Middletown transcript., 1868-04-25
Biographical Shrtthes.
Rich Men of America.

fortunes by tnelr own eXertl0nS, viz =
Stephen Girard, John Jacob Astor, Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, and Alexander T. Stew
art. The former two have been dead for
some years the latter two are not only
living but are in the full tide of their sue
cessfulscareer.
Mr.. Vanderbilt, who is Justly termed
the Railroad King" after putting the
Hudson River and Harlem Railroads on
splendid paying basis, has, with the
consent of the stockholders, turned his
attention to "bulf' f'-ing the New York
Central Railroad stock, by putting the
road under sound financial admmistra-
ton. The result of his vigorous policy
is sufficiently manifest in the steady ap-
probation of the stock of the road, an un-
erring indication of public confidence
Mr.. Stewart is not only the richest, but
the most systematic and prosperous mer-
chant in the world. From the revenue
returns of 1865, it was shown that his
earnings for that year amounted to nearly
foe millions of dollars.
Of the four persons mentioned, Mr..
Stewart is the only one who possessed
anything beyond the most common rudi-
mental education.
The following brief sketches of these
American millionaires will, we trust, prove
interesting to our readers:
STEPHEN GIRARD,
who was native of France, having been
born near Bordeaux, May "a, 1859, COM
menced drifting upon the world at the age
OF ten or twelve years. He first engaged
as cabin-boy in a vessel bound for the
West Indies. He soon afterwards came
to New York, as a cabin-boy apprentice
to Captain J. Randall whose attachment
to him, on account of his manly qualities,
was early manifested in tokens of conf
dence and steady promotions. From
cabin-boy he gradually passed to the COM
mand of his vessel, which run between
New York and New Orleans. He was
sober, diligent, and, as a consequence,
successful. Lucky" they called him
but his "luck," like the most called by
that name, was but the logical result of
his good qualities.
He went to Phila lelphia in 1863, where
he became, in course of time, "the rich
est millionaire in the land" Mr.. Girard
had one quality which is possessed, to a
greater or less extent, by all truly sue
cessful men. He was never ashamed nor
afraid to work himself; and SO, of course,
never despised those who were obliged to
work. His severe republican notions
stuck to him with strange tenacity through
all the years of his great wealth. Dur
ing the Revolutionary war, he bottled and
sold cider and claret. In 1880 he was
engaged in trade to St. Domingo and
New Orleans. In 1890 he was reported
to be worth thirty thousand dollars. In
1911, in expectation of renewal of the
charter of the old Bank of the United
States, he purchased a large amount of
the stock of that institution. The char
ter was not renewed, and the banking
house coming into his bands at a reduced
price, the Bank of the United States be-
came stephen Girards Bank"
Mr.. Girard took a sincere pride in his
city, and did much to make it attractive.
He had great ambition to become the
richest man in the country; as also to be
remembered as friend to the poor, and
a patron to education. In pursuance of
the latter impulse, he established, under
munifcent endowment, and with some
strange restrictions, Girard College of
Philadelphia. His life was full of eccen-
tricities, some of which we shall present
in future issues
JOHN JACOB AsToR,
who enjoyed in his lifetime the reputa-
tion of being the "richest merchant in
America" was born near Heidelberg,
Germany, in the year 1868. He came
to this country at the age of nineteen,
when the now thick y-settled and cultiva-
ted State of New York was little more
than trackless wilderness. His atten-
tion was early turned to the fur business,
which became the engrossing occupation
of his life. He made frequent excursions
up the Mohawk River to traffic with the
Indians, and was successful in his early
speculations. He was one of the princi-
pal movers in the American Fur Compa-
ny, which soon become successful COM.
petitor with European capitalists, who
controlled the North western and Cana
dian Fur Companies. He finally extern
ded his business to the mouth of the Co
lumbia River, where'he established a fur
trading station which was named for him,
Astoria, and is yet an important CONNER
cial point.
His confidence in the American Gov
ernment enabled him to amass a large
amount of wealth in the purchase of Uni
ted States securieties during the war of
1912. Many of these bonds, which he
purchased at sixty or seventy cents on the
dollar, he afterwards sold at twenty per
cent above par. In later years he turned
his attention to real estate in the city of
New York, his keen sagacity pointing out
to him the sure and steady advancement
of the metropolis, and the inevitable ap-
probation of land on Manhattan Island.
As the result of sixteen years hard labor
and close economy, he was worth o quar-
ter of million. AT his death he was re-
puted to be worth not less than tpentv
millions The remark has been attributed