The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-10

original founders of the present great
banking house of Drexel, Morgan & Co.
Jasper II. Van Week has Just celebrated
his ciglty-ilrst birthday. He was born in
New York city Sept. s, 1911.
AT the age of sixteen he became n clerk
in the State bank at Newark n. j., and.
after several years. training entered the
office of Rufus n. Nevins, his uncle, ut the
southwest corner of Wall and Williams
streets, New York,
The volume Of business on Wall street
was ut this time insignificant. Hardly one
of the exchange ollices-as they were
called-had II dollar of capital Ncvins
had come from Middetown, Conn, and
was the correspondent of various Connect.
cut banks. In 1897 the banking and bro
kerage house of Nevins, Townsend & Co.
which had been founded by him, failed for
the miserable little sum of s., 600
After this Van Week worked for several
years in the banking houses of John u.
Smith ~ Co., and Houghton, Merritt &
Co. About the year 1912 he started in the
banking business upon his own account
without penny of capital. He began buy
ing uncurrent bank notes, borrowing the
sum of 5000 from day to day. He paid for
TINS accommodation seventy cents Il day,
and also agreed to give to the bankers the
method of conducting business was uniuuc.
The money borrowed from Drew, Robin
son " Co. he deposited in the Phcnix
bank. He would then draw his check for
the amount of uncurrent or state bank
money purchased. To keep his bank uc-
count from being overdrawn, his clerk.
Frederick White, late of White Morris &:
Co., would take the purchases of uncurrent
money promptly to Drew. Robinson &; Co.
and receive payment therefor directly.
Thus he was enabled to turn the g, 001
over and over again, and at five minutes to
3p. III. to make final deposit, draw his
check for 50, COO on the bank and return the
loan.
About 1852 A. j. Drcxel, of Philadelphia,
offered to put up Sl25, 900 against Van
Weeks capital of SO, 900. The offer was
accepted and II copartnership entered into
under the firm name of Van Week, Read
IL DreXel. This firm did Il very large bust
ness. About twenty years ago Jasper II.
Van Week retired from it, and has ever
since lived the life of country gentleman.
The house has since become famous us
DreXel, Morgan & Co.
No one who sees Mr.. Van Week today
would take him for an octogcnarian. Hc
is the oldest of the five patriarchs of Wall
street yet living who began their careers
as clerks in 1882.
Nathaniel S. Barry is the oldest living
ex-governor in the United States. If his
life shall be spared until Sept. 1, 1896, he
will have rounded out a full century, Gov
ernor Barry was born in Bath. Me-, and
was left an orphan when he was but six
years old. Kind hearted people cared for
him until he was about thirteen, when he
set out for himself, locating finally i'll Bath,
n. H., where he apprenticed himself to a
tanner and currier, which trade he followed
for many years after he had become jour.
neyman
In 1S4l, without solicitation on his part,
Mr.. Barry was appointed Judge of the
court of common pleas for Grafton county,
In 1850 he became judge of probate, serv
Ing until 1861, when ho was elected gov
ernor of New Hampshire. He had pre-
viously been member of the legislature
and state senate for six terms each.