Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-20

~ tno eHe Oh SWsuty, 1917 us viliege nome
il Baden. - peer that he walked to the
nearest seaport, with . small bundle con-
tanning oil his worldly goods, spent his last
penny for . passage in the Stserags, sailed
for New York, aud would have arrived here
with nothing but youth and health, had he
not ssld on The voyage half . dozen nutss,
given hin by his brother in London. Fer
the flutes he received &12, and having made
the acquaintance Of furrisr on board the
ship, and talked with him about trade, he
invested bis small capital, on dsbarking.
in furs. From that small beginning, he
steadily and rapidly rose, until he found
ID the American Fur Company, sent his
ships TO every sea, and died worth $50, 900,
600.
DEVOTION TO BUsINEoo.
But few know how William. the sen, has,
during the twenty years since his father
death, devoted himself constantly to swell
the fortune. whose income 10 more than one
man should have. He has little life outside
Of his mortgages and investments, and at an
| ago when most good citizens are sleeping
| quietly in their graves, Indifferent 70 sscur-
tiles or titles, he 10 hard at work in his back
| office closing every orsvice through which
dsllas might slip.
Many persons wonder why men Of great
fortune continue 10 labor, instead Of resting
| and enjoy ing themselves, aud attri buts il to
mere love OF gain. They do not remember
| that long habit becomes second mature :;
that such men fled rest in constant occupa
ton, and that tho enjoy ment prescribed FIR
them would be the severest punishment that
could DO inflicted.
For more than fifty years William b. As
tor has been daily worker ct his desk -
Sentence him TO dlensss to morrow, and be-
fore the Christmas chimes were rung from
Trinity, the family lot in Greenwood would
have another occupant
onAN0rs OF sEvENrr-slx VARS,
Aston Was born in . small brick house.
built by his father, and occupied a. a fur
store, but l. ne since torn down. at the cor
ner Of Broadway and vessey-ths site Of
the present Astor House. He has seen
wonderful changes in the city and the world
When he was babe, New York had pop
ulation Of not more than thirty thousand
souls; our Revolution had Just ended :;
George Washington was stil alive Thomas
Jefferson was President Of the United
States; Bonaparts vas unknown; Frederick
the Great had very recently died the
French Revolution was thrilling the time
with horror Wesley street was in the
country; Bowling Green the centre Of irade
Wal street and its vicinity the quarter for
fashionable rssidence, and the Republic it.
self q handful OF feeble States that were still
suffering from the struggle that had given
them their Independence.
cnAAAersR.
Astor was carefully educated By his
father, and. after leaving college, Travelled
ia Europe. where, it 10 said, he spent less
than quarter of what his parent had
allowed him. After his return he went
| into buainess with John Jacab, and became
| more wstehfnl OF his interests and more
careful Of his money than the old man
himself, who was never accused Of anv
extraordinary carsls.snsss in that respect.
Though presumpive heir 10 . great estate,
he lost no opportunity 10 look out for
himself, and, ~ his fathers deesass, vas
individually worth 100000 He 10
declared, BY those who ought to know, to
BE- less liberal than bic fathsr-ns spend.
thrift By any means, and . man Of less
kindly feeling and lsss generous sympathy.
He 10 reported to b very charitable on
occasions but he rarely gives to those who
solicit charity, and his bru.que refusal of
the constant petitioners for assistance Of
oil kinds through . series Of years has
earned for him the reputation Of extreme
clcsensss, ifnot penurieusnsss. To commsn
| bsggars and seekers Of subscriptions he
| turns deaf ear, and the fact 10 new 20 we'll
known that he escapes much Of the annoy
ancs 70 which accessible rich men srs per
pstually subjected. He makes il q rule. I
have been told. never 70 give anything du-
ring the hours Of business, and always TO
Investigate any and every case earnestly
brought 70 his notice. II he finds it worthy
no . reasonably liberal, but privately %,
having no ambition to gain . reputation
that wsuld prove troublesome, not 10 ssy
expensive.
| have ne reason 70 doubt this; indeed.
An inclined to believe il !; fer many per
cons give from their vanity, while others.
who are silently charitable, pass for the
very opposite 10 publie opinisn.
Still Aston cannot be regarded % 4 liber
o. man, csnsidsring his immense wealth
aad the supsrabuntaat opportunities il
gives him for doing good in his native
city, where the Greeks are ever as bis own
door. or course be has perfect risht to
do - he chooses with bis own. He knows
that, too, and follows his humsr. The
public 10 vsrv sxac'ing Of the wealthy, who
are reundly abused when they decline to
open their purses a. it directs. Thew are
% bssisgsd and badgsrsd with applicants
and Applications, 20 Imposed on and esjsl>
Cd, that i 10 not strange that they grew
callsus. Even Astor AID Stewart, il they
responded to ell the calls upon them for aid
would DO bsgEarsd in twelvs-month.-
But there 10 30 little probability Of their re-
spending that il 10 not nssdful to sxpspd
any sympathy in anticipation.
rns PRINCE sSREEr OFFICE.
Actors efaee 10 in Prince street, Bread
way. one story brick, with heavy shut.
.sn' tat remind you ola village back
Inc office has tive rooms, and hs occupiss
sns year one, very plainly, even meaRrely.
furnished, which be enters punctually eyerv
morning ct ten O'Clock, rarely LEAVING hia
oe.k before four in the afternoon. He il
net smut away, a. Stewart 10. HE back
Gan % seen bv any one entering the once
.su any one can step in and zee his face
aiso, IL ne De - minded. To these vhe
70 seem impolite.
ne usually waits TO be addressed. I'm. II
nsi not, be turns . cold face upcn In
visitor, and says. "Your business. air"
Ii 1t be an application for charity in min.
cases out OF ten be cuts of the story befar. |
u is half told with, IL can do nothin, 70, |
you. sir" and resumes his work.
lit Is an application for deduction Of
rent or for the sale Of property, he gensr- |
ally answers mo. cir" and relapsss into
silence, from which !. 10 difficult to rouse
him.
1.-The 10 annoyed BY further speech, he
says, .urtly and brusquely. II an buoy
have no time 70 talk !" and there the inter
view ends. Few persons feel encouraged
70 stay in bic presence, which, to strsn. |
gen. % ne mere inviting than the Mereue
q midnight, Or ts0b.stens On Q winter