Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-07-01
lndustry of Rich Men


sweeten existence, let me add something
upon the laborious habits of our leading
men. Many young men look forward
to the time when they shall be released
from labor, and they have a notion that
the rich men of this city lead what is
called an ''easy life" This idea is very
erroneous. Our successful men not only
have been, but unue to be, hard
workers. 1t is true there are persons
who have inherited wealth. and there
fore Weld themselves to Incidence and
dissipation, but their experience quickly
prove the old saying that the fool and
his money are soon parted. Our rich
business men work because habit be-
comes second nature, and they would
be miserable If they remained idle. We
have no rich drones, for drone would
never become rich, Let us look at the
industry Of few Of our selt-made men.
Here'is
MOSES TAYLOR,
who is about three score and ten, and
is estimated at S5,OJJ,OJO. Surely such
a man, one might say, ought to rest SO
far from this, however, he is almost rs
busy as ever He was noted as an ac-
tive and tar-sighted merchant, and ever
since he retired from trade he has found
enough TO do IL the vast field Of finance.
Mr.. Taylor is President Of the City
Bank, which is one Of the heaviest Of
our Wall street institutions. He would
be extremely miserable if he did not Wis
it that bank every day and spend an
hour i'll overlooking its operations in
manner which some men would call Ia
borious. After this is done, one may
meet in the Wall street crowd that form
1.-THE and erect, and that penetrating
countcnanee, which seems as much on
the alert as when he. was a poor clerk.
-Four o'clock finds him at his home,
with racked brain and weary body,
but fine dinner restores his tone and
| after an hour Of social small talk and n
drive TO the park, he retireS TO his pri-
vate office and enters into deep and
veXatious calculation which continues
until bedtime. DO you inquire what it
can be which drives 4 rich man so in
t.nSelv ? lreply, he has large num-
! Der OF vacant lots which should be COW
| cred with houses, and the architects plans
! and the builders contracts are to be en-
/ amincd. He has extensive tracts OF
coal lands for which mining companies
! are negotiating. He las shares III
| banks, in gas companies and i'll other
stocks, all of which must be looked aft
er. And if he does not finish his work
rs rapidly as each day brings it before
him, it would soon accumulate in very
burdcnsome manner. Such, then, is the
! lie OF >5,0J),000 man.
/ COMMODORE VANDERBILT.
He has worked hard for more than
sixty wears. OF late he has abatcd the
Intensity ofhiS application, but still Ia
bors from five to six hours q day IN a
very close manner. He has Just com
plcied the greatest railway depot for
travellers in this city, and this is mate
! to the great freight depot i'll st. johns
| Park. The Commodore must work to
save himself from sheer misery. Idle
ness would be to him the greatest OF
misfortunes. He is almost determined
that his children shall be working men.
The largest part Of his property Will
come into their hands, and he knows
that it is only industrious habits that
can keep them in its possession. 10
such 4 man as the Commodore the idea
of retirement is rcpulsivc. Activity Is
his life and business is an clySlum.
Each day brings its eXcitcmcnts, either
of loss or gain, and at the close he feels
! the pleasure resulting from the exercise
of the faculties both Of body and
mind.
II is well known that this man IL q
marvel of industry. Like Vanderbilt,
he is about seventy-fve, but he locks
much Younger than the former. Van
derbit NAV have felt the impelling con
sciousncss of family 10 sharpen his
application, but Stewart has neither
chick nor child lie works in simple
obedience TO his nature, which demands
it. Stewart and Vanderbilt are the
great opponents Of two departments OF
business, the one being merchant
prince and the other a railway king. |
do not know that they have ever met
and the greatness of this city is shown
bv containing two such men without
collision ofinterests. 1t is the opinion
of good Judges of character, that II
Stewart had been bred to military life,
he would have been the greatest gene
raj of the age What would not have
been accomplished by such method and
such industry Having reached old
age, and with a property estimated at
from -30,000,000 to S40,00o,0oo, he
must still do his days work.
LAND SALEs-tDtc, ETA Rnilrond.-
The following sales are reported by the
Charleston West Va.) Courier to have
recently taken place in thecounhes trav,
ersed by the line of the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad:
a tract of valuable coal land on Long
Greek, Fayette county, containing So
OJJ acres, has been purchased by par
tv of Baltimore and New Jersey CAPT
talists. This is part OF the Wilson
SURVEY" and lies Immediately on the
Kanawha river and Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad. a tract containing
10000 acres, lying between Gauley and