Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-02-14
The Old Merchants OF New York.

The Old Merchants OF New York.
From newspaper notice of a work en-
titled The Ola Merchants of New York" I"
we clip the following which s.e extracts
from the work itself:
.aa JOHN JACOB AsToR. Fl,
John Jacob Astor was once 10 the s.n :
ploy of The old George Dieterich and ped
died cakes for him.
Astor was born in 1868, and arrived iu
New York in the summer of 1884. The
first night that he ever slept in New York
was in the house of old George Dieterich,
in Queen street. 1t is now 35l Pearl
street, and stands in the cornor of Frank.
fort. AT that time no street had been cut
through from Pearl to where Frankfort
ended, few feet past Vandewater street.
Old George Dleterich was German,
and had known Mr.. Astor on the other
side of the water For some days he
made his home with Mr.. Dieterich, in
that fashionable neigh borhood; found his
brother Harry, who was butcher boy,
and hired to a man who sold meat in the
Oswego market, then standing on the
northwest cornor Of Broadway and Mai
den Lane where the Howard House now
stands.
Old George, finding young Jacob anx-
ious TO be employed, hired him to peddle
cakes, cookies, doughnuts, &c. For
long time young Astvr continued with Mr.
Dleerch, but seeing an opening for an
active young man, he hired a store in
Queen street, u little further up, on the
opposite side. IL was woouen shanty,
aud the first building rented by the since
great Astor. 1t was 362 Pearl street.
Here Mr.. Astor commenced selling toys
and German nicknacks.
Those who suppose Mr.. Astor had an
easy time in money matters, are greatly
mistaken. He has often paid old Prime,
in Wal! street, very large interest and a
large commission to get long paper dis
counted.
lie (Astor) loved to tell anecdotes con
nected with his early difficulties. Que
was about bargain he made with his
brother Henry, when the latter was much
better off than his brother John; for
Henry was owner of Butcher stall No. s.
in the Fly Understandable property in
the commencement of thi. country. Henry
then lived at 81 Bowery Lane.
John, in his financial difficulties, fre.
quen,Iy went to Henry for loan. or for
an Endorsement. THIS was source of
annoyance to Henry, who did not like to
borrow or lend to anybody. On one oc
ca,ion, John wanted to borrow $500 very
badly. He went to Henry, and asked him
to lend him that sum
John, | will give you 500, if you
will agree never to ask me to loan YOU
any money, endorse a Eote, or sign u bond
for you, or be obliged for you in any man.
ne. whatever.'
John says he hesitated for moment.
rapidly passed the proposition through his
mind, saw it's advantages, for 800 was
Sl0o in those days. lie accepted the pro-
position, and he never did ask favor of
that character of his brother in after
years.
John Jacob Astor had sister, who
came out from Germany with him previous
to the Revolution. Her name at that ear.
ly period was not Mrs. Miller, but Mrs
Ehninger, she having married person of
that name previous to her departure from
Europe.
Old Mr.. Ehninger was a cordial distil-
Ter, aud he died from the effects OF an ac.
cident caused by burning spirits. His
descendants still reside in the city. After
his death, the widow married Michael Nil
Ter, and havino taught him the secrets Of
the business, she, IN company with him,
continued to carry it on. She had several
children by her first husband, Mr.. Ehnin-
ger.
In after years, John Jacob rather turned
up his nose at distilIer. Mrs. Miller re-
sented it, and upon one occasion observed:
lacoh vas noting put a paker poy, und
solt preat und kak." She spoke mongrel
Dutch until the day Of her death.
OF course, when Mr.. Astor peddled
cakes was long before he went into the
baking business upon bis own account,
and longer still before he became fur
peddler, and eventually the founder Of the
Northwest Fur Company, or American
Fur Company, located in Vesey street, on
the block where the Astor House now
stands.
A. T. STEWART, THE MERCHANT PRINCE.
Ireland has been the birthplace Of many
remarkable men, but never has she sent
from her shore a more sagacions one than
A. r. Stewart. Our land has tostered the
Frenchman Girard, of Philadelphia and
the German Astor, and they died worth
millions; but they never, even at a great
age, reached the wealth of the merchant
Stewart He is yet in the griste Of his
success, and not hardened into the bone
Of mammoth, overgrown wealth. Stewart
: is this day worth fourteen to twenty mil.
lions of dollars. He owns more real es
tate than Astor, and. if he lives ten years
longer, Mr.. Stewart will probably be worth
from twenty to thirty millions Of dollars.
In lS48 he moved to his present marb e