Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-16
Shall Become Rich Said the
Last Of the Vanderbilts,
SPEAKING pr NEW WORKERS
Who We're Engaged in Mercantile Callln9s
Poverty Is The Best Foundation Stone.
Before The Days Of The
Telegraph

For the Sunday Gazette. ,,.A Oh
Now York, April lion Mareh -
there followed to the grave OF tne AZ Az.
Can't. Jacob Vanderbilt many OF tle III,
scendnnts Of Commodore Nahuetphif
Who was an elder brother OF the captain
Tbese relatives sincerely mourneu .ne
aid gentleman. who, while he had sVine
Of tbe characteristics of the NahueFpll'
f,trilv was of u more afccttonate hu'
ture than his distinguished oro'ncl'
lie was very fond Of his granu-hepniesmi,es
aud grand-nicces and was espeeltiiy
proud that although they repreSeh!s 'ii-i.
5000 OOO. 600 of wealth, being the lhheif
t1ure aud its increase that came from
the old commodore, neyertheltfs n1ns
Of them has shown any tendency eNueI
to misprliuess on the one hand OF eA-
travagaut dissipation on the other.
Cant. Jake" as he was always calico,
used frequently to say that tue pres,,eh'
generation, not only OF the N1huerull's,
but of other families OF wealth, nave y
harder task than their grandtathers ana
Observation-Disclosures did In creating thr
beginnings of the family fortune, since
he believed that IL was harder WORK 10
keep than 10 make n great fortune: Not
long before his death he declared lhnt
his brother "Coruccl' was quite right
when he said that It was harder for him
20 earn his first $1,000 than 60 make the
rest OF his fortune, and Capt. Jake
ndded that he had heard other men who
had gained great wealth say the same
thing.
lie certainly had abundant opportu-
nifty 20 hear such comments. II any were
made. for he had personal acquaintance
with almost every one of those men,
who. coming 10 New York poor in the
early days Of the century, made great
fortunes IL was Capt Nunderbilts be-.
lief that with four or five exceptions the
great fortunes which he had seen uccu.
INFLATED from 1890 to 1860 had all been
scattered, and that the descendants Of
many of the merchants who were es-
teemcd rich 80 years ago are now Ice
ginning over again such work Of fortune
making az their ancestors Were com
PEELED 10 do.
Not long ago Capt. Vanderbilt, while
chatting about the rich men of New
York. said that he believed IN almost
every case the makers of great fortunes
had begun life without cent. and he
suggested TO friend that II he would
make q list Of the very rich men not
only of New York but OF the United
States, he would find that "a per cent.
of them began with no other expert.
ence than that obtained IN country
school house, aud that their first en-.
ployment was either peddling. sweeping
out stores or serving as cabin-hoys upon
thought that this being 80, II was wrong
to say that poor boy had no chance,
Tor II the record proved anything, II
seemed to show that he had the best
chance Ia the world to gain great
wealth
SO the friends OF Capt Vanderbilt be.
gan TO compare notes and to recall mem.
ories, and perhaps the most inter.
estinR onecdote that they told was that
or the banker. Prime, who became tbC
mead OF what was at one time the grcat
est bnnking house in AmoFica. Prime.
Mhrd hlng. Young Prime came TO
New York about the time that Cornelius
NWllerDllt was earning his first coppera
ny iefFElhg passengers from Staten Is
land to the mainland. The young fellow
hAd Scacely money enough 10 buy mn
humble meal. Neither had he any brsi.
ness training. He had In fact been n
coachman or perhaps hostler for n
wealthy man In Il New England town
ulhouEn NJ that time such occupation
yOungster. any
Young Prime had the moncy-maldnr
sense ana he saw ms early as the limo
OF ihe war of 1872 opportunities to ,,r,t
ny It. And he soon gained roputn ne
Il nNeE ,youngster, and this story yySe
.olu Oh MN He was in counting
Ioo,n uuS gay when several merchants
1.
res Among them was planter. from
,he south who was then very rich M
toast for that time. To him ,,n,,na
!Trime said, "lf ] had $4,000 no Invn,stt
l cpull double It within six months and
Hu6e something for myself besides -
AHd me me planter being Interested I'm him
S5OOO?" NY ''U'u you oher for
-, Wen. J could only give the saouritv
OF 9h honest man" young Primo reniini
Anu the planter being nleased u,itb ~
assurance which this answer s,c,,,. tiiJ
loaned the young man that sum DIV 1'C ~.
Nv" I'ter, Nhen the weeks PASSED
| pgm'u "nu me time for repayment cnme
Inine returned the SJOOO do,,iJ'i
as he said he would. and mod ' oi,,'n,.
~ much more for himself. and tbot So
him upon his feet ''"' SET
oolne years later when Mr.. Primo boa
become famous banker tbis nio muu
naHlhE met with reversps thougbt ~.
tnf nlglt remember that early favor
and he said. "If only bsS eL exc nm \
could recover my losses and he 49, r., ",r,
IolianlG circumstances once agnin .
We'll, what security couli vo,, -
for $0OOOS Prime asked 'O' give
=, ne planter smilingly replied "XVbv
MI rlme, can only Give now Xxx
I 5Vurly Or an honest man" ana be
| 1870 NFl'Nl WIS oilpptiVp. but
| iiNSaI the great banker replied @Tb"t
klnd OF security isn't worth anvtbin,, ~
| Nali street. So the planter went n,,.n ~.
Sorrowing and died a poor man ,,6,iSo
Mr l'rlme soon after was esteemed tho
| second richest man In New York -
Jacob Aston being the first '"uu
years ago this anecdotn was
ana Capt. Vanderbilt assertej tb. lt' t
| knew that II was true one PEI, ~,
| lke ali the merchants of his dor ' ~.
| upon the look out for opportnnitilS NN5
| another anccdote that was Xxi 80 - anu
tne manner IN which fortunes wero n,,,
nose early days One Cb,ist
mus evening Mr. Prime received h, ~ 49, w..
scidet manner information tbot a.,
| ot COTTON In the IiverDooi me-
hel had greatly advanced nI
| IN" inAe advantage Of that inforr,a
feWt ne ,hhew he could nai,n '
! iortuAe lie sent for his nssooia uaAe q
| Mheh they. came lac took mo- W nnd
| p2rlor of his house and TAN iIr1l mo the
| pan OF his II Il was sr n,u luSn OF q
| saw a fortune OF S5O0 Ooo ~ vi they
n m,,nln month or six weeks n tTi.ut
u5bicb MteFs OF credit ar A.
a ",n were TO be delivered - LIE W.
agents n New Orleans. Tbey 10 10 Their
/ souhg man who was a clerle ~, I1'v ,
SIWcteu 10 proceed overland feMHs ~
iorh fltshurg ana ,Iiu NeW
| s.talhpoat 70 New Orleans IT, Dy
| onbe the steamboat c",s re was 10
their boats az as hish sn. 70 bush
/ possible, and 10 t,s., ~ vt oltcd as