i   ~~~~~~   i~~~
------------— i=  — ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---   ---   
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OONSTERNATIONi~in~~ AT THE S IGHaallle iT OF 11111~ FULTON'S MO II~llleT lllllft~-~.~\
CON STE RNA TIO N  AT T HE SIGHT OF F ULT 0N'S    MON STE R.




GREAT FORTUNES,
AND
HOW THEY WERE MADE;
OR THE
$f ~~and Iiviumpt1  of Dail $et J~adn JmR.
BY
JAMES D. McCABE, JR.,
AUTHOR OF, ";PLANTING THE WILDERNESS," ETC., ETCO
FROM[ ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY G. F. & E. 13B. BENSELL.
"MAN, it Is not thy works, which are mortal, infinitely little, and the greatest no greater than the least, but
only the spirit t;hom workest in, that can have worth or continuance."-CARLYLE.
CINCINNATI AND CHICAGO:
E. HANNAFORD & COMPANY.
SAN FRANCISCO: P. DEWING a  CO.
1872,




Entered, according to Aft of Congress, in the year I87o, by
E. HANNAFORD & CO.,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
ELECTROTYPED AT TlE FRANKLIN TYPE FOtNDRY, CINCINNATI.




"The physical industries of this world have two relations in
them: one to the actor, and one to the public. Honest business
is more really a contribution to the public than it is to the manages
of the business himself.  Although it seems to the man, anc
generally to the community, that the active business man is
self-seeker, and although his motive may be self-aggrandize.
ment, yet, in point of fact, no man ever manages a legitimate
business in this life, that he is not doing a thousand-fold more
for other men than he is trying to do even for himself. For
in the economy of God's providence, every right and xwel
organized business is a beneficence and not a selfishness. Anc
not less is it so because the merchant, the mechanic thE
publisher, the artist, think merely of their profit. They are ir
fact working more for others than they are for themselves.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.








P RE FA C E.
THE chief glory bf America is. that it is the country in which
genius and industry find their speediest and surest reward.
Fame and fortune are here open to all who are willing to work
for them. Neither class distinctions nor social prejudices, neither
differences of birth, religion, nor ideas, can prevent the man of
true merit from winning the just reward of his labors in this
favored land. We are emphatically a nation of self-made men,
and it is to the labors of this worthy class that our marvelous
national prosperity is due.
This being the case, it is but natural that there should be
manifested by our people a very decided desire to know the
history of those who have risen to the front rank of their
respective callings. Men are naturally cheered and encouraged
by the success of others, and those who are worthy of a similar
reward will not fail to learn valuable lessons from the examples
of the men who have preceded them.
With the hope of gratifying this laudable desire for information, and encouraging those who are still struggling in the lists
of fame and fortune, I offer this book to the reader. I have
sought to tell simply and truthfully the story of the trials and
triumphs of our self-made men, to show how they overcame where
others failed, and to offer the record of their lives as models
worthy of the imitation of the young men of our country. No one




6                         PREFACE.
can hope to succeed in life merely by the force of his own genius,
any more than he can hope to live without exerting some degree
of influence for good or evil upon the community in which his
lot is cast. Success in life is not the effect of accident or of
chance: it is the result of the intelligent application of certain
fixed principles to the affairs of every day. Each man must
make this application according to the circumstances by which
he is surrounded, and he can derive no greater assistance or encouragement in this undertaking than by informing himself how
other men of acknowledged merit have succeeded in the same
departments of the world's industry.  That this is true is shown
by the fact that many of the most eminent men attribute their
great achievements to the encouragement with which the perusal
of the biographies of others inspired them at critical periods of
their careers. It is believed that the narrations embraced in
these pages afford ample instruction and entertainment to the
young, as well as food for earnest reflection on the part of those
who are safely advanced upon their pathway to success, and that
they will prove interesting to all classes of intelligent readers.
Some explanation is due to the reader respecting the title that
has been chosen for the work. The term  " Great Fortunes" is
not used here to designate pecuniary success exclusively. A few
of the men whose lives are herein recorded never amassed great
wealth. Yet they achieved the highest success in their vocations,
and their lives are so full of interest and instruction that this
work must have been incomplete and unsatisfactory had they
been passed over in silence. The aim of the writer has been to
present the histories of those who have won the highest fame and
achieved the greatest good in their respective callings, whether
that success has brought them riches or not, and above all, of
those whose labors have not only opened the way to fortune for
themselves, but also for others, and have thus conferred lasting
benefits upon their; country.




PREFACE,                           7
In short, I have sought to make this work the story of the
Genius of America, believing as I do that he whose achievements
have contributed to the increase of the national wealth, the development of the national resources, and the elevation of the
national character, though he himself be poor in purse, has indeed won a great fortune, of which no reverse can ever deprive
him.
J. D. McC., JR.
NEW YORs, 24th October, 1870.




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
CONSTER1NATION AT SIGHT OF FULTON'S 1MONSTER.. FroitSpiscCe.
GIRARD COLLEGE..................3......................  32
GIRARD'S HE-EROISM.........................................  I5
ASTOR'S FIRST TRIP FOR FURS................................    69
"M Y  MEN SHALL N-OT SUFFER "............................... 150
PORTRAIT OF GEORGE PEABODY................................  168
PEABODY PAYING FOR A NIGHT'S LODGING.                             170
PORTRAIT OF CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.......................   1 33
VANDERBILT EARNING HIS FIRST HUNDRED DOLLARS..........   186
VANDERBILT CARRYING OFF THE SHERIFF......................  192
FOUNDING A GREAT FORTUNE................................  201
PORTRAIT OF BIODERT FULTON.................................  249
AN AM)AZING  REVELATION......................... 291
"TImE nMADHOUSE IS THE PROPER PLACE FOR  IIM"...........   300
WHITNEY WATCIIING THE FIRST COTTON-GIN..................  504
PORTRAIT OF ELIAS HOWE, JR.................................  o323
HOWE's FIrST IDEA OF THE SEWING-nMiACINE................   326
THE BO3Y COLT INVENTING THE REVOLVER...344............... 4
PORTRAIT OF SAMUEL F. 3.  oRS............................. B354
EIow THE NEW  Yorx HERALD BEGAN...................3......   96
MARSHALL'S DEFENCE OF CIRISTIANITY........................ 433
PORTRAIT OF JAMIES T. BRADY................................      435
"TTHEY ARE GOING TO H-IANG MY BROTHEI:; lYOU CAN SAVE IIIiM!"  444
THE TRUANT'S SECRET DISCOVERED........................... 451
PORTRAIT OF HIRA~M POWERS..................................  471
POWERS' DISTRUST OF TE HIUNTERS..........................  474
FILIAL DEVOTION SHAPES A GREAT CAREER.................... 488
CARTWRIGHT CALLING UP THE DEVIL............................ 555
PORTRAIT OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.........................  578
JEFFERSON, AS RIP VAN WVINKLE.............................. 601
PRESCRIBING AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE.......................  618
"PRESIDENT LINCOLN HAS BEEN MIURDERED!.................  633
8




CONTENTS.
I. MERCHANTS.
CHAPTER I.
STEPHEN GIRARD.
The fog in the Delaware-News of the war —Alarm  of the
French skipper - A  narrow  escape from  capture-Arrival of
Girard in Philadelphia —Early history of Stephen Girard —
An unhappy childhood —Goes to sea-Is licensed to command   Becomes a trader in  Philadelphia — Marries 3Iary
Lum-Unfortunate issue of the marriage-Capture of Philadelphia by the British-Early commercial life of Stephen GirardHow he earned his first money, and the use he made of it-Aid
from St. Domingo —His rigid attention to business-Thoroughness of his knowledge-One of his letters of instructions-His
subordinates required to obey orders though they ruin him —Anecdote of Girard and one of his captains-His promptness and
fidelity in business-He never breaks his word-How he lost five
hundred dollars-Buys the old Bank of the United States and
becomes a banker-Cuts down the salaries of his clerks —Refuses
his watchman an overcoat-Indifference to his employes-Contrast between his personal and business habits-His liberality
in financial operations-He subscribes for the entire Government
loan in 1814, and enables the United States to carry on the warHis generosity toward the Government-The suspension of specie
payments-Financial troubles-How Girard saved his own notesHis public spirit-How he made half a million of dollars on a
captured ship-Personal characteristics-Why he valued moneyHis ambition-His infidelity-Causes of the defects of'his char9




10                        CONTENTS.
acter-A  favorable view —Heroic conduct of Stephen Girard
during the prevalence of the yellow fever in Philadelphia-The
Good Samaritan-He practices medicine, and congratulates himself that he has killed none of his patients-His industry-Visit
of Mr. Baring to Mr. Girard-A curious reception-Failing health
and death of Stephen Girard —His will-His noble bequestsEstablishment of Girard College..........................  33-53
CHAPTER II.
JOHN JACOB ASTOR.
Legitimate business the field of success-Reasons for claiming Astor
as an American-Birth and early life-Religious training —The
village of Waldorf-Poverty-The jolly butcher-Young Astor's
repugnance to his father's trade —Unhappy at home-Loses his
mother-His desire to emigrate to the "New Land "-Leaves
home-His voyage down the Rhine-Reaches London and enters
the service of his brother-His efforts to prepare for emigrationLearns to speak English-Peace between the United States and
Great Britain-The road to the "New Land" open-Astor sets
out for America-His first ventures in commerce-The voyage —
How he proposed to save his Sunday clothes-Arrival in the
Chesapeake —The ice-blockade-Astor makes a friend-The furtrader's story-Astor sees the way to fortune —Reaches New
York-Ills first situation-Learning the business-His method
of proceding-An example to young men-His capacity for business operations-He is promoted-His journeys to Canada, and
their results-Sets up in business for himself-The fur trade of
North America-A survey of the field of Astor's operations-His
capital —His tramps into the wilderness in search of furs-Predictions as to the future settlement of the country —His first consignment to England-His marriage-A good wife-Improvement
in his prospects-Buys his first ship-The secret of his successClose attention to business-His economical habits-His indorsement disputed by a bank clerk-Statements of the profits on
furs-He engages in the Chinese trade —How the Government
aided the early China traders-Amount made by Astor in his
legitimate business-His real estate operations —His foresight and
courage-How eight thousand dollars yielded eighty thousandHis real estate in the City of New York —Purchases the half of
Putnam County-The Roger and Mary Morris estate controversy-Astor wins his suit, and makes half a million of-dollars



CONTENTS.                           1.
Astor's scheme of colonization-A grand enterprise-Settlement of
Astoria-Betrayed by his agents, and the scheme brought to failure-Astor withdraws from active business-His boyhood's vow and
its fulfillment-Builds the Astor House-His voyage to EuropeThe return-The troubles of a millionaire-The great man seasick-A curious draft-The last years of his life-His fondness for
literary men-His death and burial —His will-Opposite views of
his character-How his refusal to buy a chronometer cost him seventy thousand dollars-He remembers an old friend-His gift of
a lease-His humor-" William has a rich father."............... 59-93
CHAPTER III.
ALEXANDER T. STEWART.
Birth and early life —Becomes his grandfather's ward-Designed
for the ministry-A change in his plans-Comes to AmericaTeaches school in New York-Becomes a dry goods merchantReceives a legacy-His first importation-How he began business-An energetic trader-His sample lots and their historySuccess of his enterprise-He begins by encouraging honesty in
trade-WTins a name for reliability-The system of selling at one
price-Inaugurates the "selling off at cost " feature —His courage
in business-How he raised the money to meet his note —Improvement in his business-He enlarges his store-As an inducement to
the ladies, employs for clerks handsome young men-The crisis of
1837-Stewart comes out of it a rich man —How he did so-Builds
his lower store-Predictions of failure-The result-Compels the
Government to purchase goods from him-His foresight and liberality-Charged with superstition-Lucky and unlucky personsStory of tlie old apple woman-Remarks at the opening of the St.
Nicholas Hotel-Reasons of Stewart's success-A hard workerHow he receives visitors-Running the gauntlet-How he gets rid
of troublesome persons-Estimate of Mr. Stewart's real estate in
New York-His new residence-His benevolence-Aid for Ireland,
and free passages to America —ome for women-Political sentiments-Mr. Stewart's appointment as Secretary of the TreasuryFeeling of the country —The retail store of A. T. Stewart & Co.A palace of glass and iron-Internal arrangements-The managers
and salesmen-List of sales —Wages given-Visitors-The principal salesroom-The parcel department-The wagons and stablesExtravagant purchases-Mr. Stewart's supervision of the upper
store-The system of buying-The foreign agencies-Statement of
the duties paid each day-Personal appearance of Mr. Stewart. 94-114




12                        CONTENTS
CHAPTER IV.
AMOS LAWRENCE.
The Lawrence family-A  poor boy-Early education-Delicate
health-' Obtains a situation at Dunstable —Returns to GrotonBecomes Mr. Brazer's apprentice-The variety store —An amateur
doctor-Importance of Groton in " old times "'-Responsibility of
young Lawrence-Is put in charge of the business-High character-Drunkenness the curse of New England-Lawrence resolves
to abstain from liquors and tobacco-His self-command-Completes
his apprenticeship-Visits Boston-An unexpected offer-Enters
into business in Boston-Is offered a partnership, but declines it —
HIis sagacity justified —Begins business for himself-Commercial
importance of Boston-Aid from his father-A narrow escapeA lesson for life-Amos Lawrence's method of doing businessAn example for young men-His business habits-He leaves nothing unfinished over Sunday-Avoids speculation-His views upon
the subject-Introduces double entry in book-keeping into Boston-His liberality to his debtors-Does not allow his business to
master him —Property gained by some kinds of sacrifices not worth
having-Forms a partnership with his brother Abbott-Business
of the firm-They engage in manufactures-Safe business principles-A noble letter-Political opinions-His charities-Statement
of his donations-Requests that no public acknowledgment of his
gifts be made-Character as a merchant and a man-Advice to his
son-His religious character-Loss of his health-His patience and
resignation-The model American merchant...................... 115-129
CHAPTER V.
ANDREW V. STOUT.
Early struggles-Acquires an education-Undertakes the support of
his family-The boy teacher-Hard work-Is made instructor of
Latin-A trying position-How he conquered his difficulties-Is
made principal of a public school —His first business venturesEngages in the building of houses —His platform of integrityHis success-A great mistake-He indorses a note-The consequence of a false step-Liberal action of the bank-Mr. Stout resolves to accept no accommodation-Pays the notes, and loses
twenty-three thousand dollars-Establishes himself as a wholesale
boot and shoe dealer-Enters the dry goods trade-Close attention
to business-His system and its success-Organization of the Shoe




CONTENTS.                          13
and Leather Bank of New York-Mr. Stout is made Vice President, and subsequently President-Character as a citizen —Is made
City Chamberlain-Generosity to the police force-Interest in
church affairs-Kindness to the poor-Encouragement which his
career affords others...................................................... 130-137
CHAPTER VI.
JONAS CHICKERING.
The largest building in the United States-The Chickering piano
factory-Birth of Jonas Chickering-Early love of music-Is
apprenticed to a cabinet-maker-Is employed to repair a pianoSucceeds in the undertaking-Consequence of this success-Becomes a piano-maker-Removes to Boston-Is employed as a
journeyman —The labor of his life-His patience and skill-Is
known as the best workman in the establishment-History of the
piano-Chickering's first discovery-His hope of success based on
intelligence-Becomes a master of the theory of sound-His studies and their result-Makes an improvement in the framing of
pianos —Invents the circular scale for square pianos-Generously
makes his invention free-A noble gift to the world-His business operations-Increase in the demand for his instrumentsDeath of Captain Mackay-Mr. Chickering undertakes the sole
charge of his affairs-Fears of his friends-Magnitude of the
business-The lawyer's question answered-The mortgages paidRapid success of Mr. Chickering-His varied duties-Sharp competition-A  bogus Chickering-How  a Boston bank lost his
custom-His independence in business-His character as a merchant-Trains his sons to succeed him in business-The result
of his efforts -The present house of Chickering & Sons-Destruction of the factory-Offers of aid-Mr. Chickering's kindness to
his workmen-Sets to work to re-establish his business-The new
factory begun-Sudden death of Mr. Chickering............... 138-151
CHAPTER VII.
NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.
The grape interest of the United States-Growing demand for
American wines-Instrumentality of Mr. Longworth in producing
tais success-Early life of Mr. Longworth-Apprenticed to a




14                        CON'TENTS.
shoemaker-Removes to South Carolina-Returns to Newark and
studies law-Removes to Cincinnati-Admitted to the bar-His
first case-Is paid in whisky stills, and trades them for lands
which make his fortune-Rapid growth of Cincinnati-The oldest native inhabitant of Chicago-Longworth's investments in
real estate-Immense profits realized by him-His experiments
in wine growing-History of the Catawba grape-Longworth decides to cultivate it entirely-His efforts to promote the grape culture in the Ohio Valley-Offers a market for all the grape juice that
can be brought to him-The result of his labors seen in the Ohio
vineyards of to-day-His wine cellars-Amount of wine made
annually by him-The process used-How "Sparkling Catawba"
is made-Longworth's experiments with strawberries-His liberality-Gift of land to the Observatory-His challenge to a grumbler-Estimate of his character-Ilis eccentricities-His generosity
to his tenants —How he made money by helping others to grow
rich-His politics-How he subscribed one hundred dollars to
elect Clay-His hatred of vagabondage —His stone quarry-How
he provided it with laborers —His system of helping the poorIs charged with stinginess-The "devil's poor "-Personal appearance-The "Hard-times" overcoat —Charity to a millionaire
— Death of Mr. Longworth................... 152CHAPTER VIII.
GEORGE  PEABODY.
Birth and parentage-Early education-His first lessons in business-An apprentice in a country store —Youthful ambitionA desire for change-The visit to Post Mills-Removal to
Newburyport - Reasons for his attachment to that place —
His first patron- Peabody goes south — A  soldier in the
War of 1812-15 —A young merchant —A  change of prospects-A partner in the house of Riggs & Peabody-Peabody's
business capacity-An irregular banker-His reputation as a
business man-Promising opening of a brilliant career-Retirement of Mr. Riggs-Growth of the business-A branch house
in London-Mr. Peabody saves the credit of the State of Maryland-Tribute from  Edward Everett —Success in London-A
model American merchant-Establishment of the house of George
Peabody & Co. —The Fourth of July dinner-The exhibition of
1851-Patriotism  of Mr. Peabody-H-ow he saved the United
States from humiliation-Admission of the "London Times"



CONTENTS.                           15
Mr. Peabody's business habits —His economy-Adventure with a
conductor-Finds a conscientious hackman-Personal simplicityVisits to the United States-His munificent donations-His last
visit-Returns to London and dies-Honors paid to his memoryThe funeral ceremonies-His burial at Peabody-Statement of
his donations and bequests —  is example encouraging to the
young.........................................................................  168-181
II. CAPITALISTS.
CHAPTE R IX.
CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.
Staten Island seventy-six years ago-The establishment of the
Staten Island ferry —Birth of Cornelius Vanderbilt —His boyhood-Defective education-A famous rider-His early reputation
for firmness-Superintends the removal of a ship's cargo at the
age of twelve-How he pawned a horse-Becomes a boatmanHow he bought his boat-A  disastrous voyage-His life as a
boatman-His economy and industry-Earns three thousand
dollars-The alarm  at Fort Richmond-Vanderbilt's perilous
voyage for aid for the forts -His marriage-His first contractHow he supplied the harbor defenses-Builds his first schoonerHis winter voyages —Becomes a steamboat captain-His foresight-Leases the hotel at New Brunswick-The dangers of navigating the New York waters-The steamboat war —How Captain Vanderbilt eluded the sheriff-Becomes manager of the
steamboat line-Declines an increase of salary-Only wants to
carry his point-Refuses to buy Mr. Gibbons's interest in the
steamboat company, and builds his own boat-Narrow  escape
from ruin —Final triumph-Systematic management of his Yessels-How he ruined the "Collins Line " —The " North Star "Becomes a railroad director-How he foiled a plan to ruin himA dishonest legislature-Vanderbilt's triumph-His gift to the
Government-His office in New York-Vanderbilt in business
hours-Personal characteristics-Love for horses-His family.183-199




1f'                       CONTENT.
CHAPTER X.
DANIEL DREW.
Birth-place-Birth and parentage-A farmer's boy-Goes to New
York to seek his fortune-Becomes a cattle drover-Leases the
Bull's Head Tavern-His energy and success in his businessBrings the first western cattle to New York-Helps a friend to
build a steamboat-The fight with Vanderbilt-Drew buys out his
friend, and becomes a steamboat owner-Vanderbilt endeavors
to discourage him-He perseveres-His success-Formation of
the "People's Line" on the Hudson River-The floating palaces-Forms a partnership with George Law, and establishes
the Stonington line-Opening of the Hudson River RailwayDrew's foresight —Room enough for the locomotive and the
steamboat-Buys out the Champlain Company-Causes of his
success as a steamboat manager-Becomes a banker-His success
in Wall Street-Indorses the acceptances of the Erie Railway
Company-His courage and calmness in the panic of 1857-He
saves "Erie" from ruin-Elected a director of the Erie RoadIs made Treasurer-His interest in the road-His operations in
Wall Street-His farm in Putnam County-Joins the Methodist
Church-His liberality —Builds a church in New York —Founds
the Drew Theological Seminary-Estimate of his wealth-His
family-Personal appearance...........................................200-208
CHAPTER XI.
JAMES B. EADS.
Birth-Childhood -- Fondness for machinery —Early mechanical
skill-Constructs a steam engine at the age of nine years-His
work-shop-Death of his father-Works his way to St. LouisSells apples on the streets-Finds employment and a friend-Efforts to improve-Becomes a clerk on a Mississippi steamer-Undertakes the recovery of wrecked steamboats-Success of his
undertaking-Offers to remove the obstacles to the navigation of
the Mississippi-Failure of his health-Retires from businessBreaking out of the war-Summoned to Washington-His plan
for the defense of the western rivers-Associated with Captain
Rodgers in the purchase of gunboats-His first contract with the
Government-Undertakes to build seven ironclads in sixty-five
days-Magnitude of the undertaking-His promptness-Builds




CONTENTS.                         17
other gunboats during the war-The gunboat fleet at Forts Henry
and Donelson the private property of Mr. Eads —Excellence of
the vessels built by him —A model contractor-Residence in St.
Louis........................................................................... 209-220
CHAPTER XII.
CYRUS W. FIELD.
Birth-Parentage-Early education-Goes to New York in search
of employment-Obtains a clerkship in a city house, and in a
few years betcmes a partner-A rich man at thirty-four-Retires
from business-Travels in South America-Meets Mr. GisbornePlan of the Newfoundland Telegraph Company-Mr. Field declines to embark in it —Conceives the idea of a telegraph across
the Atlantic Ocean-Correspondence with Lieut. Maury and Prof.
Morse-The scheme pronounced practicable-Mr. Field secures
the co-operation of four New York capitalists-Organization of
tile New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph CompanyBuilding of the line from New York to St. John's-A herculean
task —The Governmental ocean surveys of the United States and
England-Efforts to secure aid in England-Liberal action of
the Government-Organization of the Atlantic Telegraph Company-A hard-won success in America-Passage of the bill by
Congress-The first attempt to lay the cable-The expedition of
1857-The telegraph fleet-Scenes on board-Loss of the cableFailure of the expedition-Difficulties remedied-The new "paying-out" machinery-The expedition of 1858-The second attempt to lay the cable-Dangerous storm-Failures-Loss of the
cable-The third attempt-The cable laid successfully-Messages
across the Atlantic-Celebrations in England and the United
States-The signals cease-The cable a failure-Discouraging
state of affairs-Courage of Mr. Field-Generous offer of the
British Government - Fresh soundings - Investigations of the
Telegraph Board —Efforts of Mr. Field to raise new capitalPurchase of the Great Eastern-The fourth attempt to lay the
cable-Expedition of 1865 —Voyage of the Great Eastern-Loss
of the cable-Efforts to recover it unsuccessful-What the expedition demonstrated-Efforts to raise more capital-They are pronounced illegal-The new company-The fifth attempt to lay the
cable-Voyage of the Great Eastern-The cable laid at lastFishing up and splicing the cable of 1865-The final triumphCredit due to Mr. Field...................................... 221-248
2




a 18i                     CONTENTS.
III. INVENTORS.
CHAPTER XIII.
ROBERT FULTON.
Trinity churchyard-The Livingston vault-An interesting place —
Fulton's tomb —Birth of Robert Fulton-Boyhood-Early mechanical skill-Robert astonishes his tutor-Robert's fireworks"Nothing is impossible "-" Quicksilver Bob "-The fishing excursion-The first paddle-wheel boat-Fulton's success as an
artist-His gift to his mother-His removal to England-Intimacy with Benjamin West-Goes to Devonshire-Acquaintance
with the Duke of Bridgewater-His interest in canal navigation —
His first inventions-Goes to Paris-Residence with Mr. BarlowStudies in engineering-Invents the diving boat-The infernal
machine-His patriotic reply to, the British ministry-His marriage-Returns to America-The General Government declines
to purchase his torpedo-Brief history of the first experiments in
steam navigation-Fulton's connection with Livingston-The trial
boat -on the Seine-Determines to build a boat on the HudsonFrilton and Livingston are given the sole right to navigate the
waters of New York by steam-Popular ridicule-Disbelief of
scientific -men-Launch of the " Clermont "-The trial trip-The
firstwvoyage'up the Hudson-Fulton's triumph-Scenes along the
river-Efforts to sink the steamer-Establishment of steam navigation on the IHudson' River-The first New York ferry-boatsThe floating docks-Boats for the West-New York threatened
by the British ~1eet in 1814-Fulton's plan for a steam frigateThe "Fulton qthe First"-The steamboat war-Illness of Fulton-His death and burial-His last will-True character of his
invention...................................................................   249-275
CHAPTER XIV.
C-HARLES GOODYEAR.
Discovery of India-rubber-Mode of collecting it-Preparation and
use by the natives-Its introduction into the United States —Mr.
E. M. Chaffee's process —The India-rubber fever-Brief success of
the India-rubber companies-Their sudden failure-Visit of Mr.




