The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-10
UPTOWN SKETCHES.


ATTITUDES. All who know him admire in him
the inimitablc wit the genial amphytrion. the
loyal friend. and the thoroughbred gentleman.
not the successful stock iobber Besides. Trnv-
ers is n man Of genuine culture and education.
and this alone entities him to place nbovc Wall
street. He is n graduate Of Columbia College,
and the large fortune he has accumulated il,
perhaps. one OF the best proofs of the fallacy Of
the notion. 80 prevalent among business peotlc,
that college education makes q man unfit for
business pursuits.
He was born in Baltimore in or about tho year
1919, in n family of the best Maryland trad-
tons. The family is q very largo one. and al
though several Of old Bills nine children are
already grown up and married. he has his own
father still living in Baltimore.
The longevity and rrolincacy 81 the Travcrs
family is thoroughly Scotch, and we can fairly
expect the dean Of New York and Newport 49,
cety checrlully 10 remain at his post for another
quarter ~ n century for lis robust heath and
genial disposition have not yielded whit UNI
der the pressure Of the many severe trials he
has had to go through.
His carly life was not success. and he has
seen many an mp and down oven later on, when
already married and established in New York.
But he had then his young, handsome. and ac
compished wife. the eldest daughter Of the late
Reverdy Johnson, standing by his side and in
fusing courage into his heart
Travers made his debut In his native city IN
the commission and shipping business with
West India and South America. 1t proved
dead failure but the family had numerous
friends and the UNSUCCESSFUL merchant had no
difficulty in obtaining n sufficiently large loan
OF money to start him anew in New York. He
cnmo right to Wan street and became the part
ner Of the firm az J.. H. Muller 4 Co. This VEN
tur. too ,vra mot utfte, ~ "a sueapeo uu.l Truy-
ers did not begin fairly 10 coin money until he
became a partner with Leonard W. jerome. The
two friends started with about fifty thousand
dollars. and dissolved few years later with
something like Il million apiece. jerome won't
to Europe, while Travers formed "a new part
norship with G. Kowalsky
Jerome's retirement came very near being
tho cause Of new ruin for Travcrs.
H.. became heavily involved in tho failure
Of Jacob Little. and lost almost everything
he had made in rartncrshlp with jerome
The war came on. however. AMI. 10y taking
his stand on the bull side. Trayer- soon
recovered most Of his LOSSES. In 1853 he
entered into partnership with Van S.haicN
< Nassct. and made plenty Of money. In 1870
he started the firm of Plume 4 Van Emburgh
made some more money. and remains still
partner in that con sern More recently he START
ed his eldest son in the cotton business and has
n large interest in the now pros porous firm Of
French & Traycrs. Apart from that. he is q
special partner in the stOckbrOkers' firm Of ].
| ID. Prince & Co. and with the only exception Of
| Cammack he is the heaviest operator Of the
| Twcnty.third street party. He has thus. for
years past. had good many irons in the lire.
and has managed to make them all pay to such
an extent that his present fortune is estimated
| at very hleh figure.
is II true. Travcrs. that you are worth about
| three millions Of dollars = asked friend in
/ recent conversation
Il cou-cou-M n-no-not t-t-tell you" was the
| answer "Ih-h-ha-ve not ma made up my
| n,.nc.counts for s.s-somc times pa-pa-past"
he aid not say. however. that the figure was *
| n,,,,nr.,cl
Tho same friend askcd him whether he con-
| sidercd himself really as witty Us he had the
| ronutation TO be. Traycrs answered that it was
all nonsense. H. greatly enjoyed Jokes. hut
seldom made any himself. Most Of the witt
cisms attributed 70 him were spurious. and he
ala not mind II as long as they were good but
ne greatly objected TO have bad Jokes CHARGED
10 his account
Don't you believe word OF what he said. W
remarked Mr.. jerome, when Iravers was gone.
Il know him Tor over twenty-five years
| and | never met in my Iiie Il man
Of broader Intelligence anu more bril-
liant wit. when he talks ne throws pearls
and diamonds all around. And he never re-
peats himself. lie dsliAcs stale Joke worse
than no docs bottle OF corLy VINE NeUAer
are his sayings studied or made up' hey are
as spontaneous as flashes OF hghtning-he's
wonderful mainland what Il heaft ne nus so'
You cannot lind warmer and more generous
one II you travel all the w"rld over Win ~
Ogen.s = lantern in your hand
Mr.. Jerome : admiration Tor devoted friend
ottwenty-hNe years s'ahalhg If qute h"'urn
and legitimate but his nppre'lauon OF lra'er7
vii seems t. loo somewhat eA"sg'rated' IL Is
true that he throws pears ana DIAMONDS al
around. but he docs not throw thein rs nashes
Of lightning HIS staiAmerlnS ehao'es nm u
think over any uu'rnhee Of ms mu'h longer
than any man wIthoutthls lmpedlmeh' OF spee'n
could do Ii delivering Joke Slowly anu WIN WIN
hesitation man Is sure 10 make II ,ei! WIFI
double eject ana lraNeis gains greatly nS 'H'
Efforts OF MS lacl"l muscles Inc WVrAahE %
his mouth ana the s'aihmerihs SOUNDS AL 'en'
iavorably 10 prepare uie recipient Oh inc lo'os'