Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-05-28
From the \. y Evrnins Mail
Wilson g.. Hunt. Isq..---Emiucnt
Retired Merchant.


Retired Merchant.
Another Of the pure noble men, who
has given honor and dignity 20 commercial
I life in New York, is Wilson G.. Hunt,
I Esq, lie has now retired from strictly
commercial affairs, but he is actively in
/ terested in many business enterprises
which keep him pretty fully employed,
Occupying - small office in Park place,
You see him going forth TO the bank and
telegraph office, where he has business or
is director,
He was born in Huntington County,
New jersey, November %, 1904, and is,
therefore, about sixty.four years of age,
His father was farmer, and his only op-
portunity 10 study. as in the case of
Shepherd Knapp, and other eminent New
York merchants, was at the country
school at intervals when he could be spared
fFsfa tlte farm. In the spring as lslA,
when he was about fifteen years of age,
he came 10 New York and obtained sit
uation in a retail dry goods store in chat
ham street. lie remained one year at
this place, three years at another store in
Division street. and three years at third
in Pearl street He was hard worker,
and obtained the respect Of all with whom
he camc in contact, He next commenced
the retail dry goods business in Canal
street with a small capital, under the firm
of Hunt & Rockwell. Two years later
he opened a store solely ON his own ac'
count in Pearl street. Here he failed,
: but made an honorable and satisfactory
compromisewith his creditors. In 1884
3 he embarked in the cloth trade in conluno-
tion with his brother Thomas one of the
richest men in brooklyn and Tor many
years occupied store on the corner oi
Pearl and Chatham streets. They bnii'
, up am immense business, and their stort
was as we'll known as any OF the land
marks of that day. Mr. Hunt made money
= and il was one Of his first acts to pay his
5 old creditors in full. On a certain New
Years dav he invited his creditors to dine
with him, and each of them found under
c his rlate check for principal and inter
g ct. This act was not only an illustra
Q tion Of Mr. Hunts high moral perception
but il was to show the exhalted standarC
al which he desired TO maintain CONNER
cial honor.
u The house of VIM. G. Hunt X CO., 81
4 long leading firm in the cloth trade
was formed in 1s43, and this style of tn,
firm remained until Mr. Hunts retire
ment in 1860 For some years they haC
!. store in Maiden Lane, and subsequent
o ly removed to one of the marble places oi
&c Park Place. Mr.. Hunt never derived NOR
than n few hundred doliar~ from his fa
- thers estate, and all this large fortune
al -
Some of the most prominent bushes
: men at this time in trade and in Wa
e street were brought up in this house. Nj
: Hunt was a strict disciplinarian with hi
clerks, and at the same time an ever-cor
siderate friend lie taught them the sam
y uprightness which he made the rule
re his own lie, and they well understoo
I. that no advantage of profit could alton
;, for the slightest breach Of it. He wa
= quite as well pleased to discover in then
evidence of high moral excellence AS Q
r business capacity There was nothin
z fanatical and nothing tyrannical in a
q this, for the whole government Of his sui
), ordinates was marked by the most frient
ly and kindly consideration on his par
and an entire appreciation of the honor,
Is has given the impress of his pure chara,
r: ter to more than one who who went fror
!. his employ into our fields of bushes
effort. in which they have gained a for,
most position.
le Mr. Hunt is one of the most public
), spirited of our citizens He has give
e his encouragement to numerous cnterpri
es Of philanthropy and public utilit,
With those other New York merchant
Cyrus w Field and Peter Cooper. he Wa
% a valuable co-operator in the efforts to e'
4 tabli>l telegraphic communication wit
le Europe. He never lost faith in the ult
- mate success of this enterprise, and invcs
ed large sums when some of his shrew
L friends thought that he would meet wit
y certain loss
Mr.. Hunt is tall, well proportiouc
man, Of erect, stately carriage. He walk
with firm, deliberate step, and you Sc
at glance that he is a person of mo
calm, unimpassionate nature. His hea
4. is of considerable size, rather long tha
"a round. with regular features, and mil
Of composed expression. lie is courteous an
;, affablc, but always dignifed From earl
49, life up he exhibited great rehectvene
and solid basis of character. Frivolit
was a thing Totally unknown to him
!" his youth, and any other than the MOI
practical and substantial concerns of lii
r cannot for a moment engage his atteutio
is at his matured period. He does nothin
G. for show, preferring to appear as the plail
est and most unpresuming Of men, and
modest and retiring in all things. Pro
u ably there is no man in New York
IS. more weight of opinion and personal il
i fuence than Mr.. Hunt, and yet his p
n sition is entirely that of an unobtrusi,
citizen.
~ Mr.. Hunt belonged to the class of Ne
1t York merchants who have made the
III calling among the proudest in the Ian
o. Heightened gentlemen-men of INTEL
- gence and original meritsr-giants in enc
gy, they have elevated trade into mon
u tary. social, and political pre-cminenc
ry Most Of them self made men-hewing Of
'o- their own destiny, under all manner
M discouragements, educating themselves. j
:, hours of respite from business applicatic
:, they have made themselves noted b
nc cause they are true representatives of il
IT. telhgence and enterprise. Quite as muC
es. as in the career of the general the state
ur man, the lawyer, and the clergyman
a their history is full of striking inciden
! and manly lessons, and they as ttl
o. belong to the ranks of the worlds gre'
w men.
th Mr.. Hunt deserves leading pla
among his commercial compeers. lie h
shown that business success and fair des
4; ing between man and man are not at
!. incompatible. In his own rules OF bui
loi mess and in his own walks he has demo
ne strated the superior advantage of .regul
err transactions of trade by a standard
are personal moral and honor.
az 1t is fortunate for the country that N
4. Hunt in hia rafiro,nort frnrn actirn col