Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-16

some friends who would cash his check.
He met a good many who We're willing
to. but who themselves had no such
sum, and Mt last he went to the landlord
Of a hokl and begged the favor Of him.
The landlord said that he would cash
Mr.. Primes check for any amount that
he had. aud going to his iron box he
produced the $1,000 In gold and silver
coin.
The clerk made quick time. On the
Ohio aud Mississippi rivers he paid as
much "a $50 several times to the steam
boat captains to bride them not to stop
at regular landings, and thus IL happened
that he reach New Orleans two days
before the regular mail packet. Mr..
Primes agents were wise men, and
though they were surprised at the amount
of drafts which the young clerk gave
them. they set to work secretly to buy
cotton, and before two days had passed
had secured $4,000 bales Then the
news came by the mail packet, and the
price of cotton. Of course went up to
correspond to that Of the Liverpool mar
ket. But Prime and his friends had
skinned the cream Their profits were
over S5OO,OOO, and the clerk was award
ed as his share the profits on 500 bales.
OF course such an exploit would be
impossible IN this day of telegraphs and
railroads and great exchanges. AT the
time It was regarded rs some Of Commo-
dore Nanderbilts and Jay Goulds great
achievements were esteemed years after
ward.
That great banking house is now q
tradition. The descendants of Mr..
Prime and his associates have, some Of
them, fortunes which were begun in
that establishment; others are poor men
again.
Thirty years ago and for many years
before that, one Of the greatest mer-
,Ntopf hougoa IA NatV Nnrk tynu fbnt of
A. Blnnngcr X Co.. and Blnninger was
name as well known In high social
circles as that Of Aston or the Living
stOus. But the beginnings OF this house
were even more humble than that OF
Mr.. Prime aud his associates Abraham
Binninger was the son Of u MOravian
preacher, and when he had not more
than $50, which lac saved as an nppren-
ticc, he married a buXom lass who was
not only n good wife but n good bust
ness woman. While Abraham was at
work at his trade his wife tended a
little table which she set up In front OF
her window, ON which were cakes and
biscuits. Thus she became, in n small
way, keeper Of n restaurant, and many
were the times that she wiped the suds
from her plump arms and went from
the wnshtub TO sell q bun for a penny
10 some hungry apprentice. She saved
and added her savings 10 her husbands
store, aud twenty years later lac had be-
come one OF the prosperous merchants
Of New York. and millions We're after
ward made by that establishment. She
used to buy her bakers stock from a
young peddler who PASSED that way
every day carrying his goods In basket,
and 1t was by this pursuit that the for
tunes of the house Of Astor We're begun,
for this young peddlcr was none other
than John Jacob Aston.
For n time the merchants of New
York thought that n brother Of John
Jacobs, whose name was Henry, was
the most likely of the two. Henry Aston
was Il German butcher, and u very keen
| and prosperous butcher lie became. For
n good many years he was richer than
John Jacob, who used TO go to him 10
borrow money. One day Henry Astor
said TO his brother who had asked him
To indOrse n note: 81 will give you 500
In cash If you will never ask me again
TO endorse a note for you or TO lend you
a dollar and John Jacob gladly took
the money and kept the promise. The
descendants Of Henry Aston have been
forgotten.
Captain Vanderbilt used 20 say that
there were times Ina his early life when
John Jacob Astor was hard pressed for
money, but hc said that Mr.. Astor was
| one of those great men who are often
yeIW lucky, and he told an anecdote to
said was published many years ago in
u weekly newspaper. One Of Mr.. Astor's
ships while on q voyage 10 China TO sell
furs, stopped at the Sandwich Islands
and took on q load Of firewoOd. In the
Chinese port n Chinese merchant came
aboard the vessel, and seeing this wood
asked the supercago what IL was worth.
The supercargo was bright fellow.
and though IL was worth nothing except
for iirewOod, yet he suspected that it had
some value In the Chiuaman's eyes. SO
he asked him what he would give, and
the Chinamhn named q sum equivalent
TO about $500 a cord aud after some
seeming reluctance the supercargo let
him have il. When Mr.. Astor heard of
| this he sent a ship to the Sandwich Is
lands and loaded her with this wood
and sold II for n great sum afterward
| In China; and for five or six years he
carried on this trade, which was
mystery 10 all his rivals, and made sew
| cral hundred thousand dollars. Finally
| u shrewd Maine captain determined TO
shadow Mr.. Astor's ships, and followed
one of them TO the Sandwich Islands, and
| then the mystery was revealed 20 him.
He, too loaded his vessel with this wood.
which was sandalwoOd. and after that
competition greatly reduced the profits
Almost every one of the great merchants
and bankers of New York who flourished
before the time of railroads and tele.
graph began life very poor. The great
shipping merchants the Rowland Bros,
| Were barefooted lads in New London,
Conn. They had a supercargo named
| Aspinwall, and he. too grew rich aud
| famous, and il was after him that the
town Of Aspinwall, upon the isthmus of
Panama, was named.
Jacob Barker was a lad too moor 10
buy meal when he came TO New York.
ana twenty years after that he was
worth 100000, which was great for
| tune In those days. A. II. Stewart was
| just beginning his career then, having n
| little drygoods store which was regarded
by the great merchants with contempt.
Tor they then thought retail merchant
was only of little higher grade than
peddler or bone seller H. B. Minturn.
whose house was famous one. began
lie wan nothing, and Captain Vanderbilt
used TO speak of some one whose name
he would not mention, who was a mer-
chant prince, and of whose descendants
he was very fond, whom the captain
knew earned his first capital by digging
clans in New York bay.
Some of those who heard these remi-
niscences made list of mon famous TO.
uay as the pOssessOrs Of great wealth
who began with nothing, and the ljst
| caused great astonishment OF course
the. name of JAY Gould was upon Al
and that of Russell Sage. who m tle
tlmn "a law fNntllfs In.tI 80 - 49,