Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-02-13
gelistellauepns Readina.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
WAITS FROM GOTHAM.

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Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer.
WAITS FROM GOTHAM.
New YORK CRY, February 6, 1873.
After brief business trip through portions
of the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and
Massachusetts, arrived in New York few
days ago to find the city, like many places
which I have recently visited, completely
'snowed in." An immense quantity Of snow
has fallen over the Northern and New Eng
land States within the past month, and travel
by rail has been much iinpeded, trains from all
directions arriving from one to twenty-four
hours behind their regular time. But as it
is an "ll wind that blows nobody good" those
fond of sleigh.riding have had splendid op-
portunity to employ their leisure hours in their
favorite pastime. But people travelling on
"business," have experienced much inconve-
nience, and 1 doubt not much damage will
result from the extraordinary fall of snow.
would not be surprised to see the entire
country, contiguous to large water courses,
entirely inundated in the spring. But avaunt
with "borrowing trouble" for it comes fast
enough without assistance, so we will take a
look at some of the
WEALTHY MEN OF NEW YORK.
Persons claiming to be intimate with the
financial affairs of many of our wealthy citi-
zens, say that they have very largely increas-
ed their worldly goods within few years
some of them within a few months. One
does not find much in the Scriptures to en-.
courage the career of our worshippers of Pu-
tus; but they forcibly illustrate that "Unto
every one that hath shall be given, and he
shall have abundance" Among the wealthy
men of Manhattan, Cornelius Vanderbilt,
known as the Railroad King, stands at the
head of the list. Mr. Vanderbilt in his
younger days, was ferryman on the Hudson
river, and made his "start in the world" by
rowing passengers across the North river.
He has been estimated to be worth s35,OOO,-
900, and rumor says that he has recently in
creased his wealth by some s1O,OOO,0OO. VIM.
B. Astors wealth is set down at s30,O0O,OOO.
Daniel Drew, who came to New York poor
boy, is now worth, it is estimated, s15,O00,OOO.
Henry N. Smith, who, I am informed, worked
on the bench in this city for many years as a
journeyman shoemaker, some time since dis
carded thehammer and lapstone and comnen.
ced "pegging," in the gold exchange, and has
succeeded in drawing the "cords Of affliction" !"
through the soles of the Wall street specua'
tors, and is now the fortunate possessor of
some s10,0O0,O00. 1t was this shoe maker
that succeeded in "pinching" from Jay Gould,
s9,000,000, said to have been "borrowed"
from the Treasury of the Erie Railway cor
po,ation, while the latter was President and
the late James Fisk, jr., its managing" di-
rector. George Law, of condemned musket"
fame, who seldom furnishes squib for the
newspapers nowadays, is declared to have
recently doubled his s6,0O0,00O. R. L. &
A. Stewart, the wel-known sugar re6ners,
are said to have been remarkably lucky in
the advance of real estate purchases, and to
have augmented the value of their property
by several millions each. AS they owned
conformity some $1O,OOO,O00 or s12,OOO,OO0
previously, it is though this increase, with
proper economy, will prevent their becoming
objects of public charity. August Belmont,
for many years well-known as one of the lea
ders of the National Democratic party, and
celebrated as banker and patron of the fine
arts, as we'll as being the rival Of Gen. Grant
as connoisseur in horse flesh, is said to have
increased his immense fortune by several mil
lions of dollars through discreet operations in
American bonds at home and abroad. Many
spectators in Wall and Broad streets have
reaped golden harvests lately-that is, the big
spectators have, while the smaller operators
waters.
IDEAS OF RICHES.
In some countries man who is the poss-
essor of $4,000 is called rich. In China,
the possessor Gf he be native) of $500 or
$4,000 is independent; but in New York q
man with only 100000 or 100000 is
poor. In this city representations Of wealth
are graduated. For instance: Rich, S5,000,-
900 and upward very we'll off, s3,0O0,000;
comfortable, s2,OOO,0O0; independent, or in
easy circumstances, s1,OO0,OOO; poor $4,000
to 100000; gone to "old Harry" $4,000.
! sELF-MADE MEN.
! A majority of the wealthiest men here,
strange as it may seem, commenced life in q
very humble way, and have wrought their
wealth by hard work. William B. Astor, it
is true, inherited his fortune from his father,
but the elder, John Jacob, arrived here the
posscssor of only twelve dollars in the world,
the product of the sale of half dozen flutes
(given him by his brother in London) to one
Of his fellow steerage passengers. After he
; had acquired an immense estate, it is said that
he watched the building Of the Astor House
by the hour, to see that the carpenters never
lost or wasted single nail A. T. Stewart,
the merchant prince, now worth s35,O0O,oOO,
commenced with small shop not far from
where his present wholesale establishment now
stands, and sold, at retail, "odds and ends"
which he had purchased at auction. George
Law was day aborer on the docks many
years ago. and worked hard and lived econom.
ically for eighteen months to save one hum
dred dollars. Peter Cooper, the phlanthro-
pist, was coachmaker's apprentice, and his
circumstances so poor that he never attended
school more than six months Daniel APP