Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-01-21
Career of a Rich Man.

Career Of Rich Man.
WE have seen it stated lately, upon
what appeared to be reliable authority,
that the wealth of William B. Astor, of
New York, amounts to at least forty mil
lions of dollars. It is curious to trace
this broad, yellow stream to its first little
beginnings in the early career of John
Jacob Astor, father of the present mil
lionaire.
From sketch of this remarkable man,
which appears in work entitled "Fify
Years in Both Hemispheres," by Vim
cent Nolte, we learn that John Jacob
Astor was born at Heidelberg, where the
original name of his family is said to have
been Aschter, and that he came to New
York as a furrier's apprentice. He was
at that time as poor as any other appren-
tice boy, then or now in New York. The
wages he got in the peltry warehouse for
beating out and preparing various skins,
he invested in the purchase of all kinds
of peltry, bear, mink and rabbit skins,
which he got from the Indians, who at
that time wandered about the streets of
New York, and as soon as he had collec-
ted a certain quantity he sent them to
Europe, particularly to the Leipsie fair.
There, it is stated, he traded them off for
Nuremberg wares, cheap knives, glass
beads, and other articles adapted to traf-
fc with the Indians on the Canadian
frontiers, and took them himself to the
latter points, where he again exchanged
them for furs of various kinds. He has
often told Mr.. Nolte that he carried on
this work untiringly, for twelve long
years, going in person, alternately, to the
Canadian frontiers and then to the Leip-
sic fair, and lived all the while, as he had
been accustomed to do, humbIy and spa
ringly. After he had thus managed 70
bring together a considerable capital, he
gradually became a freighter of ships,
and fitted out expeditions to the North
west coast to trade with the Indians of
Nootka Sound for furs.
Another and very considerable round
up the ladder of fortune was taken by
Astor in land speculation. Some of his
countrymen owned land in New York by
virtue of being relations and heirs Of Ger
man soldiers who had fought in the
American army in the Revolution, and to
whom Congress had voted land in conse-
quenee. Many of the soldiers died with
out converting their property into money,
and Astor, after a visit to Heidelberg,
made arrangement with the heirs which
was mutually agreeable; they thinking
it better to have little ready cash than
to own a good deal of land, the value of
which was very slow in increasing, and
he having foresight to anticipate, and pa
tience to await results. So the heirs got
their money, and Astor obtained their
land, some of which is now among the
most important in the city of New York
In this way fortune of twelve millions
of dollars was accumulated. The vast in
crease under the management of his son,
William B. Astor, Esq, shows that he
inherits the energy and business habits
of his father, but affords no such demon
stration of mOney-making genius as the
career of John Jacob Indeed, the lat
ter is reported to have said that it cost
him more trouble to make the first thou
sand dollars than all the remainder of
his fortune. Baltimore Ameaicaa.