The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-02-03

| Gold Hunting - business -
Vanderbilt-SnOw
| NEW YORK, January q, 1877
EDITOR CHIEF:
Stewart, Astor and Vanderbilt are
gone, and now the richest represen-
tative of the old families is Peter Goe-
let, an eccentric old bachelor who
lives on the corner of Broadway and
Nineteenth Street, in the most expen-
siye section of the street. Mr.. Goelet's
| wealth is estimated at from twenty
to thirty millions, the most of it hav-
ing been made by his great-grand-
father and grandfather in the hard
ware trade. 1t is the old story. A
French emigrant commenced the hard
ware trade before the revolution, and
by hard work made money. Every
dollar made was invested in farming
lands mile or more from the store
down town, and for three generations
this has been the rule. What were
| farming lands then is covered with
| six-stOry buildings now, aud what the
| first Geelet bought for twenty dollars
an acre is worth to-day hundreds of
thousands. There are two left of them,
Peter, the bachelor, being the best
| known. He occupies several lots on
1 the corner of Nineteenth Street and
Broadway for a residence; the prop
erty being worth about two hundred
Thousand dollars, and he keeps it
that lie 4aay have room for a COW, a
dozen guinea hens, stork or two, and
fine lot of chickens. Uncle Peter"
as he is called, has u passion for this
kind of farming, and he keeps this
splendid property idle that he may
indulge Ais whin. He doesn't put Il
dollar into pictures or books; he
hasn't single piece of sculpture he
never travels or sees any thing; but
the Nancy other men put into such
things l,e squanders on his COW and
chickens. Counting interest, it costs
him t&enty thousand dollars per year
to feed that COW, which makes the
milk come, should suppose, ut about
dollar drop. 1t is u queer sight
il COW feeding quietly in the busiest
part of New York. But this il Goe-
let's whim, and perhaps it is as sensi
bic as many other mems whims. He
is over seventy, and has not child to
leave his vast estate to. His neph-
ews and nieces are all very rich, but
as they have not "Uncle Peter's'
quiet tastes, they will not object to
adding his millions to their own.
The actual depravity of the New
York official, under what is left of
Tweedism, has never been sounded.
Let me tell you true story. A store
on Broadway, hardly stones throw
from the Post-office, was enlivened
yesterday by the visit of q deputy
sheriff, with an execution for debts of
the firm whose business the present
owners bought, and he proposed to
levy on the Office furniture for . debt
of the old firm and the fact that it
belonged to the new head of the house,
personally, and that the new firm
was not holden for the old in any way,
did not alter the pertinancy of the
deputy. Even when these facts we're
made known, he insisted he should
levy.
"My dear sir" said the sheriff,
pleasantly, +" 1 will tell you how this
can be settled very easily. If you
will just pay me my fees, will make
return no effects found, and it will be
ali rlShG.
"But won't do any such thing"
retorted the indignant merchant.
E Messrs. Blank g. Blank don't own
any furniture here, and I've no more
business to pay you than the man
across the street."
You had better pay the money,
and get rid of the trouble" persua-
sively said the deputy. All I want
is my fees, and if you can make them
secure
"Get out of here, and go to Hall
fax" reared the merchant; "and if
you don't leave in a minute, I'll send
for policeman, and have him put
you out"
"My dear sir" said the deputy,
coolly. Uhow can Won helm Yourself I