Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-24

children he toiled for q livelihood in the
helds. Waldorf was one of those quiet
herman villages which never seem to un.
dergo any sort 0. change, and where. from
the absence Of stir, you might imagine that
the inhabitants are asleep in their sun-baked
dwellings, They are, however, anything
bat asleep. At early morn. they may be
seen t7udging forth in family groups, tC
their daily labor in the fields " here, drudg-
ing tiil nlghtiall, their only food is OF the
humblest possible deseription-a lump oi
brown bread, or so, with at the best little
milk, or mOuthful of very poor wine. An
honest, herd-wOrking set Of people they
were. and still continue TO be, many oil
them being descendants of those unhappy
inhabitants of the Palatinate who suffered
50 greatly during the devastating wars in
the seventeenth century
AstOr, the father Of the family, appears
to have been q man Of pious character.
with correct notions Of the value OF thrift
and dlligent industry. He had four sons,
each ct whom was trained TO early rising.
AID taught 10 devote a certain portion OF
time to reading the Bible and saying pray
ers before going forth to daily pursuits. So
1 reared, and with encouraging advices from
their mother, the BOYS aspired to rise above
the ordinary routine of labor at Waldorf
Two Of them left the old home 10 push
their way in the world. OF these. one got
employment IN London as a maker of musi-
cal instruments, for which he had taste
and the other emigrated 10 America. The
musical instrument maker. being successful
in his calling, invited John Jacob, one of
hls younger brothers. to Join him. and for
the time these two carried on business to-
gether. John Jacob Astor. who was born
18th July, 1863, was in his sixteenth year
when he arrived in London to assist his
elder brother. He resided in London for
about four years. during which he acquired
g facility IN speaking the English language,
which contributed greatly to his success IN
life. The temptations of tie metropolis
were powerless to divert him from his du-
ties. lie rose every morning at four
o clock, never forgot his devotional exer-
cises, and wrought hard at his business
OF an enterprlsing turn. and with fancy
Tor emlgratng 10 the United States. then
newly established, be sailed for Baltimore
IN 1888, being then no more than twenty
years of age. lie carried with him a small
consignment Of musical instruments-n3t
more, we believe. than FIVE pounds worth OF
dutes-which he was TO try to sell on com
mission A chance circumstance led him
to abandon the musical instrument trade.
On the voyage be became acquainted with
person who strongly recommended him TO
exchange his consignment OF instruments
tor furs, and take these to England
for sale Young As,or, on consideration.
followed the advice. He sold bis parcel OF
instruments in New York, bought furs and
brought them to Lon1on. where they met
with speedy and profitable sale.
This fortunate incident was the turning
point in his fortune He threw himself with
eagerness into the fur-trade, in which, as Is
pretty well known from Washington lry-
ing's " Astoria, he had q remarkable ca
reer Beg inning OF the nerrOwest scale.
hut bringing to his task porseyering in
dustry, rigid economy and strict integrity,
along with @ sagaclty quick to grasp and
convert every circumstance 20 his aGvan-
: tage he gradually improved his position,
which was at first nothing but that Of an
obscure citizen in New York For a mum
her Of years be dealt in fur- derived chiefly
from Canada. TO which they were brought
hy the Indians but at length. about 1903
he succeeded in establishing IN American
Fur Company, principally by means &C
quired by his painstaklng industry. The
object Of the company was 10 establish
trading posts along the Missouri and Col
umbia rivers. connecting them VITA me
rior posts in the interior, to which peltrlGs
could be brought by trappers and Indians.
, From the main point on the Columbia XIV
er the SKINS were TO be sent by vessels
round Cape Horn to New York, or alter
nately the vessels were to take the furs
across the Pacific to Canton. and thence
bring Chinese goods TO the nltcd States,
Ii was altogether gigantic undertaking,
which involved not only q large sum Of
money, but prodigiQus skill and tact as re
CARDS management and the employment Cl
] Of Df
W hi.e an expedition was fitted out to
proceed hy sea 20 the mouth of the Co.um-
bia River, another expedition was set on
foot by land and river 10 travel across the
North American continent. The command
OF this latter expedition was given u Mr..
