The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-05-05
A New York Millionaire.

menof New York, and by long odds its
most eccentric millionaire, has been for
some days lying at the point of death.
His life presents d curious and not alto
gether pleasant study. Whatever may
have been in his heart, his habits were
such as to make it no marvel that he
should be regarded as one of the closest,
hardest and stingiest of men. 1t is
sorry record for the possessor of fort
une estimated anywhere from S6,000,000
to $50, 100000 to die and leave scarcely
a soul to remember him for one generous
action done. A mans riches, of course,
are his own to dispose of or to hoard, as
he pleases; still the world expects some
thing, and with certain right, of those
abnormally wealthy. 1t is said Mr..
Goelet spent considerable money for the
support of the widows and orphans of
New York regiment in which he became
warmly interested; but even this worthy
deed was carefully concealed, and
| brought him none of the deserved credit.
At the corner of Broadway and Nine
teenth street stands four-story house Of
brown brick, with blinds perpetually
closed and no sign of life visible, save in
the stable yard inclosing it. The fact
of a yard at this busy point in Broadway,
everywhere about lined with stately bust
ness blocks, and the presence in this
yard of fancy fowls, pheasants, storks, a
guinea-pig and COW, have served for
years to arouse the curiosity of visitors.
In this house lived the misery million
aire, with no company save his spinster
sister, no servant save an old colored
woman whose age no one, and possibly
not she herself, can tell. In the midst
of the whirl and roar of Broadway, here
was a plat of country, a breath from the
farm-yard. Mr.. Goelet had no social re-
lations with the world. He never allowed
himself the expense of a wife. His
fowls were his friends, and they also fur
nished him fresh eggs. His COW was
valuable companion, and she gave him
pure milk. Thus it came to be said, and
not strangely, that all his likings were in
the line of his own interest He was
| equally fond of fine horses, and kept a
valuable stud But he either walked or
took the cars in the transaction of his
business, saving his horses for a rare
drive The only time he was ever known
|
when a gentleman congratulated him ON
the handsome pair of horses he had been
driving at Rockaway His usual express
sion was one of abstraction, and often
times darkened into melancholy. ...
Mr.. Goelet inherited much real estate,
and kept buying more. He had an in
variable rule not to part with a foot of
land whose title had once been vested in
the Goelet family. The one mistake of
his life he considered to be the sale of
few feet of ground off a gore lot, so that
his neighbor might build an even wall.
| This troubled him ever after, since he
could not say before he died that he had
never passed fee simple. Among his
real estate was lot where the Grand
| Central Depot now is. This he would
not sell, but Mr.. Vanderbilt took the
matter into the courts and obtained
condemnation, which allowed Mr.. Goelet
but 1.-THE of the price he was offered.
This he refused to acknowledge as
sale, always insisting that the Com
modore had contisCated the property.
He made long leases and favorable to
himself He paid his taxes unfailingly
on the very day they were due, to save
the interest. .#
Amusing and characteristic stories are
told of Mr.. Goelets passion for economy.
An intimate friend wanted an interview,
called on his attorney, and was told
"Uncle Peter" as he was satirically
dubbed, could be found at the Chemical
National Bank. There he was, sure
enough, in the Directors room, and
seated at table with his coat off A
small tin work box stood near him, the
contents of which, thread, needles, but
tons, ETC., were scattered about. The
old man was repairing his coat and evil
IDENTIFY to his own satisfaction. He was
saving in every way, and never was
known to spend dollar without get
ting its full worth in return. Nothing
that could be used to any advantage in
home or business life was allowed to 90
to waste. The blank backs of letters
and envelopes were detached and put
away to be used for memoranda, etc.
His rent receipts were always drawn ON
these scraps.
In the basement of his house Mr..
Goelet had his workshop, having de-
cided bent for mechanical pursuits. In
this shop he had forge and tools of all
kinds, with which he used to manufacture
articles for the house. He not only
cheated the tailor of his trade, but the
furniture-dealer, the g repair men, the
grocer and the milkmen of their custom
ary due A few hours each day were
spent in his workshop. In the evening
he would go down into his workshop,
which was also in the basement, and
there, by the light of solitary gas-jet,
pore over his accounts and arrange his
business for the morrow. His leases
were. usually for twenty-one years, with
two renewals Of an equal period, at a
valuation. These leases ranked in the
real estate market along with those of
the Astors and of Trinity Parish. After
the panic of 1873, when property had
reached its lowest value, his fortune was
put at $12,000,000. Yet he was never
known to congratulate himself on his
prosperity. On the contrary, he always
deprecated the state of business, and in
dulged in forebodings as to the future of
rents, trade and gains of all kinds. A
writer, who was as intimate with him as
anyone succeeded in becoming, said once
humorously that ten minutes of his con-
,,oreot;Nr mould ,,,olya rich ,,o,, faa1