Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-31
TALL OAKS"
The insignificant Beginnings OF Some
tremendous Fortunes.


New York Special to Cincinnati Enquirer.
One of my friends who has a large
experience in New YORK, and who wac
born on this island nearly if years
ago, said to me:
"Some day I will cit down with
you, If you will not give ms away, and
tell you the remarkable origin OF mapy
of our leading men,"
Suppose you begin a little tf 1t
now" said I, knowing that a bird in
hand was worth more than one that
might presently sing in the bueh.
"Well," said he, ''look at Wander
bilt. / can take you to men here who
used to loan him 50 80 to So to bet on
the horse races at Long Island, where
he used to take himself surreptitioua-
ly, keeping a sharp eye to see that the
old man was not around, for Bill had
to run away, and never had more than
enough monexto take him there, as
Vanderbilt believed that you would
spoil a boy if you gave him anything to
spend. Indeed, some of these men
say he paid them back those lit
tie sums he borrowed, but 1t must be
that he overlooked 1t. Now he is pro.
badly the richest man on earth. From
the beginning of his days he had q
gambling tendency, and did not care a
cent to see the races If he could not bet
on them. Hence he is stlll a specula.
tor, and keeps the old mans fortune
active, selling 1t here and investing it
yonder. Take him all in all he is a
pretty smart fellow for a little begin.
ming.
"Then," said my friend, 'look at
Jay Gould, who Is the most remark
able genius in finances in either world.
The career of that nan will b like an
enormous comet that anne and stood
in the tky for a number of years, after
he is dead"
"What did he begin lifs within
"Why, small sales up and down
Broadway, and I'VE the pavement
where he now drags his little legs, with
his eyes on the ground brooding spec
ulstions."
swell, don't be in a hurry, but give
mo another instance"
"Weil look at the Mills family.
Here Is d. o. Mills, worth, l expect,
$50, 900, 900, and a very prudent and
careful man in everything he does.
He kept a little grocery store some
whero up tho Hudson river. He had
a cousin, Joe Mills, who was opening
oysters In Fulton Market, ana if you
watch Joe to this day you will see him
draw his coat cuff across his nose, {
habit he acquired when he was In the
market with his oyster knife In tina
hand, and when the cold drafts useG
to freeze q drop on the end Of his nos,
Joe would pull his hand across 1t. H
got a little money there, and when ID
o. Mills wanted to go to California
and could not raise $500 for that pur
pose, he went to his cousin Joe t,
Dor OF It. Joe went down to the bot
tom Of his pocket aud let him hav,
the money; and / dare say d. o. wen
out in the steerage, and began in tn,
smallest way, and finally left the coas
Its most successful man.
Then look at Commodore Garrison
He was a Dutch boy, brought up 4
the highlands of the Hudson river
He became q kind of a common work
/ man on vessels, and finally on steam
ers, and so worked his way along t
| the purser and captain. Then Cal
fornia was annexed and bloomed int
. gold, and Garrison became the rlvi
of Vanderbilt
swell, what was Jim Keene, or tn
! first heard of hint"
"He was q milk IAN In me of tn