Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-19
Ao 'srsmall Beginnings. -
"a correspondent writing from New York
SAYS: :.9

~ co4espcndent writing from New York
says:.%~
'fhe. question, ,!does it pay to smoke, has
been dsscussad at, length in ,1e.. public
prints, bus itsis evident that. It pays
certain. oclass namely, the tobacconis,s.
An iIlush'ation of this is founG in the his
tory Of <Gilsey, ,,shs real estate lord,' Gilsey
has bsep jp Broadway for more thay twenty
years, shSis nov one of the l@rgcst pp>perty
holders e 5hat street. He began yish a
small sssar shop, to which he soon sdded
brsnch, and in this way he wept on
until he had nearly dozen of thesf festab.
Iishments He purchased property With
the profits Of this petty trade, ard now
owns abou. $l,ooo,ooo worth of real
estate. No other dealer in Broadway ex-
cepting Il. T. Stewart, has done SO well
and hence, on Mr.. Gi'sey's part, i, may be
said that it does pay to smobR: =
Speaking Of Glsey's petty commence
ment reminds US of the fact tha, the
greatest es,"aIiehmeu's in tbs city .lravs
arisen from s~s4 beginnings. One of tile
largest grocery Gouses in.-Wes. slr e, began
selling liquors at three cen,srper glass, aud
thus laid the 6ydnda.ion of a grsu, business
A. I. Stewart commSYcsd ~ seven by
nine shop in Broa,fSsv f6rsYyears ego :;
while the great sugarsre6nera, .*hose names
arc spelled Stuart, ,odmmspcyd in little
candy store which yAeir f,thsr started in
Greenwich street, in ehe early art of this
century. The tobacconists Lorillard, who
are now next to Aslor in point Of real
estate importance, commenced with few
jars Of snuff in q l:,tle shop, whose sales
" were for ma99y sye"t s the most petty
character.
To turn to tie pss1 the New York
Herald was started iu a0basement in Wall
street, and there Bennett sat writing his
squibs and paragraphs with pile o.
Herulds before him, which he sold at one
cent per copy. Tho entire capital Oh which
this sheet started could not have been more
than $500, and its existence for the first
five years was'a matter Of uncertainty.
Greeley, loo, started the Tribune: on
borrowed capital of $1,000. Bonner, of
the cosmopolitan Ledger, twenty years
ago, was but proof.reader in this city.
and had hut short time previously worked
as composltor in the Office of the Hartford
Courant. The Ledger was losing paper
when be undertook its publication, and i.
was a long time before its proprietor could
see chauce Of success. Little indeed did
he draem Of the wealth that shonld crown
his lsbors, and transform poor "jour"
printer into millionaire. TO 20 little
farther, the founders of the great house of
Harper Brothers began life in this city as
prsssmen, in large printing house, after
which they commenced by getting out 4
siDgle work on their own account and thus
laid the foundation Tor great publishing
business. 1u addition to these, large for
tunes have been made in trade from the
smallest beginnings. Mr.. West, the great
silk merchant, (uow re.ired,) began life in
barber shop in Maiden Lane; and John
Mason, formerly one of the heaviest dry
goods men in the city, was tailor by
trade. Brooks Brothers, the great cloth
iers, began keeping small slop shop for
| sailors accommodation near Caiharins
Market; now they are millionaires, and
own Broadway warehouse of immense
size and cost. To turn TO shipping interests
the great house of Josiah Macy & Suns
was commenced by Captain Josiah Macy,
who sailed ship for many years. An
1rishman, named Graham, who entered the
service of the house of Peter Harmony &
Co., eventually became partner, and even
| manager of What then wus tue largest
chipping business in New York. A nun.
Der Of our best commercial houses have
been founded by ship captains, who started
as mere agents. but expanded in.o mer-
chants, and rose to great wealth. Glancing
at Front street, here ia Rufus Story, shs
heaviest dealer in coffee and spices 10 the
entire street. He has been OH this YER,
spot twenty seven years, and is one of the
Oldest business men in the city. He COM
rDsnced life as clerk 10 3 retail grocery,
aud afterwards opened email shop of his
own. from which he advanced 10 Front
street store, and he is now one of ;, ou,
tsadiog business mon. Among o.he,
illass rations Of this matter, an interesting
iostancs il found in Gsorge H., one o.
the magnates of the fruit trade, who oom-
mencsd bis carser,as wagon boy, psldlina
oranges through the strssts, but since .hsr
be bas become dealer 10 the article .by tbs
cargo. * s,s., .n. .,,.
I New York affords 80, mary = illustration,
ofathis kind thst it is'impossibIe to forecas
aqy. man's succsss !; and, however humble
ones first efforts may be-, they are no. Il
!. b uhdsrsalued.' We. are not to despitl
4 tbs dayso email things Little did "a,
think when sessw Simeon Isslsnd ssrsip,
4 'das.clstk inshe; Croton Hotel IawsDsytesr
80 a.