The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
OLDNEw YORK MERCHANTS
MEN AND FIRMS VINO WE'RE FA MoUs
IN BYGONE DAYS.

- hAAHN
Foundation or Some Great rortunes-Nsmer
That Were OF note I.onE ago IN Public Liro.
Nature seems TO have predcstlned tho site OF
Now York as the site OF a commercial centre.
No othor locality in the world possesses such
ocean gates or so extended and yet compact q
Watcr front. And her merchants during tho past
hundred years have formcd.her Gristocrucy.
High on New York's roll of merchants is tho
namo Of Philip Lydig. who in the middle OF tho
eighteenth century emlgrated to New York
from Germany and became one gifts then 5000
Inhabitants. His place OF business was Mt tho
corner of Ferry and Gold streets. and through
contracts with tho British Government before
and during tho Revolution no made great gains.
He It was who enabled to be constructed that
quaint old German Lutheran church which
until q few years ago stood at tho northeast
corner of Frankfort and William streets. His
son David followed In his footsteps In q store
at 100 South street as n dealer In grains and
6eur. and In early Hudson River commerce.
Another Philip Lydig followed as q merchant in
the third generation. Knickerbocker by birth,
this second Philip married n daughter of an
other Kniokerbockor merchant, John Suydam.
and became the father OF a gallant officer In
the civil war and of the wives OF Judges
Charles p. DAILY and John II. Brady.
Tho first Lydig had q mercantile contempo-
heAJ 49, hhS Ao"ho vi t"o 4 I'm Vi
Lowts d Annesley. MIR. Lewis became a signer
from this State Of the Declaration Of Inde.
pondence, and subsequently his son. Morgan
Lewis, became Lieutenant-G Governor. His men,
ory ia preserved in the name OF LOWS street,
which connects Grand street with Eighth. He
owed his life to q singular incident. Serving
In his early youth in u Canadian campaign
against Montcalm, he vas taken prisoner and
handed over for torture to Indians. Lewis
was OF Welsh descent and spoke that language.
He spoke in Welsh to his captors and the chief
conceived the idea that:Lewis must be an ally.
and DO spared his life. His tombstone. may be
visited in Trinity Church yard.
Ono of the earliest merchants Just after The
republic was formed was an Irish exile named
Daniel.McCormick, with u business place at 81
Wal street. He lived above his store and
was tho last resident of Wall street. In 1894
every other resident had sold his house or had
altered and rented 1t for offices. In that year
Mccormick, founder and first President OF tho
St. Patrick's Society, died. Had he lived an.
ether year he would have seen the house which
for thirty-four years he had occupied vanish
in the great fire of 1885. He wore to the last
abort breeches and shoes with buckles and hair
powder and peruke.
"A great firm dealing In Irish linen at the
close of the war was Clendcnnins IL Mclean at
4 Burling slip. aftcrward Clendenning d Adams.
The son of the latter. John Adams, is remem-
bered in the Fulton Bank as its great early
President. Many veteran New Workers will
recall The third successor, firm of Clendenning
&-Bulkeley, ~ 209 Pearl street, when the latter
between Maiden lane and Beekman street was
studded with rich mercantile establishments.
Hanover square cherishes The memory of Peter
Goelet tho hrst, who there founded IN the last
century the hardware 1irm OIL Goelct X Cur
tenius. The latter married his partners sis
ter. and Tho firm in colonial ~ vie l,u pu.inp.l
at the sign OF the Golden Key. When Cur
tenius parted from GoeIot, he set up the syn
generation OF Goeiets. who increased tEetr lner-
Santiie gains by wise purchases OF suburban
land which in after years became valuable up
per broadway property.
A worthy Treasurer and also a President of
Of the East Indian, traaing rrm ot Bruono,
Platt IL Co. also of hanover square. he be-
came Governor OF the State and uf.
ter him wee named brooiae street and Broolne
county. Even when he
lived in democratic fashion III The upper stories
OF the housc wherein he Transacted his business.
Goold Hoyt, who as a young man had
served as supercargo Tor Le hoy. Bayard & Co.,
which attained high mercantile celebrity. lie
married a daughter OF Gen. Scott.
soon after the naval war the rrm of Good
hue d Co.-Jonathan Goodhue, founder-be-
caine well known N all European ports and in
the Orient. The partners We're pioneers in the
head the black oal. Pc!etiah pcrit later DO.
oame one OF me com 2any; In 1898 lie served
- u SOHInlSSlOucT OIL .lctIOpOllIln fOI.Ce.
Competing hrlns with Goodhue & Co. in ship.
ping, and foreign commission business were G..
2; d. &. s. Howland and Fish, Grinnell Z CO.
Aspinwnil and the latter Grinneii, Minturn ts
Co. Each member became what tho newspa.
f prince" Il The pst senior ,pI member, ' Mr.. F Fish hii hsd tIs
first name of Preserved, which in
his business afforded no end Of good-natured
gressmnn and Collector OF the Port.
Thomas II. Smith. at the end OF the last CEN
NnFv. Ill l2FuIan ~ min n-., H.. II
a Co, ami Oiphant i Co, were famous in tho
China trade in Lcas,and silks. George, Douglas,
another China merchant OF the fane er., was
known as a merchant Of such principles that
under no temptation Of proiit-being u tenn
RIis Snars or ed d"oY in ,bs% ne import wine, or
also merchants in the China trade, and were
tho hrst to import mating and make it a house.
The namo of Asa Fitch was of old a noted
@ereantlle one. end he established the firm Of
Eitch Brothers q Gor who engaged in the Medi-
we'll known on Change, and their business place
They FAILED, and compromised at 40 cents on
The dollar; but becoming prosperous again,
Sst honest as Hinton & Moore fora
time became a New York proverb. But, sad
70 ten: the Moore OF the firm, in his advancing
age, lost his fortune and died as q salaried in
spector In the Custom House.
Joseph Samson founded the great auction
n1rm OF Boggs. Thompson a Co.-he forming the
Co. There seems to be little attention nova
Gays paid TO tho auction commission business,
but during tho thirties, forties and flutes il
was an extensive and lucrative. branch OF mcr-
oantile business. In 1880 the directory showed
thirty.nine prominent houses in the business.
the top; the second member in the firm
CoFneiiTs W.. became Mayor, Congressman,
and Collector of the Port. Haggerty, Austen e
Co. were auction kings, with whom l.. NJ. Hof.
man competed largely. The hrst-namei firm
began as as dry goods traders at 50 William
TONED to %tobbers. John and Philip Hone
GTew rich In the AUCTION business. and 1t gave
a Spier, WImerding. Priest a. Mount, and Adee,
Simpson d Co. be forgotten in the. same line.
nor the witty Simeon Draper. one of Lincoln's
Rcended In the same manner to his son, John
H.. As general auctioneers James NJ. Miller
and Thomas Bell became popular favorites and
Eankod In the going, going" parlance with The
london auctioneer Of the same period, George
Robbins. Bell was commeinoratcd thus In a
burlesque at Mitchell's Olympic Theatre:
Her voice as any bell was sweet and clear.
Fen tho that bell were Bell the auctionccr.
Country buyers by tho scores came TO all nuc.
lions. The houses Of Topping, OF Kobbc, and'of
Leeds inlator years became also notable In the
auction way.
James Chrystie, at II Maiden lane, was no.
yRhlA In tina ola az ND n.ainn na1.