The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-29

as Spontaneous Productions -
Their Characters Not Admirable.
New York letter to Chicago Times.]
The witticism that self-made man,
however poorly made, is inclined to
worship his creator. seems frequently
to have foundation in fact. A self:
made man is apt to be poorly made, il
we refuse to consider making as some
thing more than material success. He
is necessarily put forward as an exam
pie of what industry, energy, pcrsever.
ance will accomplish and all persons
who happen to be of different mold,
who have had some early advantages,
4 are in danger of being hectored by his
antecedents.
I wEAR1soNE ITERATION.
No wonder we grow weary of hear
ing Of Stephen Girard as cabin boy,
and Of his careful saving, until he had
enough to begin small business with
in Philadelphia. No wonder we are tired
of reading references to Bejamin Frank
lin, and Of his cutting wicks at the age
of ten in his fathers tal,ow chandlery.
No wonder we are surfe,ted with &C
counts of the manner in which John
Jacob Astor rose early and read the
bible in his childhood, walked while a
mere lad to the coast of Holland, and
embarked for London in a Dutch
smack.
True, Girard did die immensely rich;
true, Franklin did become a distin-
guished philosopher and diplomat; true,
Astor left an estate of $4,000, 900.
But their achievements had nothing to
do with their humble birth and early
perjury. Thousands of lads have been
cabin boys; have served in chandler
shops; have risen early and read the
bible-not because they liked it, but
because they were compelled to--ard
yet they did not get fame or riches.
The great ajority of the millionaires
of Manhattan are self.made, and most
of them are 1lade after so wretched a
fashion that few acquainted with their
real life would care to follow in their
footsteps.
| JOHN JACOB AsToR.
One Of the richest of New Workers,
WA. B. Astor. although not self-made,
inherited all his property from self.
made father. Cd John Jacob was
anything but an admirable character.
If he had any exalted semotions, he
kept them carefully concealed that no
one ever suspected their existence. From
the first to the last he was searcher
after shillings, his search ending only
with the cessation Of his breath. If
VIM. B. had not produced the paternal
| phlegm and cool blood Of his German
parent ; if he had b. en-, in other words,
thorough American, he would. likely
enough, have squandered the vast es-
tate bequeathed to him, and have died
long ago very poor devil. Instead Of
squandering, however, he has amassed;
has been as anxious to keep dollar and
get another, 6 if his entire patrimony
had consisted of fifty new pennies.
Supposed to be worth $4,000. 900 now,
he is On octogenarian, feeble from years
and on the brink Of the grave. 1t is to
be hoped, when he looks back upon bis
eighty years, that he has more salts
faction in :heir contemplation than such
career as his would justify him in
having.
ALEXANDER r. STEWART
is self-made man, so far as the making
of money goes. Left an orphan when
child, he is rcputed to have been edu-
Gated by his maternal grandfather, who
designed him for methodist preacher;
and to this end he was graduated at
Trinity college, Dublin. In 1923 he
quilted his native land, determined to
fix his home in the new world. On
reaching the metropolis-he was about
% then-he undertook private teaching
and after twelve months Of such occu-
patton. gave it up, in order to enter a
commercial house. He seems to have
obtained small interest in the firm,
and the talent he displayed for trade
plainly pointed out his vocation. He
had great skill in Judging of dry goods,
and be turned his skill to good account
by buying at auction and selling at re-
tail. The margin of profit was large,
and in this way, although his prices
were moderate, he fixed the foundation
of his fortune. He had intelligence
enough to know that fair dealing is the
best policy. He never represented
what he sold to be better than it really
was; and thus, by his honesty, he &C.
CURED reputation which has been of
inestimable benefit to him.
In o few years he was enabled to buy
the lot in Broadway, between Reade
and Chambers streets, and to put up
the first marble building in that
thoroughfare. For considerable time
it was the pride of the town and the ad.
miration Of the country. although it has
been for years unconspicuous enough,
having been completely overshadowed
and eclipsed by larger and finer struc-
lures. Now devoted to his wholesale
trade, his retail business is carried on At
its architectural fellow, IN the block
bounded by Broadway, Fourth avenue,
Ninth and Tenth streets.
GENIUS FOR ARCHITECTURAL DEFoRHITY.
Stewart has genius for erecting ugly
and dismal edifces. He appears to
have one architectural idea, and that is
If = vast cold ohacfIv marble nile