Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-26
NEW. YORK LETTER.
"REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD TIME
METROPOLITAN MERCHANT.
stephen whitney, the First Man to Mix"
Liauors-He Was Once Rival of John
Jacob Astor and the Second 'asichest
Man I'm America.

jacob Astor ana the secoho nichest
Man I'm America.
Especial Correspondence.l
New YORK, May 21-ln 1885 the richest
man in America was John Jacob Astor, who
was estimated to be worth at that time about
SO, ,0OO, 900. NeNt to him in point of wealth
was Stephen Whitney, with a record of s10,-
| 100000. Today the name n the latter is
rarely mentioned save by the old merchants
who in a gossipy mood may chance to recall
their youthful experiences
Whitney had been in the wholesale grocery
business and kept a stere not far from trout
street and Coenties slip in this city. In com
mon with others in the same line, he dealt in
imported liquors, and it was by his shrewd-
ness in this trade that he lay the basis of his
handsome fortune Our old citizens were in
the habit of drinking only 1.-THE very best, 7"
but then, as now, there was a large class con-
tent to lie sociable on what they could get
cheapiy and ask no questions Whitney con-
ceived the idea and is said to have been the
first to put it to practical test of mixing
our native neutral spirits in equal parts with
the imported brandies, gins, RUNS, etc, thus
making a kind of 'arf and 'arf of which John
Bull had never dreamed. His method was to
hoist the casks of pure liquors to the second
story of his store and mix the contents Sc
cretly. At that time no favorings were used
as is the case now, but inasmuch as the
American spirits were colorless, enough burnt
sugar was introduced to produce the natural
hue of the foreign article.
This process was continued until Mr.
Whitney had realized, it was currently be-
lieved, a half million of dollars before the
o.ns. us .,. sos .ne "as " y, Ih Tue
.oui % VI Iiine, n'"e'ei, us eiei As VINO naa
uo'e 'ne pumping piane"eu CUE anu carried
'e N.a o w e, ',-. un.i, .ue
i. Aiia anAl'ihe ', VI heu'iai spirits Win I'M
e. =. .iiuo' - ~ - Oouas, an open
- - ~ ~ lsa'..;I aN 'e" ue2'i-
:. "eie '', uees1eu " ~ w.
- uHs JuS' ~; " auu tns' ni n,'ney IN
- so'a .I' ,'n'., 'io,,s ioi "naI 'iiey
y -, ni-Aeu .quois' tne article oeihg
~, - " "ai an. ,iaon 'sep'i'h aiiiohs
-. % ,na' "is .u'.o'i'e's "ere
my '.' ueii duue nc ai"ays gave .neih pure
- 80, 90 - L. 'ue, ~ ine Precise
l' nee'.e' y. A'' ne ie'e'iiieu Us aAs
o"n pT
,.,'I,n i..ioen' MAN.
- s,'.,o1 - % ~ uiess he
80 " 80 .t,uo,,-h - i' -, anu ~ eoui eesy
~ ~ 80 - .non - sen'ie'ii, ohe ot
',..' p,e IA. iaI. " me- si'er haii
- --l.n Das sn,i ps sn-i. ne nau reiiiark-
So 81, en 80 ioi iii'ii WHOSE avon
ss. "as As.ie i,oe 'naii huhufed ana
..t. M nI''e' carry sa" tne
- ie4 s.a'e IN We"
80 atiu .i.eu , uis Iapioiy ana easily
-. % ~ II 80 . III ''e omei
- =, - "a - u .o"s y. ou,iu.
.:s.p,, o III 'na'
,..,-s',.a,s - a.i inueiaT,s ,sao,e :,
g, !. ,.a,..,,aa - ~ As i.assei ,
t;s.,,Iar ~ Co.. a.. ,ns - I'ose ' anu pei-
20 80. ,','S,,,a.,I:. -. > .sa's .neie
,t,., ,,,o,, ia -. - e .ne
tha ,jiros, naoass;t,, NJ, - ~, Ao1p. IN
,,.,,,,Ia ,,r,,,l,,,o,,,i,, :. .lo ia'ter
Ir,,r, -, No,.a..t,o,aS- - p,., io'
tj,,,,a5 30 iro,,aaso rntI =, 49, -. oon-
49,, -, d,,so.;,,II - ~. 'ns PSI.
,nan i, A s,,arioa - 'A' 'eeo'u ii'ie>''
U. -, -,
- -. ,cea ,.,',, ou'ie'S soh,e
ro,n 80 Iii - t,;,S;,i u s gu ouii' ~ ..e
pn',,;, 60, ~, oSl,''Iil ,ios iioh'ins me
~. as,sh;n 1r,ns,,ios M, iy Us oIiiess
cred much the finest dwellings in New York,
especially the one in which he lived situated
on the corner diagoually opposite the great
Washington building erected by Cyrus Field.
The front afforded a sweeping view of Broad
way as far as the bend, while the side win
dcws overlooked the Battery, New York bay
and the Narrows, with no intervening rail-
way structure TO shut out the picture or mar
the beautiful landscape.
Here he lived. long after his wealthy neigh
bors had emigrated to Park place, Murray,
Duane and Bond streets. and what was then
house. he attended church in the granite
edlfice situated on the corner of Barclay and