The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-27
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EVOLUTION OF MILLIONAIRE.
Ago In New York to 1, 800 To-day.
From the New York World.

"He" Has Grown From 100 Years
Ago In New York to 1 800 To-day.
From the New York World.
There are in New York city to-day
1920 millionaires, as against 294 twenty
years ago and twenty-five in 1853.
There were no millionaires in the city
100 years ago. The first person to reach
that distinction was John Jacob Aston
who became a millionaire about the
year 1920. Six years before that the
richest man in the city was Isaac
Classon, who swore that he was worth
$3.50, 900.
In 1880 there were five rillionaires in
New York, as attested byA Walter Bar
rett, who published book ION the sub
ject in 1852 and who was personally
acquainted with the five men about
whom he wrote. They were John
Jacob Aston, Robert Lenox, John G.
Coster, Stephen Whitney and Nathan
lei Prime. Cornelius Vanderbilt was
at that time struggling hard with his
ferryboat business, but had not reached
the dignity of millionaire.
John Jacob Aston made his money
from furs and real estate, much of the
latter being still held by his descend
ants of the present day. Nathaniel
Prime was in his younger days a
coachman. Then he became a broker
| and banker. After amassing a fortune
he committed suicide because he feared
| misfortune might overtake him and
that he might die in the almshouse.
In those days the city limits extend
ed no farther north than Chambers
street and fashionable residences were
m he in ,saIa
State streets. August Belmont began
his career as a banker and then@suc-
ceeded TO the business that had been
carried on by J. J. & S. Josephs. This
put him in the list of millionaires of
1853.
Among the other millionaires of half
a century ago were William B. Astor,
worth $5,000,000 John Jacob Astor,
worth $25,O0O,OOO; John Haggerty.
$1,00000 Peter Harmony, $1,000, 900 ;
John Kernochan, $1,000, 900; James
Lenox, $3,0OO,000 Mrs. Jacob Lorillard,
$1,000, 900; Gouverneuh Morris, 81, 500, 900;
Mrs. Thomas G. Pearsall, 81, 500, 000 and
Cornelius Vanderbilt, $1,000, 900. The
estate of M. Peck, consisting of Brook
lyn realty, was worth a million, and
that of S. Van Rensselaer, 10000, 900.
A. T. Stewart was then worth a little
more than a million. Peter G. Stuy-
man Thorne at 81, 800, 900.
These fortunes were, for the most
part made in trading, banking and the
increase in value of real estate. In
1916 a carefully prepared list of the
wealthy men of the city showed that
there were then 800 men worth 500, 900
or more, but only eighteen reached the
million-dollar mark.
In 1888 there were eight men in New
York worth $5O,000,00O or more. They
were w. w. Aston Jay Gould, John D.
Rockefeller, w. H. Vanderbilt, H. M.
Flagler, John /. Blair, Russell Sage
and C. P. Huntington.
At the present time Mr.. Rockefeller
is estimated to be worth we'll toward
ST, 600, 900. 900. Famous among other
present-day millionaires are J. P. Nor
gan, Andrew Carnegie, j. J. Astor, w
X. Vanderbilt, Russell Sage, H. M.
Flaeler. w. A. Clark, William Rookie
TELLER, w. C. Whitney, John D. Arch
bold, D. o. Mills, Mrs. Hetty Green.
James Stillman and the members of
the Gould family.
of the 1870 millionaires in New York.
1856 are merchants, 113 bankers, 1874 real
estate owners, so railroad owners. 81
mine owners. and the rest are manu-
facturers, ship owners, tanners, brew
ers and professional men.
New York is the richest city in the
world. It's aggregate wealth is more
than a billion dollars greater than that
of London. It's per capita wealth is
more than twice as much as London's
These facts are more notable when II Is
considered that New York covers less
than one-half the area of London and
that the latter has been for hundreds
of years the greatest trade center on
earth. London exceeds New York in
population, but i27. 900 of its people are
paupers. II exceeds New York in the
number Of houses but Thousands OF
them are holes more miserable than
the worst OF New York's rear tene-
ments. Paris is the third city OF the
world in wealth and population.