The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-21
Historical Sketches,

ARE personal fortunes to be judged of by
contrast? Judge if so, and how so, by
what New York correspondent of a
Western journal says: GA man in New
York was extremely rich, who was worth
100000, and very few in New York were
worth that. There we're old Nat Prime, of
the firm of Prime, Ward & King, John G.
Coster, Robert Lennox, Stephen Whitney
men worth quarter of million. Old
John Jacob AstOr was worth three or four
millions. The richest men were connected
with commerce. There were then five or
six leading commercial firms, such as G. G..
& S. Rowland, Goodhue & Co., Grinnell,
Minturn & Co., Spofford & Tileston. Now
there are many hundreds of leading men,
and man worth only $250,000 is consider
ed man in moderate" not to say in
digent circumstances. VIM. B. Astor is
worth about thirty-ive millions; George
Law is worth about ten millions so is
Stephen Whitney. Commodore Wander
bilt will not foot up less than eighteen mil
lions. Dozens of people are worth five mil
lions, and mere mllionaires are quite COM
mon. To furnish journal with list of
this poor class would use up several col
umns."
On the subject of Louis Napoleons mar.
riage Mr.. Lester says: "He had no home
Being an elected sovereign, chosen by the
universal voice of his fellowcountrymen to
stand at the head of his nation, he, above all
other men, could lay fair claim to think
for while of himself and in the battle of life
for an empire, give little while to what
every man of feeling and heroism finds SOON
err or later pressed to his thoughts
of wife, a home, child " Like himself,
as be has always been, he again went to the
people. He chose for his wife one of the
noblest maidens of Spain, and one of the
most gifted and beautiful beings in the
world-Eugenie, Mile. de Montijo, the
Countess de Teba. The marriage was
celebrated at the Tuilleries, January 20.
On the following day Sunday the religious
ceremony was performed with imperial
pomp, taste and splendor, at the Cathedral
of Notre Dame" The past, with all its
classic and touching souvenirs, came back
freighted with the glory, the chivalry, the
love, the devotion of Middle Ages. The
bridegroom and the bride--both in full
possession Of imperial power, and both
freshly sprung from the bosom of the people
such spectacle may we'll have thrilled
the palpitating thousands in the vast Cattle.
dral with intense emotion-melted the
Empress of the Napoleon dynasty to tears
Illuminated all Paris that night, and beck
oned old Italy to an approaching resurrec-
ton. Eugene has been the good angel of
the Hero Of SOlferino, as Josephine was of
the Hero of Marengo."
In Barnard's Journal of Education, just
published, is the following very admirable
sketch of Lord Brougham, from the pen of
E. I. Sears of this city. "His parents,
though neither wealthy nor distinguished
by aristocratic titles, were in comfortable
circumstances, and occupied a highly re.
spectacle social position. In childhood he
was delicate and feeble to such degree
being subject to frequent attacks of illness
that only faint hopes were entertained that
he would ever attain the age of manhood.
The apprehensions thus excited were rather
increased than diminished by the precocious
development of his mental faculties-.another
child Of the Brougham family, whose intelli.
gence and memory had been equally re-
markable, having died in his tenth year.
for young Henry had not only learned to