The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-10

trade Of mason but has employer unable at tht
end Of the iob to pay him. ana 80 lc elt MN eay
Troy he obtained employment as bricklayer. and
as soon as he had earned money enough TO pay the
walking 's BACK Troy 'a went sss work % sn
Ulster and helped to build lock on the Ere Canal
summer here ana al High Pals ana other places on
sne canal. helping 70 build locks In the fail ne
worked there for while. getting out stone and
blocking u into shape for locks on the Pennsylvania
Canal. When the weather became too cold for this
work he found employment on . stone wall being
put up nine miles from Harrisburg. THIS Job nm.
lshed. he walked iity miles TO Pors Deposit 10 help
gina and North Carolina With load OF the stone
he embarked on schooner for Norfolk. THIS was
his first sea voyage. He walked from Norfolk to the
canal, ana with six other men worked there several
months putting In lock. They lived IN log hut
ana M mad negro Tor cook roe climate, miasna
his health and compelled INN to come
north north again. when no speedily found employ
falling 70 be forthcoming and having received one
sanitary lesson IN the matter OF trusting pay he
| agiiated OF bai,ding canal near Harlem 10 nnite
the East and North rivers, and ne waited time
he considered stupid at the time fell through.
| his next working place was on the behigh Canal.
a2 IN. as sS as a. was mere
the construction OF lock and danl--hls first step
| up the ladder OF promotion.
| BECOMES CONTRACTOR.
His years or labor and tuition which we have
hastily hurried over. inspired him with determna-
! ton to do something beyond working for day wages.
| He had patiently bided his time Tue moment had
come to make bold strike.
| ~ have served out my apprenticeship at day
work !" he said to his foreman; ~ am going 10 put
| III a bid for a contract"
"You WON'T get one" said the foreman; "you
have not got influence or money to back you"
al Will try. Notwithstanding"
He dtd try, and got a contract for building lock
lnf nnAx ufsN
TIE money he had already saved. he had cash 0apt
tai OF 81, $780, Coming on to New YORK he went into
city, and expended $500 IN the purchase OF a gold
watch. which watch ne carries to this day. TO FOL
low him through all his subsequent contracts would
exceed the limits Of our ume and space. we viii
only briefly refer TO them. His next contract was on
e 81 ' tSsn nn over the
Columbia Rair0ad, and then the Pennsyi wanna
Canal and then the Suildlng OF weigh lock, capable
OF weighing 100 tcns Oh the Delaware DIVISION Tor
the Lehigh boats. Ia all these ne was eminently
successful.
VACATION AND TRIP WEST AND HOME
In the brief time or our swift record years have
come and gone apace It was the fail Of 1894. He
Years he had faithfully worsed lie had begun
to reap the fruits OF his industry. He had now
cash capital of $4,000. He determined to take
brief vacation. There was strong westward fever
and he fell q victim to the Infection flo went to
Chicago. Arriving there he caught the fever In
and he came back. He now visited the old home
stead. His father had increased the boundaries OF
best farms in that section or the country Unfortu.
nateY his father had endorsed for friend and
danger OF losing the farm.
to his father.
so they have told you. have they" answered
"You should have told me yourself; but never
mind now, 1t IL all right"
al have paid everything up; the farm is ali yours
and there Is not dollar circumference upon IT."
show shall ever pay you back the dabtrh
L
my earnings and promised when you let me so from
home to pay them to YOU The only difference is
given you the last three"
AT WORK AGAIN.
The restless energies or young Law-for he was |
yet young man-would not allow hun to take half |
the vacation he intended. He was soon busy in har-
over the Lehigh river at Easton and after that doing
an immense amount OF work on the upper division |
q the s sna ah he
was employed several years, and Will: splendid pecu-
mary success. The GIFT Of Midas seemed to have
took brought him large profits. lie mad money-the
sinews OF capital at his communicative guarantee OF
success before him.
In May, 1887. he came to New York. His reputa-
ton as . skiful civil engineer and builder mad pre-
coded him. He put in bids for three sections OF the
Croton Aqueducs and received two OF them. Two
years later he put in bid for building High Bridge
and was successful ABOVE all his competitors Tne
world does not present parallel TO this magnificent
bndgeamasnihcent not 0niy IN aes,gn ana sze but
sruction. In building it MI Law mas built an i'm.
perlshable monument Tor himself He introduced
new and startling Innovations Ia It's construction,
such as pumping water, pile driving and raising |
water by steam He went to Europe and examined
find nothing suggesting new ideas to him. 1t is
necessary 10 dwell longer on this bridge He was
only ten years building II, and was built to the
satisfaction OF everybody.
FIRST RAILROAD ENTERPRISES.
Raising tne old Dry DOCK Bank from q state OF
almost insolvency to firmly substantial financial
footing is the next thing we hear OF MIR. Law doing
Alter TINS he took hold OF the Harlem Railroad
With original capital OF g., ooO, 900 the stock had
become nearly worthless selling at five per cent lie
got It's Indebtedness extended bought lron to ouild
Il from wllliamsbri1ge to White Plains and raised
the stock to seveny-fve per cent. In the same way
he took hold OF the Mohawk Railroad He did away
with the inclined planes, carried 1t around the hills
connected 1t with tne Utica Railroad and raised the
stock from twenty-seven 10 seventy five per cent
HIS financial management OF the three enterprises
we have named brought him IN a handsome fortune
from each.
''There is nothing 30 easy" he often remarks 'as
making money when you have money TO make 1t
with; the only thing Is 10 see the crisis and take 1t at
the food"
II was long q PROJECT OF Mr.. Law 10 go into the
building OF STEAMBOATS, aud steamships and when
he did so was a. IS Wen a snown' WIN al tae
Europe, TO which we have referred, he went over In
q packet ship. fis friends tried 70 dissuade him
from returning In steamer the excitement about
the lost steamer President being then at It's height
but he was not to be dissuaded and came over in
the Caledonia, his object being to make the steamer
and workings study. The results OF his study
he carried in his head until the proper time to turn
| them to account. He bought IN ls43 the steam
| boat Neptune, with which to make personal
| experiments, and then, in 1874, built his first
steamer, the oregon. The opening OF the rich
treasures OF California to the world presented IT.
ting field tor putting in execution. on scale OF mag
nltude in keeping with his amo.tlon, his long cher.
| lshed project This Is extended chapter In his
| career but IS the pubic familiar with the de-
| tails, 1t is unnecessary TO enarge upon them. He
| purchased the Falcon, which in December. 1SaS.
started on her Introductory trip, taxing the first
| passengers to Chagres, reaching California. from
| this city. Everybody knows the far.spreadlng ex-
| citcment OF the gold fever. he bought and built
| SUCCESSION or splendid steamers-tle Empire CITY,
| Ell Dorado, Crescent City, Philadelphia, Illinois,
| Cherokee, George Law and others. One Pacific Mail
| Steamship Company were strong IN their opposition
| on both ends o! Lue route, bu. Mr.. Law soon sold
out to them the route ON this side the IshIaus and
Kept the Pacific side route TO himself When he re-
tired from this steamship enterprise he had lor-
tune OF several millions.
arfNn