Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-30
JOHN JACOB Aston.
shrewdness and Enterprise.

eC~~~DSS A~ceAoAAhS AAiS
Shrewdness and Enterprise.
John Jacob Aston, the founder of tn,
American branch of the family, vas bon
at Waldorf, Baden, July II, 1853. Hi.
fzfher, says a writer in the New Yorl
World, was small farmer with large
family. Jacob was the youngest of foul
sons. When II he left home and walked
to the nearest seaport, where he embark
ed for London. In three days he landed
in the British metropolis. He managed
to find his brother, who gave him en-
ployment in his piano factory at extreme.
1y low wages, for after working indus
triously for two years his savings
amounted to only Is guineas In the
month of September, 1888, news reached
London of the signing of the treaty OF
peace by which Great Britain acknowl
edged the independence of the United
Skates. Aston now determined to carry
ont his ong-cherished desire of establish.
ing himself in the new world. One-third
OF his fortune was paid for steerage pass
age on board of vessel bound fol
Baltimore. The vessel left London early
IN November, 1888, and after long and
stormy voyage arrived in the Chesapeake
about the middle of January The win
ter was very severe one and the bay
was completely frozen over. For nearly
two months the vessel remained ice
bound, and it was not until the 10th of
March that the harbor of Baltimore was
reached.
This long detention in the frozen
waters of the Chesapeake bay, which,
perhaps was regarded as a great hard
ship at the time, was the origin of John
Jacob Astor's fortune. On the passage
on. he made the acquaintance of Ger
man employed In the fur trade. Over
their pipes during the long winter nights
in the bay he beguiled the tedium OF the
hours by relating to John Jacob his adj
ventures among the Indians in search of
turs. With German frankness he i'm
parted to the, young emigrant the secrets
of the business how, for few trinkets,
>skins could be bought from the indians
and sold with great profit to the furriers
New York, but that the most profta-
g1e mode of dealing in furs was to buy in
america and sell in London, where skins
were worth five times more than in New
York. Astor treasured up this informa-
ton, resolving at no distant day to avail
himself of it. Soon after landing at
Baltimore, Aston and his companion !ias-
tened to New York. Henry Astor, an
elder brother, was already established
there. Though Henry's circumstances
were not very prosperous at that time,
he did what he could for his young
brother, net the least of which was Sc
curing him a temporary home in the
house of an honest baker, one George
Qieterich, on the present site of No. 351
Pearl street, corner of Frankfort street.
To avoid depending on his brother, Aston
worked with the baker few weeks I'M
til he could obtain employment in the
business.
Early in the summer of 1874 he hired
himself to done Robert Bovine, who is
mentione as ''kind hearted old
Quaker" HIS principal duty was to beat
furs day after day, summer and winter.
His wages were 50 week and his board.
He worked hard, and at the end of the
first month his wages were raised. This
was his first introduction to the fur bust
ness, to which he was indebted for the
commencement of the largest fortune
ever accumulated by single individual
in America half a century ago. He loved
furs, and in his later years was accus
toned to have handsome specimens hung
up in his counting room, as other men
have pictures. He took pleasure in see
ing, showing, and admiring them. He
was not satisfied to remain long worker
for another. In 1856, with few dol
lars capital, he set up for himself In lit
tie shop on Water street. He did every
thing for himself, for he was too poor to
employ others. He bought, cured, beat,
sold, and packed the skins, laboring from
dawn to dusk. With pack on his back
and on foot he made long and dangerous
journeys to the Indian country, climbing
mountains, wading or swimming rivers,
until he reached the home of the Mo-
hawks, Senecas, Oneidas, and other In
dian tribes.
Being very successful in those early
ventures he extended his operations, and
with Peter Smith, the father of Gerrit
Smith, travelled from Schenectady to
Utica, bartering gegaws with the Indi-
ans for furs. "Many time" said an old
gentleman of Schenectady, shave / seen
John Jacob Astor with his coat off like a
common laboring mechanic unpacking in
a vacant yard near my residence, the
pack of iurs he had bought dog-cheap of
Che India s, and beating them out, clean
ing and rel acking them in more elegant
and salable forms, to be transported to
England and Germany, where they would
yield him 1000 per cent. on the original
cost"
As his business increased Aston ven
tured to marry. He selected as his help
mate Sarah Todd, a connection of the
Breyoort family. She brought him a
fortune Of $4,000, very acceptable adj
dition 10 his capital. She entered with
zeal inte her husbands business, and
soon became so good a judge of skins,
that when it became necessary to select
chose of the finest quality the selection
was left to her Judgment and she never
made a mistake. Furs for the Chinese
trade were always chosen by her. She
made her husband pay dearly for her
services, until she finally demanded $500
an hour, which was freely given.
! On Astor's first business voyage to