The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-01
MILLIONS IN DRY GOODS.
RICHEST OF AMERICANS BEGAN
WITH YARDsTICKS.
Many Renowned for Charity-JOr-
dams Career Like That of Stewart,
Peabody, Wanamaker, Morton,
OF nj
From the New York Press.

Letter, ct al.
From the New York Press.
BY the death of Eben d. Jordan, the mil
lionaire dry goods merchant of Boston, at
tention is directed to the great number of
fortunes which have been accumulated in
the dry goods trade in all the large cities
of the United States. Mr.. Jordan's case
was typical He started in life with moth
ing but the determination to succeed. He
was first employed on a farm, and then he
began clerking in dry goods stores. When
he was 10 years old, he was started in the
dry goods trade by a leading merchant of
Boston, and he began business in a store
for which he paid 800 year lie was %
years old when he started the firm of Jor-
dan, Marsh & Co., with a capital of So, 900.
In this concern, Mr.. Jordan became a mill
ionaire. He was a public spirited philan-
thropic man, and that is the record of al
most all the merchant princes of the
United States. one of the earliest fortunes
made in the dry goods trade in Boston
was that of the Appleton Brothers. The
head OF that firm, Samuel Appleton. died
in 1853. He was farm boy and then a
school teacher, and he went 10 Boston poor
at = TO engage in the Importation of Eng
llsh goods with his brother Nathan When
ne retired from business, rich man, in
1923, he announced his intention of spend
ing the whole of his income every year;
and IN pursuance OF this, it is said that he
gave $4,000 d year. When he died he be-
queathed S20J,QJ0 TO religious, philanthrop-
ie and scientific objects.
George Peabody OF Baltimore. the ami
Nersary OF whose birth was celebrated
last spring, started as a clerk in a general
store at Danvers, Mass, the place of his
birth, when he was II years old-in 1896.
de afterward 'clerked" in other places
and went 10 Georgetown, d. c.. finally-at
time BThen Georgetown was larger than
the city OF Washington which has now
ABSORBED Ito take charge of store for
ms uncle. At the age of ~ he became the
partner OF Elisha Riggs in a dry goods
store, which was moved afterward to
baltimore, and there Mr. Peabody laid
the foundation of the enormous fortune
which he devoted chiefly to philanthropic
purposes In 1885 he went to London and
negotiate the sale of SS,000.010 worth OF
bonds FOR the state of Maryland: and his
commission of 100000 he turned back into
the state treasury. Two years later he
Went TO London and established q bank
Ing house. He gave largely 10 the sec
ond GrlnneH Arctic expedition. His gifts
for the establishment of lodging houses
LOT inc poor OF London amounted to So.
50,Ug. lie gave @,5J00o0 TO promote educa.
ton IN L1e south. Libraries and art gal.
lerles IN many places stand as memorials
10 his philanthropy. He could have haC
honors at the hand of the queen of Eng
iand, but preferred to remain simple
citizen. Gladstone said of him: "Ht
taught the world now man may be the
master OF MS fortune, and not its slave
BE was the most liberal philanthropist il
the world history
The dry goods trade has been the door
Way 70 banking in more than one instance
Lev +. Morton, eX-Nice President of the
United states, ana now governor of the
state OF New York. was clerk in small
stores IN Vermont, and afterWard in Bos.
Ton, and he laid the foundation for his
wealth IN the firm of Beebe Morgan 4
{ o., which he entered in Boston ia 1S50
Iour years later he came to New York
ana established the dry goods house OF
Morton q Grinnell. in which he became
rich. Ia 1883 he founded the banking house
q Morton. Bliss &, Co, in New York. and
me mouse Of Morton, Rose q Co, in Lon
uen. lie IS worth to-day something be-
tween 100000 and 100000
A. II stewart stuck TO the dry goods
tfade i-ll his death. though he would have
a0ht into public life at one time If be
Spnia nave dome So Unfortunately me
Jaw STOOD ~ his way AR Stewart was =
school teacher in New York before b.s MA
safs Old lle inherited 5000 Is In
eea'h q his father Ia ireland. ana he