CONTENTS.!             9
Goodyear to New York-He invents an improvement in the life
preserver —Early history of Charles Goodyear-His failure as a
merchant-Offers his invention to the Roxbury Company-The
agent's disclosures-Mr. Goodyear finds his mission-His first
efforts-A failure-Discouraging state of his affairs-Renews his
efforts-Experiments in India-rubber-Coldness of his friendsHis courage and perseverance-Goes to New York-Accidental
discovery of the aqua fortis process-Partial success-RuinedLife on Staten Island-Removes to Boston-Delusive prosperityThe mail-bag contract-His friends urge him to abandon his efforts-He refuses-On the verge of success-Discovers the usefulness of sulphur-The inventor's hope-The revelation-Discovers
the secret of vulcanization-Down in the depths-Kept back by
poverty-A beggar-A test of his honesty-Starvation at handThe timely loan-Removal to New York-Difficulties in the wayDeath of his youngest child —Finds friends in New York —His
experiments in vulcanization-Final success-His heart in his
work-Fails to secure patents in Europe —His losses from dishonest rivals-Declaration of the Commissioner of Patents-Death
of Mr. Goodyear-Congress refuses to extend his patent-,-His true
reward........................................................................ 276-300
CHAPTER XV.
ELI WHITNEY.
The home of General Greene in Georgia-The soldier's widow-An
arrival from New England —The young schoolmaster-A mechanical genius-Early history of Whitney-Mrs. Greene's invitationVisit of the planters-State of the cotton culture in 1792-A despondent planter-Mrs. Greene advises them to try WhitneyOrigin of the cotton gin —Whitney's first efforts-His workshopThe secret labors —How he provided himself with materialsFinds a partner-Betrayal of his secret-He is robbed of his
model-He recovers it and completes it-The first cotton ginStatement of the revolution produced by the invention in the
cotton culture of the South-Opinion of Judge Johnson-The
story of an inventor's wrongs-Whitney is cheated and robbed
of his rights-The worthlessness of a patent-A long and disheartening struggle-Honorable action of North Carolina-Congress refuses to extend the patent-Whitney abandons the cotton
gin-Engages in the manufacture of firearms-His improvements
in them-Establishes an armory in Connecticut, and makes a fortune-Death.................................................................. 301-311




20                        CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAUNCEY JEROME.
The old-fashioned clocks-Their expensiveness-Condition of the
clock trade of Connecticut sixty years ago-Early history of
Chauncey Jerome-A hard life-Death of his father-Becomes a
farmer's boy-Is anxious to become a clock-maker-An over-wise
guardian-Hardships of an apprentice-How Jerome became a
carpenter —Hires his winters from his master-Becomes a dialmaker-The clock-making expedition-Jerome's first savingsTakes a wife-A master carpenter-Poor pay and hard workBuys a house-A dull winter-Enters Mr. Terry's factory-The
wooden clock business-Sets up in business for himself-Industry
and energy rewarded-His first order-Sends his clocks SouthEnlarges his business-Improvements in his clocks-Losses on
southern shipments from dampness - Depression of businessJerome's anxiety-A wakeful night —Invention of the brassA new era in the clock trade-Beneficial effects of Jerome's invention —agnitude of the Connecticut clock trade at presentGrowth of Jerome's business-Makes a fortune-Organization of
the "Jerome Clock-making Company " —Practical withdrawal of
Mr. Jerome-Difficulties of the company-Jerome a ruined manHonest independence-Finds employment-Becomes the manager
of the Chicago Company...................................312-322
CHAPTER XVII.
ELIAS HOWE, JR.
The first sewing-machine-Birth of Elias Howe-A poor man's
son-Raised to hard work-His first employment-The little millboy-Delicate health-Goes to Lowell to seek his fortune-Thrown
out of employment-Removes to Cambridge-Works in a machine
shop with N. P. Banks-Marries-A rash step-Growing troubles
-A hard lot-Conceives the idea of a sewing-machine-His first
experiments unsuccessful-Invents the lock stitch and perfects the
sewing-machine-Hindered by his poverty-A hard struggleFinds'a partner-His winter's task-His attic work-shop-Completion of the model-Perfection of Howe's invention-Efforts to
dispose of the invention-Disappointed hopes-Popular incredulity-Becomes an engine driver-Amasa Howe goes to England with the sewing-machine-Bargain with the London mer



CONTENTS.                          21
chant-Elias removes to London-Loses his situation-The rigors
of poverty-Returns to America-Death of his wife-Fate's last
blow-The sewing-machine becomes better known-Adoption by
the public-A tardy recognition-Elias Howe sets up in business
for himself-Buys out his partner's interest-The sewing-machine
war-Rapid growth of the sewing-machine interest-Earnings of
the inventor-A  royal income-Honors conferred upon himEnlists in the United States Army-A liberal private-Last illness and death............................................................... 323-333
CHAPTER XVIII.
RICHARD M. HOE.
Growth of the art of printing-Birth of Richard M. Hoe-Sketch
of the career of Robert Hoe-He comes to America —His marriage-Founds the house of " Robert Hoe & Co."-The first steam
printing presses-He retires from business-Richard M. Hoe is
brought up in the business-The mechanical genius of the houseThe new firm-Richard Hoe's first invention-Obtains a patent
for it-Visits England-Invents the double-cylinder press-Demand for increased facilities for printing-Mr. Hoe's experiments
with his press-His failures-How the "Lightning Press" was
invented-A good night's work-Patents his invention-The first
"Lightning Press "-Demand for it-Rapid growth of the business of the firm-Statement of the operations of the housePersonal characteristics of Richard M. Hoe-The "Lightning
Press" at work.........................................   *334-342
CHAPTER XIX.
SAMUEL COLT.
Birth and parentage-A restless boy-Dislikes school-Early fondness for mechanical inventions-Is sent to boarding-school-Runs
away to sea-The story of a boy's invention, and what came of
it-Origin of the revolver-Returns home-His chemical studies
-Dr. Coult-The lecturing tour-His success-Completes his design for the revolver-Patents his invention-Visits EnglandDiscovery at the Tower of London-Returns home-Formation




22                         CONTENTS.
of the "Patent Arms Company " —Objections of the officers of
the army and navy to the revolver-The Florida War-It is decided by the revolver-Triumph of Col. Colt-Cessation of the
demand for arms-Failure of the company-Beginning of the
Mexican War-Action of General Taylor-No revolvers to be
had-A strange dilemma for an inventor-The new model-Contracts with the Government-Success of the revolver in MexicoThe demand from the frontier —Emigration to California and
Australia-Permanent establishment of Col. Colt's businessThe improved weapon-Builds a new armory-Description of his
works at Hartford-A liberal employer-Other inventions of Col.
Colt —His submarine telegraph-His fortune-His marriage —
Visits to Europe -Attentions from European dignitaries-Witnesses the coronation of the Emperor of Russia-His last illness
and death............................................................. 343-353
CHAPTER XX.
SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.
Birth-Parentage-Early education-Graduates at Yale CollegeBecomes an artist-His masters-Visits England —His first attempt-" The Dying Hercules "-Opinion of Benjamin WestWins the medal of the Adelphi Society of Arts-Ambition as an
artist-His cold reception by the Americans-Mr. Tuckerman's
comments-Organizes the National Academy of Design-Visits
Europe the second time-The homeward voyage in the "Sully "News of the experiments at Paris with the electro-magnet-How
the electric telegraph was invented-Morse is made a professor
in the University of New York-Completion of his model-An
imperfect telegraph-His first experiments-The duplicate finished-First exhibition of the telegraph-Morse applies for a
patent —Visits Europe to introduce his invention-His failureSeeks aid from Congress-A disheartening effort-A long struggle-Independence of Morse-Despondent at last —A sudden lifting of the cloud-The experimental line —The trial-A curious
Cabinet Minister-Success of the telegraph-Establishment of
companies in the United States —Professor Morse wins fame and
fortune-The telegraph in Europe-Honors at home and abroadA list of his rewards —Morse originates submarine telegraphy, and
predicts the laying of an Atlantic telegraph-Personal characteristics............................................................................. 354-366




CONTENTS.                          23
IV. PUBLI S HER S.
CHAPTER XXI.
JAMES HARPER.
The Brothers Harper-Birth and parentage of James Harper-The
Long Island home-James Harper goes to New York-Becomes a
" devil "-Winning his way-How he gave his card to a strangerArrival of " Brother John "-Good habits-Sets up for himself"J. & J. Harper, Printers "-How they started in business-Integrity rewarded-First job-Their first effort at stereotypingThe Harpers become publishers on their own account-Their
early ventures-Feeling their way to success-Their publications
— Character of their books-How they drove the "yellow covers"
out of the market-Their prosperity-Admission of new partners
-The great fire-Destruction of the establishment of Harper &
Brothers-Energy of the firm-Re-establishmeut of their business-Their new premises-Description of the buildings-Personal characteristics of Mr. James Harper-Religious life-Liberality of sentiment-His industry-Elected Mayor of New York
-Kindness to his operatives-Physical Vigor-" The Lord knows
best "-Accident to Mr. Harper and his daughter-His death 367-379
CHAPTER XXII.
JAMES T. FI-ELDS.
The old "Corner Book-store" in Boston and its associations-Carter & Bendee employ a new clerk-Birth and early life of James
T. Fields-His literary talent-Governor Woodbury's advice —
Enters mercantile life-Determined to rise-His studies-The
result-Associated with Edward Everett at the age of eighteenHis business talent-Steady promotion-Becomes head clerk with
Allen & Ticknor-Establishment of the firm of Ticknor & Fields
-Success as a publisher-High character of his house-Relations
toward authors-Publications of Ticknor & Fields-RemovalOrganization of the firm of Fields, Osgood & Co.-The new
book-store-An elegant establishment-Mr. Field's literary success-Statement of a friend-" Common Sense "-His contributions to the periodicals of the firm-Travels in Europe-Personal appearance....................................................... 380 87




24                        CONTENTS.
V. EDITORS.
CHAPTER XXIII.
JAMES GORDON BENNETT.
Birth-Intended for the Romish priesthood-How he was induced
to come to America-Arrival in Halifax —Comes to the United
States-What came of a shilling-Employment in Boston-Reaches
New York-Attempts to establish a school-Becomes connected
with the press-Success of his Washington letters-Services on the
" Courier and Inquirer "-Leaves that journal-Removes to Philadelphia-Establishes "The Pennsylvanian "-Ingratitude of his
political associates-Returns to New York-Establishment of " The
New York Herald " —Early difficulties of that paper, and how
Bennett surmounted them-The first "Herald" office-A determined effort to succeed-First numbers of "The Herald"-How
one man carried on a newspaper-A lucky hit-The first "money
article "-The office burned down-The great fire —Bennett's reports
of the disaster-Success of "The Herald" —His first advertising
contract-Increasing prosperity-The journal of to-day-How it is
conducted —The new "Herald" office-Bennett's pride in his
paper-Personal characteristics-His independence........... 389-406
CHAPTER XXIV.
ROBERT BONNER.
Birth and parentage-Emigration to America-Becomes a printerA first-class compositor-Engaged upon the "Evening Mirror" —
The "Merchant's Ledger "-Bonner purchases the paper, and
changes its name to the "New York Ledger"-The new literary
journal-Predictions of failure-Bonner confident of success-Engages Fanny Fern to write for him —A handsome price for a story
— Wonderful success of the "Ledger " —Skillful advertising-Popularity of the paper-How Bonner silenced the critics-" Edward
Everett writes for the'Ledger' "-How Bonner treats his contributors-" Henry Ward Beecher writes for the'Ledger' " —Immense
circulation of the paper-The new "Ledger" building-Private
residence of Mr. Bonner-His stable-His love for horses.... 407-416




CONTENTS,                         25
VI. LAWYERS.
CHAPTER XXV.
JOHN MARSHALL.
The model American lawyer-Birth and early life of John Marshall —A devoted father-Early education-The young patriotTroubles with England-Marshall becomes a soldier-The "Cultepper Minute Men "-Marshall's popularity in the army —Finishes his law studies-His journey from Williamsburg to Philadelphia-Commences the practice of the law-Elected to the
Legislature-Establishes himself in Richmond-The power of a
powdered wig and velvet coat-Marshall's services in the Virginia
Convention of 1798-Becomes the champion of Washington's Administration-Refuses public honors-Is made Minister to France
-Public reception in New York-Elected Member of CongressHis memorable speech —Enters the Cabinet of President Adams as
Secretary of State-Is made Chief Justice of the United States —
His record-His "Life of Washington "-Personal characteristics
— His generosity-William Wirt's pen and ink sketch of himHis courtesy and kindness-Fondness for manly sports-The quoit
club-How he carried a proud man's turkey home-The supper
party —The Chief Justice loses the wager-Mode of traveling on
his circuit-The scene at Maguire's Hotel in Winchester, Virginia
-The unknown champion of Christianity-A brilliant defenseLast illness and death of Judge Marshall........................... 417-434
CHAPTER XXVI.
JAMES T. BRADY.
Birth and early life-His "big head"-His kindliness of disposition
-Enters his father's office to study law-Merry nature-How he
studied law-A model for ambitious youths-His father's opinion
of him-Admitted to the bar-His first case-The newsboy caseA sudden rise in popularity-Practices in the Supreme Court



26.                       CONTENTS.
The India-rubber suit-A  compliment from  Daniel WebsterBrady's integrity.-Professional success and generosity-His readiness in managing his cases-Conduct toward witnesses-His
fearlessness-A bold declaration in Tammany Hall-His profound
knowledge of his profession-His industry-His disinterested
kindness-His humor-Meets his match-Political life-Personal
appearance-A genial old bachelor-Literary tastes and laborsHis generosity to the poor-Devotion to his relatives-Last appearance in public-Forebodings-Death..........................   435-447
VII. ARTI STS.
CHAPTER XXVII.
BENJAMIN WEST.
A native of Pennsylvania-Circumstances attending his birth-The
child of promise-First indications of genius-The baby's portrait-Lessons from the Indians-The box of colors-The truant
pupil-The mother's discovery-West's opinion of his first picture-The little portrait painter-The first attempt at historical
painting-" The Death of Socrates "-Choosing a professionDedicated to his work-A fighting Quaker-Establishes himself
in New York-Visits Europe-Arrival at Rome, and reception
there-Visit to the Apollo Belvidere-West's criticism-Travels
and labors on the continent-Visits England-His reception
there-Urged to stay-Decides to make England his homeSends for his bride-Marriage-" Agrippina Landing with the
Ashes of Germanicus" — Success of the picture-The king becomes his friend-The most famous works of Benjamin West"The Death of Wolfe " —Reception of the picture by the publicWest triumphs over the critics, and inaugurates a new era of
historical painting-Death of the king-West is elected President of the National Academy-His resignation and re-electionClosing years of a great career-Personal appearance-Leigh
Hunt's description of him-Death-Burial in St. Paul's Cathedral.............................................. 448460




CONTENTS.                           27
~CHAPTER XXVIII.
JOHN ROGERS.
Birth-Early years-Begins life as a clerk in a dry goods store —
Artistic talent —Opposition of his parents —A change in his plans
-Becomes an engineer-Failure of his eyes-Voyage to SpainReturn home-Becomes a machinist-Promoted-Learns to model
in clay-Commences his studies in art —A hard life, and a noble
perseverance-A change for the better-A sudden reverse-Out
of work-Visits Europe to study his art-Returns home in despair-Enters the service of the surveyor of the city of ChicagoHis first statuettes —Their success-A new field opened to himVisits New York, and learns the new method of casting figuresEstablishes himself in New York-His first studio-Immediate
popularity of his works-Description of them-Removes to a
new studio-His later works-Process by which they are madeOriginality of the artist rewarded by the public-Personal characteristics................................................    461-470
CHAPTER XXIX.
HIRAM POWERS.
Birth-Juvenile mechanical skill-The life of a Vermont boy —
Hard times-Removal of the Powers family to the West-The
new farm-Misfortunes never come singly —Breaking up of the
household-Hiram's first employment-The reading-room scheme
-Hiram becomes a collector of bad debts-Reminiscences of the
young West-Powers becomes a mechanic-Story of the brass
plates —Rapid promotion-The silver watch-How  Hiram purchased it-The Cincinnati Museum —The artist's first lessons in
modeling-His first sitter-The trial of skill-The king of the
Cannibal Islands-The man-eater-Hiram becomes interested in
the museum-How he played the devil in Cincinnati-A dishonest employer-Mr. Longworth's offer-Powers goes to Washington-His success there-Visit to "Old Hickory " — The first
critic-Kindness of Senator Preston-Powers goes to Italy-Arrival in Florence-His first works in Italy-Visit to Thorwaldsen-Works of Powers-His rapid success-His life in Italy —
Views of Mr. Powers respecting an artist life-Personal characteristics-Popularity with artists................................. 471-487




28                        CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXX.
EMMANUEL LEUTZE.
An American by adoption-Early life and education-fHow he
learned to draw-Becomes an artist-His first picture-The evils
of too much haste-His first professional engagement-Despondency-A ramble through the Virginia woods, and what came of
it —A friend in need-Greater success-Friendship of Mr. Carey
-Leutze goes to Europe-Studies at Dusseldorf -His reception
there-Becomes Lessing's pupil-His first picture finds a purchaser-Travels and studies in Europe-Returns to Dusseldorf,
marries, and makes his home in that place-His paintings-Returns to New York-Success in America-The Government commission-Journey to the Rocky Mountains —The great fresco in
the Capitol-" Westward the Star of Empire takes it Way "Revisits Dusseldorf-Reception by the artists —Returns to the
United States-Further commissions from the Government-His
sudden death —His unfinished works —Mr. Tuckerman's remarks................................................... 488-497
VIII. DIVINES.
CHAPTER XXXI.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
a Connecticut boy-The minister's family-A gloomy childhood —
Ma'arm Kilbourn's school-The loss of his curls-The dull boyA bad voice for an orator-His first religious impressions-Aunt
Esther-The Sunday catechism-Sent to boarding school-Love
of nature-Enters his sister's school-The hopeless case-An inveterate joker and an indifferent scholar-Removal to BostonGets through the Latin school-The sea-going project-Dr. Beechcr's ruse —Life at Mount Pleasant-Conquers mathematics-Embraces religion at a revival-Resolves to become a minister



CONTENTS.                         29
Removal to Cincinnati —Course at the Lane Seminary-How he
learned to preach-Marries-His first charge-Life at Lawrenceburg-Removal to Indianapolis-Life in the West —His popularity-His theory of preaching and its success-Conversion of his
brother-Mr. Beecher accepts a call to Plymouth Church in
Brooklyn-Political record-Literary labors-Pastoral work-A
large audience-Government of Plymouth Church-Description
of the edifice-The congregation-The services-Mr. Beecher as a
preacher-Sympathy between the pastor and his hearers-His ideas
of religion-How he prepares his sermons-His prayers unstudied
-The social receptions-The Friday evening meeting-A characteristic scene-Labors during the war-Visit to Europe-An unpopular sermon in a good cause-Personal characteristics.... 499-525
CHAPTER XXXI I.
PETER CARTWRIGHT.
Birth-Removal to Kentucky-" Rogue's harbor " —Condition of the
country and the people-Frontier life-Early life of a preacherBecomes a Christian —His account of his conversion-Is made an
exhorter in the Methodist Church-Removal to Lewiston County
-Begins preaching-Qualifications of a backwoods preacher-His
energy-The jerks-How Peter frightened a bully-A brimstone
angel —Enters the ministry-Appointed to the Marietta CircuitA good school-Hard times-Marries-Quiet heroism —How the
old-time people married-His devotion to the Methodist Church
-Troubles with other denominations-How he argued with a
Universalist-How he met a wrathful dame-Encounter with a
Baptist preacher-Adventure with Father Teel-Taming a shrewRemoval to Illinoi —His reasons for taking that step-Death of
his daughter-Arrival at his new home-Life on the frontier-A
large district-The Methodist circuit riders of sixty years ago-'
Perils of frontier traveling —Success of Cartwright's ministry —
How he was superannuated —His courage-How he cleared a
camp of rowdies-Encounter on a ferry-boat-Frightens a bullyAdvocates temperance-A practical joke-Is elected to the Legislature-His opinion of politics-How he raised the devil-"Another
sinner down "-Missionaries from the East-Indignation of the
backwoods preacher-The proposed mission to New EnglandCartwright declines it-He visits Boston-His reception-How he
preached for Father Taylor-Summing up-Sixty-seven years of
a preacher's life............................................  526-562




