Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-06

"a
ter talking over the matter with his wife,
they concluded it would be best for himself
to go TO London with the choicest kind of
furs. He did SO. The prospect of the trip
was uncertain, and to economize as much
as possible, he went out as o steerage pas
senger.
When he reached London, he found
ready market for his choicest furs, and sold
them at a very high rate. He made list
out of such goods as he thought would make
money by being taken to the New York
market purchased and shipped them by o
vessel bound hither After he was all
through with his business, he was de-
tained a couple of weeks by the ship net
being ready to sail. The idle time he spent
in looking about London, and picking up all
the information possible, especially such as
was likely to be of advantage to his busi-
ness in New York. Among other extraor-
dinary places he visited was the great East
India House. He visited the War House
and Offices On one occasion he asked one
of the porters what the name of the Governor
was. The man replied, giving a German
name very familiar to Mr.. Astor. He asked
his informer if the Governor was an Eng
lishman. He replied that he had come from
lshman. He replied that he came from
Germany when originally boy. Mr. AS
tor determined to see him-watched an op-
portunity and sent in his name. He was
admitted. When he entered, he said to the
Governor:
ais not your name Wilhelm -? Did
you not go to school in such a town."
az did, and l now remember you very
well. Your name is Astor2 ?"
After this they had a long chat, and
talked over old school matters. The Gov
ernor insisted that Mr.. Astor should dine
with him. He declined for that day, but
the next day they met again. He asked Mr..
Astor several times if there was nothing he
could do for him. Mr.. Astor said no. he
had bought oil he wanted; he needed no
cash or credit Almost every day they met.
The Governor kept urging Mr.. Astor to name
something he could do for him. He asked
what present would be acceptable. Astor
declined any thing. Finally they met two
days before the vessel was to SAIL and
again the Governor asked Mr.. Astor if he
would accept any present he made him.
Mr.. Astor seeing the Governor so anxious,
! said:
eyes,
When he called to bid the Governor good
! by, the latter was quite affected at parting
! with his old German schoolmate.
Take these" said he, "you may find
! their value" One of the documents was
simply Canton price current.
| The other was carefully engrossed per-
NIT on parchment, authorizing the ship that
! bore it to trade freely and without any mo-
! lestation, at any of the ports monopolized
by the East India Company.
! Mr.. Astor babe his friend good-by, and
returned to the city, never giving the
present second thought. He had no ships
and never had any trade with the East In
dies, and never expected to have. He little
dreamed that in that parchment would be
the foundation of vast shipping operations,
and trade amounting to millions, and
embracing the Pacific Ocean. The permit
was No. 60.
When Mr.. Astor got home he showed
these documents to his wife, and advised
with her, as he always did, what to do in the
matter.
~ have no ships-it's no use to u.s." he
said. At that time there was @ very cele-
| brated merchant named James Livermore
He was largely engaged in the West India
trade particularly to Jamaica. He owned
vessels-of good size.
Mrs. Astor recommended her husband to
90 and have q talk with the merchant. Mr.
| Astor went-showed the East India Com
pany ship pass and the Canton price cur
rent.
"Now," said he, q if you will make up
voyage for one of your largest ships, you
| can have the pass and the price current, on
one condition.: You are to furnish the ship
! and cargo, but l am to have one-half the
profit for my pass and for suggesting the
voyage"
"Pab, pah," said the great West India
merchant. He laughed at it-would not
listen to such a one-sided operation. Astor
went home and reported progress. For q
time the matter was dropped. Not many
weeks after the great West India merchant
thought over the matter. He had made
money in the West India trade, and he saw
an opening for the East Indies.
At that time no vessel traded to Canton
| 1t was Just after the Revolutionary War,
and the East India ports were as hermetic-
ally sealed to American commerce as if it
had not existed.
He called at Mr.. Astor's store "Were
you in earnest the other day, when you
showed me the pass of the East India Com
pany?"
~ was. Never more So" Again they
talked over the matter. The merchant
finally thought he saw his way clear, and
an agreement was signed, agreeing to give
Mr.. Astor one-half of the profits; he to
have no outlay.
The ship was selected and loaded, partly
with specie-Spanish and milled dollars,
about $50, ,000-and the other half was gin
seng, lead and scrap iron.
She went to Canton. The pass enabled
| her to anchor at WhampOa, a few miles be-
| low Canton, where she loaded and unloaded
her cargo the same as if she had been a
vessel belonging to the East India Com
panY. .----------
Her ginseng, costing twenty cents per
pound in New York, sold at S3.5 so per pound
in Canton lead ten cents, scrap iron at an
enormous price. Tea was purchased tn al
sold here at 81 per pound profit on the
| Canton coast. r...
When the return cargo was sold, the &C.
counts were made out, and Mr.. AstOrs hal
share, which was $50 900, all in silver, wa:
packed in barrels, and sent up to his store
When Mrs. Astor saw the barrels, she asked
what was in them.
"The fruits of our East India pass" re
piled the husband. He went TO the shiI
owner, and got back his pass. He theI
bought a ship, and loaded her with an as
sorted cargo. On her way out, she touche
at the Sandwich Islands to take on q largt
stock of freWood. ..af
When the ship reached Canton mandarin
| - ia. al.