Weekly Trinity journal., 1865-11-18
How New YorI Capitalists work.

The hardest working men and the hardest
working institutions in New York are those
which are most successful. To the outsiders it
seems an easy thing to make money and keep it.
Banking easy work few years ago, and is
now in the old fashioned institutions who have
no country or foreign exchange. But no factory
or machine shop keeps men on the jump as does
live bank in this wide-awake city. l was in
Of these institutions yesterday, which is not
yet ten years cid. Its army of clerks have to be
on hand early in the morning, and they cannot
leave until their days work is done, which is
often not till long after the gas is lighted. Its
capital is 81 900 900, its daily receipts, 81 7ooo,
900. 1t receives daily from $50 to 400 letters,
all of which have to be registered and answered
before the business of the day ends. No bank
clerk on salary of thousand dollars year
goes to his bank as regularly, or works as many
hours, Wm. b. Astor, who counts up his forty
millions. His little one-story Office, step or
two from Broadway, Prince street, with its
iron bars, making it resemble police prison, is
the den where he performs his daily toll, and ut
of all his wealth and labor gets only q his vic
tuals and clothes" He attends personally to all
his business, knows every dollar of rent or in
come that is to become due, pays out every dol
lar, makes his entries in his own hand, and
obliges his subordnates to come to him for in
formation, while he does not go TO them. He
generally comes down in the omnibus at early
hour of the day. and remains closely absorbed
in business until five O'Clock. He rarely takes
exercise, and finds his pleasure in the closest
attention to business. a friend of mine rode to
Washington with Linn in the same from New
York. lie neither spoke nor got out of his seat,
aud hardly moved from Jersey City to Washing
ton. lie usually leaves his Office at five O clock,
and walks slowly up Broadway to Lafayette
Place. He is over six feet high heavily built,
with decided German look, small, hazy eyes,
if he was half asleep, head round as pump
kin, and about destitute of hair. He is en-
ceedingly hospitable, and in the - season" gives
a dinner to his friends weekly, at which the
richest yiands, on services Of gold and silver,
are presented to his guests.
Commodore Vanderbilt never worked harder
in his life never worked more hours, than now.
He has confidential clerk who works like
pack-horse who has been in his employ for
thirty years Besides this, Vanderbilt does his
own business, makes and executes his own con-
tracts and this, with the business he does on
twenty millions, is no small toll. The Commo-
dore goes down to his business regularly every
morning and can be found at certain hours his
only recreation, euchre and fast horses.
Moses Taylor, whose dividends from his coal
stock alone this year reached the pretty little
sum of million dollars, began business in New
York when he was sixteen years of age, kept his
own books with his own hand, and has done so
ever since. His library in his house on Fifth
Avenue is a regular workshop Every night he
brings up his business with his own hand. His
vast business personal to himself, and his busi
ness as trustee, are kept by himself He makes
all the original entries Of sort and kind and
goes to his office for no information, and he
knows just how things must he there, to be
right And should every record kept by his
book-keepers and clerks be destroyed. it would
make no difference with him, for he has the
originals in his own hands. Many merchants
spend the afternoon in riding. or in games, or in
the excitement in the evening Stock Board but
Mr.. Taylor finds his recreation in bath, good
dinner, comfortable sesta, and an evening de-
voted to work. Such man would make money
and keep it.-N. ". Cor. Boston Journal.