30                        CONTENTS.
IX. AUTHORS.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
Birth and early life-The old house by the sea-College life-Early
literary productions-Becomes a professor in Bowdoin College —
Travels in Europe-Marriage-Literary labors-" Outre Mer"Is made a professor in Harvard College-His second visit to Europe-Death of his wife-Goes to live in the Craigie House-Historical associations —Washington's headquarters -A congenial
home —Literary labors-" Hyperion "-Great popularity of the
book-"Voices of the Night "-"The Spanish Student "'-Mr.
Longfellow buys the Craigie House-Summary of his worksThe "Song of Hiawatha"- Death of Mrs. Longfellow-Mr.
Longfellow again visits Europe-His popularity with the English-speaking race-Cause of his popularity-" Resignation "Scene from "The Golden Legend "-The poet's home......... 563-577
CHAPTER XXXIV.
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
The Hawthornes of Salem-A sea-going race-Birth of Nathaniel
Hawthorne-A sad home-Early life-His college days-Longfellow's recollection of him-Returns home-The young recluseLiterary efforts —"Twice-Told Tales"-" The most unknown author in America "-Enters the Boston Custom House-His duties
-Popularity with the sailors-Loses his office-Becomes a member of the Brook Farm Community-Marries and goes to live at
Concord-" The Old Manse "-Life at Concord-Curiosity of the
village people-" Mosses from an Old Manse "-Hawthorne's visitors-Hawthorne and his friends-George William Curtis' recollections-Removes to Salem-Is made surveyor of that port-" The
Scarlet Letter"-Removal to the Berkshire Hills —"The House
of the Seven Gables "-Returns to Concord-" Life of Franklin
Pierce"-Is made Consul to Liverpool —Life abroad-Depressed
by the war-M-Ioncure D. Conway's recollections-Juvenile works
-Death of Mr. Ticknor-Effect upon Hlawthorne-Goes traveling
with Ex-President Pierce-Sudden death of Hawthorne —Burial
at Concord......................................................    578-589




CONTENTS.                         31
X. ACTORS.
CHAPTER XXXV.
EDWIN BOOTH.
The elder Booth-His success as an actor-His sons-Birth of Edwin Booth-Early life-Brought up on the stage-Admiration for
his father-Travels with him-First appearance-Appears frequently with his father-Plays Richard III. in New York-A
bold venture-Learns the details of his profession-Visits Australia and the Sandwich Islands-Re-appearance in New York in
1857-Recollections of him at that time-His labors in his profession-Successful tours throughout the country-Visits England-Appears at the Haymarket Theater in London —Studies on
the continent-Appearance at the Winter Garden-The Shakespearian revivals —Destruction of the Winter Garden by fireLoss of Mr. Booth's theatrical wardrobe-Popular sympathy-The
new theater —Opening of the building-Description of Booth's
Theater-A magnificent establishment-A splendid stage —Novel
mode of setting the scenes-Magnificent mounting of the plays
produced there-Mr. Booth's performances-Personal-Genius as
an actor-Beneficial influence upon the drama................. 591-600
CHAPTER XXXVI.
JOSEPH JEFFERSON.
The Jefferson family-A  race of actors-Jefferson the first-" Old
Jefferson "-Jefferson the third-Birth of Joseph Jefferson-Childhood-Brought up on the stage-Olive Logan's reminiscenceFirst appearance in public-Early training-Career as a stock
actor-Becomes a "star " —His success-Visits Australia, the
player's El Dorado —Pecuniary success of Jefferson in AustraliaHis merits as an actor-Visits England-First appearance at the
Adelphi Theater-" Our American Cousin "-Production of Rip
Van Winkle-Makes the part his specialty-Description of his
performance of Rip Van Winkle-Personal characteristics-Devotion to his profession-Love of art-A capital sportsman-Buys
a panorama-A visit to John Sefton-" The Golden Farmer"Private  life...................     601...611




32                        CONTENTS.
XI. PHYSICIAN S.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
BENJAMIN R USH.
Birth and early life-Adopts medicine as a profession-Studies in
Europe —Returns home, and is made a professor in the Philadelphia Medical College-Political career-Elected to the Provincial
Conference of Pennsylvania-Action with respect to the independence of the colonies —Elected to the Continental CongressSigns the Declaration of Independence-Marriage-Is made Surgeon-General of the army —Becomes Physician-General-Troubles
-Resigns his commission-Letters to the people of Pennsylvania
-Services in the State conventions- Resumes his practice in
Philadelphia-Plans the Philadelphia Dispensary-Resumes his
professor's chair-The yellow fever in Philadelphia —A scene of
terror-" The Hundred Days "-Dr. Rush's treatment of the disease-Opposition of the Faculty-Success of Rush's treatmentTestimony of Dr. Ramsay-Suit for damages-Dr. Rush's services
during the fever-Reminiscences-Honors from European sovereigns-Is made Treasurer of the United States Mint-Literary
labors-Zeal in behalf of Christianity-His connection with the
Bible  Society-Death...................................................    613-G21
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
VALENTINE MOTT.
Birth —Early life-Enters Columbia College-His medical studiesContinues his studies in Europe-Great surgical genius-His
early success as an operator-Returns home-Is made Professor
of Surgery in Columbia College-His career and success as a
teacher-Introduces the system of clinical instruction-Difficulty
of procuring " subjects " for dissection-Desperate expedientsA midnight adventure-A ready rebuke-Success and skill as a
surgeon-Tribute from Sir Astley Cooper —A wonderful operation-Sketch of his original operations-His mode of operatingCareful preparation-Success as a physician-A progressive mindProfessional honors-Visits Europe-Reception abroad-Operates
upon the Sultan of Turkey-A cool proposition-Personal-His
last illness and death-" President Lincoln murdered"........  622-633








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M ERCHANTS.
CHAPTER I.
STEPHEN GIRARD.
NE May morning, in the year 1776, the mouth
of the Delaware Bay was shrouded in a dense
i   fog, which cleared away toward noon, and revealed.
several vessels just off the capes.  From  one.
of these, a sloop, floated the flag of France
and a signal of distress.  An American ship ran alongside
the stranger, in answer to her signal, and found that the
French captain had lost his reckoning in a fog, and was inl
total ignorance of his whereabouts. His vessel, he said,, as
bound from  New Orleans to a Canadian port, and he was
anxious to proceed on his voyage. The American skipper informed him of his locality, and also apprised him of the fact
that war had broken out between the colonies and Great Britain, and that the American coast was so well lined with, Britisl
cruisers that he would never reach port but as a prize.
"What shall I do?" cried the Frenchman, in great alarm..
"Enter the bay, and make a push for Philadelphia," was the
reply. "It is your only chance."
The Frenchman protested that he did not know the way,
8                                   33




34                  GREAT FORTUNES.
and had no pilot. The American captain, pitying his distress,
found him a pilot, and even loaned him five dollars, which the
pilot demanded in advance. The sloop got under weigh again,
and passed into the Delaware, beyond the defenses which had
been erected for its protection, just in time to avoid capture by
a British war vessel which now made its appearance at the
mouth of the bay. Philadelphia was reached in due time, and,
as the war bade fair to put an end to his voyages, the captain
sold the sloop and her cargo, of which he was part owner, and,
entering a small store in Water Street, began the business of a
grocer and wine-bottler. His capital was small, his business
trifling in extent, and he himself labored under the disadvantage of being almost unable to speak the English language.
In person he was short and stout, with a dull, repulsive countenance, which his bushy eyebrows and solitary eye (being
blind in the other) made almost hideous.  He was cold and
reserved in manner, and was disliked by his neighbors, the
most of whom were afraid of him.
This man was Stephen Girard, who was afterward destined
to play so important a part in the history of the city to which
t;he mere chances of war sent him a stranger.
He was born at Bordeaux, in France, on the 21st of May,
17T0, and was the eldest of the five children of Captain Pierre
Girard, a mariner of that city. His life at home was a hard
one. At the age of eight years, he discovered that he was blind
in one eye, and the mortification and grief which this discovery
caused him appear to have soured his entire life. He afterward
declared that his father treated him with considerable neglect,
and that, while his younger brothers were sent to college, he
was made to content himself with the barest rudiments of an
education, with merely a knowledge of reading and writing.
When he was quite young, his mother died, and, as his father




STEPHEN GIRARD.                    35
soon married again, the severity of a step-mother was added to
his other troubles.  When about thirteen years of age, he left
home, with his father's consent, and began, as a cabin-boy, the
life of a mariner. For nine years he sailed between Bordeaux
and the French West Indies, rising steadily from his position
of cabin-boy to that of mate. He improved his leisure time at
sea, until he was not only master of the art of navigation, but
generally well informed for a man in his station. His father
possessed sufficient influence to procure him the command of a
vessel, in spite of the law of France which required that no man
should be made master of a ship unless he had sailed two cruises
in the royal navy and was twenty-five years old.  Gradually
Girard was enabled to amass a small sum of money, which he
invested in cargoes easily disposed of in the ports to which he
sailed. Three years after he was licensed to command, he made
his first appearance in the port of Philadelphia. He was then
twenty-six years old.
From the time of his arrival in Philadelphia he devoted himself to business with an energy and industry which never failed.
He despised no labor, and was willing to undertake any honest
means of increasing his subsistence. He bought and sold any
thing, from groceries to old "junk." His chief profit, however,
was in his wine and cider, which he bottled and sold readily.
His business prospered, and he was regarded as a thriving man
from the start.
In July, 1777, he married Mary Lum, a servant girl of great
beauty, and something of a virago as well. The union was an
unhappy one, as the husband and wife were utterly unsuited to
each other. Seven years after her marriage, Mrs. Girard showed
symptoms of insanity, which became so decided that her husband was compelled to place her in the State Asylum for the
Insane. He appears to have done every thing in his power to




36                  GREAT FORTUNES.
restore her to reason. Being pronounced cured, she returned
to her home, but in 1790 he was compelled to place her permanently in the Pennsylvania Hospital, where, nine months
after, she gave birth to a female child, which happily died.
Mrs. Girard never recovered her reason, but died in 1815, and
was buried in the hospital grounds.
Girard fled from Philadelphia, with his wife, in September,
1777, at the approach of the British, and purchased a house at
Mount Holly, near Burlington, New Jersey, where he carried
on his bottling business. His claret commanded a ready sale
among the British in Philadelphia, and his profits were large.
In June, 1778, the city was evacuated by Lord Howe, and he
was allowed to return to his former home.
Though he traded with the British, Girard considered himself a true patriot, as indeed he was. On the 27th of October,
1778, he took the oath of allegiance required by the State of
Pennsylvania, and renewed it the year following. The war almost annihilated the commerce of the country, which was slow
in recovering its former prosperity; but, in spite of this discouraging circumstance, Girard worked on steadily, scorning no employment, however humble, that would yield a profit. Already
he had formed the plans which led to his immense wealthll, and
he was now patiently carrying out the most trying and disheartening preliminaries.  Whatever he undertook prospered, and
though his gains were small, they were carefully husbanded,
and at the proper time invested in such a manner as to produce a still greater yield. Stephen Girard knew the value of
little things, and he knew how to take advantage of the most
trifling circumstance. His career teaches what may be done
with these little things, and shows how even a few dollars,
properly managed, may be made to produce as many thousands.




STEPHEN GIRARD.                    37
In 1780, Mr. Girard again entered upon the New Orleans
and St. Domingo trade, in which he was engaged at the breaking out of the Revolution.  He was very successful in his ventures, and was enabled in a year or two to greatly enlarge his
operations.  In 1782, he took a lease of ten years on a range
of frame buildings in Water Street, one of which he occupied
himself, with the privilege of a renewal for a similar period.
Rents were very low at that time, as business was prostrated
and people were despondent; but Girard, looking far beyond
the present, saw a prosperous future.  IHe was satisfied that it
would require but a short time to restore to Philadelphia its
old commercial importance, and he was satisfied that his leases
would be the best investment he had ever made.- The result
proved the correctness of his views. His profits on these leases
were enormous.
About this time he entered into partnership with his brother,
Captain John Girard, in the West India trade. But the
brothers could not conduct their affairs harmoniously, and in
1790 the firm  was dissolved by mutual consent.  Stephen
Girard's share of the profits at the dissolution amounted to
thirty thousand dollars. His wealth was greatly increased by
a terrible tragedy which happened soon afterward.
At the outbreak of the great insurrection in St. Domingo,
Girard had two vessels lying in one of the ports of that island.
At the first signal of danger, a number of planters sent their
valuables on board of these ships for safe-keeping, and went
back to their estates for the purpose of securing more. They
never returned, doubtless falling victims to the fury of the
brutal negroes, and when the vessels were ready to sail there
was no one to claim the property they contained. It was
taken to Philadelphia, and was most liberally advertised by
Mr. Girard, but as no owner ever appeared to demand it, it




38                 GREAT FORTUNES.
was sold, and the proceeds-about fifty thousand dollarsturned into the merchant's own coffers. This was a great assistance to him, and the next year he began the building of
those splendid ships which enabled him to engage so actively
in the Chinese and East India trades.
His course was now onward and upward to wealth. At
first his ships merely sailed between Philadelphia and the port
to which they were originally destined; but at length he was
enabled to do more than this. Loading one of his ships with
grain, he would send it to Bordeaux, where the proceeds of her,cargo would be invested in wine and fruit. These she would
take to St. Petersburg and exchange for hemp and iron, which
were sold at Amsterdam  for coin. From  Amsterdam  shle
would proceed to China and India, and, purchasing a cargo of
silks and teas, sail for Philadelphia, where the final purchase was sold by the owner for cash or negotiable paper. His
success was uniform, and was attributed by his brother merchants to luck.
Stephen Girard had no faith in luck. He never trusted
any thing to chance. He was a thorough navigator, and was
perfect master of the knowledge required in directing long
voyages. He understood every department of his business
so well that he was always prepared to survey the field of
commerce from a high stand-point. He was familiar with the
ports with which he dealt, and was always able to obtain such
information concerning them as he desired, in advance of his
competitors. He trusted nothing of importance to others. His
instructions to the commanders of his ships were always full
and precise. These documents afford the best evidence of the
statements I have made concerning his system, as the following will show:




STEPHEN GIRARD.                        39
Copy of Stephen Girards Letter to Mr. —, Commander and Supercargo
qf the ship —, bound to Batavia.
PHILADELPHIA, -.
SIR-I confirm my letters to you of the- ult., and the -  inst.
Having recently heard of the decease of Mr., merchant at
Batavia, also of the probable dissolution of his house, under the firm
of Messrs., I have judged it prudent to request my Liverpool
correspondents to consign the ship -, cargo, and specie on board,
to Mr. -, merchant at Batavia, subject to your control, and have
requested said Liverpool friends to make a separate invoice and bill
of lading for the specie, which they will ship on my account, on board
of the ship -, and similar documents for the merchandise, which
they will ship in the same manner; therefore, I request that you
will sign in conformity.
I am  personally acquainted with Mr., but not with Mr.
-, but I am on very friendly terms with some particular friends
of the latter gentleman, and consequently I give him the preference.
I am sorry to observe, however, that he is alone in a country where
a partner appears to me indispensable to a commercial house, as well
for the safety of his own capital as for the security of the interests
of those who may confide to them property, and reside in distant parts
of the globe.
The foregoing reflections, together with the detention of my ship
V —, at Batavia, from June last, epoch of her arrival at that port,
until the 15th of September,, when she had on board only
nineteen hundred peculs of coffee, are the motives which have
compelled.me to request of my Liverpool friends to consign the
specie and goods, which they will ship on my account, on board'of
the ship, under your command, to said Mr. -, subject to
your control.
Therefore, relying upon your activity, perseverance, correctness,
zeal, and attention for- my'interest, I proceed in pointing out to
you the plan of conduct which I wish you to pursue on your arrival
at Batavia, and during your stay at that or any port of that island,
until your departure for Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, to await my
subsequent orders.




40                    GREAT FORTUNES.
First. On your arrival at Batavia, you are to go on shore and
ascertain Mr. -'s residence, and, if you have reason to believe that
he is still considered at that place as a man of good credit, and merits
full, confidence, you are to deliver to him my Liverpool consignees'
letters to his address, and also the goods which, you have on board,
in such proportion as he may request, except the specie, which is to
continue on board, as mentioned in the next article.
Second. The specie funds of the ship —, which will consist of
old Carolus dollars, you are to retain on board untouched, and in the
said boxes or packages -as they were in when shipped from Liverpool,
well secured, and locked up in your powder magazine, in the after
run of the said ship under the cabin floor.
The bulkhead and floor of said magazine, scuttle, iron bar, staples,
etc., must be made sufficiently strong, if not already so, while you
are at Liverpool, where you are to procure a strong padlock and key,
for the purpose of securing said specie in the most complete and safest
manner; and when you have the certainty that it is wanted to pay
for the coffee purchased on account of the ship —, then you are to
receive the said coffee, and pay or deliver to your consignee Spanish
dollars to the amount of said purchase, and no more, having due regard
to the premium or advance allowed at Batavia on old Spanish dollars;
and in that way you are to continue paying or delivering dollars as fast
as you receive coffee, which is not to exceed the quantity which
can be conveniently stowed on board said ship —, observing to
take a receipt for each payment, and to see that the net proceeds
of the goods, which will have been shipped at Liverpool, must be
invested in coffee, as far as the sales will permit, and shipped on
board of said ship.
Should it happen that on your arrival at Batavia you should find
that death, absence, etc., should deprive you of the services of Mr., or that, owing to some causes before mentioned, it would be
prudent to confide my interests elsewhere, in either case you are to
apply to Messrs., merchants of that place, to communicate your
instructions relative to the disposal of the Liverpool cargo, on board
of the ship -, the loading of that ship with good merchantable
coffee, giving the preference to the first quality whenever it can be
purchased on reasonable terms for cash, or received in payment for




STEPHEN GIRARD,                        41
the gales of the said Liverpool cargo, or for a part thereof, observing
that I wished said coffee to be purchased at Samarang, or any other
out-port, if practicable; and in all cases it must be attentively examined when delivered, and put up in double gunny bags.f
If the purchase of said cargo is made at an out-port, the ship
must proceed there to take it in.
On the subject of purchasing coffee at government sales, I have
no doubt that it is an easy way to obtain a cargo, but I am of opinion
that it is a very dear one, particularly as the fair purchaser, who has
no other object in view but to invest his money, does not stay on the
footing of competitors, who make their payments with Netherland bills
of exchange, or wish to raise the prices of their coffee which they may
have on hand for sale.
Under these impressions, I desire that all the purchases of coffee
on my account be made from individuals, as far as practicable,
and if the whole quantity necessary to load the ship can not be
obtained at private sale, recourse must then be had to government sales.
In many instances I have experienced that whenever I had a vessel
at Batavia, the prices of coffee at the government sales have risen from
five to ten per cent., and sometimes higher.
On the subject of coffee I would remark that, owing to the increase
of the culture of that bean, together with the immense imports
of tea into the several ports of Europe, the price of that leaf has
been lowered to such a degree as to induce the people of those countries, principally of the north, to use the latter article in preference to
the first.
That circumstance has, for these past three years, created a gradual
deduction from the consumption of coffee, which has augmented the
stock on hand throughout every commercial city of the northern part
of the globe, so as to present a future unfavorable prospect to the importers of that article. Indeed, I am convinced that, within a few
months from this date, coffee will be ten per cent. cheaper in the United
States than what it has been at Batavia for these two years past; nevertheless, being desirous to employ my ships as advantageously as circumstances will permit, and calculating also that the price at Java and
other places of its growth will fall considerably, I have no objection* to
adventure.




42                    GREAT FORTUNES.
Therefore, you must use every means in your power to facilitate the
success of the voyage.
Should the invoice-cost of the entire cargo of coffee shipped at Java,
on board of the ship -—, together with the disbursements of that ship
(which must be conducted with the greatest economy), not amount to
the specie funds and net proceeds of her Liverpool cargo, in that event
you are to deliver the surplus to your consignee, who will give you a
receipt for the same, with a duplicate, expressing that it is on my account, for the purpose of being invested on the most advantageous terms,
in good dry coffee, to be kept at my order and disposal.
Then you will retain the original in your possession, and forward to
me the duplicate by first good vessel to the United States, or via Europe,
to care of my correspondents at Liverpool, London, Antwerp, or Amsterdam, the names of whom you are familiar with.
If you should judge it imprudent, however, to leave that money at
Batavia, you are to bring it back in Spanish dollars, which you will retain on board for that purpose.
Although I wish you to make a short voyage, and with as quick dispatch at Java as practicable, yet I desire you not to leave that island
unless your consignee has finally closed the sales of the Liverpool cargo,
so that you- may be the bearer of all the documents, and account-current, relative to the final transactions of the consignment of the ship
-   and cargo. Duplicate and triplicate of said documents to be forwarded to me by your consignees, by the two first safe conveyances for
the ports of the United States.
Being in the habit of dispatching my ships for Batavia from this port,
Liverpool, or Amsterdam, as circumstances render it convenient, it is interesting to me to be from time to time informed of the several articles
of produce and manufactures from each of those places which are the
most in demand and quickest of sale at Java. Also of the quantity of
each, size of package, and the probable price which they may sell for,
cash, adding the Batavia duty, charges for selling, etc. Please to communicate this to your Batavia consignee.
The rates of commission I will allow for transacting the business relative to the ship and cargo at Java are two and a half per cent. for selling,~ and two and a half per cent. for purchasing and shipping coffee and
other articles.




STEPHEN GIRARD.                       43
The consignees engaging to place on board of each prow one or two
men of confidence, to see that the goods are safely delivered on board of
the ship, to prevent pilfering, which is often practiced by those who conduct the lighter.
I am informed that the expenses for two men are trifling, comparatively, to the plunder which has been committed on board of the prows
which deliver coffee on board of the ships.
No commissions whatever are to be allowed in the disbursements of
my ships, whenever ship and cargo belong to me, and are consigned to
some house.
While you remain at Batavia, I recommend you to stay on board of
your ship, and not to go on shore except when the business of your ship
and cargo may render it necessary.
Inclosed is an introductory letter to -, which I request you to deliver, after you have made the necessary arrangements with Mr. 
for the consignment of the ship and cargo, or after the circumstance
aforementioned has compelled you to look elsewhere for a consignee.
Then you are to call upon said Messrs., deliver them the aforesaid
letter and the consignment of the ship -    and cargo, after having
agreed with them in writing, which they will sign and deliver to you,
that they engage to transact the business of the ship and cargo on the
terms and conditions herein stated; and when that business is well understood and finally closed, you are to press them in a polite manner, so
that they may give you a quick dispatch, without giving too great a
price for the coffee, particularly at this present moment, when its price
is declining throughout those countries where it is consumed.
Indeed, on the subject of purchasing coffee for the ship -, the
greatest caution and prudence should be exercised. Therefore, I request
that you will follow the plan of conduct laid down for you throughout.
Also, to keep to yourself the intention of the voyage, and the amount
of specie you have on board; and in view to satisfy the curious, tell
them that it is probable that the ship will take in molasses, rice, and
sugar, if the price of that produce is very low, adding that the whole
will depend on the success in selling the small Liverpool cargo. The
consignees of said cargo should follow the same line of conduct, and if
properly attended to by yourself and them, I am convinced that the
cargo of coffee can be purchased ten per cent. cheaper than it would be




44                    GREAT FORTUNES.
if it is publicly known there is a quantity of Spanish dollars on board,
besides a valuable cargo of British goods intended to be invested in
coffee for Stephen Girard, of Philadelphia.
During my long commercial experience, I have noticed that no advantage results from telling one's business to others, except to create jealousy or competitors when we are fortunate, and to gratify our enemies
when otherwise.
If my remarks are correct, I have no doubt they will show you the
necessity of being silent, and to attend with activity, perseverance, and
modesty, to the interests of your employer.
As my letters of instruction embrace several interesting objects, I request you to peruse them in rotation, when at sea in fine climates, during your voyage to Batavia, and to take correct extracts, so as to render yourself master of the most essential parts. I conclude by directing your attention to your health and that of your crew.
I am yours, respectfully,              STEPHEN GIRARD.
Mr. Girard was not only rigidly precise in his instructions,
but he permitted no departure from them. He regarded it as
dangerous to allow discretion to any one in the execution of his
plans.  Where a deviation from  his instructions might cause
success in one case, it would cause loss in ninety-nine others.
It was understood among all his employ's that a rigid obedience to orders, in  even the most trifling  particulars, was
expected, and would be exacted.  If loss came under such circumstances, the merchant assumed the entire responsibility for it.
Upon one occasion one of his best captains was instructed
to  purchase  his cargo of teas at a certain  port.  Upon
reaching home he was summoned by the merchant to his
presence.
"Captain —," said Mr. Girard, sternly, "your instructions
required you to purchase your cargo at."
"That is true, Mr. Girard," replied the Captain, "but upon
reaching that port I found I could do so much better at —,
that I felt justified in proceeding to the latter place."




