New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-10

French forces took possession in the fall of
1866 Of the free Hanseate City of Hamburg,
a free republican State, dating its foundation
from ammo domini 500 or nearly the time Of
Charlamagnes imperial predecessors.
Before, however, the French armies entered
this free republican city, situated upon the
river Elbe, not far from its eflux with the
| North Sea or German ocean, number Of
young and adventurous spirits, who would
not submit to the foreign yoke left their ma
| tive place, among whom was the already men
toned Frederick William Am Ende after
wards, that is in 1916, first Prussian consul
in New Orleans. This young merchant, hay
| ing just attained the age of majority, went by
way of Tonnigum a small seaport town upon
the coast of Holstein (the Elbe being then
already blookaded by the two belhgerents,
the English as well as the French) to England
or London, its metropolis, in order to venture
upon the mercantile world. Endowed with a
lively temperament, very active, having re-
ceived a first rate mercantile education, and
with all connected with one Of the old substan-
tial firms of the ancient city of Hamburg, the
already mentioned house of Lorent, Am
Ende & CO., this young merchant made his
first appearance upon the London exchange.
Then there looking around for some enter
prize for his venturous mind, he was
advised to 90 over to America, the United
States being then just upon the eve Of all
the Troublesome times Of embargoes and non
intercourse acts. The political relations be-
tween the United States and Great Britain
were then none of the most satisfactory,
although the mutual connection or mercantile
communities Of both countries had been every
day growing stronger and stronger. Thus our
young merchant took with him, in ready
means, money funds upon New York and
Philadelphia bankers-his whole patrimony ;
for he was told that capital would surely open
him ready way to success. When arrived in
America he visited all the then commercial
centres, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore, but he could not persuade himself
that under the then exciting political move
ments, mercantile undertakings had any GER
tainty of success. He, therefore, declined
several offers OF propositions for commercial
enterprises and decided upon trying an agri-
cultural experiment. For this purpose he
spent one whole season upon New Jersey
farm, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, kept by
some successful counhymen of his. But, as
he told us very often in after times, he had to
quit this rural mode of life, not that it did not
please him very much, and, as he also fore
saw, was the surest way of making a solid
fortune in this new country, but because he
could not stand, support or endure the actual
fatigues of the field work-the blowing,
hoeing and moving, to which he had not been
brought up in his youth. ......
Hence he thought, since he had to venture
his ready money fortune, he would at once
embark in some mercantile ventures, to the
West Indies, st. Thomas, Porto Rico, etc, and
for that object purchased swift sailing Balti-
more clipper, with which he continued to
make alternate voyages, from Philadelphia and
Baltimore to the several island stations. Thus
several years were spent in the most active
service, until the war breaking out in 1912,
almost Theoretically sealed the Atlantic seaport
towns, and our merchant sailor seeing no
chance Of doing anything with his sailing
craft, sold her, and waited in Philadelphia for
the development of further political affairs
Here the spring of 1914 found him with
large quantity of West India produce on hand,
almost unsaleable for the want of funds, for
the whole mercantile community then in the
United States were nearly broke, in conse-
quence of the i'll success of the war, the strict
British blockade, the PROSTATE condition of
the State and local banks, and the almost
desperate situation of the federal government
ON account of the threatening movements of
the Hartford convention This was the state
of affairs, when all off sudden an entire
change was in store, as the future narrative
Will disclose. -E