Year: 1871

The New York correspondent OF the


Troy Tines writes: Having referred to


industry as the chief necessity to sweet.


en- existence, let me add something up


on the laborious habits of our leading


men. Many young men look forward
to the time when they shall be released
from labor, and they have notion that
the rich men OF this city lead what is
called an easy life" This idea is very
erroneous. Our successful men not only
have been, but continue to be, hard
workers. 1t is true there are persons
who have inherited wealth, and there
fore yield themselves to Incidence and
dissipation, but their experience quickly
prove the old saying that the fool and
his money are soon parted. Our rich
business men work because habit be-
comes second nature, and they would
be miserable if they remained idle We
have no rich drones, for drone would
never become rich. Let us look at the
industry Of few of our self-made men.
Here is


MOSES TAYLOR,


who is about three score and ten, and
is estimated at S. 100000. Surely such
a man, one might say, ought to rest. So
far from this, however, he is almost as
busy as ever. He was noted as an
active and far-sighted merchant, and
ever since he retired from trade he has
found enough to do in the vast field Of
finance. Mr.. Taylor is President OF the
CITY Bank, which is one of the heaviest
OF our Wall street institutions He
would be extremely miserable if he did
not visit that bank every day and spend
an hour in overlooking its operations
in a manner which some men would
call laborious. After this is done, one
may meet in the Wall street crowd that
form 1.-THE and erect, and that penetra-
ting countenance, which seems as much
on the alert as when he was q poor
clerk. Four o'clock finds HIM at his
home, with racked brain and a weary
body, but a fine dinner restores his tone
and after an hour of social small talk
and a drive to the park, he retires to
his private office and enters into deep
and vexatious calculation which CONT
nues until bedtime. Do you inquire
what it can be which drives a rich man
so intensely? | reply, he has a large
number Of vacant lots which should be
covered with houses, and the architects
plans and the builders contracts are TO
be examined. He has extensive tracts
of coal lands for which mining compa-
nies are negotiating. He has shares in
banks, in gas companies and in other
stocks, all Of which must be looked
after. And if he does not finish his
work as rapidly as each day brings it
before him, it would soon accumulate
in very burdensome manner. Such,
then, is the life Of $1,000, 600 man.


THE COMMODORE.


He has worked hard for more than
sixty years. OF late he has abated the
Of his application, but still
labors from five to six hours day in
very close manner. He has just COM
pleted the greatest railway depot for
travellers in this city, and this is mate
to the great freight depot in st. Johns
Park. The Commodore must work TO
save himself from sheer misery. Idle
ness would be 10 him the greatest Of
misrortunes. He is almost determined
that his children shall be working men
The largest part Of his property will
come into their hands, and he knows
hat it is only Industrious habits that
,an keep them in its possession. To
such a man as the Commodore the idea
IF retirement is repulsive. Activity is
lis life and business is an elysium.
Each day brings its excitements, either
If loss or gain, and at the close he feels
he pleasure resulting from the exercise
If the faculties both Of body and
mind.


STEWART.


1t is we'll known that this man is
marvel of industry. Like Vanderbilt,
ne is about seventy-fve, but he looks |
much younger than the former Van
lerbilt may have felt the impelling con-
,ciousness Of a family to sharpen his
application, but Stewart has neither
,hick nor child He works in simple |
obedience to his nature, which demands
{. Stewart and Vanderbilt are the
yreat exponents Of two departments OF
business, the one being a merchant
prince and the other a railway king. |
do not know that they have ever met
and the greatness OF this city is shown
BY containing two such men without
collision Of interests. 1t is the opinion
of good judges OF character, that if Stew
,rt had been bred to military lite, he
would have been the greatest general
fthe age. What would not have been |
accom- plished by such method and such
industry? Having reached old age,
and with property estimated at from
s3O, 100000 to $4O,0 100000, be must still