STEPHEN GIRARD.                   45
"You should have obeyed your orders, sir," was the stern
retort.
"I was influenced by a desire to serve your interests, sir.
The result ought to justify me in my act, since it puts many
thousands more into your pocket than if I had bought where I
was instructed."
"Captain," said Girard, "I take care of my own interests. You should have obeyed your orders if you had broken
me. Nothing can excuse your disobedience. You will hand
in your accounts, sir, and consider yourself discharged from my
service."
He was as good as his word, and, though.the captain's disobedience had vastly increased the profit of the voyage, he dismissed him, nor would he ever receive him  into his service
again.
To his knowledge of his business Mr. Girard joined an unusual capacity for such ventures. He was, it must be said, hard
and illiberal in his bargains, and remorseless in exacting the last
cent due him. He was prompt and faithful in the execution
of every contract, never departed in the slightest from his
plighted word, and never engaged in any venture which he
was not perfectly able to undertake. He was prudent and
cautious in the fullest sense of those terms, but his ventures
were always made with a boldness which was the sure forerunner of success.
His fidelity to his word is well shown by a circumstance
which had occurred long after he was one of the "money
kings" of the land. He was once engaged with his cashier in
a discussion as to the length of time a man would consume in
counting a million of dollars, telling out each dollar separately.
The dispute became animated, and the cashier declared that he
could make a million of dots with ink in a few hours.




46                 GREAT FORTUNES.
"I'11 tell you what I'11 do," said Girard, who was thor~
oughly vexed by the opposition of the other, "I'll wager five
hundred dollars that I can ride in my gig'from here to my
farm, spend two hours there, and return before you can make
your million of dots with ink."
The cashier, after a moment's reflection, accepted the wager,
and Mr. Girard departed to his farm. He returned in a few
hours, confident that he had won. The cashier met him with
a smile.
"Where is my money?" asked Girard, triumphantly.
"The money is mine," replied the cashier. "Come and
see."
He led the merchant to an unused room of the bank, and
there, to his dismay, Girard saw the walls and ceiling covered
with spots of ink, which the cashier had dashed on them with
a brush.
" Do you mean to say there are a million of dots here?" he
cried(, angrily.
" Count them, and see," replied his subordinate, laughing.
"You know the wager was a million of dots with ink."
"But I expected you would make them with the pen."
"I did not undertake any thing of the kind."
The joke was too good, and the merchant not only paid the.
amount of the wager, but the cost of cleaning the walls.
In 1810 the question of renewing the charter of the old Bank
of the United States was actively discussed. Girard was a
warm friend of that institution, which he believed had been the
cause of a very great part of the prosperity of the country, and
was firmly convinced that Congress would renew the charter.
In this belief he ordered the Barings, of London, to invest all
his funds in their hands in shares of the Bank of the United
States, which was done, during the following year, to the




STEPHEN GIRARD.                   47
amount of half a million of dollars.  When the charter expired, he was the principal creditor of that institution, which
Congress refused to renew.  Discovering that he could purchase the old Bank and the cashier's house for one hundred and
twenty thousand dollars, he at once secured them, and on the
12th of May, 1812, opened the Girard Bank, with a capital of
one million two hundred thousand dollars, which he increased
the next year by one hundred thousand dollars more. He
retained all the old officers of the Bank of the United
States, especially the cashier, Mr. Simpson, to whose skill
and experience he was greatly indebted for his subsequent
success.
Finding that the salaries which had been paid by the Government were higher than those paid elsewhere, he cut them
down to the rate given by the other banks.  The watchman
had always received from the old Bank the gift of an overcoat
at Christmas, but Girard put a stop to this. He gave no gratuities to any of his employ's, but confined them to the compensation for which they had bargained; yet he contrived to get
out of them service more devoted than was received by other
men who paid higher wages and made presents. Appeals t~
him for aid were unanswered.  No poor man ever came fullhanded from his presence.  He turned a deaf ear to the entreaties of failing merchants to help them on their feet again.
He was neither generous nor charitable.  When his faithful
cashier died, after long years spent in his service, he manifested
the most hardened indifference to the bereavement of the family
of that gentleman, and left them to struggle along as best they
could.
Yet from the first he was liberal and sometimes magnificent
in the management of his bank. He would discount none but
good paper, but it was his policy to grant accommodations to




48                  GREAT FORTUNES.
small traders, and thus encourage beginners, usually giving
the preference to small notes, by this system doing very much
to avert the evils that would of necessity have sprung from the
suspension of the old Bank of the United States. The Government credit was almost destroyed, and money was needed
to carry on the war. He made repeated advances to the treasury, unsolicited by the authorities, and on more than one occasion kept the Government supplied with the sinews of war.
In 1814, when our prospects, both military and financial, were
at their lowest ebb, when the British forces had burned Washington and the New England States were threatening to withdraw from the Union, the Government asked for a loan of five
millions of dollars, with the most liberal inducements to subscribers. Only twenty thousand dollars could be obtained, and
the project seemed doomed to failure, when it was announced
that Stephen Girard had subscribed for the whole amount.
This announcement at once restored the public confidence, and
Mr. Girard was beset with requests from persons anxious to
take a part of the loan, even at all advanced rate. They were
allowed to do so upon the original terms. When the Government could not, for want of funds, pay the interest on its
debt to him, he wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury:
"I am of opinion that those who have any claim for interest
on public stock, etc., should patiently wait for a more favorable moment, or at least receive in payment treasury notes.
Should you be under the necessity of resorting to either
of these plans, as one of the public creditors, I shall not
murmur."
"A circumstance soon occurred, however, which was a source
of no little discomfiture to the financial arrangements of his individual institution. This fact was the suspension of specie
payments by the State banks, resulting from the non-inter



STEPHEN GIRARD.                    49
course act, the suspension of the old bank, and the combined
causes tending to produce a derangement of the currency of the
country. It was then a matter of great doubt with him how
he should preserve the integrity of his own institution, while
the other banks were suspending their payments; but the credit
of his own bank was effectually secured by the suggestion of
his cashier, Mr. Simpson, who advised the recalling of his own
notes by redeeming them with specie, and by paying out the
notes of the State banks.  In this mode not a single note
of his own was suffered to be depreciated, and he was thus
enabled, in 1817, to contribute effectually to the restoration
of specie payments."
He was instrumental in securing the establishment of the
new Bank of the United States, and was its largest stockholder
and one of its directors. He even offered to unite his own in,
stitution with it upon certain liberal conditions, which were
refused. Yet he was always a firm friend to it.
"One of the characteristics of Mr. Girard was his public
spirit. At one time he freely subscribed one hundred and ten
thousand dollars for the navigation of the Schuylkill; at another time he loaned the company two hundred and sixty-five
thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars. When the credit of
the State of Pennsylvania was prostrated by what was believed
to have been an injudicious system of internal improvement,
and it was found expedient for the Governor to resort to its
metropolis in order to replenish its coffers, he made a voluntary loan to Governor Shultz of one hundred thousand dollars.
So far was his disposition to promote the fiscal prosperity of
the country manifested, that, as late as 1831, when the country
was placed in extreme embarrassment from the scarcity of
money, he perceived the cause in the fact that the balance of
trade was against us to a considerable extent, and he accord4




50                  GREAT FORTUNES.
ingly drew upon the house of Baring Brothers & Co. for bills
of exchange to the amount of twelve thousand pounds sterling,
which he disposed of to the Bank of the United States at an
advance of ten per cent., which draft was followed up by another for ten thousand, which was disposed of in like manner
to other institutions. This act tended to reduce the value of
ibills, and the rate of exchange suddenly fell. The same spirit
wvhich he manifested toward the national currency he exhibited
to the corporation of Philadelphia, by erecting new blocks of,buildings, and beautifying and adorning its streets; less, ap-,parently, from a desire of profit than from a wish to improve
the place which was his adopted home, and where he had
-reaped his fortunes.  His subscription of two hundred thou-.sand dollars to the Danville and Pottsville Railroad, in 1831,
was an action in keeping with the whole tenor of his life; and
his subscription of ten thousand dollars toward the erection of:an exchange looked to the same result."
The war of 1812, which brought financial ruin to so many.others, simply increased Girard's wealth. He never lost a ship,
and as war prices prevailed, his profits were in accordance with
them. One of his ships was taken by a British cruiser at the
mouth of the Delaware, in the spring of 1813. Fearing that his
prize would be recaptured by an American ship of war if he attempted to send her into port, the English admiral dispatched
a flag of truce to Mr. Girard, and proposed to him to ransom
the vessel for one hundred and eighty thousand dollars in coin.
Girard consented, paid the money, and the ship was allowed to
come up to the city. Her cargo consisted of silks, nankeens,
and teas, and afforded her owner a profit of half a million of
dollars.
Yet in the midst of all his wealth, which in 1828 was
estimated at ten millions of dollars, he was a solitary old man.




STEPHEN GIRARD.                   51
He lived in a dingy little house in Water Street. His wife
had died in an insane asylum, and he was childless. He was
repulsive in person. He was feared by his subordinates-by
all who had dealings with him-and liked by none. He was
mean and close in his personal habits, living on less, perphaps,
than any of his clerks, and deriving little or no benefit from
his vast wealth, so far as his individual comfort was concerned.
He gave nothing in charity. Lazarus would have lain at his
doors a life-time without being noticed by him. He was solitary, soured, cold, with a heart of stone, and fully conscious
of his personal unpopularity. Yet he valued wealth-valued
it for the power it gave him over men. Under that cold,
hardened exterior reigned an ambition as profound as that
which moved Napoleon. He was ambitious of regulating
the financial operations of the land, and proud of his power
in this respect, and it should be remembered in his favor
that he did not abuse that power after it had passed into
his hands.
He had no vices, no dissipations; his whole soul was in his
business. He was conscious that his only hope of distinction
above his fellow-men was in his wealth, and he was resolved
that nothing should make him swerve from his endeavor to accumulate a fortune which should make him all powerful in life
and remembered in death. He sought no friends, and was
reticent as to his career, saying to those who questioned him
about it, "Wait till I am dead; my deeds will show what
I was."
Religion had no place in his heart. He was an avowed
unbeliever, making a boast of his disbelief.  He always
worked on Sunday, in order that he might show his disapproval of the observance of it as a day of rest. Rest, he said,
made a man rusty, and attendance upon the worship of God




52                  GREAT FORTUNES.
he denounced as worse than folly. His favorite books were
the works of Voltaire, and he named his best ships after the
most celebrated French infidels.
Yet this man, so unloved, so undeserving of love, is said to
have once had a warm  heart.  His early troubles and his
domestic griefs are said to have soured and estranged him
from mankind.
"No one who has had access to his private papers can fail
to be impressed with the belief that these early disappointments
furnish the key to his entire character. Originally of warm
and generous impulses, the belief in childhood that he had not
been given his share of the love and kindness which were
extended to others, changed the natural current of his feelings,
and, acting on a warm and passionate temperament, alienated
him from his home, his parents, and his friends. And when
in after time there were superadded years of bitter anguish,
resulting from his unfortunate and ill-adapted marriage, rendered even more poignant by the necessity of concealment,
and the consequent injustice of public sentiment, marring
all his cherished expectations, it may be readily understood why constant occupation became a necessity and labor
a pleasure."
This is the testimony of Mr. Henry W. Arey, the distinguished secretary of Girard College, in whose keeping are the
papers of the subject of this memoir, and it must be confessed
that his view of Girard's character is sustained by the following
incidents, the narration of which I have passed over until now,
in order that the history of his commercial career might not be
interrupted:
In the summer of 1793 the yellow fever broke out with
fearful violence in Philadelphia. The citizens fled in dismay,
leaving the plague-smitten city to its fate. Houses were left




STEPHEN GIRARD.                   53
tenantless, and the streets were deserted. It was a season of
horror and dread. Those who could not get away avoided
each other, and the sufferers were leftl to languish and die.
Money could not buy nurses in sufficient numbers, and often
the victims lay unburied for days in the places where they had
died. So terrible was the panic that it seemed that nothing
could stay it.
On the 10th of September the Federal Gazette, the only
paper which had not suspended its publication, contained an
anonymous card, stating that of the visitors of the poor all
but three had succumbed to the disease or fled from the city,
and begging assistance from such benevolent citizens as would
consent to render their aid. On the 12th and 14th, meetings
were held at the City Hall, at the last of which a volunteer
committee was appointed to superintend the measures to be
taken for checking the pestilence. Twenty-seven men volunteered to serve, but only twelve had the courage to fulfill
their promise. They set to work promptly. The hospital at
Bush Hill was reported by the physician to be in a deplorable
state-without order, dirty and foul, and in need of nurses.
The last, he stated, could not be had for any price. Two of
the committee now stepped forward and nobly offered themselves as managers of the hospital. They Were Stephen Girard
and Peter Helm.
Girard was now a man of wealth and influence, and with a
brilliant commercial career opening before him. Above all, he
was a foreigner, and unpopular in the city. Yet he did not
hesitate to take the post from which others shrank. He and
Helm were regarded as doomed men, but they did not falter
from their self-imposed task. They went to work at once.
Girard chose the post of honor, which was the post of dangerthe management of the interior of the hospital. His decisive




54                  GREAT FORTUNES.
character was at once felt. Order began to appear, medicines
and nurses were procured, and the very next day the committee
were informed that the hospital had been cleaned and reorganized, and was prepared to receive patients.
Girard opened his purse liberally,, and spared no expense
where money would avail. But this was not all. Besides
personally superintending the interior of the hospital, he went
about through the city seeking the sick and conveying them to
the hospital.
"In the great scarcity of help, he used frequently to receive
the sick and dying at the gate, assist in carrying them to their
beds, nurse them, receive their last messages, watch for their
last breath, and then, wrapping them in the sheet on which they
had died, carry them out to the burial ground and place them
in the trench. He had a vivid recollection of the difficulty
of finding any kind of fabric in which to wrap the dead, when
the vast number of interments had exhausted the supply of
sheets.'I would put them,' he would say,'in any old rag
I could find.'
"If he ever left the hospital, it was to visit the infected
districts, and assist in removing the sick from the houses in
which they were dying without help. One scene of this kind,
witnessed by a merchant who was hurrying past with camphored handkerchief pressed to his mouth, affords us a vivid
glimpse of this heroic man engaged in his sublime vocation.
A carriage, rapidly driven by a black man, broke the silence
of the deserted and grass-grown street. It stopped before a
frame house, and the driver, first having bound a handkerchief over his mouth, opened the door of the carriage, and
quickly remounted to the box. A short, thick-set man stepped
from the coach and entered the house. In a minute or two the
tobserver, who stood at a safe distance watching the proceedings,








— 7-7~
IL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I
--— ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~IS
nil~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~j
GIRARD'S HEROISM.




STEPHEN GIRARD.                    55
heard a shuffling noise in the entry, and soon saw the stout
little man supporting with extreme difficulty a tall, gaunt,
yellow-visaged victim  of the pestilence. Girard held round
the waist the sick man, whose yellow face rested against his
own; his long, damp, tangled hair mingled with Girard's;
his feet dragging helpless upon the pavement. Thus he drew
him to the carriage door, the driver averting his face from.the
spectacle, far from offering to assist.  Partly dragging, partly
lifting, Girard succeeded, after long and severe exertion, in
getting him  into the vehicle. He then entered it himself,
closed the door, and the carriage drove away toward the
hospital."*
For sixty days Mr. Girard continued to discharge his duties,
never abse.ting himself from his post, being nobly sustained by
Peter Hel1m.
Again, in 1797 and 1798, when the city was scourged a
second and a third time with the fever, he volunteered his
services, and more than earned the gratitude of his fellowcitizens. In the absence of physicians, he took upon himself
the office of prescribing for the sick, and as his treatment
involved careful nursing and the use of simple remedies
only, he was very successful. In 1799 he wrote to his friend
Devize, then in France, but who had been the physician at
the Bush Hill Hospital in 1793:
" During all this frightful time I have constantly remained in
the city, and, without neglecting any public duties, I have played
a part which will make you smile. Would you believe it, my
friend, that I have visited as many as fifteen sick people in a
day, and what will surprise you still more, I have lost only
one patient, an Irishman, who would drink a little. I do
9' James Parton.




56                  GREAT FORTUNES.
not flatter myself that I have cured one single person, but
you will think with me that in my quality of Philadelphia
physician I have been very moderate, and that not oie of my
confreres have killed fewer than myself."
Such acts as these should go far in his favor in estimating
his character, for they are the very height of true heroism.
Mr. Girard was never idle. Work, as has before been said,
was a necessity with him. Nothing would draw him from his
labors. His only recreation was to drive to his little farm,
which lay a few miles out of the city, and engage with his
own hands in the work of tilling it. He was very proud of
the vegetables and fruits he raised himself, and took great
interest in improving their growth. During the visit of the
present head of the house of Baring Bros. (then a young
man) to this country, that gentleman supposed he would
give Mr. Girard pleasure by informing him of the safe arrival
of one of his ships, the Voltaire, from India. Engaging a
carriage, he drove to the banker's farm, and inquired for Mr.
Girard.
"He is in the hay-loft," was the answer.
"Inform  him  that I wish to see him," said Mr. Baring;
but almost before the words had left his lips Girard was
before him.
"I came to inform  you," he said, addressing the banker,
"that your ship, the Voltaire, has arrived safely."'
"I knew that she would reach port safely," said Girard;
"my ships always arrive safe. She is a good ship. Mr.
Baring, you must excuse me; I am much engaged in my
hay." And so saying, he ascended to the loft again.
To the last he was active. In 1830, having reached the
age of eighty, he began to lose the sight of his eye; yet he
would have no assistance. In attempting to cross a crowded




STEPHEN GIRARD.                   57
street, he was knocked down by a passing wagon and injured
severely. His ear was cut off, his face bruised, and his sight
entirely destroyed. His health now declined rapidly, and on
the 26th of December, 1831, he died, in the back room of his
plain little house in Water Street.
His immense wealth was carefully divided by his will. He
gave to his surviving brother and eleven of his nieces sums
ranging from  five to twenty thousand dollars, and' to his
remaining niece, who was the mother of a very large family,
he gave sixty thousand dollars. He gave to each of the captains then in his employ who had made two voyages in his
service, and who should bring his ship safely into port, fifteen
hundred dollars. To each of his apprentices he gave five
hundred dollars. To his old servants he gave annuities, ranging from three to five hundred dollars each.
He gave thirty thousand dollars to the Pennsylvania Hospital, in which his wife had been cared for; twenty thousand
to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum; ten thousand to the Orphan
Asylum; ten thousand to the Lancaster schools; ten thousand
for the purpose of providing the poor in Philadelphia with free
fuel; ten thousand to the Society for the Relief of Distressed
Sea-Captains and their Families; twenty thousand to the Masonic Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, for the relief of poor
members; six thousand for the establishment of a free school
in Passyunk, near Philadelphia; five hundred thousand dollars to the Corporation of Philadelphia for certain improvements in the city; three hundred thousand to the State of
Pennsylvania for her canals; and a portion of his valuable
estates in Louisiana to the Corporation of New Orleans, for the
improvement of that city.
The remainder of his property, worth then about six millions of dollars, he left to trustees for the erection and endow



58                  GREAT FORTUNES.
ment of the noble College for Orphans, in Philadelphia, which
bears his name.
Thus it will be seen that this man, who seemed steeled to
resist appeals for private charity in life, in death devoted all
the results of his unusual genius in his calling to the noblest
of purposes, and to enterprises of the most benignant character, which will gratefully hand his name down to the remotest
ages of posterity.




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                 59
C HAPTE R II.
JOHN JACOB ASTOR.
HOSE who imagine that the mercantile profession
is incapable of developing the element of greatness in the mind of man, find a perfect refutation
in the career of the subject of this memoir, who
won his immense fortune by the same traits which
would have raised him to eminence as a statesman. It may
be thought by some that he has no claim to a place in the
list of famous Americans, since he was not only German by
birth, but German in character to his latest day; but it must
be borne in mind that America was the theater of his exploits,
and that he owed the greater part of his success to the wise
and beneficent institutions of the " New Land," as he termed
it. In his own country he would have had no opportunity for
the display of his great abilities, and it was only by placing
himself in the midst of institutions favorable to progress that
he was enabled to make use of his talents. It is for this
reason, therefore, that we may justly claim him as one of the
most celebrated of American merchants..
John Jacob Astor was born in the village of Waldorf, near
Heidelberg, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, on the 17thl of
July, 1763. This year was famous for the conclusion of the
Treaties of Paris and Hubertsburg, which placed all the furyielding regions of America, from the Gulf of Mexico to the




60                  GREAT FORTUNES,
Frozen Sea, in the hands of England. He was the youngest
of four sons, and was born of Protestant parents. He was
early taught to read Luther's Bible and the Prayer-book, and
throughout his whole life remained a zealous Protestant. He
was trained to the habit of rising early, and giving the first
of his waking hours to reading the Bible and Prayer-book.
This habit he continued all through life, and he often declared
that it was to him the source of unfailing pleasure and comfort. His religious impressions were mainly due to his mother,
who was a pious, thrifty, and hard-working woman, given to
saving, and devoted to her family.
His father, on the contrary, was a jolly "ne'er do well,"
a butcher by trade, and not overburdened with industry. The
business of a butcher in so small a village as Waldorf, where
meat was a luxury to the inhabitants, was merely a nominal
calling. It knew but one season of real profit. It was at that
time the custom in Germany for every farmer to set apart a
calf, pig, or bullock, and fatten it against harvest time. As that
season approached, the village butcher passed from house to house
to slaughter the animal, cure its flesh, or make sausage meat
of it, spending, sometimes, several days at each house. This
season brought Jacob Astor an abundance of work, and enabled him  to provide liberally for the simple wants of his
family; but during the rest of the year it was with difficulty
that he could make bread for them. Yet Jacob took his hard
lot cheerfully. He was merry over his misfortunes, and sought
to forget them in the society of companions who gathered
at the village beer-house. His wife's remonstrancos against
such a course of life were sometimes so energetic that the house
became any thing but a pleasant place for the children.
Here John Jacob grew up to boyhood. His brothers left
home to earn their livelihood elsewhere, as soon as they were




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   61
old enough to do so, and he alone remained under the paternal
roof. His father destined him  for his own calling, but the
boy shrank from it with disgust. To crown his misfortunes,
his mother died, and his father married again, and this time a
woman who looked with no favor upon the son. The newlymarried pair quarreled continually, and the boy was glad to
escape occasionally to the house of a schoolmate, where he passed
the night in a garret or outhouse. By daylight he was back
at his father's slaughter-house, to assist in carrying out the
meat. He was poorly clad and badly fed, and his father's bad
reputation wounded him so keenly that he shrank from playing with other boys, and led a life of comparative isolation.
Fortunately for him, he had a teacher, Valentine Jeune
by name, the son of French Protestants, who was better fitted
for his position than the majority of the more liberally-patronized Catholic instructors. He was well taught by Valentine
Jeune in the rudiments of a plain education, and the tutor and
the Protestant minister of the village together succeeded so
well in his religious instruction that at the age of fourteen he
was confirmed. Confirmation is the decisive point in the
career of the German youth. Until then he is only a child.
Afterward he is regarded as on the threshold of manhood,
and is given to understand that the time has come for him to
make choice of a career in life.
To the German peasant two courses only lie open, to learn a
trade or go out to service. John Jacob was resolved not to do
the latter, and he was in no condition to adopt the former. He
was already familiar with his father's trade, but he shrank from
it with disgust, and he could not hope to obtain money enough
to pay for his tuition as an apprentice in any other calling.
-No workman in the village would receive him as an apprentice for less than fifty dollars, and fifty dollars were then fur



62                 GREAT FORTUNES.
ther beyond his reach than as many millions in after years.
The harvest was approaching, and Jacob Astor, seeing an
unusual amount of work in store for him at that season, decided the matter for his son by informing him that he must
prepare to settle down as his assistant. He obeyed, but discontentedly, and with a determination to abandon his home at
the earliest practicable moment.
His chief desire was to leave Germany and emigrate to
America. The American Revolution had brought the "New
Land" into great prominence; and one of the brothers, Henry
Astor, had already settled in New York as a butcher, and his
letters had the effect of increasing John Jacob's desire to follow him. It was impossible to do so then, for the war which
was raging in this country made it any thing but inviting to
an emigrant, and the boy was entirely ignorant of the English language. Nevertheless, he knew that the war could not
last always, and he resolved to go as soon as peace would allow him. Meanwhile he wished to join his elder brother, who
had removed to London, and was now engaged with his uncle
in the manufacture of musical instruments. In London he
thought he could acquire a knowledge of English, and save
from his wages the amount necessary to pay his passage from
-England to America. He could reach some of the seaports of
the Continent by walking. But he needed money to pay his
passage from there to Great Britain. His determination thus
formed, he made no secret of it, and succeeded at length in extorting a reluctant consent from his father, who was not inclined to expect very much from the future career of his son.
His teacher, however, had more faith in him, and said to the
butcher, on the morning of the lad's departure: "I am  not
afraid of John Jacob; he'll get through the world. He has a
clear head, and every thing right behind the ears."




