Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03
NEW YORK'S SMART SET
LowLY OCCUPATIONS OF EARLY
vANDERBILTs AND AsToRs.
Interesting Light Thrown on the Sub
ject by an Old City
Directory.
From the chicsro Evening Post.

From the Chicago Evening Post
Death as leveler is not I'm the same class
with an old directory. The wonder is " en-
the shelves Of the mighty Of Manhattan
Island there is copy Of a little book which
has just found its way to Chicago. I'm
these days when those in high places seek
the assistance of the librarian Of Congress
to get tight and exclusive grip on their
names. it would seem to the humber per-
sons that perusal OF the pages Of this lit
tie directory of New York Of the year ls.2
SHOULD teach a priceless lesson in humility.
1t was in an old book shop in New York
that John c. King OF Chicago brought 10
light the volume in which are found the
names and the occupations OF the jewellers
In the metropolis before the last century
had turned its first quarter What an MP
portunity is here given for those who Will
to look back the rock from whence they
were hewn and the pit from whence they
were digged.
Vanderbilt, Cartman.
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. the elder. has
invoked the aid of the law TO make her Mrs.
Vanderbilt. She will have none Of the Cor
nelius end OF II. The shade OF the original
Cornelius doubtless will look Disappearing
ly on this action of its great -granddauSh-
ter-in-law. The original Cornelius was
proud of his name-bo;h ends OF Il. lie
asked permission of the city of New York
to paint 1t in full and in large letters 50
tina his fellow citizens might read it Per
mission was granted. and the father OF all
the Nanderbits proudly wrote on each side
OF his wagon this legend:
Cornelius Vanderbilt, licensed cartman.
Cornelius has place with his brother ana
cousin Nanderbilts on page 452 of this old
time register OF Manhattan citizens. Like
Cornelius the cartman the three Jacobs
and the three Johns of the Vanderbilt fam
lily found no good reason for hiding their
names and their professions from tn-
quiring world. AS good craftsmen should.
they believed in hanging their signs the
outer walls. and thus they respectively APP
peared Blacksmith, painter. shoemaker.
carpenter, sexton, grocer.
Astor, Skin Dealer.
Wild animal life was abundant In the
United States In 1S22. There was no neccs-
sfty then for the existence Of protective So
cieties for four-footed game The members
of the Aston family should adopt some fur
red forest creature as their crest, for a
glance at the ancient volume i'm hand shows
that three adult Astors OF that year were
engaged in skin sales, or. to put il more
elegantly, the sale of skins in New YORK
city.
Mr.. Longworth. who compiled the direc-
tory Of the city of New York eighty years
ago, is to be complimeuted on the general
entity, however, allowed one Typographical
error to creep into his work. Everybody
who keeps in touch with the throbbingly
Interesting doings Of the New Workers ot
this date knows that the favorite Christian
name of the Lorilard family is Pierre.
That name is the pride of the Lorinards.
II is sad that the directory man allowed
the original Lorillard to get into the book
as plain Peter. The business sagacity or
the Lorillards never has been questioned.
They always have been. Ii were up to
snuff" 'Tobacconist. AZ Chatham street.
appears after the name of Peter Lori!lard
in this record of four-seore years ago.
Familiar Names.
But there are other names in this book
of the olden time. Good old Peter Cooper
is set down as a mason. living In Bedford
street. Aaron Burr, counselor. had
Office at Al Nassau street. which is still a
lawyers location, and his house was at -
Reed street. Not far from Burr was sit
uated the office of the son of Alexander
Hamilton. whom Burr had killed at Wee
hawken nineteen years before The Roose-
velts, the Goelets, the DePeysters. the Stuy-
vesants, the kermits, the kips and the
Schuyiers have places on the directory
pages but. curiously enough, there is only
one kanrensselaer.