Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-05-30
rn. Rich he. Of New York.

A book more suggestive or more amusing thar
this twelfth edition of.'Thc Wealthy Citizens o
the City of New York, 1--WE have seldom looked in
TO. This is our republican heraldry our Burke:
Peerage,o our roll of honor. These arc the mer
who have succeeded in doing that which mos
have attempted and all desired. Some nations
reckon I'D their honors in the heads they have
cut off in battle others are content with scalps
others win glory by prayers and pilgrimages; our
Is simpler way.
The lowest order Of nobility recognised in oul
peerage is that conferred by the possession Of one
hundred thousand dollars; and the more noticea
BILE thing is the very small number of our fellow.
citizens who have been found worthy of even tha
humble rank. Here are million Of people near
ly, most of whom are trying, or at least strongly
desiring, to he rich, and the number who have
succeeded in that object is but ten hundred and
sixtyl or these, three hundred and fnurteen are
put down at one hundred thousand. Two hun
dred and five have attained the rank of one hun.
dred and fifty thousand. One hundred and fifty
nine enjoy the distinction of two hundred thou.
sand Seventy nine have risen to the height Of !
quarter OF million. Seventy-fve have reached
the grade of three hundred thousand. Eighteen
have the rare felicity Of three hundred and fifty
or glories of four hundred thousand. Three ipdi
viduals only have paused at four hundred and if
ty thousand; while seventy three have pressed
forward to tho grandeurs OF halfa million. Twen
| ty four have proceeded to six hundred thousand
FIVE, to seven hundred thousand twenty five. to
eight hundred thousand; and sixteen have attain
ed the giddy height of one million. Five have
gone on to a million and halt six. to two mil
/ f,,nr
one, to FIVE millions and one stands, solitary ant
alone. ON the pinnacle of six millions.
Following the example of Burke, the author o.
the great work before us appends to the name and
little of the more distinguished amung our nobility
brief genealogical and biographical notices, from
which we CLEAN some impressive facts. ~.
| WIN. b. Astor is our richest man he Inherited
his wealth. Stephen Whitney, FIVE millions,
owes his fortune to speculatons in cotton and the
rise in real estate. VIII. Aspinwall, four nil
lions, came of a rich family, and gained vast in
crease Of wealth in the shipping business: Mich
las Longwor,h, four miions,a resident OF CIRcln-
natl, but large owner Of real estate here, began
| lite as shoemaker, ,and owes his immense fortune
to the rise of real estate in Cincinnati. James
LennoI, three millions, inherited his property
The late Peter Harmsny, two millions. came to
this city as cabin. boy, and grew rich BY com
mercs. The Lorillards, two millions came from
France poor, and made their huge fortune in the
snuff and tobacco business. The late Anson u.
Phelps, two millions, learned the trade of q tin
nor, and made a fortune in iron and copper. Al
eYauder L. Stewart, tive miliond. now OF the
Dry Goods Palace, began business in > little fan
cy store. OF those who are put down at million
and half, George Law began life a0 farm-la-
borer; Cornelius Vanderbilt, as a boatman John
Lafarge, as steward to Joseph Bonapar,e. OF
the milionaires. James Chesterman began life as
Ia journeyman tailor Peter Cooper, as gluema-
ker ;of the others, John q. Wolf, Henry Bre
wort. Margaret Goeet. John Haggerty, Gardi-
ner Howland, w. E. Huwlsnd, John Nichie, E.
leazer Parmly. John Ra5bins, Lispenard Stewart,
and Jonathon Thorne, onr author has forharne to
say whether they owe their fortune to fathers, to
luck, OF to talent. But of the ten hundred and
sixty pepons mentioned in the book, we compute
that OF least eight hundred began their career 10
clerks OF manual aborers.
The pill and patent medicine dealers show to
great advantage in this volume. Brandreih fig
ures up at three hundred and fifty thousand.-
Sarsaparilla P. Townsend was an honest carpen-
ter once; he is now worth three hundred thousand
dollars. Moffat. he of the Phoenix bitters, is put
down at half a million. Pease. who once sold
ginger beer and afier~ard took 10 hoarhound can
dy. achieved the moderate fortune Of hundred
and fifty thousand.
Strange to rslato, there are some names in this
work Of interest to literary men. George Ban
croft, Henry James. Professor Anthon, Thomas
McElrath and Dr.. Francis are each stated TO pos
sess hundred thousand dollars. Edwin Forrest
is rated at quarter Of a million 80 is Sidney p.
Morse of the New York Observer. William Nib
10, it appoars,ha four hundred thousand dollars
and pr, Mott, two hundred thousand Barnum
is put down at eight hundred thousand; Bennet
at one hundred and fifty thousand. But perhaps
| the most remarkable statement of all is,shat Mrs.
Okill, Of this city has made quarter Of million
dollars BY keeping school LIFE Illustrated.