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   63
He was seventeen years old when he left home; was stout
and well built, and had a constitution of iron. He was possessed of a good plain education, and a remarkable degree of
common sense. He had no vicious habits or propensities, and
was resolved that he would never set foot again in his native
town until he could do so as a rich man.
Ardently as he was bent on seeking his fortune in distant
lands, it cost him  a struggle to go away, for he was a true
German in his attachment to his home and family. This attachment he never lost.  After providing liberally for his
relatives in his will, he made a munificent donation to his native village for the benefit of its poor children.
With his scanty wardrobe in a bundle, which he slung over
his shoulder by a stick, and a mere pittance in his purse, he
set out from Waldorf, on foot, for the Rhine. " Soon after I
left the village, " said he, in after-life, " I sat down beneath a
tree to rest, and there I made three resolutions: to be honest,
to be industrious, and not to gamble."  He had but two dollars in his pocket; but this was enough for his purpose. The
Rhine was not far distant from his native village, and this part
of his journey he easily accomplished on foot. Upon reaching
the river, he is said to have secured a place as oarsman on a
timber raft. The timber which is cut in the Black Forest for
shipment is made up into rafts on the Rhine, but instead of
being suffered to float down the stream, as in this country, is
rowed by oarsmen, each raft having from sixty to eighty men
attached to it. As the labor is severe and attended with some
risk, the wages are high, and the lot of the oarsmen not altogether a hard one, as they manage to have a great deal of sport
among themselves. The amount paid as wages on these voyages is about ten dollars, besides the coarse fare furnished the
men, and the time occupied is about two weeks.




64                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Upon reaching the Dutch seaport at the mouth of the Rhine,
young Astor received his wages-the largest sum he had ever
possessed-and took passage in a vessel for London, where he
was welcomed cordially by his brother, and provided with employment in his manufactory.
He now set to work to prepare himself for his emigration to
America. His industry was unflagging. He worked literally
from dawn till dark, and practiced the most rigid economy in
his expenditures. His leisure time, which was brief, was spent
in trying to master the English language, and in acquiring information respecting America. He had anticipated great difficulty in his efforts to learn English, but succeeded beyond his
hopes. In six weeks he could make himself understood in
that language, and some time before starting for America could
speak it with ease, though he never could at ally period of his
life rid himself of his strong German accent. He was never
able to write English correctly, but after being some years in
this country acquired a style which was striking and to the
point, in spite of its inaccuracy. England, however, was not a
favorable place for acquiring information respecting America.
The Colonies had exasperated the mother country by their
heroic struggle for freedom, which was just drawing to its close,
and the New World was pictured to the imagination of the
young German in any thing but a favorable light. His most
accurate information was gained from those who had returned
from America, and these persons, as often as chance threw them
in his way, he questioned with eagerness and precision; their
answers were carefully stored up in his memory.
In September, 1783, the news of the peace which established
the independence of the United States was published in
Europe. Young Astor had now been in London two years,
and had saved money enough to take him to America. He




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  65
was the possessor of a suit of good clothes, besides his ordinary wearing apparel, and fifteen guineas in English money,
which he had saved from his slender earnings by the absolute
denial to himself of every thing not essential to his existence.
The way to America was now open, and he resolved to set out
at once. For five guineas he bought a steerage passage in a
ship bound for Baltimore, and reserving about five pounds
sterling of the remainder of his capital in money, invested the
rest in seven German flutes, which he bought of his brother,
and embarked for the "N New Land. 
The winter was memorable on land and sea for its severity,
and our hero's first voyage was a stormy one. It is said that
on one occasion, when the tempest was unusually violent, and
the ship in imminent danger, he made his appearance in his
Sunday clothes. In reply to those who asked his reason for
so strange an act, he said that if he should reach land he would
save his best clothes, and that if he was drowned it was immaterial what became of them.
Although the ship sailed in November, it did not reach the
Chesapeake until near the end of January, and there, when
only one day distant from Baltimore, was caught in the ice,
where it was compelled to remain until late in March. This
delay was very vexatious to the young emigrant, but: it proved
in the end the greatest blessing that could have befallen him.
During the voyage Astor had made the acquaintance of one of
his fellow passengers, a German, somewhat older than himself,
and, while the ship lay fast in the ice, the two were constantly
together. As a consequence of the intimacy which thus sprung
up between them, they exchanged confidences, told each other
their history, and their purpose in coming to America. Astor
learned that his friend had emigrated to the New World a few
years before, friendless and penniless, but that,, begin'ning in a




66                 GREAT FORTUNES.
little way, he had managed to become a fur trader. He bought
his furs from the Indians, and from the boatmen plying on
the Hudson River. These he sold at a small profit to larger
dealers, until he had accumulated a considerable sum for one
in his position. Believing that he could find a better market
in Europe than in America, he had embarked all his capital in
skins, which he had taken to England and sold at a heavy advance. The proceeds he had invested in toys and trinkets
valued by the savages, and was now on his way back with
them, intending to go into the wilderness himself and purchase
an additional'stock of furs from the Indians. He recommended
Astor to enter upon the same business; gave him valuable information as to the value of peltries in America and in Eng-land; told him the best way of buying, packing, preserving,
and shipping the skins, and gave him the names of the leading furriers in New York, Montreal, and London. Astor was,deeply impressed with the views of his friend, but he could not
see his own way clear to such a success, as he had no capital.
His friend assured him that capital was unnecessary if he was
willing to begin in an humble way. He could buy valuable
furs on the wharves of New York for toys and trinkets, and
even for cakes, from the Indians who visited the city, and
these he could sell at an advance to the New York dealers.
He advised the young man, however, not to be satisfied with
tihe  Admerican market, but to work for a position which would
enable him  to send his furs to England, where they would
bring four or five times as much as in this country. Astor
carefully treasured up all that his friend said to him, and quietly
resolved that he would lose no time in entering upon this business, which seemed to promise so much.
The two friends traveled together from Baltimore to New
York, where they were warmly received by Astor's brother,




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   67
Henry, who had succeeded in laying the foundation of a pros-,perous business as a butcher, in which he afterward made a
large fortune. Both brothers were men of business habits, and
on the very first evening after the arrival of the new-comer
they began to discuss plans for his future. Astor's friend stated
all the advantages of the fur trade, and convinced Henry Astor
that it was a fine field for the energies of his brother; and it
was agreed that it would be best for the young man to seek
employment in the service of some furrier in the city, in order
that he might thoroughly learn the business, and familiarize
himself with the- country and its customs. To his great delight, young Astor learned that, so far from being compelled to
pay his employer for learning him the business, as in Europe,
he would be certain here to receive his board and nominal
wages from the first. The next day the three started out, and
succeeded in obtaining a situation for the young man in the
store of Mr. Robert Bowne, a Quaker, and a merchant of long
experience in the business, as well as a most estimable man.
He is said to have engaged Astor at two dollars per week and
his board.
Astor was at once set to work by his employer to beat furs,
this method of treating them being required to prevent the
moths from lodging in and destroying them.  From  the first
he applied himself to the task of learning the business. He
bent all the powers of his remarkable mind to acquiring an intimate knowledge of furs, and of fur-bearing animals, and their
haunts and habits. His opportunities for doing so were very
good, as many of the skins were sold over Bowne's counters
by the hunters who had taken them. These men he questioned with a minuteness that astonished them, and the result
was that in a few years he was as thoroughly familiar with the
animals, their habits, their country, and the mode of taking




68                  GREAT FORTUNES.
them, as many of the trappers themselves. He is said to have
been in his prime the best judge of furs in America. He appreciated the fact that no man can succeed in any business or
profession without fully understanding it, and he was too much
determined upon success to be satisfied with a superficial knowledge. He was resolved that there should be no detail in the
business, however minute, with which he was unfamiliar, and
he toiled patiently to acquire information which most salesmen in his place would have esteemed trivial. Nothing was
trivial with him, however, and it is remarkable that he never
embarked in any scheme until he had mastered its mnost
trifling details. Few men have ever shown a deeper and
more far-reaching knowledge of their profession and the issues
involved in it than he. He fully understood that his knowledge would give him a power which a man of less information could not obtain, and he never failed to use that knowledge as a power. His instructions to his subordinates were
always drawn up with the strictest regard to details, and show
not only how thoroughly he had mastered the subject before
him, but also how much importance he attached to the conscientious fulfillment of a well-digested plan of operations.
He recognized no such thing as luck. Every thing with him
was the result of a deliberate plan based upon knowledge. In
this respect his career affords one of the best models to be
found in our history.
Astor's employer was not insensible to his merits, and soon
promoted him to a better place. In a little while the latter
intrusted him with the buying of the furs from the men who
brought them to the store, and he gave such satisfaction to his
employer that he was rewarded with a still more confidential
post. Montreal was at that time the chief fur depot of the
country, and it was the custom of Mr. Bowne to make an an







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ASTOR'S FIRST TRIP FOR FURS.




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  69
nual journey to that city for the purpose of replenishing his
stock. The journey was long and fatiguing, and as soon as
the old gentleman found that he could intrust the mission to
his clerk, he sent him in his place. Ascending the Hudson to
Albany, Astor, with a pack on his back, struck out across the
country, which was then almost unsettled, to Lake George, up
which he passed into Lake Champlain. Sailing to the head of
the lake, he made his way to Montreal. Then returning in
the same way, he employed Indians to transport his furs from
Lake George to Albany, and dropped down the Hudson in the
way he had come. Mr. Bowne was delighted with the success of his clerk, who proved more than a match for the
shrewd Indians in his bargains. It was doubtless here that
Mr. Astor obtained that facility in "driving a hard bargainr'
for which he was afterwards noted.
As soon as Mr. Astor felt himself master of his business,
he left the employ of Mr. Bowne, and began life on his own
account. The field upon which he purposed entering was extensive, but it was one of which he had made a careful survey. Previous to the peace of 1763, the French and English
divided the control of the fur-bearing regions of America.
The British possessions, extending from Canada to the unexplored regions of the North, had been granted by a charter of
Charles II. to Prince Rupert, and were, by virtue of that in,
strument, under the exclusive control of the Hudson Bay
Company. Large quantities of furs were obtained in this region, and collected at the principal settlement, York Factory,
from which they were shipped to England.
South of this region was Canada, then possessed by the
French, who carried on an extensive trade with the Indians,
who brought their furs down to Montreal in their birch canoes.
The French finally settled in the country of the savages, and




70                 GREAT FORTUNES.
married among the natives, thenceforward entirely devoting
themselves to the life of the trapper and hunter. These marriages produced a race of half-breeds who were especially successful in securing furs. The cession of Canada to England
was a severe blow to the French traders, as it opened the
country to the enterprise of the English, a few of whom were
quick to avail themselves of its advantages. The French and
Indians at first regarded them with hostility, but gradually
became reconciled to their presence.
Under the French rule the savages had not been furnished
with liquors, but the English soon sold whisky and rum in
great quantities to them, receiving the best furs in return. As
a consequence, intemperance spread rapidly among the savages,
and threatened to put an end to their industry as gatherers of
furs. To check the evil results of this irregular trading, a company was established in 1785, called the North-west Company.
It was managed by twelve partners, some of whom resided at
Montreal, and others at the trading posts in the interior. Their
chief station was at Fort William, on Lake Superior. Here, at
stated times, the agents would come up from Montreal and
hold a consultation for the purchase of furs. These meetings
always drew crowds of French and Indian trappers, boatmen,
and others, who brought in large quantities of skins.
A few years later a third company was organized, with its
principal station at Michilimackinac, near Lake Huron.  It
was called the Mackinaw Company, and its field of operations
was the country bordering Lake Superior, and that lying
between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains.  The
company was English, but did not hesitate to operate in
American territory, so little regard did Great Britain pay to
the rights of the infant republic.
"Although peace had been concluded, the frontier forts had




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  71
not been given up. Oswego, Niagara, Detroit, Michilimackinac, and other posts were still in the hands of the English.
The Indian tribes continued hostile, being under English influence. No company had as yet been formed in the United
States. Several French houses at St. Louis traded with the
Indians, but it was not until 1807 that an association of
twelve partners, with a capital of forty thousand dollars, was
formed at St. Louis, under the name of the Missouri Company.
"The trade, it will thus be seen, was almost wholly in the
hands of the English companies-the Hudson's Bay Company
in the north, the North-west Company in the Canadas, the
Mackinaw Company in the territories of the United Statesand the few American traders in the field had to rely on
their individual resources, with no aid front a Government
too feeble in itsi infancy to do more than establish a few
Indian agencies, and without constitutional power to confer
charter privileges."
The voyage of Captain Cook had brought to the notice of
the fur dealers of the world the sea otter of the northern Pacific, and the announcement made upon the return of the
expedition drew large numbers of adventurers to the west
coast of America, in search of the valuable skins of these animals. In 1792, there were twenty-one vesssels, principally
American, on the coast.
It was into this field, already occupied by powerful and hostile corporations, that the young German entered. He was
perfectly aware of the opposition his efforts would encounter
from them, but he was not dismayed. He began business in
1786, in a small store in Water Street, which he furnished
with, a few toys and notions suited to the tastes of the Indians
who" had skins to sell. His entire capital consisted of only a




72                  GREAT FORTUNES.
few hundred dollars, a portion of which was loaned him by his
brother. He had no assistants. He did all his own work.
He bought his skins, cured, beat, and sold them himself.
Several times during the year he made journeys on foot
through western New York, buying skins from the settlers,
farmers, trappers, savages, wherever he could find them. He
tramped over nearly the entire State in this way, and is said to
have had a better knowledge of its geography and topography
than any man living.
"He used to boast, late in life, when the Erie Canal had
called into being a line of thriving towns through the center
of the State, that he had himself, in his numberless tramps,
designated the sites of those towns, and predicted that one day
they would be the centers of business and population. Particularly he noted the spots where Rochester and Buffalo now
stand, one having a harbor on Lake Erie and the other upon
Lake Ontario. He predicted that those places would one day
be large and prosperous cities; and that prediction he made
when there was scarcely a settlement at Buffalo, and only wigwams on the site of Rochester."
During these tramps his business in the city was managed by
a partner, with whom he was finally compelled to associate
himself.
As soon as he had collected a certain number of bales of
skins he shipped them to London, and took a steerage passage
in the vessel which conveyed them. He sold his skins in that
city at a fine profit, and succeeded in forming business connections which enabled him afterward to ship his goods direct to
London, and draw regularly upon the houses to which they
were consigned. He also made an arrangement with the
house of Astor &  Broadwood, in which his brother was a
partner, by which he became the agent in New York for the




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  73
sale of their musical instruments, a branch of his business
which became quite profitable to him. He is said to have
been the first man in New York who kept a regular stock
of musical instruments on hand.
Slowly, and by unremitting industry, Mr. Astor succeeded
in building up a certain business.  His personal journeys
made him acquainted with the trappers, and enabled him to
win their good will. The savages sold their skins to him.
readily, and he found a steady market and a growing demand
for his commodities in the Old World.
It was about this time that he married Miss Sarah Todd, of
New York. She was a connection of the Brevoort family, and
was of better social position than her husband. She entered
heartily into his business, doing much of the buying and
beating of the furs herself.'She was a true helpmate to him,
and long after he was a millionaire, he used to boast of her
skill in judging furs and conducting business operations.
In 1794, Jay's treaty placed the frontier forts in the hands
of the Americans, and thus increased the opportunities of our
own traders to extend their business. It was of the greatest
service to Mr. Astor. It enabled him to enlarge the field of
his operations, and, at the same time, to send his agents on the
long journeys which he formerly made, while he himself
remained in New York to direct his business, which by this
time had grown to considerable proportions.
He was now on the road to wealth. He had scores of trappers and hunters working for him in the great wilderness, and
his agents were kept busy buying and shipping the skins to
New York. As soon as he was able to do so he purchased a
ship, in which he sent his furs to London, occasionally making
a voyage thither himself. He manifested the greatest interest
in the markets of the Old World, especially in those of Asia,




74                  GREAT FORTUNES.
and informed himself so accurately concerning them that he
was always enabled to furnish his captains with instructions
covering the most minute detail of their transactions in those
markets; and it is said that he was never unsuccessful in
his ventures there, except when his instructions were disobeyed.
In this again, as in the fur trade, we see him patiently acquiring knowledge of the eastern trade before venturing to
engage in it. His first step was always to fully comprehend
his task, to examine it from every possible point of view, so
that he should be prepared to encounter any sudden reverse, or
ready to take advantage of good fortune. Here lay the secret
of his success —that he never embarked in an enterprise until
he had learned how to use it to advantage.
Under his skillful management his business grew rapidly;
but he avoided speculation, and confined himself to legitimate
commerce. He was plain and simple in his habits, carrying
this trait to an extreme long after economy had ceased to be
necessary to him. He worked hard, indulged in no pleasures
except horseback exercise and the theater, of both which he
was very fond. It was only after he had amassed a large
fortune that he ever left his business before the close of the
day. Then he would leave his counting-room at two in the
afternoon, and, partaking of an early dinner, would pass the
rest of the day in riding about the island. So plain was his
style of living that, before he became generally known as a
wealthy man, a bank clerk once superciliously informed him
that his indorsement of a note would not be sufficient, as it
was not likely he would be able to pay it in case the bank
should be forced to call upon him.
"Indeed," said Mr. Astor, "how much do you suppose I
am worth?"




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  75
The clerk named a moderate amount, at which the merchant
smiled quietly.
"Would the indorsement of Mr. -, or Mr. --—, be sufficient?" asked Mr. Astor, naming several well-known merchants
who lived in great style.
"Entirely sufficient," was the reply. "Each one of them is
known to be wealthy."
"How much do you think each is worth?'"
The clerk named large sums in connection with each of the
gentlemen.
"Well, my friend," said the merchant, "I am worth more
than any of them. I will not tell you how much I am worth,
but it is more than any sum you have named."
The clerk looked at him in surprise, and then said, bluntly,
"Then you are a greater fool than I took you for, to work as
hard as you do."
Mr. Astor was very fond of telling this story, which he regarded as one of the best jokes of the day.
All this time Mr. Astor had lived over his store, but in
1800, after he had been in business fifteen years, he moved his
dwelling to 223 Broadway, on the site of the Astor House of today. He lived here, with one removal, for upwards of twentyfive years. The house was plain and simple, but he was satisfied with it. He was now worth a quarter of a million dollars,
and his business was growing rapidly. The fur trade was exceedingly profitable. A beaver skin could be bought from the
trappers in western New York for one dollar and sold in London for six dollars and a quarter. By investing this amount
in English manufactures, the six dollars and a quarter received
for the skin could be made to produce ten dollars paid for the
English goods in New York.
The Chinese trade was also very profitable. China was an




76                 GREAT FORTUNES.
excellent market for furs, They brought high prices, and the
proceeds could always be invested in teas and silks, which sold
well in New York. His profit on a voyage would sometimes
reach seventy thousand dollars, and the average gain on a
lucky venture of this kind was thirty thousand dollars. The
high prices produced by the war of 1812-15 were also in Mr.
Astor's favor. His ships were all remarkably lucky in escaping capture by the enemy, and he was almost the only merchant who had a cargo of tea in the market. Tea having
reached double its usual price, he was enabled to reap immense
profits from his ventures.
Mr. Francis, in his Old Merchants of New York, makes the
following revelation of the manner in which Mr. Astor found
it possible to carry on such an immense business. He says:
"A house that could raise money enough, thirty years ago,
to send $260,000 in specie, could soon have an uncommon cap-.
ital; and this was the working of the old system. The Griswolds owned the ship Panama. They started her from New
York in the month of May, with a cargo of perhaps $30,000
worth of ginseng, spelter, lead, iron, etc., and $170,000 in
Spanish dollars. The ship goes on the voyage, reaches Whampoa in safety (a few miles below Canton). Her supercargo, in
two months, has her loaded' with tea, some chinaware, a great
deal of cassia, or false cinnamon, and a few other articles.
Suppose the cargo mainly tea, costing about thirty-seven cents
(at that time) per pound on the average.
"The duty was enormous in those days. It was twice the
cost of the tea, at least; so that a cargo of $200,000, when it
had paid duty of seventy-five cents per pound (which would
be $400,000), amounted to $600,000. The profit was at least
fifty per cent. on the original cost, or $100,000, and would
make the cargo worth $700,000.




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  77
"'The cargo of teas would be sold almost on arrival (say
eleven or twelve months after the ship left New York in May),
to wholesale grocers, for their notes at four and six monthssay for $700,000. In those years there was credit given by the
United States of nine, twelve, and eighteen months! So that
the East India or Canton merchant, after his ship had made
one voyage, had the use of Government capital to the extent
of $400,000, on the ordinary cargo of a China ship.
"No sooner had the ship Panama arrived (or any of the
regular East Indiamen), than her cargo would be exchanged
for grocers' notes for $700,000. These notes could be turned
into specie very easily, and the owner had only to pay his
bonds for duty at nine, twelve, and eighteen months, giving him
time actually to send two more ships, with;200,000 each, to
Canton, and have them back again in New York before the
bonds on the first cargo were due.
"John Jacob Astor, at one period of his life, had several
vessels operating in this way. They would go to the Pacific,
and carry furs from thence to Canton. These would be sold
at large profits. Then the cargoes of tea to New York would
pay enormous duties, which Astor did not have to pay to the
United States for a year and a half. His tea cargoes would
be sold for good four and six months paper, or -perhaps cash;
so that, for eighteen or twenty years, John Jacob Astor had
what was actually a free-of-interest loan from Government of
over five millions of dollars."
It is estimated that Mr. Astor made about two millions of
dollars by his trade in furs and teas. The bulk of his immense fortune was made by investments in real estate. His
estate was estimated at twenty millions of dollars at the time
of his death, and has now increased to over forty millions.
He had a firm faith in the magnificent future of New York as




78                  GREAT FORTUNES.
the greatest city of the continent, and as fast as his gains from
his business came in, they were regularly invested in real estate.
A part was expended in leasing for a long period property
which the owners would not sell, and the rest in buying property in fee simple. These leases, some of which have but recently expired, were extremely profitable. In his purchases of
land lMr. Astor was very fortunate. He pursued a regular
system in making them.' Whenever a favorable purchase could
be made in the heart of the city, he availed himself of the opportunity, but as a rule he bought his lands in what was then
the suburb of the city, and which few besides himself expected
to see built up during their lifetime. His sagacity and foresight
have been more than justified by the course of events. His
estate now lies principally in the heart of New York, and has
yielded an increase greater even than he had ventured to hope
for. Seventy hundred and twenty houses are said to figure on
the rent roll of the Astor estate at present, and besides these are
a number of lots not yet built upon, but which are every day
increasing in value. When Mr. Astor bought Richmond Hill,
the estate of Aaron Burr, he gave one thousand dollars an acre
for the hundred and sixty acres. Twelve years later, the land
was valued at fifteen hundred dollars per lot.
In 1810, he sold a lot near Wall Street for eight thousand
dollars. The price was so low that a purchaser for cash was
found at once, and this gentleman, after the sale, expressed his
surprise that Mr. Astor should ask only eight thousand for a
lot which in a few years would sell for twelve thousand.
"That is true," said Mr. Astor, "but see what I intend
doing with these eight thousand dollars. I shall buy eighty
lots above Canal Street, and by the time your one lot is worth
twelve thousand dollars, my eighty lots will be worth eighty
thousand dollars."




