River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-06-08
MOSES TAYLOR.

MOSES TAYLOR.
Death of the Richest Merchant in
/ America-Hfs Successful and Patri-
otic Career.
Moses Taylor, who died recently in
New York, was the richest merchant in
| the United States. His ancestors came
from London to New York fifty years
before the Revolutionary war. Moses
Taylor's father was cabinet-maker, a
New York alderman in better days,
and was made the business agent of
the original Astor. Young Moses was
brought up on upper Broadway, in
what was almost the country then, but
is now far down town. In Monroes
administration he was put into store
as clerk, and his second boss was
Rowland and Aspinwall. They al
lowed Moses to ship consignments on
his own account in their vessels, and
when he was twenty-six years old he
had $4,000, with which he began bust
ness, and the firm of Moses Taylor &
Co. occupied the same store on South
street for just fifty years, when he died.
Importing sugar from Cuba was his
speciality. He weathered the panic of
1887, and began to buy and build YES
sells. He went into banking, had an
accurate krowlege of commercial pa
per, helped start the Atlantic cable,
and was patriotic man during the
war. 1t is said that Lincoln offered
him the treasury department when
Chase resigned. At the beginning of
the war he sold every ship he had, an
ticipating rebel privateers, and conse-
quently he made no losses from that
interest
He took a strong hand in railroad
development up the Lehigh Valley, in
to the Wyoming Valley, in the Geor-
gia Central Railroad, and latterly in
Texas. He preserved his reputation
under all circumstances as safe and
steady merchant. For the last two
years he has been running down,
though his mind was clear, and he has
not been to his Office for nearly six
months. The only beneficence he has
founded in this time has been hospi-
tai at Scranton, Penn. He owned
about 81 100000 worth of properly in
New York, but the bulk of his great
fortune, which is thought to be $50,000,-
600 was in personal property. One of
his daughters married Robert Win
throp, the son of senator Winthrop, of
Massachusetts, and descendant of the
first governor of that commonwealth.
1 saw Moses Taylor for the first time
at Scranton, Penn, twenty-five years
ago, and inquired who he was, as he
had such magnificent appearance
round, fine head, straight stature,
and the appearance of statesman,
senator or something IDEAL They told
me it was Moses Taylor. one Of the
most useful men to northeastern Penn-
sylvania.
Mr.. Taylor's life appears to have
been without episodes and without
mistakes, and without Individuality
the life of careful, easy machine.
During his long and busy life, Moses
Taylor took no part in public affairs
except indirectly. He was often urged
to accept positions of trust in the gift
of the people, but he always refused,
preferring to devote himself to his own
private business. But he was always
true patriot, and gave up his means
freely ON various occasions in support
of the government. An important
chapter in his life in connection with
his character as fnancier, and also
as patriot. was the great work which
he accomplished as the chairman of
the loan committee OF the associated
banks of this city, in the early part of
the war of the rebellion. From the be-
ginning of the war until its close he was
an earnest advocate of every measure
for the aid and support of the Govern
ment by the banks to the fullest ex-
tent of their ability, and the great
loans made by them to the nation were
nearly all engineered by him personal
ly. He was one of the first to take
steps toward the formation OF the
Loan Commission, Commission to
which securities amounting to upward
of $200,000,000 were intrusted. AS the
manager of this Commission Mr.. Tayl-
or's financial ability was exhibited at
its brightest. 1t is probably due to
him more than any other one man
that the Government in 1861 found it
self with means to prosecute the war.
He was not forgetful, either, of his own
state and city. In 1866 when the
Police Board found itself without
money to pay the patrolmen, he came
forward promptly and advanced the
necessary sum. He was one of the
most active OF our citizens in pushing
the Tweed ring frauds to prosecution,
and in no other case did he fail in his
duty as patriotic citizen.