fitted OUT ex-
petitions to the Northwest Coast to trade with the
Indians ofNootka Sound for furs."
Another and a very considerable round up
the ladder Of fortune, was taken by Aster In
| a speculation upon some of his countrymen
who owned land in New York, by virtue of
being relations and heirs of German soldiers
| who had fought in the American army in the
| Revolution, and to whom Congress had III
| consequence voted the land aforesaid. Many
| of the soldiers died without converting their
| property into money, and Astor, after Visit
| to Heidelberg, contrivedto convince the heirs
| that it was better to have little ready cash.
| than to own a good deal of land, the value OF
| which was very slow in increasing. The heirs
| got their money and Aston got their Iand
| some of which is now among the most valua-
| BILE and the most important in the city OF New
York. Other instances are given OF success
| full speculation, accomplished by very con-
siderable amount of trickery. In this way, a
| fortune of 81, 900, 900 was accumulated. Mr.
| NoIte seems to question the morality of some
| of Mr.. Astor's triumphant strokes OF skill and
| fnanciering. He cannot however have more
| doubts on that subject than Mr. Aston must
| have entertained himself In considering the
| questiou,-is such an action guilty or inno-
| cent?-Mr. Astor must have felt it his duty to
give the action as they do prisoner at the
bar, the benefit Of the doubt, and if it brought
| bride in its hand pronounce it innocent
Ia this respect, he was neither better nor
worse than the mass of the other millionaires
! of the N. York metropolis. The only immo-
rality which these money changers recognize
| in any deception is its want of success.