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  79
His expectations were realized.
During the war of the Revolution, Roger Morris and his
wife, Mary, of Putnam County, were obliged to flee from the
country to England for adhering to the cause of King George,
and, being attainted by the authorities as public enemies, their
immense estate, consisting of fifty-one thousand one hundred
and two acres, was seized by the State of New York, and sold
in small parcels to farmers, who believed the title thus acquired valid. In 1809, there were upwards of seven hundred
families residing on this land. Mr. Astor, having learned that
Roger and Mary Morris possessed only a life interest in their
property, and having ascertained to his satisfaction that. the
State could not confiscate the rights of the heirs, purchased
their claim, which was good not only for the land, but for all
the improvements that had been put upon it. He paid twenty
thousand pounds sterling for it. A few years previous to the
death of Mrs. Morris, who survived her husband some years,
Mr. Astor presented his claim. The occupants of the land
were thunderstruck, but the right was on his side. The State
of New York had simply robbed the heirs of their rights.
There was no weak point in the claim. Having given defective titles to the farmers, the State was of course responsible for
the claim; and upon finding out their mistake, the authorities
asked Mr. Astor to name the sum for which he would be willing to compromise. The lands were valued at six hundred
and sixty-seven thousand dollars, but Mr. Astor expressed his
willingness to sell for three hundred thousand dollars. His
offer was refused. In 1819, a second proposition was made to
Mr. Astor by the Legislature of the State. He replied: "In
1813 or 1814 a similar proposition was made to me by the
commissioners then appointed by the Honorable the Legislature of this State, when I offered to compromise for the sum




80                  GREAT FORTUNES.
of three hundred thousand dollars, which, considering the value
of the property in question, was thought very reasonable, and,
at the present period, when the life of Mrs. Morris is, according to calculation, worth little or nothing, she being near eightysix years of age, and the property more valuable than it was
in 1813. I am still willing to receive the amount which I
then stated, with interest on the same, payable in money or
stock, bearing an interest of - per cent., payable quarterly. The
stock may be made payable at such periods as the Honorable the
Legislature may deem proper. This offer will, I trust, be considered as liberal, and as a proof of my willingness to compromise
on terms which are reasonable, considering the value of the property, the price which it cost me, and the inconvenience of having
so long lain out of my money, which, if employed in commercial
operations, would most likely have produced better profits."
This offer was not accepted by the Legislature, and the cause
was delayed until 1827, when it was brought before the courts.
It was argued by such men as Daniel Webster and Martin
Van Buren, on the part of the State, and by Thomas Addis
Emmett, Ogden, and others for Astor. The State had no case,
and the matter was decided in Astor's favor. Then the State
consented to compromise. The famous Astor stock, which paid
that gentleman about five hundred thousand dollars, was issued,
and the titles of the possessors of the lands confirmed.
The most important of all of MIr. Astor's undertakings was
his effort at founding the settlement of Astoria, on the coast of
Oregon. This enterprise has been made so familiar to the majority of readers by the pen of Washington Irving, that I can
only refer to it here. "His design," says a writer of thirteen
years ago, " was to organize and control the fur trade from the
lakes to the Pacific, by establishing trading posts along the
Missouri and Columbia to its mouth. He designed establish



JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   81
ing a central depot and post at the mouth of the Columbia.
He proposed sending regular supply-ships to the Pacific posts
around the Horn. By these, stores were to be sent also to the
Russian establishments.  It was part of his plan, if possible,
to obtain possession of one of the Sandwich Islands as a station, for from  the Pacific coast he knew  that the Chinese
market for his peltries could be most conveniently reached,
and thus the necessity for a long and circuitous voyage be
avoided. Instead of bringing the furs intended for China to
New York, they could be sent from the Pacific. By the supply-ships, too, the stock of goods suitable for the Indian trade
would be kept up there, and the cargoes purchased with the
proceeds of the furs sold in China brought back to New York.
The line of posts across the continent would become a line of
towns; emigration would follow, and civilization would belt
the continent.
"In this grand scheme, Mr. Astor was only anticipating tlie
course of events which, fifty years later, we are beginning to
witness. When he laid his plans before the Governiment, Mr.
Jefferson, who was then President,'considered as a great acquisition,' as he afterward expressed himself in a letter to. Mr..
Astor,'the commencement of a settlement on the western,
coast of America, and looked forward with gratification. to the
time when its descendants should have spread themselves
through the whole length of that coast, covering it with free
and independent Americans, unconnected with us except by ties
of blood and interest, and enjoying, like us, the rights of self
government.' Even Jefferson's mind, wide as it was, could!
not take in the idea of a national unity embracing both ends
of the continent; but not so thought Astor. The merchant
saw farther than the statesman. It was precisely this political
unity which gave him hope and chance of success in his world6.




82                   GREAT FORTUNES.
wide schemes.  When the Constitution was adopted, the chief
source of apprehension for its permanence with men like Patrick Henry, and other wise statesmen, was the extent of our
territory.  The Alleghanies, it was thought, had put asunder
communities whom no paper constitution could unite.  But at
that early day, when Ohio was the far WVest, and no steamboat
had yet gone up the Mississippi, Astor looked beyond the Ohio,
beyond the Mississippi, and the Rocky Mountains, and saw the
whole American territory, from ocean to ocean, the domain of
one united nation, the seat of trade and industry.  He saw lines
of trading posts uniting the Western settlements with the Pacific; following this line of trading posts, he saw the columns'of a peaceful emigration crossing the plains, crossing the mountains, descending the Columbia, and towns and villages taking
the places of the solitary posts, and cultivated fields instead of
Lthe hunting-grounds of the Indian and the trapper.
N" NTo enterprise, unless it be the Atlantic telegraph, engages,more deeply the public attention than a railroad communica-:tion with the Pacific coast. * The rapid settlement of Oregon,
<and California, the constant communication by steam to the'Pacific coast, render it easy now to feel the nearness of that region, and the oneness of the nationality which covers the continent.  But to Astor's eye the thing was as palpable then as
now. And yet but two or three attempts had then been made
to explore'the overland routes."
It vwould be deeply interesting to examine the details of this
vast scheme of colonization and trade, for it is certain that Mr.
Astor was as anxious to do an act which, by building up the
continent, should hand his name down to posterity as a national benefactor, as to increase his business; but the limits of
this article forbid more than a mere glance at the subject.:'The reader will bear in mind that the above extract was written in 1857.




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   83
A  company was formed, at the head of which stood Mr.
Astor, and an elaborate and carefully-arranged plan of operations prepared. Two expeditions were dispatched to the mouth
of the Columbia, one by land and the other by sea. Many
hardships were encountered, but the foundation of a settlement
was successfully made~ on the Columbia. In spite of the war
with England (1812-15), which now occurred, the enterprise
would have been successful had Mr. Astor's positive instructions been obeyed. They were utterly disregarded, however,
and his partners and agents not only betrayed him in every instance, but sold his property to a rival British company for a
mere trifle. His pecuniary loss was over a million of dollars,
and his disappointment bitter beyond expression.  When the
enterprise was on the point of failure, and while he was still
chafing at the conduct of his treacherous subordinates, he
wrote to Mr. Hunt, the most faithful of all his agents: "Were
I on the spot, and had the management of affairs, I would
defy them all; but as it is, every thing depends on you and
your friends about you. Our enterprise is grand, and deserves
success, and I hope in God it will meet it. If my object was
merely gain of money, I should say, think whether it is best to
save what we can, and abandon the place; but the very idea is
like a dagger to my heart."  When the news of the final betrayal reached him, he wrote to the same gentleman: "Had
our place and property been fairly captured, I should have preferred it; I should not feel as if I were disgraced."
Air. Astor remained in active business for fifty years. During that entire period he scarcely committed an error of judgment which led to a loss in business. He was thorough master
of every thing pertaining to his affairs, and his strength and
accuracy of judgment was remarkable.  The particulars of his
transactions were indelibly impressed upon his mind. His intel



84                  GREAT FORTUNES.
lect was vigorous and quick, and he grasped a subject with a
readiness which seemed like intuition. He was always careful
of the present, but he loved to undertake enterprises which extended far into the future. He was a man of the utmost punctuality in all his habits. He rose early, and, until he was fiftyfive years old, was always in his office before seven o'clock.
His capacity for work was very great, so that, in spite of his
heavy labors, he was always able to leave his office by two
o'clock, while many of his associates, who really did less than
he, were compelled to remain in their counting-rooms until four
or five. He was noted for his unvarying calmness, which he
doubtless owed to his German temperament. In the midst of
disaster and loss he was cooler and more cheerful than ever. To
those who chafed at their troubles, he would say, smilingly,
" Keep quiet; keep cool."  This was his safeguard.
He was a devoted citizen of the United States, and, though
he took no active interest in politics, was a steady supporter of
the Whig party. Henry Clay was his personal friend,,and his
last donation to any political cause was a subscription of fifteen
hundred dollars to aid the election of his old friend to the
Presidency.
About the year 1830, Mr. Astor, now the possessor of millions, began to withdraw from active business, confining his efforts
chiefly to such investments as the management of his immense
estate made necessary. He now put into execution an enterprise
which he had long cherished. When a poor stranger in the
city, he had once stopped in Broadway to notice a row of buildings which had just been erected, and which were considered
the finest in the street, and had then made a vow that he would
one day build a larger and finer house than any in Broadway.
He now set to work to carry out the plan he had cherished ever
since. He owned the entire block on Broadway, between Tesey




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                  85
and Barclay streets, with the exception of one house, which was
the property of a Mr. Coster, a merchant who had amassed a
large fortune and retired from business. Mr. Astor made him
many offers for his house, but the old gentleman was unwilling
to remove. Mr. Astor offered him the full value of his house,
which was thirty thousand dollars, and increased the bid to
forty thousand, but Mr. Coster was obstinate. At length Mr.
Astor, in despair, was compelled to reveal his plan to his
neighbor.
"I want to build a hotel," said he. "I have got all the
other lots. Now name your own price."
Mr. Coster replied that he would sell for sixty thousand dollars if his wife would consent, and that Mr. Astor could see her
the next morning. Mr. Astor was punctual to the appointment, and his offer was accepted by the good lady, who said to
him, condescendingly, "I do n't want to sell the house, but we
are such old friends that I am willing for your sake."
Mr. Astor used to remark with great glee that any one
could afford to exhibit such condescension after receiving double
the value of a piece of property.
Having got possession of the entire block, he commenced
the demolition of the old buildings, and on their site reared the
Astor House, then the largest and most elegant hotel in the
country. This building, when completed, he gave to his eldest
son, William B. Astor.
In 1832, Mr. Astor sailed for Europe to visit one of his
daughters, who had married a nobleman, and remained abroad
until 1835. In that year he was compelled to return home by
the action of General Jackson with regard to the Bank of the
United States. "He reached Havre," says Mr. Parton, "when
the ship, on the point of sailing, had every stateroom engaged,
but he was so anxious to get home, that the captain, who had




86                 GREAT FORTUNES.
commanded ships for him in former years, gave up to him his
own stateroom. Head winds and boisterous seas kept the vessel beating about and tossing in the channel for many days.
The great man was very sick, and still more alarmed.  At
length, being persuaded that he should not survive the voyage,
he asked the captain to run in and set him ashore on the coast
of England. The captain dissuaded him. The old man urged
his request at every opportunity, and said, at last,'I give you
tousand dollars to put me aboard a pilot boat.' He was so vehement and importunate, that one day the captain, worried out
of all patience, promised him that if he did not get out of the
channel before next morning, he would run in and put him
ashore. It happened that the wind changed in the afternoon
and wafted the ship into the broad ocean. But the troubles of
the sea-sick millionaire had only just begun. A heavy gale of
some days' duration blew the vessel along the western coast of
Ireland. Mr. Astor, now thoroughly panic-stricken, offered the
captain ten thousand dollars if he would put him ashore anywhere on the wild and rocky coast of the Emerald Isle. In
vain the captain remonstrated. In vain he reminded the old
gentleman of the danger of forfeiting his insurance.
"'Insurance!' exclaimed Astor, "can't I insure your ship
myself?'
"In vain the captain mentioned the rights of the other pas.
sengers. In vain he described the solitary and rock-bound
coast, and detailed the dangers and difficulties which attended
its approach. Nothing would appease him. He said he would
take all the responsibility, brave all the perils, endure all the
consequences, only let him once more feel the firm ground under his feet. The gale having abated, the captain yielded to
his entreaties, and engaged, if the other passengers would consent to the delay, to stand in, and put him ashore. MIr. Astor




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                    87
went into the cabin, and proceeded to write what was expected
to be a draft for ten thousand dollars in favor of the owners of
the ship on his agent in New York. He handed to the captain
the result of his efforts. It was a paper covered with writing
that was totally illegible.
"' What is this?' asked the captain.
"'A draft upon my son for ten thousand dollars,' was the
reply.
" But no one can read it.'
"'0 yes, my son will know what it is. My hand trembles
so that I can not write any better.'
"'But,' said the captain,'you can at least write your name.
I am acting for the owners of the ship, and I can not risk their
property for a piece of paper that no one can read. Let one of
the gentlemen draw up a draft in proper form; you sign it, and
I will put you ashore.'
" The old gentleman would not consent to this mode of proceeding, and the affair was dropped."
During the last twenty years of his life Mr. Astor lived in
the retirement of his family, leaving even the greater part of
the management of his estate to the hands of others.  He was
exceedingly fond of literary men. Irving was his friend, and
Halleck his business manager.  He died at the age of eightyfour years and eight months, literally from old age. He was
buried in St. Thomas's Church, on Broadway.
His immense estate was left to his children, the bulk of it
being bequeathed to his eldest son. All of his relatives were
made comfortable. The village of Waldorf, his native place,
received a legacy of fifty thousand dollars for the benefit of its
poor, and an amount in land and funds equal to four hundred
thousand dollars was left to certain trustees to establish the
Astor Library in the city of New York. Besides these, several




88                  GREAT FORTUNES.
charitable and benevolent associations received handsome dona,
tions from him.
His career has been related in these pages as an example to
those who are seeking to rise in legitimate commerce. It is the
best instance on record of the facility with which success may
be won by patient and intelligent industry. In his capacity
for grasping and carrying out an enterprise, in his prudent and
economical management of his business, in his tact, courage,
sagacity, Mr. Astor's example is one which will lead many to
success, and none to injury.
He was a thoroughly upright man, his transactions were
rigidly honest; but as a man, candor compels the acknowledgment that he was not a safe or admirable model. He was
utterly devoid of generosity. Liberal to an extreme with his
own family, he was close and hard with others. He paid small
wages to his employes, and never gave more than the man bargained for, no matter what extra service might be rendered.
He carried his economy to a degree of meanness painful to
contemplate. At his death, out of his vast estate, he left to
his friend and faithful manager an annuity of only two hundred
dollars, which his son increased to fifteen hundred.
One of his captains once succeeded in saving for him property
in China to the amount of seven hundred thousand dollars,
which had become jeopardized by the sudden death of the
agent in charge of it. This service was purely voluntary, and
was one which required the greatest skill, determination, and
courage on the part of the captain, and Astor acknowledged it,
frequently saying: "If you had not done just as you did, I
should never have seen one dollar of my money; no, not one
dollar of it." This was the only acknowledgment he made,
however. He was worth ten millions of dollars, and the captain had only his pay-twelve hundred dollars a year-and a




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   89
family. At his father's death Mr. William  B. Astor sent a
considerable sum to the old seaman in return for this service.
"We have all heard much of the closeness, or rather the
meanness, of this remarkable man. Truth compels us to admit
that he was not generous, except to his own kindred. His
liberality began and ended in his own family. Very seldom
during his lifetime did he willingly do a generous act, outside
of the little circle of his relations and descendants. To get all
he could, and to keep nearly all that he got-those were the
laws of his being....   He enjoyed keenly the consciousness, the feeling, of being rich. The roll-book of his
possessions was his Bible. He scanned it fondly, and saw,
with quiet but deep delight, the catalogue of his property
lengthening from month to month. The love of accumulation
grew with his years, until it ruled him like a tyrant. If at
fifty he possessed his millions, at sixty-five his millions possessed him. Only to his own children and to their children
was he liberal; and his liberality to them was all arranged
with a view to keeping his estate in the family, and to cause
it at every moment to tend toward a final consolidation in one
enormous mass."
This is the estimate of his character formed by Mr. James
Parton. His friend Dr. Coggswell presents.him  in quite a
different light. He says:
"Mr. Astor lived to the good old age of four score and four
years and eight months. For some years previous to his death,
which happened March 29, 1848, his manly form was bowed
down by age, and his bodily strength greatly enfeebled, but his
mind retained much of its original vigor and brightness. Considering his extraordinary activity until a late period of his life,
he submitted to the helplessness of age with uncommon resignation. When his impaired eye-sight no longer permitted him




90                  GREAT FORTUNES.
to read, his principal relief from the wearisomeness of unoccupied time was in the society of his friends and near relatives.
All who knew him well were strongly attached to him, and
none but those who were ignorant of his true character believed
him unamiable and repulsive.
"His smile was peculiarly benignant and expressive of genuine kindness of heart, and his whole manner cordial and courteous to every one entitled to his respect. There was something
so impressive in his appearance, no one could stand before him
without feeling that he was in the-presence of a superior intelligence. His deep, sunken eye, beneath his overarched brow,
denoted the prophetic-it might almost be said the inspiredmind within. Although he lived many years beyond the age
when the grasshopper is a burden, and was the victim of much
suffering, he did not murmur, nor did he become unreasonable
and peevish. He was not wont to talk much on the subject
of religion, or freely communicate his views in relation to the
life beyond the grave; but it can not be doubted that such
tranquillity as he exhibited in his near approach to it must
have been derived from'that peace which the world can
neither give nor take away."'
Perhaps a medium  between Mr. Parton's bitterness and
Dr. Coggswell's enthusiasm will be as correct an estimate
of his personal character as can be formed. It is a singular
fact that Mr. Astor managed, in spite of the closeness which
marked his operations, in spite of the small wages he paid, to
inspire his employ6s with a zeal in his service that made them
willing to undertake any thing, to endure any amount of labor,
for him.
"He once lost seventy thousand dollars by committing a
piece of petty injustice toward his best captain. This gallant
sailor, being notified by an insurance office of the necessity of




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                   91
having a chronometer on board his ship, spoke to Mr. Astor
on the subject, who advised the captain to buy one.
"'But,' said the captain,'I have no five hundred dollars to
spare for such a purpose; the chronometer should belong to the
ship.'
"'Aell,' said the merchant,'you need not pay for it now;
pay for it at your convenience.'
"The captain still objecting, Astor, after a prolonged higgling, authorized him to buy a chronometer and charge it to
the ship's account, which was done.
"Sailing day was at hand. The ship was hauled into the
stream. The captain, as is the custom, handed in his account.
Astor, subjecting it to his usual close scrutiny, observed the
novel item of' five hundred dollars for the chronometer. He
objected, averring that it was understood between them  that
the captain was to pay for the instrument. The worthy sailor
recalled the conversation, and firmly held to his recollection
of it. Astor insisting on his own view of the matter, the
captain was so profoundly disgusted that, important as the
command of the ship was to him, he resigned his post.
Another captain was soon found, and the ship sailed for China.
"Another house, which was then engaged in the China trade,
knowing the worth of this'king of captains,' as Astor himself
used to style him, bought him a ship and dispatched him to
Canton two months after the departure of Astor's vessel. Our
captain, put upon his mettle, employed all his skill to accelerate
the speed of his ship, and had such success that he reached New
York, with a full cargo of tea, just seven days after the arrival
of Mr. Astor's ship. Astor, not expecting another ship for
months, and therefore sure of monopolizing the market, had
not yet broken bulk, nor even taken off the hatchways. Our
captain arrived on a Saturday. Advertisements and handbills




92                  GREAT FORTUNES.
were immediately issued, and on the Wednesday morning following, as the custom then was, the auction sale of the tea
began on the wharf-two barrels of punch contributing to the
eclat and hilarity of the occasion. The cargo was sold to good
advantage, and the market was glutted. Astor lost in consequence the entire profits of the voyage, not less than the sum
previously named. Meeting the captain some time after in
Broadway, he said:
"' I had better have paid for that chronometer of yours."'
Yet he could do a kind act when he was in the humor.
When he was poor and struggling for fortune, he had a friend
in the city named Pell, a coachmaker. As he advanced in
the world he lost sight of his friend. One day a young man
called on him to ask if he would sell one of his leases which
he (the visitor) then held. He replied promptly and decidedly
that he would not sell.
"But what is your name?" he asked.
"It is Pell," was the reply.
"Pell-Pell-" said% the old man, hesitating a moment, "I
knew a man by that name once; he was a dear friend of mine,
but I have not seen him for years."
"That man," said the visitor, "was my father."'
"Indeed," exclaimed the old man, warmly; "your father?
Why, he used to give me rides in his coaches. How I should
like to see him."
Then pausing a moment, and smiling as he recalled the past
to his mind, he said:
"You shall have the lease, young man. Go home, have the
papers drawn, come here at eleven o'clock on Thursday, and
I'll sign them. But do n't put in any consideration."
The engagement was kept punctually by both parties.
"Have you got the papers?" asked the merchant. "Did




JOHN JACOB ASTOR.                 93
you put in the consideration? Well, let it be one hundred
dollars. Have you got the money about you? Well, no matter, Bruce wvill keep the lease till you come and pay. I've
given you two thousand dollars, young man. Do n't you buy
any more, for I sha'n't do it again. You tell your father that
I remember him, and that I have given you two thousand
dollars."
Mr. Astor dearly liked a joke, and occasionally indulged in
a sly bit of humor himself. On one occasion a committee
called upon him to solicit a donation for some charitable object.
The old man took the subscription list, and, after examining
it, signed it and gave the committee a check for fifty dollars.
They had expected much more, and one of them ventured to
say:
"We did hope for more, Mr. Astor. Your son gave us a
hundred dollars."
"Ah!" replied the old man, drily, "William has a rich
father. Mine was very poor."




