The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-07
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They Started.
Especial Cofrespondeuce. I

tcPecmi CoSTesponoeuce1
NEW YORK. July 28.-The prosnerit
ID If tho Lorillard family started In the sell
ng OF snuff. and many other metropolita,
families. whose members ara numbers,
: With Ward McAllister's 400. had as hum
ole beginnings. albeit. when Englisl
lukes and lions of real blue blood an
lifting around Newport and other fash
onablc places. they don't like to be 70
minded of it,. Looking over the ole
Knickerbockcr records. we come across !
good many bits of ancient history. tellino
now the sturdy merchants and mechanics
If old times toiled early and late in order
to make their honest pennies and Law thu
,oriier stone of the goodly fortunes ON
when their boys and girls are living
.oday
Wo find Philip Rhinelander selling
ups. saucers and teapots; Peter Goelet'
thu haberdasher, selling states. knit.
ting needles and knee buckles: Nicholas
William Stuyvesant. the draper" and
'shopkeeper;' Dc Peyster dealing in hand
serchiefs, Kilmannock caps, buckram.
sowing silk and buttons; Henry Brevoort
s associated with pins, needles. pewter
spoons, candle sticks. knives, forks and
tea kettles; the Roosevelts are identified
with sugar, molasses. pewter plates. lamp
black, linseed oil and cheese; Peter Van.
lervoort sold soap; Anthony Blocker
made his cent per cent. in spirits; Thomas
Pearsall in ''frise," as the old Quaker
spelled IL IA species of cloth, and while
Philip Livingston increased his finances
by trading in heavy groceries, Lindlay
Murray scored success with ribbons.
calicoes, chocolate. thread, needles, pins
and pepper.
All of these are now the honored names
Of Manhattan Island. and their present
owners constitute the best and most un.
approachable aristocracy of which New
York can boast.
While on the subject of ancestry, I am
reminded of a family which, to Judge
from the number of illustrious scions it
Claims, must occupy whole forest of &c.
theological trees with its record. They
trace their descent from William the
Norman, Jumping, of course. the irregu.
laritics that have occurred In the long
Journey; but the wonder is how such a
lot OF worn ont races with q monstrous
pedigree can manage to exist Oil such a
moderate bank account The family crest
S emblazoned OH everything in the house
argc enough TO contain il. from the
poodle dogs collar to the soup turccn. and |
me might easily infer from the bearing |
ma conversation of some Of tho family |
ircle that the community owes them n
Iebt of gratitude for having reflected
lpon it for SO many generations the glory
f their name.
1t is true that ancient members of the
amlly did represent our country In the
ontinental congress and assist in driving
ut the redcoats. But some of the modern
INKS in the chain are anything but shin
lg lights. One member of this noble
ne affects literature, and, like Joseph the
atriarch, Is mighty dreamer of dreams.
ut his genius is not appreciated, although
e says of himself, II have the headache
ie Pope, can procrastinate like Julius
psar and drink brandy and water like
ne disciple Of Epicurus." IL matri
onlal mesalliance occurs in this blue
CODED family, the erring one is promptly
spatched TO foreign parts, or plea Of
sanity interposed as a cause for divorce. =
bile the one most to be pitied is perhaps y
Tered small annuity to renounce a =
me which, after all, moro than one gen.
alton has already trailed in the dust. V
Yet 1t is in such boastful circles as these :
at even wealth cannot always obtain an !,
trance. A. T. Stewart once carried -
me parcel to Mrs. Sedley, who had !,
released some goods at his store In the -
'rning. He ratified at the back gate as y
made the delivery and asked if he :,
ght see the lady. When she appeared o,
ewart said Il observed madame. that ~ ~
Il wore a very beautiful shawl this +
'rning; would you mind letting me SEQ -,
Mrs. Sedley. although surprised at ,y
. request. brought out her India shawl 4,
1 showed it to him. Stewart deter. b;
ned from that moment to make the i'm. ,v
'tation of these shawls a speciality. hi
zen his business permitted he did so, or
thousands Of these costly fabrics to 81
5 day bear his mark. Before Stewart m
d he had earned the name of The in
poleon Of American Finance" Men m,
ght his advice, respected his judg.
at, and president, it is said, rendered W.
! place In his cabinet. He left as s,,
luments of his success two marble
res ON Broadway, palatial edifice on ON
Al Nv cnuc, great structure originally | OK
nded for working women, but now wi
Ell, and built city ON Long Island, m,
des owning colossal interests in vari. moi
enterprises throughout the country. Ter
Notwithstanding all his vast wealth, eaC
ern society denied him a place among ant
creme de la creme, and his name is VIII
but rarely heard save In association dee
the mysteries of the police depart. La,
t or the contests over his will ma
Is not true, therefore, that nero mas
IS nowadays constitute q passport to and
very best. or that because man etc
ted in life like the forefathers of the rot
'evelts, Beekmans, Stuyvesants or sar,
oorts, thread and needle merchant, and
'wn manager and porter. and his wife not,
maid of all work, they are therefore Bias
led to take social rank with the gilt
d descendants of the peddlers and
keepers OF century ago. -
ere is curious inconsistency in this VI
stment Of affairs, in which time plays und