Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-05-29
Correspondence.
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
OLD MEN IN NEW YORK BRIEF SKETCHES
OF SOME OF TIIEM-BUSINE NESS-EDITORS
ON RAMPAGE-TIIE WEATHER.

OLD MEN IN NEW YORK BRIEF SKETCHES
OF SOME OF FTIIEM-BUSINESS- EDITORS
ON A RAMPAGE-THE WEATHER.
New YORK, Hng 2G, 1874.
OLD MEN
New York has fewer old men in prnpor-
ton to its population than any city in The
civilized world. The poor die early, of
course, for the poor in This city have not
the comforts necessary to the prolongation
of life !: and the rich, or those aspiring to
be rich, by which mean the business men,
live altogether too rapid life to last long.
The man who commences at tweuty-three
with ten thousand dollars or its equivalent
in cheek, and on that capital does busi-
ness of a half million per annum, is not
going to live tn see fifty, unless, indeed. he
has extraordinary luck or an extraordinary
constitution. His life is one of the hardest
kind of work, and a most consuming eX-
citement. Plethoric to-day-on the verge
of bankruptcy tomorrow with nothing in
the morning to pay a hundred thousand
dollars in the afternoon. 1t is Il life that
wears faster than any other labor in the
world. 1t is one everlasting, never ending
straiu, from morning till night, and if the
cares of the day enable him to sleep at
night, be is lucky.
But nevertheless, there are a few old men
in New York, who have survived the strain
and wear or tear of business.
MAYOR HAYEMEYEE
is over seventy, and bids fair to live twenty
years yet. He is of German descent, and
though he has lived through all the excit-
ing periods of New York history, has per-
sistently refused to get at all excited. He
has had a steady, standard business-sugar
relining-and has followed it with all the
steadiness of the German. He has taken
active part in politics was Mayor thirty
years agO-has been and is bank Presi-
dent; but in all he lives quietly and mo-
destly, goes to bed regularly at night, eats
good wholesome food, uses siimulants
with great moderation, and always sails on
an even keel. If mis- house should get on
fire, Mayor Havemeyer would wall out oft
deliberately and if his relineries should
burn, the loss wouldn't bother him par
ticle. He would so to work and rebuild,
and go on. Ic will refine sugar till he
dies, and then his sons will do it after him
not that they have any need to do busi-
ness, but because they have a habit in that
way. Sugar is their mission.
PETER COOPER,
known the world over for his benevolencc
and his glue, is another seventy FIVE year
older. y man of little more than medium
height, with gray hair and spare face, there
IS nothing i'll his appearance that betokens
the powers he really possesses. He is one
OF the strongest business men in the city,
and at the same time one of the most pro-
gressive and liberal Of the citizens beneyO-
lently-inclined. Having made an immense
fortune out of glue, he determined that the
public should have its full share of his
money. So he built an Institute in
which instruction in the practical arts and
sciences should be free to all, and gave it
to the city. The property is over million,
but it has done millions upon millions of
good. Girls here learn telegraphng, wood
engraving, and Il number OF other prOfes-
siOns that fit them To 90 out into the world
armed for strife. Young men are in
structed i'll metalurgy, engineering, ETC.,
and all the expense is paid by the property.
Peter Cooper is not exactly great man,
but he is an exceedingly good man. Every
body loves him, as everybody ought. He
looks and acts az though he was good for
twenty-five more years. May ne live to
enjoy them.
DANIEL DREW
has passed his seventieth year, and is SO
tough and wiry in his texture, that he bids
fair to live many years longer though
possibly could vote be taken among his
associates, his decease would not be long
deferred. Daniel began life as Snowman,
was promoted to be tayern-keeper, and,
following his instincts, drifted into Wall
street, where he has been, for many years,
the most feared operator Of the street. He
is extremely religious-is devoted mem-
Der of the Methodist Church, and has built
Seminary but his profession or his Civ
inss have never yet prevented him FROM
shaving his associates most numerically
whenever he had them in tight place.
Nothing so delights the old man as to get
his rivals i'll j position where he can squeeze
them. He shows them 10 mercy-be de-
strOys them utterly. 1t is related of I'm
Gle Dan'l'' that once on time he advised
the pastor of an NJ. f. Charch in New Jer-
sey to invest in a certain stock.
but suppose l should lose ~ queried
the preacher.
Pm so certain that you will make mo-
ney," was the reply of the good Daniel,
that if you do lose III make it good to
you"
Thus fortified the preacher did buy a
tritle of the stock. And having so good a
thing the good pastor confidentially told
thirty or forty of his flock, all of whom
made haste to invest in a stock which the
sanity Daniel had rs good as guaranteed
to 90 up.
But contrary to expectation the stock
went down, down, down. The preacher
rushed to Uncle Daniel to redeem his pro-
mise, which the old man did by giving him
cheque for the amount of his loss.
1.-The thing didn't work, did it," said
Daniel.
Indeed il did nOt.''
"Well, you haynt lost anything"
but, my dear sir, am distressed not
withstanding. Being certain of what you
said to me / confided this good thing to
my parishioners, and they
"IIey lost, hev they. Well, people
should never fetch stock onless they know
the market or hey some friend like me To