94                 GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER III.
ALEXANDER T. STEWTART.
A~~~    N the year 1818, a European vessel anchored in
the harbor of New York, after a long and weary
voyage from the Old WTorld. She brought many
- ~~ i   passengers to the young metropolis, the majority
of whom came with the intention of seeking fortunes in this land of promise.
Among them was a young Irishman who had left his home
in his native land to seek in America the means of bettering
his condition. This Was ALEXANDER T. STEWART. He was the
son of Scotch-Irish parents, and was born in Belfast in 1802.
Being only three years old when his father died, his grandfather
took charge of him, and proved a kind and judicious guardian.
As he was designed for the ministry by his relative, and as his
own tastes inclined him to that profession, he was given a good
common school education, and placed at college, where he made
favorable progress in his class. He was particularly successful
in the classics, and is said to retain his relish for them at the
present day.
During his second term his grandfather died, and he was by
this event obliged to leave college. Abandoning the idea of entering the ministry, he embarked for America, determined to make
a fortune in the New World. He came sufficiently supplied




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                 95
with ready money to insure him against immediate want, and
with letters of introduction which at once secured him an excellent social position.
After trying in vain for some time to secure employment in
a business house, he obtained a position as assistant in a commercial school. This he soon resigned for a similar place in a
more celebrated school. His salary here was $300, which was
considered ample compensation in those days.
Not wishing to continue in this career, however, he opened a
small retail dry goods store in New York, and began business
on a humble scale. Here he remained until the age of twentyone, manifesting no extraordinary business capacity, and in no
way distinguished from the many small dealers around him.
Upon reaching his majority he returned to Ireland, to look
after the inheritance left him by his grandfather. The amount
which thus came to him was nearly one thousand pounds, and
the greater part of this he invested in " insertions" and "scollop trimmings," which he shipped to America by the vessel in
which he returned. He rented a little store, on his return, at
283 Broadway, and there displayed his stock, which met with
a ready sale at a fair profit.
Without mercantile experience, and possessing little advantage, save his own Scotch-Irish energy and courage, Mr.
Stewart started boldly on what proved the road to fortune. [No
young merchant ever worked harder than he. From fourteen
to eighteen hours each day were given to his business. He was
his own book-keeper, salesman, and porter. He could not
afford to employ help. Credit was hard to obtain in those
days, and young merchants were not favorites with those who
had such favors to bestow. Mr. Stewart was one of the
least favored, inasmuch as he was almost a total stranger to the
business community in which he lived. HIe kept a small stock




.96                 GREAT FORTUNES.
of goods on hand, which he purchased for cash chiefly at the
auction sales. He was a regular attendant at these sales, and
his purchases were invariably "sample lots"-that is, collections of small quantities of various articles thrown together in
confusion, and sold in heaps for what they would bring. He
had these purchases conveyed to his store, and after the business of the day was over, he and his wife would take these
"sample lots," and by carefully assorting them, bring order out of the confusion. Every article was patiently gone
over. Gloves were redressed and smoothed out, laces pressed
free from the creases which careless bidders had twisted into
them, and hose made to look as fresh as if they had never
been handled. Each article being good in itself, was thus restored to its original excellence. The goods were then arranged in their proper places on the shelves of the store, and
by being offered at a lower price than that charged by retail
dealers elsewhere in the city, met with a ready sale. Even at
this low price the profit was great, since they had been purchased for a mere trifle. For six years Mr. Stewart continued
to conduct his business in this way, acquiring every day a
larger and more profitable trade. Here he laid down those
principles of business and personal integrity from which he has
never departed, and which have led him to the honorable position he now holds.
"His first rule was honesty between seller and buyer. His
career is a perfect exemplification of Poor Richard's maxim:'Honesty is the best policy,' and of the *poet's declaration:
Nothing can need a lie.' His interest consorted with his inclination, his policy with his principles, and the business with
the man, when he determined that the truth should be told
over his counter, and that no misrepresentation of his goods
should be made. He never asked, he never would suffer, a




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                 97
clerk to misrepresent the quality of his merchandise. Clerks
who had been educated at other stores to cheat customers, and
then to laugh off the transaction as'cuteness,' or defend it as'diamond cut diamond,' found no such slipshod morality at
Stewart's little store, and learned frankness and fairness in representation at the peril of dismissal. Their employer asked no
gain from deceit in trade. On his part, too, in buying, he
rarely gave a seller a second opportunity to misrepresent goods
to him.
"A second innovation of the young dry goods dealer was
selling at one price-a custom which has also lasted without
interruption, and which has spread to all the great houses. He
fixed his price, after careful consideration, at what he thought
the goods could and would bring, and would not deviate from
it for any haggling, or to suit individual cases. Of course, he
followed the fluctuations of the market, and marked his goods
up or down in accordance with it; but no difference in the
price was made to different people. Perhaps those who had
some art in'beating down' prices were offended, but people in
general were pleased.
"The third principle he adopted was that of cash on delivery. It is said that his own early experience of buying on
credit, and selling on credit, drove him to this rule.
"A fourth principle with him was to conduct business as
business-not as sentiment. His aim was honorable profit, and
he had no purpose of confusing it by extraneous considerations."
While still engaged in his first struggles in his little store,
Mr. Stewart found himself called on to make arrangements to
pay a note which would soon become due. It was for a considerable sum, and he had neither the money nor the means of
borrowing it. It was a time when the mercantile community
7




98                  GREAT FORTUNES.
of New York regarded a failure to pay a note as a crime, and
when such a failure was sure to bring ruin to any new man.
Mr. Stewart knew this, and felt that he must act with greater
resolution and daring than he had ever before exhibited, if he
would save himself from dishonor. To meet the crisis he
adopted a bold and skillful maneuver. He marked down
every article in his store far below the wholesale price. This
done, he had a number of handbills printed, announcing that
he would sell off his entire stock of goods below cost, within a
given time. He scattered these handbills broadcast through
the city, and it was not long before purchasers began to flock to
his store to secure the great bargains which his advertisements
offered them. His terms were " cash, " and he had little difficulty in selling. Purchasers found that they thus secured the
best goods in the market at a lower figure than they had ever
been offered before in New York, and each one was prompt to:advise relatives and friends to avail themselves of the favor-;able opportunity. Customers were plentiful; the little Broad-,way store was thronged all day, and long before the expiration of the period he had fixed for the duration of his sales, Mr.:Stewart found his shelves empty and his treasury full. He paid
his note with a part of the money he had thus received, and
with the rest laid in a fresh stock of goods. He was fortunate
~in his purchases at this time, for, as the market was extremely
(dull and ready money scarce, he, by paying cash, bought his,goods at very low prices.
The energy, industry, patience, and business tact displayed'by Mr. Stewart during these first years of his commercial life
brought him their sure reward, and in 1828, just six years after
commencing business, he found his little store too small and
humble for the large and fashionable trade which had come to
him.  Three new stores had just been erected on Broadway, be



ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                 99
tween Chambers and Warren Streets, and he leased the smallest
of these and moved into it. It was a modest building, only
three stories high and but thirty feet deep, but it was a great
improvement on his original place. He was enabled to fill it
with a larger and more attractive stock of goods, and his busin'ess was greatly benefited by the change. He remained in this
store for four years, and in 1832 removed to a two-story building located on Broadway, between Murray and Warren Streets.
Soon after occupying it, he was compelled, by the growth of his
business, to add twenty feet to the depth of the store and
a third story to the building. A year or two later a fourth
story was added, and in 1837 a fifth story, so rapidly did he
prosper.
His trade was now with the wealthy and fashionable class of
the city  He had surmounted all his early difficulties, and
laid the foundation of that splendid fortune which he has since
won. The majority of his customers were ladies, and he now
resolved upon an expedient for increasing their number. He
had noticed that the ladies, in "shopping," were given to the
habit of gossiping, and even flirting with the clerks, and he
adopted the expedient of employing as his salesmen the handsomest men he could procure, a practice which has since become
common. The plan was successful from the first. Women came
to his store in greater numbers than before, and " Stewart's nice
young men" were the talk of the town.
The great crisis of 1837 found Mr. Stewart a prosperous and
rising man, and that terrible financial storm which wrecked so
many of the best of the city firms did not so much as leave its
mark on him. Indeed, while other men were failing all around
him, he was coining money. It had always been his habit to
watch the market closely, in order to profit by any sudden
change in it, and his keen sagacity enabled him to see the




100                 GREAT FORTUNES.
approach of the storm long before it broke, and to prepare
for it.
He at once marked down all his goods as low as possible, and
began to "sell for cost," originating the system which is now so
popular. The prices were very low, and the goods of the best
quality. Every body complained of the hard times, and all
were glad to save money by availing themselves of " Stewart's
bargains."  In this way he carried on a retail cash trade of five
thousand dollars per day in the midst of the most terrible crisis
the country has ever seen. Other merchants were reduced to
every possible expedient, and were compelled to send their goods
to auction to be'sold for what they would bring, so great was
their need of ready money. Stewart attended all these auctions
regularly, and-purchased the goods thus offered. These he sold
rapidly by means of his "cost system," realizing an average
profit of forty per cent. It is said that he purchased fifty thousand dollars worth of silks in this way, and sold the whole lot
in a few days, making a profit of twenty thousand dollars on
the transaction. Thus he not only passed through the " crisis,"
but made a fortune in the midst of it.
From that time to the present day his march to fortune has
been uninterrupted. Nearly a quarter of a century ago he purchased the property which is now the site of his wholesale
store, and commenced to erect the splendid marble warehouse
which he still occupies.  His friends were surprised at his
temerity.  They told him it was too far, up town, and on the
wrong side of Broadway, but he quietly informed them that a
few years would vindicate his wisdom, and see his store the
center of the most flourishing business neighborhood of ]New
York. His predictions have been more than realized.
He moved into his new store in 1846, and continued to expand and enlarge his business every year. Some years ago he




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                101
purchased the old Ninth-Street Dutch Church and the lots adjacent to it, comprising the entire block lying between Ninth
and Tenth Streets, Broadway and Fourth Avenue. When he
found the retail trade going up town, and deserting its old
haunts below Canal Street, he erected a fine iron building at the
corner of Broadway and Tenth Street, to which he removed the
retail department of his business, continuing his wholesale trade
at his old store on Chambers Street. This new " upper store"
has increased with the business. The building now covers the entire block upon which it is erected, and is the largest, most complete, and magnificent establishment of its kind in the world.
Though he took no active part in politics, he was too much
interested in public affairs, by reason of his immense wealth,
not to watch them closely. He was satisfied, some time before
our late troubles began, that war must come, and quietly made
contracts with nearly all the manufacturers for all their productions for a considerable period of time. Accordingly, when
the war did come, it was found that nearly all the articles
of clothing, blankets, etc., needed for the army had been monopolized by him. His profits on these transactions amounted
to many millions of dollars, though it should be remarked that
his dealings with the Government were characterized by an unusual degree of liberality. The gains thus realized by him more
than counterbalanced the losses he sustained by the sudden cessation of his Southern trade.
Fifty years have now passed away since the young schoolteacher landed in New York, and he stands to-day at the head
of the mercantile interests of the New World. In the halfcentury which has elapsed since then, he has won a fortune
which is variously estimated at from twenty-five to forty millions of dollars. He has gained all this wealth fairly, not by
trickery and deceit, or even by a questionable honesty, but by a




102                 GREAT FORTUNES.
series of mercantile transactions the minutest of which bears
the impress of his sterling integrity, and by a patience, energy,
tact, and genius of which few men are possessed. Surely, then,
it must be a proud thought to him that he has done all this
htimself, by his own unaided efforts, and that amid all his wonderful success there does not rest one single stain upon his good
name as a man or a merchant.
It is said that Mr. Stewart regards himself as a "lucky
man," rather than as one who has risen by the force of his own
genius. A writer in the New York Herald relates the following incident, as illustrative of the superstition which this
feeling of "luck" has given rise to with him: "When he kept
his store on Broadway, between Murray and Warren Streets,
there sat on the sidewalk before it, on an orange box, an old
woman, whose ostensible occupation was the selling of apples.
This business was, however, merely a pretense; the main object
being beggary. As years rolled on, Mr. Stewart became impressed with the idea that the old dame was his guardian angel
of good luck, and this impression took so firm a hold upon his
mind that when he removed to Chambers Street, he, in person,
took up the old woman's box, and removed her to the front of
his new establishment. In further illustration of Mr. Stewart's
faith in the Irish traditional belief in'lucky' and'unlucky'
persons, it may be mentioned that, after the completion of the
St. Nicholas Hotel in this city, an undertaking in which he
was largely interested, and when the building was just about
to be opened for the reception of guests, the millionaire, standing in the drawing-room, ejaculated,'It is now finished; I
hope its first visitors may be lucky people.'
"A gentleman present, who had heard of Mr. Stewart's care
for the aged apple vender, remarked,'I presume, sir, you do
not in reality care about lucky or unlucky persons;' to which




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                  103
lhe immediately replied,'Indeed, I do. There are persons who
are unlucky. I sometimes open a case of goods, and sell the
first from it to some person who is unlucky, and lose on it to
the end. I frequently see persons to whom I would not sell
if I could avoid it."'
The first incident, if true, doubtless illustrates the quiet
kindness with which Mr. Stewart watches over the poor that
he takes under his care-and they are many. He has won his
success too fairly to be a believer in mere luck. There is no
such thing as chance in this world. Men are the architects
of their own fortunes.
One of the principal reasons of his success is the rigid system with which he conducts his business. He has a place for
every thing, and a time for every duty, and requires the same
regularity from his subordinates.  His salesmen and managers
are thoroughly versed in their duties, and the more important
of them are selected with great care. Every thing works
smoothly under the master's eye, and there is a penalty for
each and every delinquency, which is rigidly exacted.
Mr. Stewart is one of the hardest workers in his establishment. His partners relieve him of the details, but the general
management of his immense business he trusts to no other
hands. His eye is on every thing. He is familiar with every
detail, though he does not take upon himself its direction.  He
goes to his business between nine and ten in the morning, stopping first at his upper store. He makes a brief but thorough
inspection here, and learns the general progress of the day, and
then repairs to his lower or wholesale store, where he remains
during business hours, and returns home between five and six in
the afternoon, stopping again at the upper store. He works hard,
and is never absent from his post unless detained by sickness.
His time is valuable, and he is not willing to waste it.




104                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Many persons endeavor to see him  merely to gratify their
impertinent curiosity, and others wish to intrude upon him
for purposes which would simply consume his time. To protect himself, he has been compelled to resort to the following
expedient:  A gentleman is kept on guard near the main door
of the store, whose duty is to inquire the business of visitors.
If the visitor wishes to see Mr. Stewart, the "sentinel" informs
him  that he must first state his business to him.  If the
visitor urges that it is private, he is told that Mr. Stewart has
no private business. If his errand meets the approval of the
gentleman on guard, he is allowed to go up stairs, where he
is met by the confidential agent of the great merchant, to whom
lhe must repeat the object of his visit. If this gentleman is satisfied, or can not get rid of the visitor, he enters the private
office of his employer and lays the case before him.  If the
business of the visitor is urgent he is admitted, otherwise, he
is refused an interview.  If admitted, the conference is brief
and to the point. There is no time lost. Matters are dispatched with a method and promptitude which astonish
strangers. If the visitor attempts to draw the merchant into
a friendly conversation, or indulges in useless complimentary
phrases, after the matter on which he came is settled, Mr.
Stewart's manner instantly becomes cold and repelling, and
troublesome persons are sometimes given a hint which hastens
their departure.  This is his working time, and it is precious
to him. He can not afford to waste it upon idlers. In social
life he is said to be exceedingly affable.
The greater portion of Mr. Stewart's immense fortune is
invested in real estate. Besides his two stores on Broadway,
he owns the Metropolitan Hotel and the New York Theater,
also on Broadway; nearly all of Bleecker Street from Broadway to Depauw Row, several churches, a number of buildings,




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                 105
and many valuable lots. He resides at the north-east corner
of the Fifth Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street.  Immediately
opposite he is building one of the finest residences in the world,
and the most superb in America. He owns more real estate
than any man in America except William B. Astor, and is the
most successful merchant in the world.
Mr. Stewart is said to be extremely liberal in his donations
to objects which meet with his sympathy. The majority of
these donations are quietly made, as he has a repugnance to
public charities. He gave liberally to the cause of the Union
during the war. During that struggle he sent a cargo of provisions to Ireland, where much distress existed, and then invited
as many emigrants as the vessel would carry to take passage to
America in her, free of charge. One hundred and thirty-nine
persons availed themselves of his offer, and upon reaching
America were all provided with good situations by him. At
present he is engaged in erecting on the Fourth Avenue a large
building, in which homes will be provided for poor working
females, at a small expense to them. It is said that this noble
project will require an outlay of several millions of dollars.
His friends-and he has many-speak of him as exceedingly
kind and liberal, and seem much attached to him.
As I have said before, Mr. Stewart has not cared for political distinction, but has rather shunned it. He was a member of the Union Defense Committee during the war, and in
1866 was one of the signers of the Saratoga address, calling on
the people of the country to sustain the policy of President
Johnson. His warm friendship for General Grant caused him
to be one of the earliest advocates of the election of the latter
to the Presidency. He was a candidate for Presidential
Elector on the Republican ticket for the State of New York,
but was defeated, with his associates, by the Democracy.




106                 GREAT FORTUNES.
His intimate relations with General Grant, together with his
vast financial experience, induced many persons to believe that
he would be offered a place in the Cabinet of the new President. These expectations were realized by his nomination to the
post of Secretary of the Treasury, on the 5th of March, 1869,
and his immediate and unanimous confirmation by the Senate.
He was about to enter upon his new duties, when it was discovered that there existed an old and almost forgotten law
forbidding any merchant from becoming the head of the Treasury Department. As soon as this discovery was made, Mr.
Stewart expressed his desire to withdraw from the position, and
thus relieve the President of all embarrassment upon the subject, but the latter, wishing, if possible, to retain him in the
Cabinet, urged him to delay his action, with the hope that
the difficulty might be obviated. Willing to oblige his friend,
and anxious to serve the country, Mr. Stewart consented to
do this, but finding that certain persons were seeking to
make his nomination a source of trouble to the Administration, offered either to resign the place or to relinquish
his entire interest in his business during the period of his
Secretaryship, and to donate his immense profits for that
time to the poor of the city of New York. This sacrifice,
he hoped, would render him eligible; but the President was
unwilling to accept the princely offer-the noblest ever made
by any man-and Mr. Stewart finally withdrew  from  the
contest.
There can be no doubt that he would have been the best
Secretary that could have been placed at the head of the Treasury. His great financial experience and his unquestioned
ability were better qualifications than those possessed by any
politician in the land. Perhaps the best proof of the satisfaction which his appointment produced in the minds of the




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                 107
thinking men of the country is the manner in which the news
affected the money market. Gold fell as soon as the announcement was made.
Few strangers ever come to New York and depart without
visiting Stewart's famous store at the corner of Tenth Street
and Broadway. The lower, or wholesale store, is far more important to its owner; but it conducts its operations exclusively
with dealers, and in such a quiet and systematic way that it
seems to attract but little attention among the masses. It is
the upper or retail store that is the wonder of the great city in
wvhich it is located.
It is constructed of iron, in the style of arcade upon arcade,
and is lighted by numerous windows. It fronts two hundred
feet on Broadway, and three hundred feet on Ninth and Tenth
Streets. It covers an area of about two acres, is five stories
and an attic in height, and has two cellars underneath. It is
warmed by steam, and contains several steam-engines for hoisting goods, running the machines employed in the manufacturing department, and forcing water into the immense tank at
the top of the building.  Six elevators and several handsome
stairways connect the various. floors. Three of the elevators
are used for conveying customers up and down, and the others
for hoisting and lowering goods.' The building is lighted by
several thousand gas jets, which are alI set aflame simultaneously by electricity.
The various floors, with the exception of the first, are broken
only by a rotunda, which extends to the roof, and is inclosed
at each floor by a massive iron balustrade.. Leaning over one
of these balustrades,- and looking up or down, the sight is
brilliant and attractive. Thousands of persons are scattered
about the floors making purchases. Hundreds of clerks, salesmen, and cash boys are busy serving them, and the buz and




108                  GREAT FORTUNES.
hum of human voices under the vast roof sounds like the
droning of a hive of bees.
The service of this immense establishment is arranged as
follows: There is one general superintendent, with nineteen
assistants, each of whom is at the head of a department.  Nine
cashiers receive and pay out money; twenty-five book-keepers
keep the record of the day; thirty ushers direct purchasers to
the department they seek; two hundred cash boys receive the
money and bring back the change of purchasers; four hundred
and seventy clerks, a few of whom are females, make the sales
of the day; fifty porters do the heavy work, and nine hundred
seamstresses are employed in the manufacturing department.
Besides these, there are usually about five hundred other persons employed about the establishment in various capacities,
bringing the total strength of the personelle of the house to
twenty-two hundred.
The accounts of each department are kept separate, and the
sales of each for the day constitute a separate return. These
sales will average something like the following figures:
Silks................  $15,000
Dress goods.......            6,000
Muslins.......                            3,000
Laces............                    2,000
Shawls...............         2,500
Suits.... 1,000
Calicoes...............                     1,500
Velvets...............    2,000
Gloves................                   1,000
Furs.....   1,000
Hosiery..........                            600
Boys' clothing.............    700
Notions.......                        600
Embroideries..........   1,000
Carpets.............                     5,500




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                 109
The total daily receipts average $60,000, and have been
known to amount to $87,000.
Salaries of subordinate clerks range from $5 to $25 per week.
The cash boys receive $5 per week. If not fined for misconduct they receive a reward of $1 per month, and a further reward of $5 at the end of each half year. They are promoted
as fast as their conduct and vacancies in the force of salesmen
will allow. The number of employ6s being so large, the proprietor is compelled to keep them under the constant espionage
of two experienced detectives, and each evening when they
leave the store they are required to do so through a private
door on Ninth Street, where the detectives are stationed to see
that none of them carry away articles which do not belong to
them.
The number of visitors to the establishment in the busy
season is very large. On special occasions, such as opening
days, it is said to have reached fifty thousand, but the general
average is placed at fifteen thousand, and they represent every
grade in life. Rich and poor mingle here freely.
The floors are arranged simply, and with regard to business
rather than for show, but every thing is elegant and tasteful.
The sub-cellar is used as a store-room for goods in cases. Here
the fabrics are opened and sent to their departments. The cellar is the carpet sales-room. The first floor is the general salesroom, and is the most attractive place in the building. It is
three hundred feet long by two hundred wide, and is provided
with one hundred counters, each fifty feet in length. Behind
these counters the goods are arranged, with no effort at display,
on the shelves, which rise but a few feet above the counters.
There is an abundance of light in all parts of the house, especially over the silk counters, which are just under the rotunda.
The second floor is taken up with ladies' suits, shawls, curtain




110                 GREAT FORTUNES.
goods, etc., and the next floor is devoted to the same purpose.
The fourth floor is used as a manufactory for making up the
suits, etc., placed on sale or ordered by customers; on the fifth
is the fur-room and upholstery manufactory; and the sixth is
occupied as a laundry.  The most perfect order is maintained
in every part of the establishment, the mere direction of which
requires administrative ability of a very high character.
As fast as the sales are made, the articles, unless taken away
by the purchaser, are sent to the parcel desk, which is located
in the cellar. This is the busiest department in the house, and
one of the most important. Each order is accompanied by a
ticket stating the quality and amount of the goods, the price, and
the address of the purchaser.  It is remeasured and examined
here, so that any error on the part of the salesman may be detected and repaired. Errors of this kind, however, are rare,
and the burden of the labor in this department consists of making the goods up into secure packages and sending them to
their destinations.  The tickets delivered at the parcel desk
are then sent to the checking desk, which is also in the basement, where they are compared with those delivered by the
salesmen to the cashiers, and if no error is discovered, the goods
are sent to the wagons for delivery.
The wagon department constitutes a very important branch
of the business. The vehicles and horses are accommodated in
a fine stable on Amity Street, near Broadway. The building
was formerly a Baptist church, and was presided over by the
Rev. Dr. Williams.  When the congregation went higher up
town, they sold the old church, which found a purchaser in Mr.
Stewart. He converted it into a stable, and has since more
than doubled its size.  The floor was taken up, a sewer built
to carry off the waste water, and the place paved with brick
and cement. It is now one of the best stables in the city. It




