East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-10-01


YOU can have the pass, and have In
prices current, on one condition. Hor
are TO furnish ship aud cargo. but AN
to- have one half of the profits for m.
pass and for suggesting tho voyage"
"Pah, pah," said the great West Indii
merchant. lie laughed atit-wonld no
listen to such one-sidcd operation
Astor went home and reported progress
For a time, the matter was dropped. No
many weeks after the great West lndi'
merchant thought over the matter. III,
had made money in the West India trade
aud he saw an opening for the East Ia
dies,
1 At that time no vessels traded to Can
tom II was just after the revolutionary
war; aud the East India ports were a.
Theoretically sealed to american com
merce as il it had not existed.
He called at Mr. Astors store. "NVer,
you in earnest the other day when you
showed me the pass of the Fast lndia
! Company" ..... 49,
81 was. Never more So" Again
they talked over tlc matter. The mer-
chant finally thought he saw his way
clear, and an agreement was signed agree
ING to give Mr.. Astor one-half of the
result or profits. IIo to have no outlay
The ship was selected and loaded,
partly with specie-Spanish and milled
dollars, about 30,00Q, and tho other halt
was Ginseng lead and scrap iron.
She went to Canton. The pass ena-
bled her TO anchor at Whampoa, few
miles below Canton, where she loaded and
unloaded her cargo, the same as if she
had been vessel belonging to the East
India Company.
Here ginseng, costing 20 cents per
pound in New York, she sold at So 80 u
pound in Canton, lead ten cents, scrap
iron at an enormous price. Tea was pur-
chased that sold here at 3 a pound profit
on the Canton cost.
When the return cargo was sold, the
accounts made out, and Mr.. Astor's half
share, which was 5000, all in silver,
was sipaclled in barrels and sent up to his
store. When Mrs Aston saw the barrels
she asked what was i'll them.
''1'he fruits Of our East India pass"
replied the husband He went to the
and got back his pass. He
then bought ship, and loaded her with
an assorted cargo. On her way out she
touched at the Sandwich Islands to take
in water and fresh provisions. They also
laid in large stock of iirewood.
When the ship reached Canton a man
daran came on board and noticing their
frewood, asked the price of it at once
The captain laughed at such question,
but signifed that he was open to an offer.
The mandarian offered $500 ton, and
every part Of it was sold at that price
That was sandal wood.
For seventeen years Mr.. Astor enjoyed
that lucrative sandal wood trade without
a rival. No other concern i'll the United
States or England knew the secret. Nor
was it discovered until the shrewd Boston
detailed ship to follow one
of Mr.. Astor's and observe the events Of
the voyage Then for some time, that
house was participant in that valuable
trade.
1t was curious fact that Mrs Astor
knew more of the value of furs than he
did. She would select cargo for the
Canton market, aud made no mistake
NYhsn thsy beean,o vary ofluent. she
used to make him pay her $500 an hour
for using her Judgment and knowledge of
fur to promote his commercial plans. He
paid her whatever she asked.
John Jacob was a GREAT Free Mason
In 1901 he was Grand Treasurer of the
Knight Templar Encampment, and was
{" SIR John Jacob Astor.n
Besides the bachelor, Henry Astor,
John Jacob had another brother, who
caule ont here, | think, ia 1916, just aftert
the war. His name was George. He
kept a store at III Water street, and he
lived at ID Cliff street. lie died in 1892
Henry Astor must have died in 1881.
Tie left wife but no children.
He was in the habit of selecting young
girls, adopting, educating and starting
them in life, when they married. rec
ollect one Of them, Eliza Astor, married
Mr. Constant, the oil merchant.
These facts concerning the renowned
John Jacob Astor are true, and are far
more interesting to the general reader
than the dry stuff taken in his "Life," and
what is more, no man would enjoy their
publication more than Mr. Astor himself, !
we're he now alive
s.. .fi ------.-r- --ss--.--------
.a A PROFESSIONAL CARD.-The subscri-
hrr informs her friends. and the public |