, 1877-04-01
paid his taxes unfaIling}y on the very day they
were due, to save the interest

paid his taxes unfaing}y on the very day the.
were due, to save the interest
Amusing and characteristic stories arc told ol
i Mr.. Goelct's passion for economy. An 'ut'n1a''
! friend wanted an interview, called on his attoE
! ney, and was told Uncle Peter" as he was
| satiricallS dubbed, could be found ut tue Chem
! ical National Bank. There he was, sure enough
In the Directors room, and seated at a tan'e
| with his coat of. 4 small tin worE-box $1,000
| near him. the contents Of which, thread. nceulcs,
| buttons, etc, were scattered about. Inc oio
| man WAS repairing his coat. and evidently TO Ills
| own satisfaction. lie was saving in every way,
and never WAS known to spend dollar "ithout
getting its full worth in return. Nothing that
could be used to any advantage in nome or bus-
incss life was allowed to 60 to waste. Inc olank
backs Of letters and envelopes we're oetachca
and nut away to be used for memoranda, e1c'
His rent receipts were always drawn Oh these
scraps.
in TIE BASEMENT OF his HOUSE
Mr., Goclet had his workshop, having 4 decided
bent for mechanical pursuits. In this shophe had
& forge aud tools Of all kinds, with which hr
used to manufacture articles for the house. He
not only cheated the tailor Of his trade, hut the
furniturc-dcaler, the "repair" mon, the grocer,
and the nlilkmcn of their customary due. \
few hours each day were spent in his workshop.
III the evening he would 20 down into his office.
which was also III the basement, and there, by
the light OF solitary gas-lct, pore over his ac-
counts aud arrange his business for the morrow.
His leases were usually for twcnty-onc 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 sl2,0o0,o00. Yet he was
never known to congratulate himself on his
prosperity. On the contrary, be always deprc~
ciatcd the state OF business, and INDUCED in
forcbodings as to the future Of rents, trade, and
gains Of all kinds. 4 writer, who was Us iuti-
mate with him as any one succeeded in becom-
ing, said once humorous!y that ten minutes Of
his conversation would make rich man feel
poor, and poor man hungry.
These are
SOME OF THE IRREGULARITIES
OF the rich man who has done SO little, nothing
in anv public-spirited way, with the large means
at his command. He wns born in Jan1nry, $500,
Of family which for 1G0 years has produced
cautious, frugal, industrious, conservative b1si
less-lncn, who never spent their earnings or
employed them in speculation. Peters great |
grandfather was q Hugucnot, who camc hithcr
n IT'S, and married we'll Peters father made
his money in the hardware business, and nut it
nto the land which is the foundation Of the |
Millions that now pass to Mr.. Goclct's only |
'rother Robert, who is worth milliops OF his |
'wn, and almost as frugal, though he has
amily- The question will come up in my mind !
Is to what real advantage his vast wealth has |
,ver been made to yield to the old, well-nigh |
ricndless man who now lies diving. HG. !