The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-15
How Some of the Big.
Ones Were Made.
ENORMOUS WEALTH
Vanderbilts, Astors, Rookie
tellers Among the Number.

Washington Evening Star. OF these,
p large portion are just getting into
their coats. but many of the greatest
fortunes are already three generations
from the shop or store, their present
Possessors having had no share in their
building.
With tbs Astors and Vanderbilts, the
tendency for several generations has
been to leave at least two-thirds of the
money 70 the son most apt to keep it.,
while all the heirs have been prohibit
ed from willing any part of their
wealth 10 any but their immediate de-
scendants. Commodore Vanderbilt,
who accumulated the first Vanderbilt
Hiliilons was born a little over CEN
fury ago His capital in life was that
energy and pluck which is supposed to
be all required here in America to send
q man to the top round of the ladder
OF fortune. By the time he was 10
years Of age, he had saved one hun
cred dollars. This money he invested
IN small sloop and went into business
Tor himself-the transportation of farm
York.
ne married young and man and wife
poth turned money makers. He sailed
ms boat While she ran a hotel. A few
FEARS tater and he was fairly prosper
gus. according to the modest standard
Of the times: he was worth SO 600,
Half q century later and his fortune
was estimated at $40, 200, 900; but he had
one sorrow. His friends never heard
MN speak of his eldest SON. William
A. Vanderbilt. who was counted law
5 ara stupid; He had reached middle
lsle Wnen he surprised his father bv
lolng MIN out OF half million dollars
n single speculation Three months
qIterWard he was in full control of the
vanderbilt millions. and within eight
years from the time or his father's
Geath, had doubled his inheritance
Mhen he died he left an estate Of S20o .
vVo,UvO 20 his children. He was tha
nnancial genius of the family; his
CONS nave been simply weU-trainad
business men. who have handled cana
oiy what came to them.
ne As!or riches owe their existence
y tne ability OF one man and hhe mar
nral Development Of the country, Jof,r
Jncob Astor was the only man IN four
keneratichs who possessed the wealth
sM.ting genus. he was q real money
Ms ker This money as he made if Was
Invested In New York real estate, The
4rowth Of the city changed his modest
Ifrtune OF the last century into one
Of the greatest fortunes of the present
century. He quit work in his fathers
butcher shop in Waldorf about ia
years ago and set mis- face toward the
neM world. On the ship that bore him
1nitner was fur trader who gave him
an insight into the tricks of his trade
Perhaps it was the number of tricks
IN this trade that induced the Young
emlgrant to take it up. At any rat
ne became dealer in fuls and pros
pered. Then he married Sarah Todd.
thrifty young woman, and this en-
ergetic couple had a quarter of q mil
hon collars fifteen years later. A for
tunate deal in United States bonds
made 1t half million, every cent of
winch went into land on Manhattan
ISLAND. John Jacob died in 184S. and
MS son doubled his Inheritance by let
ting it alone.
The aggregate ricnes of the Astors
are now said to be in the neighborhood
OF half billion dollars.
The genius of the Havemeyer family
was Frederick c. Havemeyer. whose
rather was Junior partner in the firm
of w. &. f. c. Havemeyar, sugar re-
liners in Vandam street. When he en-
tered his fathers shop to master the
trade of sugarmaklng the firm was
producing about LOCO 900 pounds of su-
gar a year, and employing only eight
or nine men.
The entire product was sold at retail,
and the Havemeysra, father and son.
waited on customers and helped in re-
inning. They were at the shirtsleeves
stage of the game. Frederick c., in
1885, established the firm of Have
meyer, Townsend & Co., and built in
Williamsburg the first of the collection
OF immense buildings afterward known
the world over as the rehneries of
Havemeyer & Elder and paved the
way for his son, H. O. Havemeyer to
organize the gigantic sugar trust.
The average American admires cour-
age, and for that reason the maker of
the Gould millions always enjoyed a
certain popularity while he was alive
He began life as poor boy, hampered
by physical weakness. How ne went to
New York to sell mouse traps is an old
story. He discovered the game was
man traps instead. He ruined men
with complete and utter indifference.
and died when he was but 80 years of
age. leaving a fortune estimated at
$4,000. 900.
The great Morgan fortune was found
ed by j. 5. Morgan, a shrewd saving
and thrifty boy from Massachusetts
he got his start in a dry goods store;
then he became a bank clerk, and by
the time he had reached his 3Sth year
was able to establish a commercial
house in Boston. which subsequently
developed into one of the most import
ant institutions of it's kind in the
United States.
Five years later he went to London
where he met George Peabody. who Of
fered him partnership in the firm of
George Peabody d Co. Later the firm
was changed to ], s. Morgan & Go. J.
s. Morgan died in 1890. leaving his son.
j. Pferpont Morgan, fortune Of SO
100000 The son is said to be worth
anywhere from eighty to one hundred
millions, and the end is not vet.
John d. Rockefeller, the controlling
genius of the Standard Oil Company, Is
of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction. He
was first a school teacher, earning $50 q.
month.
From teaching school he went into
the commission business in Cleveland
and from that into oil. He is firmly
convinced his millions were given him
by God. Notwithstanding his in
tensely religious attitude, his faith has
evidently not entirely removed him
from The spirit of covetousness.
Rockefeller In making his own FOR
tune of $500 600 made fortunes for
ell his business associates
The standard Oil fortunes only 90
hack 80 years. Rockefeller and four
other comparatively poor young men
saw there was money in petroleum. To-
day the riches of those Eve men ag
gregate an easy $500 100000 and their
wealth is still increasing by leaps and
bounds.
The big Belmont fortune has already
two generations from shirt sleeves.
The genius of that family was August
Belmont the son of a small banker and
landed proprietor in one Of the pro
vfnres of Prllgsia He made 1,ie eto ~