Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-03-01
NEW YORK PLuTocRATs.
Origin of the Aston, Vanderbilt and Lo,r
lard Fortunes.

iard fortunes.
John Jacob Astor had his store in U.
sey street, in the building in which n.
Halleck lived. Fitz Greene Halleot
the doctors son, was one Of Asto-s,
clerks. Old Astor got his start in l,,a
by hiring out to furrier to beat furs-
keeping the moths out of them-at
dollar day. He was economical ana
saving, and presently began to buv "a.
furs and muskrat furs, and when he b.s
accumulated a lot of them he took tba,a
to England and sold them at a lar1o
profit. Then he established his oss
business here and extended his connaa
lions westward and northward until \.
became the largest dealer in the CON,
try.
Commodore Vanderbilt was at th,.
time running 'perry-augur" (periaop.
"a small ferryboat carrying two mast,
and a lee board) between Quarant,n.
| Station and the city, and was becomin.
very popular with boatmen and Other
who were thrown in his way Fulton
Livingston owned an exclusive charta,
to run steamboats, between New York
and Albany, and the monopoly was nav.
ing immensely. Two old Jerseymen
then started an opposition line, but AZ
they could not run direct between New
York and Albany they got around thu
difficulty by going from New York to
Jersey City, and making that the start
ing point for Albany. They encounter.
| ed all sorts of difficulties, however. the
monopolists going so far as to willfully
run their boats down and otherwise
Gripping them, and they were threat.
ened with bankruptcy.
One OF the proprietors was at New.
York one day, when he asked old Mr..
Guion If he knew of man who was
competent to take hold of their line and
make a success of it. Yes, said Guion
4 know such man. His name is Cor.
neel Vanderbilt. He'll take your boah
to the mouth of hell if you want him to-
That's just the man l want, was the
response, and in little while the bar.
gain was concluded and Cornelius Van.
derbilt took charge of the line. Tbs
monopolists tried every possible means
to prevent the line from doing business
in New York. and at last put sheriff
on board with instructions to arres.
Vanderbilt if he should attempt to move
the steamer from the wharf. Wander.
bilt got all ready to go and then stood
by with an axe, and when the wheels
had begun to revolve and there was
good strain on the hawser he up with
his axe and cut the hawser and steamed
away to Albany with the sheriff on
board A continuation of his vigorous
policy finally broke up the Fulton {
Livingston monopoly and established
the opposition line on a proftabls
basis.
Vanderbilt's daughters were a wild
kind of girls. They were perfectly at
home every where on Staten Island and
were very popular. | used to see them
in grocery over there sitting on the
counter swinging their feet and talking
to the young fellows who were chatting
them.
The Lorillards had a snuff and tobacco
business, and they made a good deal Of
out of it. There were three broth
ers of them-Jacob and Peter and
George. Jacob had a butcher shop up
near the Bowery Theater. Peter-that
was the Dutch of it; it came to be Pierre
after it had been transplanted into
French soil few months; Peter and
George were the snuff and tobacco deal
ers. After they got wealthy, nothing
would do but old Lorillard must hHEes
carriage and coat-of-arms upon It, He
chose for his coat-of-arms, who'd
thought it-snuff bought it." This
made the people laugh, and so he
changed it after while, putting on in
place: "Quid rides" which means: "At
what do you laugh?" His tobacco store
was in Chatham street.-N. Y. Times.