The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-09-23
New York Letter,
From our Regular New York Correspondent.

rAoAAA oui nCSuid 1NcW toTh correspondent.
NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 1859.
The soft skies of Italy offer no tempta-
ton to one who can luxuriate in such eli
mate as that of New York city at this sea-
son of the year. Nights, glorious with
moonlight, and days just warm enough to
be cheerful, make UP the bill of fare which
Nature offers, to draw back our wandering
citizens to their own home. The summer
has been one of health and prosperity.
Hardly single case of epidemic disease has
occurred among the proper inhabitants of
the city; an almost unparalleled state of
affairs of late years; of course, the milder
epidemics have not been extinct, but the
great unsubdued angels of death, cholera
and yellow fever, have let us alone. Fortu-
nately, too, for the quarantine troubles, there
has been little occasion for quarantine.
1t is difficult to find any place so far out of
the world that it will be induced by love
or money to admit the State elephant
within its precincts.
Business is very active with the west and
middle States. The dry goods jobbing
streets are obstructed with boxes Of goods
to that extent that corpulent traveller
finds progress impossible except in the mid
die of the horse path. Murray, Warren,
and Chambers streets are very busy. Here
all is drive and hustle, and a lady is rare
sight, except an occasional wife or friend in
pursuit of dresses "at wholesale prices"
Time was, when fashionable promenades
abounded in those regions. No city in the
world, probably, unless some of our western
cities, grows so perceptibly and changes so
rapidly as Gotham. Ten years suffices to
change locality of fashionable residence
into retail market, and five or six more to
convert it into a wilderness of wholesale
warehouses.
Business will be large in amount this fall,
but the profits must be slim, owing to the
great competition. The time has passed
when mans pecuniary ability could be
measured by the amount of business be does :;
in these days Of extended credit, man may
have the handling of vast amounts while he
derives but limited income from his labor
and invests little capital. The regular lines
of business are paying less at present
than certain specialities in which the compe-
titiOn is small. But some men will make
money, by industry and frugality, when
others could only sink it. A case in point
is that of cheap restaurant keeper near
the Park, who has made fortune of over
$4,000, it is said, out of subterranean
place of refreshment, which he has attended
to chiefly in person. Nowadays, having
gained his fortune, the old gentleman does
mot disdain to put on his apron and wait on
SUGGESTIONS of men comparatively poor, all
the morning; when afternoon comes, he goes
home to drive out his wife and children with
a span of fast horses, and an elegant turn
out generally. Another man, in the same
vicinity, is said to have made a very good
competency, by selling bread and milk at
sixpence per bowl. Other men have made
large fortunes by the manufacture of articles
of which one would suppose the aggregate
sale to be too insignificant to deserve atten-
tion. But all these little things "count up"
The man who makes or sells an article appa-
rently Insignificant generally clears a large
per centage, while the "heavy man" of South
or Front streets may have large sums of
money passing through his hands, but very
little indeed sticks to bis fingers. The pro-
portion men ain business for themselves"
who really make fortunes, is much smaller
than is generally supposed and, in fact, the
number of rich men is much smaller than
the common estimate. People are judged
rich according to the amount they spend,
which is not safe criterion in this vincinity.
1t is affirmed by those who ought to know,
that there are not more than twenty five
millionaires IN the city of New York. s..
P. TOWNSEND has been counted very rich
man, but has been obliged to sell his magni-
icent house a Fifth Avenue, and is taking
up again the manufacture of "Sarsaparilla."
The Fifth Avenue mansion, which excited
so much curiosity at its erection, is opened
as branch Of the far-famed "Spingler In
stitute." Mr. ABBOT, of the prolific family
of ABBors, the well known principal, has
made very profitable business of teaching
the young ieea how to shoot" And, in
truth, the fashionable boarding schools of
this city "pa7" very handsomely. Several
middle-aged ladies' of imposing manners
and good family, have made themselves
independent, after the death or failure of
male supporters, by setting up institutions
for the instruction of the children OF their
fashionable friends. *x*
Mr.. SICKLM. saws a correspondent of q