New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-13
GLIMPSE OF c. P. HUNTINGTON.

and champion Of tho excluded Chinese. u one OF the
few Fory-niners wLo remain to tell younger genera
tons OF the pilgrimages that were made TO California
during tho height Of the gold fcver. He is proud OF
the fact and would not take fortune for the
"reminiscences. Those were times that made men. and
urmade them, too Mr.. Huntington began his business
career as q hardware merchant IN Connecticut HE
native State. In 1s4s he shipped goods to Sacra-
mento, then . small mining camp tho name OF
which for seventy years had been Yerba Buena (good
herb' and in 1s49 took up his abode In Sacramento
In small room back Of his store. Though dealing
principally In hardware and metals he frequently
reached out in other directions, sometimes selling dry
goods, sometimes groceries. II he came across .
fire lot Of peaches he would buy them and turn them
into gold at handsome profit He sold many wagon
load at 900 case. As there were only two dozen in
q case he got 81 apiece for them. fair price for
peaches. Meal fetched $40 barrel and other things
were similarly bgh-prIced
Mr.. Huntington employed four clerks and adopted
tho strlctest business methods Life I'm California
was demoralizlng and hundreds OF young men went
down tho broad road to destruction. Those who
retained their selfrespect and kept aioof from evil
Influences prospered amazingly. Mr.. Huntington
allowed one Of his clerks to 20 out Of the store
between supper and breakfast II they had business
outside they were required to transact II In the day.
time. To-day three Of those clerks own property
worth from 100000 to 100000 apiece. Tho
"'"~A' 'tS'hu VA lotai ucpfdSlIys Threw away he
opportunities and is now driving cart for 81 day.
Good influences cannot save some men from than.
selves dor rescue them from the devil
In 1s47 the population Of Yerba Buens was $50.
Inc name OF the place changed to San Francisco
In the autumn Of that year. Just about the time when
the discovery Of gold startled the globe ar attracted
men from tho four corners. In less than twelve
montbs-from April, 1849, to January, 1s50-it Is
estimated that nearly 10000 immigrants arrived thcrs
BY sea- Mr. Huntington speaks Of a time-in Ie4s 1
think 1t was-when with population of 1900, Sec.
SIN mining camp. Men had left their wives and
children at home and had gone to this Eldorado to
quench burning thirst for gold
az am not working for money now Mr. Huntington
remarked, tho other day, "Pm only holding on to
what I've got and am turning my attention TO great
railroad schemes for developing the country. Don't
misunderstood me. never refuse money whsn IL 10
thrust upon me, because have many ways Of get
ting rid OF It, but there better things to 1--we for
than the pursuit OF the almighty dollars
Mr.. Huntington was an earnest and zeaious
Abolitionist. He said that he sent thousands Of
dollars to Kansas in those troublous antebelm dsys.
but IS he expressed It, not 10 buy Bibles with. In
bis the institution Of slavery most abhorent
His belief is that no country prosper long whore
honest labor Is not honorable labor He radical Of
the radicals on any subject Of sufficient Importance to
s 90 Worthy o Of bis notice Hs IN bis element whs2
IN the days q witchc.fE' 10 said. think should
not have believed In it."
Among the numerous Manufactured objections -
tho Chinese is tho that they are not clean. Mr.
Huntington has a word to say on this. Our company
employed $4,000 or $1,000 Cinnamon construction"
be informed mo. and every day as soon ~ their
work was done the little fellows would hurry Oh
to branch half q mile away to m their TIN pails
with water for bath. Returning to camp tho whole
army would strip and wash before sitting down to
supper / have seen them do this In the coolest
weather II our white laborers washed once week
nsne on they s march S0Ss ad nom s
swinging their little tin buckets in their hands
AND and. imagine them and On the n Sash each @ A
spongeI
Mr.. Huntington illustrates tho shrewdness snd
thrift Of the Chiraman by . series Of amusing ansc-
dotes This is ono: Sup In the hills we had about
300 men cutting oorl-wood. They were divided into
two companies of $50 each, being composed Of
white men, the other Of Chinese. One dag when the
weather cold and bitter the Chinese refused to
turn out They had crawled into their huts and there
they remained all day, huddled UP like many sheep
When demonstrated with by the foreman they shook
their heads and said with one accord: Weather too
Chimes no eatec.'s They had come to the conciS..
sion that 1t was moro profitable to hibernate than face
tho biting winds.
Mr.. Huntington favored me with The entire history
course of which became convinced that no does noe
aspire to be newspaper man. The credit system
Of doing business is considered honorable In tho
commercial world that the memory Of william DORIS
hemcr cannot be offended II relate single incident
associated herewith. ! got 1t from broadway
banker Mr.. Dorsheimer, who lived only few doors
from Mr.. Huntington, accustomed to drop in and
SEQ the la,er about . week. On certain
evening he seemed to be In great distress and M
II,.,f ,~t.
ton was caused by financial troubles. AS the editor
arose to 60 the Fortynner said to him Dorshemer.
II you think you sleep any better by knowing THAI
you can have 10000 Of my money to throw away
tomorrow I'll write you check for that amount this
minue.' And suiting the action to the word he
opened the checkbook that lay upon the library table
and wrote check for 100000 on the Merchants Ma
tonal Bank Mr.. Dorhelner did sleep better with
the little piece of yellow paper under his pillow. All
told, he borrowed $4,000 from Mr.. Huntington to
sink Ia Tho STAR and have It on the highest au-
thorty that seventy five other men In this city lent
him from time to time sums ranging from 81 500 to
a., SOC. In round numbers the decrepitude Of sThs
STAR forced him to borrow 100000 These creditors
the present owners OF the paper some of them
are millonaircs. One Of them bought stock in The
Mr Huntington was doing So As h o SSsndoumen ss
of the paper meant loss to each Of these men, they
icaton either to lose little or get back every
thing Said Mr.. Huntingdon: II told Their, 10 20
ahead and do they liked II they could make any
thing out Of It for me- all right; II they couldn't.
/ had to go and look after II Tho stock Is NOT
worth barleycorn 10 Iae, SO far I know. I've
never been near the Office and don't even know VINO
Is the managing editor Of tho paper"
aThe newspaper business Mr.. Huntington con-
tinued, ais a great business for those who under
stand t. 1 know nothing abou. It, never had
anything TO do with but paper and went into
lost with great and rapidty That paper Is
The Sacramento Bee; Four Of us Clipped H. es-
tabshcd Il on paying basis and turned the entire
plant over 10 the prntecs I think tho experiment.
cost mo about $4,000 But VIC wanted good
paper and We got IT.
One Of Mr. Huntingtols latest achicvsments, that
Of which he speaks With the most enthusiasm and
pride, is tho success Of the United States and BRAZIL
Ian Steamship Company. Only short time asu the
line was losing money so rapidly that there was .
serious intention of sbaadoning It. Such course
would have involved loss Of &1000,000 to the
stockholders. Mr. Huntington took the tiller and
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