Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-03-03

up his fathers work of b%utchering. That night John
Jacob walked out of Waldorf by the wan light of the
moon, headed for Antwerp. He carried a big red hand
kerchief, in which his worldly goods were knotted.
He reached Antwerp in a week. There he got a
Job on the docks as a laborer. The next day he was
promoted to c%hecker-off. The captain Of a ship asked
him to go to London and figure up the manifests on the
way. He went.
The captain of the ship recommended him to the
company in London and the boy was piling up wealth at
the rate of a guinea a month.
In September, 1883, came the news to London that
George Washington had surrendered. In any event
peace had been decared-Cornwallis had forced the
issue, so the Americans had stopped fighting.
A little later it was given out that England had
given up her American colonies and they were free.
lntuitively John Jacob Astor felt that the new world"
was the place for him. He bought passage bA a sailing
ship bound for Baltimore, at a cost of five pounds. He
then fastened five pounds in a belt around his waist and
with the rest of his money-after sending two pounds
home to his father, with a letter of love-bought a dozen
German flutes.
He had learned to play on this instrument with pro-
hciency and in America he thought there would be an
opening for musicians and musical instruments.
John Jacob was then nearly 20 years of age.
On board ship he met a German, 20 years older than
himself, who was a fur trader and had been home on a
visit. John Jacob played the flute and the German friend
told stories Of fur trading among the Indians.
Young Astor's curiosity was excited. The Waldorf
Astoria plan of flute playing was forgotten. He fed on
fur trading.
Arriving in Baltimore, he was disappointed to learn
that there were no fur traders there. He started for
New York.
There he found work with a certain Robert Bovine,
a Quaker, who bought and sold furs.
Young Astor set himself to learn the business-every
mart of it. He was always sitting on the doorstep before
the owner, carrying a big key to open the warehouse
got around in the morning. He was the last to leave
at night.
The qualities that make a youth a good servant are
the basic ones for mastership. Astor's alertness, will
ingness, loyalty and ability to obey delivered MS eM-
ployer over into his hands.
Robert Bovine. the good old Quaker, insisted that
Jacob should call him Robert, and from boarding the
Young man with a nearby wal widow who took cheap
boarders, Bovine took young Aston to his own mousse
and raised his pay from 81 a week to 20.
Bovine had made an annual trip to Montreal for many
wears. Montreal was the metropolis for furs. Bovine
went to Montreal himself because he did not know o.
anyone he could trust to carry the message to Garcia
Young Aston had been with Bovine only a year. Ht
spoke imperfect English, but he did not drink or gamo'
and he knew furs and was honest.
Bovine started him off for Canada with a belt tul
of gold; his only weapon was a herman hute 'na ~
carried in his hand. =.
John Jacob Astor assembled the Hudson river 10 A
bany and then with pack on his back struck north, alone
through the forest for Lake Champlain. AS ne al
nroached an Indian settlement he played his flute. Tn
aborieines showed no disposition to give him the hool
He hired Indians to paddle him up to the Canadian bo
der. He reached Montreal.
The fur traders there knew Bovine as a very shar
buver and so had their quilts out on his approach. Bl
vonng Astor was seemingly Indifferent. His manner wa
courteous and easy. He got close to his man and too
his nick of the pelts at fair prices. He expended all
his money and even bought on credit, for there are me
who always have credit.
Young Astor found Indian nature to be simply hums
nature. The savage was a man and courtesy, gentlene
and fairly good flute playing soothed his savage breas
Astor had beads and blankets, a flute and a smile. ~
Indians carried his goods by relays and then passed hi
on with cultural certificates as to character to 9th
red men and at last he reached New York without t
loss Of a pelt or the dampening Of his ardor.
Bovine was delighted. To young Astor 1t was moi
ing. He had in his blood the success %corpuscle.
He might have remained with Bovine and become
partner in the business. but Bovine had business LII