Hunt. one Of the partners, " h0 was noted
for his great ability, co0lness and courage
Mr. Hunt set out on this extremely hazard
Gus enterprise in 1910. The first thing he
did was TO visit Montreal. ID pick up re
cruits, consisting OF coLre1rs GeS 59iS, or
rangers OF the woods. and yoyageurs, from
the disbanded herd usually to he found lott
ering about the place.
These men" as Irving explains. would
set out from Montreal with canoes well
stocked with goods. with arms and ammu-
milton. and would make their way up the
ma " and wandering rivers that irtsrace
the vast forests Of the Caradas, coasting
the most remote lakes, and creating new
wants and habiIudes among the natives.
Sometimes they soj0urned for months
among them, assimilatlng 10 their tastes
and habit, with the happy faculty OF French
men adopting in some degree the Indian
dress. and not unirequently taking 20
themselves Indian wives. Twelve, fifteen,
eighteen months would often elapse with
out any tidngs Of them, when they would
come sweeping their way down the Ottawa
in full glee, their canoes laden down with
packs of beaverskins; and now came their
turn for reyelry and extravaganza. The
kindred class OF voyageurs who also sprgng
out OF the fur-trade. still found fraternity
who were employed as carriers and assist
ant. in long internal expeditions Of travel
and traffic. proceeding by means Of boats
/ and canoe on the rivers and lakes " Their
dress is generally hali-civilized, half-savage.
They wesr capot or surc0at made OF q
blanket, q striped cotton shirt, cloth tr0us-
ers OF leathern leggings, mOccaslns Of deer
skin, and belts OF yarlegated worstsd, from
which are suspended the knife. tobacco
pouch, and other implements. Their Ian
guage il Of the same piebald character
being French patOels embroidered with
Indian and English words and phrases. Ine
lives of the voyageurs are passed in wild
I
dividuals, but more especially Of the fur
traders. They are generally of French
descent. and inherit much ct the gayetY
and lightness of heart OF their ancestors
being iull OF anecdote and song, and ever
ready for the dance. They inherit, too, a
fund of civility and complaisance; and, IN
stead Of that hardness and grossness which
men IN laborious life are apt to indulge to-
wards each other, they are mutually oblg-
ing and accommodating interchaglng
kind Offices. Welding each other assistance
and comfort in every emergency, and using
the familiar appellatlons OF = cousin and
- brother" when there IS in fact no rela-
tionship. Their natural good Will Is prob
ably heightened ty q community Of ad-
venture and hardship in their precariol,
and wandering lits. No men are more sub
missive to their leaders and employers,
more capable OF enduring hardship, or
more good humored under privatlons.
Never are they so happy as when on long
and rough expeditions, toiiIng up rivers OF
coasting lakes encamping at night on the
borders, gossiping round their fires Gnd
bivouacking in the open air.
After a variety Of adventures, IN which
great hardships we're endured, Mr.. Hunt
and party reached the Columbia River, and
finally arrived at Astoria, such being the
. name of what was to be the trsding-post OF
departure BY sea. Misfortunes had already
oyertaken the company. The vessel des-
patched by Mr.. Astor was wrecked and
from fresh expeditions there ensued nc
: practical benefit. The breaking cut Of the
7 war between Great Britain and the United
States was the final blow given to the con
cern Fort Astoria iell into the hands oi
the British and the American Fur Com
pany thereupon partially breaking up Tie
: trade in peliries was forthwith eng ossed
by the Northwest Company and other esso,
, Citations Although Mr.. Astor's plans had
E so far proved disastrous, he did not replne
but continued to trade IN furs, and to en-
gage in other advantageous enterprises %
Teslizing small fortune, he began to in
vest money in the purchase of land IN and
f., about New York, the rapid growth OF which