The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-08-20
a Couple of New York MilIionaires.

Being in bank recently for few
minutes two different men spoke to
me with the cordiality. of boys, and
afterward fellow director in the bank
remarked: THAT William r. Grace is
a very good man. He is a native of
Ireland and very strong in the conf
dence of the Roman Catholic hierarchy,
but l never knew him to interfere with
anybody, to oppress anybody, or even
to harbor malice. You cannot get
him to say anything against persons
who prosecuted him. With all his
wealth he is modest man. He has
great attachment to his wife and fam
lily, who are thoroughbred Americans.
His wife was brought up a Protestant
in the state of Maine"
How much is Mayor Grace worth?"
''He is not worth as much as the
other gentleman you spoke to, Com
modore Van Santvoord, but he is worth
four-fifths as much, should say. Van
Santvoord can sum up about $11, 000,-
600, am told"
THAT man! thought he might be
worth $500, 900.
"Oh, no. He has been very lucky
man, Like all such men who give
their undivided attention to business,
he is Yerv particular in his habits He
never smoked a cigar. The smell of
tobacco he dislikes. But he is as kind
as if he had nothing He will turn
from his business and 90 to the funeral
of the wife of some plain friend, as a
matter of civilization and duty"
reflected that here was an eleven
millionaire whose name | had never
seen in the paper; so l inquired:
How in the world did Commodore
Van Santvoord get so much money!"
''It is the story of good many New
York Dutchmen. All along the Hud-
son River were little Dutch settlements
and Van .Santvoord means, sup
pose, the sand lord; il is the same
name as Sanford. Ee came from the
foot of the Catskill Mountains, in us
ter county, where transportation was
great question in his infancy, and
railroads had not then been establish
ed. One of the earliest of these rail-
roads ran from Catskill across to the
Mohawk valley. 1t was afterward
taken up, but in place of it was built
railroad from Rondout to the Sus-
quehanna valley, called the Ulster and
Delaware Railroad. This is Joined by
a fine line of steamboats, to New York
city. Van Santvoord perhaps COM
menced there. In the early course of
| time he extended his investments to
the Harlem Railroad, so that he is in
with the Vanderbilt coterie He is
also an eminent power in the Milwau-
llee and st. Paul Railroad. He car
ries Il line of securities in Erie as
well. Continuity of purpose, invest
ing and waiting for years, doing some
thing all the time to forward his invest
ments, keeping within his mind move
ment of society, the Commodore, as
we call him, stands well up among
rich men, and yet strictly attends to
his own business"
| ''How did Mr.. Grace make his mon
eyPn
| He made it originally and mainly
in the Peru trade. He went to Peru !
thiuk, from England, and there saw
opportunities to establish firm trade
with the United States; so he became
shipping merchant, with banking ar
rangements in his house at both ends,
As he made money in that way. in the
various branches of guano, copper,
etc., he found judicious investments in
America. In politics he has chiefly
been an Irishman, and that race has d
natural taste for politics everywhere. u
Cincinnati Inquirer.