The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-02-12
RE sOWED FOR son.
NO MEN WHO FOUNDED ARIS-
TOCRATIC FAMILIES, +
Old George Law Toiled to Benefit His
Descendants and John Jacob Astor
Lived In Howell and Gave =
Others Palace.


I'd absolutely upon his own head and
lnds. His life has been told a thou
md times as a text for the youth of
10 world, says a New York letter
ritter in the Chicago Herald, and an
Icentive to poverty strioken boys
no begin life far beneath the lowest
ound of the ladder. He died good
-any years ago, but when I was quite
boy it was my privilege to see him
lumber of times, and to admire him
cry much. Relatives of mine were
onnected with the early steamship
mes between this city and San Fran
isco, by the way of Chagres and
nd Panama, and Saturday afternoons
I7hen we had no school, I used to go
own town to the steamship Office, and
frequently had occasion to go with
Jerks and others to George Laws
'ffice. Law was very bluff, outspoken,
Lutocratic. It was necessary in
lis business that he should have those
qualities which in private life are not
desirable, and yet he was very kind in
lis bearing and speech to clerks and
5oung people. The steamships often
brought bananas and oranges from
Chagres and Havana On one occa-
Asion l went to Mr.. Laws Office on
some errand and found him in a tow
ering passion. He was walking up
and down his room in a great rage.
His huge head was as red as beet
and the hair, which curled over the
scalp, seemed fairly to hustle with the
electricity of indignation. [ never
shall forget his taking a turn at the
end of the room, where, on a table,
were two or three punches of bananas,
one of which he grasped in his hand
and swung high in the air, as one
might swing a club and sling it across
the room, knocking over two chairs
and moving heavy table at least four
- feet from it's position.
His early life was spent in earnest
industry, married only by his fzzle in
the realm of politics; and his latest
life was devoted to vast enterprises.
many of which were successful, and all
of which were based on true regard
for the advancement of industries and
the proper outworking of the energies
of this great country to whose prosper
ity he was as devoted as it is possible
for the most affectjonate child to be to
that OF his parent
The original George Law would as
soon have thought of painting his trous-
ers red, white and blue and climbing
pole in the center of City Hall park as
to drive through Broadway in the
crowded hours of the day in an equi-
page such as his son was in yesterday.
Not that the old gentleman didn't
know what a good horse was; not that
he didn't live very different existence
in the latter days of his life from that
of his years of struggle and poverty,
but he was in no sense fond of the
glitter and sheen of metropolitan show.
There probably never was poorer,
amore ignorant man than the original
John Jocob Aston. His early strug-
giles in this city, although not familiar
to the general public, are suggestively
known to the Intelligent reader. He
began in the humblest possible way,
not as a laborer, not as a clerk, not
even as a book canvasser, but as a.
peddler, going from house to house
with knicknacks of various nature.
His admirable system OF saving and
investing in real estate, as soon as he
got anything TO invest, when land was
had for almost nothing, made him, in
the course of half a century or so, a
very rich man, so far as land was con-
cerned, although he didn't handle very
much absolute money himself The
habit OF his mind led him to keep
everything he got.
The original John Jacob Astor may
have had, at some time or another, a
carriage, but I never heard that he
did. 1t would have been contrary to
the habit Of his life to spend d dollar
for personal comfort or ease, while u
cent devoted to the procurement of
any kind of luxury would have been a
waste so grievous as to cause tears of
bitter regret to fall down his bronzed
cheek. Now, mind you, the late John
Jacob Aston was a very nice man.
There was nothing special about him,
one way or another, except his wealth.
Il don't mean to say that he led in any
sense a shoddy life. On the contrary,
his entire course was that OF plain,
practical methodical man of business
The contrast. nevertheless, between
the late John Jacob Astor and the John
Jacob Aston who peddled knickknacks
about Beaver, Wall and William
streets is so tremendous that no mere
word painting could presume to pre-
sent its picture. The one lived in O
,hovel. the other in palace. The one
fed on crusts, the other one on the
best the market affords. The one was
looked upon with suspicion as a
misery old grub, the other was re-
garded as the great landlord of the
ss~k-