ALEXANDER T. STEWART.                111
contains over forty horses, and five grooms are on hand to attend to them. There are eight wagons employed at the uptown store to deliver parcels to purchasers, while thirteen single
wagons are used by the lower store to cart single cases around
town. In addition to these, there are ten double trucks to haul
heavy goods. Twenty-seven drivers are employed, and thirteen
hundred bushels of oats and fifty tons of hay are fed out during
a year. The place is in charge of a watchman at night, and
during the day is managed by a superintendent. At half-past
eight the trucks report at the down-town store, and remain there
all day. At the same moment one of the light wagons is dispatched to the retail store, and at once takes out the early sales.
In an hour another wagon follows it, and this course is pursued
all day until six o'clock, when the last wagon takes the last
sales. By this system purchasers receive their parcels with dispatch, and the immense business of the day is entirely finished.
Every week the superintendent of the stables makes a report
of the condition of the horses and wagons, and this "stable report" is carefully inspected at head-quarters. In case of sickness or stubborn lameness, the horses are sent to the country to
recruit.
Mr. Stewart has a farm at Tuckahoe, where the invalid
horses are kept, and where much of their provender is raised.
This farm is noted for the valuable marble quarry which furnished the stone from which his new mansion on Fifth Avenue
is built.
The retail store contains fabrics of every description and
price. The wife of a millionaire can gratify her fancy here to
its utmost limit, while the poor sewing-girl can obtain her simple necessities at the same price which is demanded for them
from the rich. In the shawl department, there are "wraps'
worth as much as $4,500, but not more than one or two find a




112                 GREAT FORTUNES.
purchaser in the course of a year. Shawls at $3,000 find a sale
of about twenty a year, and the number of purchasers increases
as the price diminishes. The wealthy ladies of New York deal
here extensively.  One of the clerks of the establishment recently made a statement that a fashionable lady ran up a bill
of $20,000 here in two months.
Mr. Stewart, though leaving the details of the retail business
in the hands of Mr. Tuller, the general superintendent, yet
keeps himself thoroughly informed respecting it, and exercises
over it a general supervision, to which its increasing success is
due. He knows exactly what is in the house, how much is on
hand, and how it is selling. He fixes the prices himself, and
keeps them always at a popular figure. He is said to have an
aversion to keeping goods over from one season to another, and
would rather sacrifice them than do so. He has no dead stock
on hand. His knowledge of the popular taste and its variations
is intuitive, and his great experience enables him to anticipate
its changes.
"There can not be so much selling without proportionate
buying, and Stewart is as systematic in the latter as the
former. Of late he has not acted personally in making purchases, but has trusted to the system which he organized some
years ago, and which he has found to admirably answer as his
substitute.  He has branch establishments exercising purchasing functions only in Boston and Philadelphia, in the United
States; in Manchester, England; and in Paris and Lyons,
France. But while these are his agencies, his buyers haunt the
marts of the whole world. There is no center of commerce or
manufacture of the wide range of articles in which he deals, on
either of the continents, where he is not always present by
deputy to seize upon favorable fluctuations of the market, or
pounce upon some exceptionally excellent productions.  HIe




ALEXANIDER T. STEWART.                113
owns entire the manufactory of the celebrated Alexandre kidglove. He has a body of men in Persia, organized under the
inevitable superintendent, chasing down the Astrachan goat
heavy with young, from which the unborn kids are taken and
stripped of their skins, thus sacrificing two animals for every
skin obtained. He rifles Lyons of its choicest silks, the- famous
productions of Bonnet and Ponson. Holland and Ireland yield
him the first fruits of their looms. Belgium contributes the
rarest of her laces, and the North sends down the finest of its
Russian sables. All the looms of France, England, Belgium,
and the United States are closely watched, and the finest fabrics
in dress goods, muslins, carpets, and calicoes are caught up the:moment the workmen put on the finishing touches. He buys
for cash the world over, and is a customer every-where so recognized as desirable that he has his choice of industrial productions, and on more advantageous terms than his rivals can purchase what he leaves. He has been so long in the business, and
has become so thoroughly versed in the productions of different
looms in different countries, that it is now his practice to select
certain mills noted for excellence of work, and take their entire.
supply, and thus it happens that there are many looms in the~
busiest haunts of the Old and New Worlds that toil unceasingly'
on his account.
"By buying thus largely in foreign lands, he is, of course, the
largest importer in the nation, and his duties average $30,000O
gold per day. Every year his business steadily increases, and&
there is apparently no practical limit at which it will stop. Asprudent in vast affairs as other men are in small, he insures liberally, and has policies renewed every third day throughout the
year.  But, while leaning upon the insurance companies, he is
utterly independent of the banks; he has never asked one of
them to'carry' him through a crisis, and should such a con8




114                 GREAT FORTUNES,
tingency arise, there is no bank in the world competent to the
task."
Mr. Stewart is now sixty-eight years old, but looks much
younger, being still as vigorous and active, both mentally and
physically, as most men of forty-five. He is of the medium
size, has light-brown hair and beard, which are closely trimmed.
His features. are sharp, well cut, his eye bright, and his general
expression calm and thoughtful. His manner is reserved, and
to all but his intimate friends cold. He dresses with great simplicity, but with taste, and in the style of the day. His habits
are simple, and he avoids publicity in all things. Standing as;he does at the head of the mercantile interests of the country,
he affords a fine example of the calm and dignified manner in
~which a man of true merit may enjoy his legitimate success,'and of the good: use he may make of its fruits.




AMOS LAWRENCE.                   115
CHAPTER IV.
AMOS LAWRENCE.
MOS LAWRENCE was born at Groton, Massachusetts, on the 22d of April, 1786. His
-ancestor came of a good English family, and
was one of the company which sailed from
England for the New World under Governor
Winthrop, in 1630, and which, according to Grahame, contained
"'several wealthy and high-born persons, both men and women,
who expressed their determination to follow truth and liberty
into a desert, rather than to enjoy all the pleasures of the world
under the dominion of superstition and slavery." This Lawrence settled in Watertown, and was one of the original proprietors of the town of Groton, which was founded in 1655.
Samuel Lawrence, the father of the subject of this memoir, was
the fifth in descent from the founder of the family, and was
himself a gallant officer of the American army in the War of
the Revolution, the close of which found him the possessor
of a small farm, which yielded a modest support for his family.
Young Amos was brought up on the farm, with none of the
advantages of wealth, and with but a limited education, which
he gained at the village schools, and which was seriously interfered with by his delicate health. He received his final training
at the Groton Academy, to which, in after life, he became a
liberal patron. "As we children came forward," he wrote, late




116                 GREAT FORTUNES.
in life, "we were carefully looked after, but were taught to use
the talents intrusted to us; and every nerve was strained to
provide for us the academy which is now doing so much there."
Toward the close of the year 1799, when but a little over thirteen years of age, he took his final departure from school, and
entered a store in the village of Dunstable, as clerk.
He remained there but a few months, and then returned to
Groton, where he obtained a place as apprentice in the store of
a Mr. Brazer. This was the largest establishment in the place,
and conducted a very important trade with the country for
miles around. Boston was so far, and so difficult to reach in
those days, that Groton came in for nearly all the business of
its vicinity which the railroads have now taken to the city.
Mr. Brazer's establishment, which was known as a "variety
store," came in for the best part of this trade. Every thing
was sold there; "puncheons of rum and brandy, bales of cloth,
kegs of tobacco, with hardware and hosiery, shared attention
in common with silks and threads, and all other articles for
female use."  Even medicines were sold there; and Dr. Win.
R. Lawrence, the son of our hero, assures us that his father was
obliged to sell medicines, not only to customers, but to all the
physicians within a circuit of twenty miles, who depended on
this establishment for their supplies. "The confidence in his
good judgment," he adds, "was such that he was often consulted in preference to the physician, by those who were suffering from minor ails; and many were the extemporaneous doses
which he administered for the weal or woe of the patient."
The Brazer store was a prominent feature in Groton. It
was a place of general resort, and close by was the tavern
where the mail coaches stopped. Travelers were constantly
passing through the town, bringing the news of those stirring
days when Napoleon was rushing over Europe with his armies,




AMOS LAWRENCE.                   117
overturning old states and building up new ones, and changing
the destinies of the world. The domestic politics of the day
were exciting, and it is likely that they aided, together with
the events in the Old World, in imparting to the character of
Mr. Lawrence the earnestness and gravity for which he was
noted when a mere lad.
Mr. Brazer had in his employ a number of clerks, but it was
not long before the energy and business talent of young Lawrence made him the most trusted of all. Mr. Brazer did not
give much personal attention to the store, and when he found
that his young clerk was so admirable and reliable a manager,
he left the business entirely in his hands. This was a post of
unusual responsibility for one so young, but Amos Lawrence
accepted it promptly, and labored to discharge its duties faithfully. He at once established the character for probity and
fairness which distinguished him through life; his simple assertion was sufficient in any matter, being received with implicit
trust by all who knew him. His duties kept him constantly
employed, and though he lived within a mile of his father's
house, weeks sometimes passed without giving him the opportunity of visiting it.
Drunkenness was at that day the curse of New England.
Every body drank, and such fiery fluids as brandy, whisky,
rum, and gin were the favorites. Men, women, and children
were addicted to the vice, and Groton was no exception to the
rule. Mr. Brazer's store was famous for the good liquors
served out to its customers, and his clerks were aware that
their employer did not object to their helping themselves when
they felt thirsty. Amos Lawrence fell into the habit to which
all were given, and for some time went along with the rest;
but at length he came to the conclusion that such indulgence
was wantonly ruining his health, and he resolved to abstain




118                 GREAT FORTUNES.
entirely. "WVe five boys," said he, years afterward, "were in
the habit, every forenoon, of making a drink compounded of
rum, raisins, sugar, nutmegs, etc., with biscuit —all palatable to
eat and drink. After being in the store four weeks, I found myself admonished by my appetite of the approach of the hour for
indulgence. Thinking the habit might make trouble if allowed
to grow stronger, without further apology to my seniors, I
declined partaking with them. My first resolution was to
abstain for a week, and, when the week was out, for a month,
and then for a year. Finally, I resolved to abstain for the
rest of my apprenticeship, which was for five years longer.
During that whole period I never drank a spoonful, though
I mixed gallons daily for my old master and his customers."
At the same time, Mr. Lawrence determined that he would
not use tobacco in any form. He was very fond of the odor
of "the weed," and at one period of his life always kept
a fine Havana in his drawer that he might enjoy the scent of
it; but he was totally free from our disgusting national vice
in any of its forms. In this respect, as indeed in all others,
he offers a fine example to the rising youth of the present
generation.
On the 22d of April, 1807, Mr. Lawrence completed his
twenty-first year, and his seven years' apprenticeship with
Mr. Brazer came to an end. He was now of an age to enter
into business for himself, and it was his intention to open a
small store in Groton, in connection with a brother apprentice,
but before doing so he decided to visit Boston for the purpose
of establishing a credit. He reached the city with but twenty
dollars in his pocket, richer, he subsequently declared, in his
own estimation, than he ever felt before or afterward. While
in the city, he received the offeri of a clerkship from a mer



AMOS LAWRENCE.                   119
cantile house of good standing. It was entirely unsolicited,
and took him by surprise, but he decided to accept it, and
abandoned his idea of going into business for himself in Groton; and this act led to a career entirely different from that
to which he had looked forward.
Boston, in 1807, had a population of about thirty thousand,
and the commercial position of the city was relatively much
greater than at present. The foreign trade of the United
States was enormous, and was carried on in American ships,
and not, as at present, in foreign vessels. The total tonnage of
American shipping engaged in this trade was seven hundred
thousand tons, and of this Boston possessed a fair share. Her
domestic trade was also important.
"The merchants of Boston had then high places in the estimation of the world. The Perkinses, the Sargeants, the
Mays, the Cabots, the Higginsons, and others, were known
throughout the world for their integrity, their mercantile skill,
and the extent and beneficial character of their operations.
These were the golden days of Boston's commerce.
The standard of integrity was high, and though it would be
absurd to suppose that there was not the usual amount of evil
in the place, it may be assumed that in no part of the world
was the young trader more likely to find severer judges of
character and conduct, or to be better treated if he should afford
unquestionable proofs of capacity and honesty."
It was into this community that Mr. Lawrence now entered,
and in which his life was spent. He gave such satisfaction to
his employers that, when he had been with them a short time,
they astonished him with the offer of a partnership. He was
but partially acquainted with their affairs, but their manner of
conducting their business did not please him, and he declined
their offer. His sagacity was verified by the result. In a few




120                 GREAT FORTUNES.
months the firm failed, and the creditors appointed him to
settle their affairs, which he did to their satisfaction.
Being now out of employment, he resolved to commence
business on his own account in Boston. He had made such a
favorable impression upon the merchants of the city that he
had no difficulty in obtaining credit. He rented a store in
Cornhill, stocked it with dry goods, and began his career
as a merchant. Four months after this, his father, who was
keenly interested in his son's success, without consulting the
latter, mortgaged his farm for one thousand dollars, and, repairing to Boston, placed the money in Amos Lawrence's hands.
Mr. Lawrence was profoundly affected by this proof of his
father's devotion, but he regretted it none the less, as he knew
that his failure would bring ruin to his parent as well as- to
himself. "I told him," said he, forty years later, "that he did
wrong to place himself in a situation to be made unhappy if
I lost the money. He told me he guessed I wouldn't lose it,
and I gave him my note."  Mr. Lawrence made a prompt
use of the money, and paid the mortgage at the proper time;
but he had a narrow escape from  loss, as the bank on which
he had bills for the amount of the mortgage failed almost immediately after he had obtained specie for them.
"This incident," he said, "shows how dangerous it is to the
independence and comfort of families for parents to take pecuniary responsibilities for their sons in trade, beyond their
power of meeting them  without embarrassment. Had any
Hillsborough bank-notes not been paid as they were, nearly
the whole amount would have been lost, and myself and my
family might have been ruined. The incident was so striking
that I have uniformly discouraged young men who have applied to me for credit, offering their fathers as bondsmen; and
by doing so I believe I have saved some respectable families




AMOS LAWRENCE.                   121
from ruin. My advice, however, has sometimes been rejected
with anger. A young man who can not get along without
such aid will not be likely to get along with it."
He began his business upon principles of prudence and
economy, which he rigidly maintained throughout his whole
life. He never allowed himself to anticipate his gains, and
having fixed his personal expenses at a certain sum, he never
went beyond it. His system, which is thus stated by himself,
is offered here as a safe and admirable rule for all persons:
"When I commenced, the embargo had just been laid, and
with such restrictions on trade that many were induced to leave
it. But I felt great confidence that, by industry, economy, and
integrity, I could get a living; and the experiment showed that
I was right. Most of the young men who commenced at that
period failed by spending too much money, and using credit
too freely.
" I adopted the plan of keeping an accurate account of merchandise bought and sold each day, with the profit, as far as
practicable. This plan was pursued for a number of years,
and I never found my merchandise fall short in taking an account of stock, which I did as often at least as once in each
year. I was thus enabled to form an opinion of my actual state
as a business man. I adopted also the rule always to have
property, after my second year's business, to represent forty per
cent. at least more than I'owed-that is, never to be in debt
more than two and a half times my capital. This caution
saved me from ever getting embarrassed. If it were more
generally adopted, we should see fewer failures in business.
Excessive credit is the rock on which so many business men
are broken."
Mr. Lawrence was very successful from the first. His profits
during his first year were fifteen hundred dollars, and over four,




122                 GREAT FORTUNES.
thousand during the second. In seven years he made over
fifty thousand dollars. He paid the closest attention to his
business, and nothing could draw him from it in working
hours. After these were over he would take his pleasure. His
aim was to keep every thing in the most complete state possible. During the first seven years of his business he never
allowed a bill against him to stand unsettled over the Sabbath.
If he made a purchase of goods on Saturday, and they were
delivered to him that day, he always examined and settled the
bill by note, or by crediting it, and leaving it clear, so that
there should be no unfinished business to go over to the next
week, and make trouble for his clerks in case he should not be
at his post. "Thus," said he, " I always kept my business before me, instead of allowing it to drive me."
The first years of Mr. Lawrence's mercantile experience
covered the darkest period of the history of the Republic.
They were marked by the embargo, the crippling of our commerce by the hostility of England and France, and the second
war with Great Britain, in all of which there was much to dishearten a beginner, even if he escaped positive loss. Nothing
was certain. The events of a single hour might undo the
labor of years, and baffle the best laid plans. Yet he persevered, and went steadily on to fortune.. Ie was remarkable
for his keen foresight, as well as for his prudence, and was
always on the alert to profit by the fluctuations of the market.
Yet he abominated speculation. He averred that speculation
made men desperate and unfit for legitimate business, and that
it led them, when under excitement, to the commission of acts
against which their cooler judgment would have warned them.
The fair profits of legitimate business were, in his opinion;
sure to reward any honest and capable man. His aim was to
elevate commerce, and not to degrade it. He introduced into




AMOS LAWRENCE.                    123
Boston the system of double-entry in book-keeping, in advance
of any other city merchant. He was prompt and faithful in
the performance of every contract, and required a similar
course toward himself from all indebted to him, as long as they
were able to do so. When they became unfortunate, he was
kind and generous, ready to compromise upon the most liberal
terms, or to give them their own time for payment; and it is
recorded of him that he never dealt harshly with a debtor who
had failed in business.
As long as such a course was necessary, Mr. Lawrence devoted himself entirely to his business, but after he had placed
it on a safe footing, he was careful to reserve to himself time
for other duties and for relaxation. No man, he said, had the
right to allow his business to engross his entire life. " Property acquired at such sacrifices as I have been obliged to make
the past year, " he wrote at the commencement of 1826, "costs
more than it is worth; and the anxiety in protecting it is the
extreme of folly." He never lost sight of the fact that man is
a responsible, intelligent being, placed in the world for other
purposes than the mere acquisition of wealth.
In October, 1808, his brother, Abbott Lawrence, afterward
famous as a merchant and statesman, came to him as an apprentice, and on the 1st of January, 1814, he was admitted to partnership, the style of the firm being A. & A. Lawrence. This
partnership was terminated only by the death of the elder
brother in 1852. Their business was the importation and sale
of foreign manufactures, and the firm soon took its place at the
head of the Boston merchants engaged in this trade. The tariffs
of 1816 and 1824 gave a new and powerful impetus to the manufacture of woolens and cottons in this country, and the Lawrences entered largely into the sale of these goods on commission. In 1830, they became interested in the cotton mills at




124                  GREAT FORTUNES.
Lowell; and on the establishment of the Suffolk, Tremont, and
Lawrence Companies, as well as subsequently in other corporations, they became large proprietors.  From  this time their
business as selling agents was on the most extensive scale, and
their income from all sources large in proportion. They amassed
large fortunes, and won names which are the most precious heritages of their children.
Perhaps the best exposition of the principles upon which
these brothers conducted their commercial operations is found
in the following letter from the elder to the younger, written on
the 11th of March, 1815, upon the occasion of a visit to Eng
land by the latter on business for the firm:
MY DEAR BROTHER —I have thought best, before you go abroad, to
suggest a few hints for your benefit in your intercourse with the people
among whom you are going. As a first and leading principle, let every
transaction be of that pure and honest character that you would not be
ashamed to have appear before the whole world as clearly as to yourself.
In addition to the advantages arising from an honest course of conduct
with your fellow-men, there is the satisfaction of reflecting within yourself that you have endeavored to do your duty; and however greatly
the best may fall short of doing all they ought, they will be sure not to
do more than their principles enjoin.
It is, therefore, of the highest consequence that you should not only
cultivate correct principles, but that you should place your standard of
action so high as to require great vigilance in living up to it.
In regard to your business transactions, let every thing be so registered in your books, that any person, without difficulty, can understand
the whole of your concerns. You may be cut off in the midst of your
pursuits, and it is of no small consequence that your temporal affairs
should always be so arranged that you may be in readiness.
If it is important that you should be well prepared in this point of
view, how much more important is it that you should be prepared in
that which relates to eternity'!
You are young, and the course of life seems open, and pleasant prospects greet your ardent hopes; but you must remember that the race is




AMOS LAWRENCE.                       125
not always to the swift, and that, however flattering may be our prospects, and however zealously you may seek pleasure, you can never find
it except by cherishing pure principles and practicing right conduct.
My heart is full on this subject, my dear brother, and it is the only one
on which I feel the least anxiety.
While here, your conduct has been such as to meet my entire approbation; but the scenes of another land may be more than your principles will stand against. I say may be, because young men of as fair
promise as yourself have been lost by giving a small latitude (innocent in the first instance) to their propensities. But I pray the Father
of all mercies to have you in his keeping, and preserve you amid
temptations.
I can only add my wish to have you write me frequently and particularly, and that you will embrace every opportunity of gaining information.
Your affectionate brother,
AM3os LAWRIENCE.
To ABBOTT LAWRENCE.
In his politics, Mr. Lawrence was a Federalist, and then a
WVhig. He served for one term in the State Legislature as a
Representative from  Boston, with credit to himself, but afterward avoided any active participation in public events.  When
his nephew-by-marriage, General Pierce, was a candidate for
the Presidency, he was very much gratified personally by the
selection of the Democracy, but declined to vote for him.  In- a
letter to a friend, written at this time, he said: "I- had a charming ride yesterday with my nephew, Frank Pierce, and told him
I thought he must occupy the White House the next term, but
that I would go for Scott.  Pierce is a fine, spirited fellow,
and will do his duty wherever placed. Scott will be my choice
for President of the United States."
Regarding himself as a steward of the riches committed to
him, Amos Lawrence was liberal in his charities.  During the
last twenty-four years of his life he kept an accurate account of
the sums he thus distributed, but with no idea that the state



126                 GREAT FORTUNES.
ment, which he intended for his own eye only, would ever be
made public. During this period he gave away six hundred
and thirty-nine thousand dollars. The greater part of this was
given away in ten years, and during a period when his average
income was sixty thousand dollars a year. He was a liberal
patron of education, giving large sums to its extension; and it
was his delight to assist poor clergymen, without regard to denominations. He gave away clothing, food, books, etc., in large
quantities, as well as ready money. " Two rooms in his house,"
says his son and biographer, "and sometimes three, were used
principally for the reception of useful articles for distribution.
There, when stormy weather or ill-health prevented him from
taking his usual drive, he was in the habit of passing hours in
selecting and packing up articles which he considered suitable
to the wants of those whom he wished to aid."  He did not
forget the children, and many of his packages contained toys,
and books, and other things calculated to promote their enjoyment.
He was beset with beggars of all kinds, many of whom he
was compelled to refuse. In his diary, he wrote on the 11th of
April, 1849, "Applications come in from all quarters, for all
objects. The reputation of giving freely is a very bad reputation, so far as my personal comfort is concerned."
It pained him to have his charities made public, and he frequently requested the recipients to say nothing about them. He
once made a present of some books to the Johnson school for
girls, and the gift being acknowledged through the columns of a
newspaper, he wrote to the principal of the school: "I merely
want to say that I hope you will not put me in the newspaper
at present, and when my -work is done here, if you have any
thing to say about me that will not hurt my children and grandchildren, say on." To another party he wrote: "I must request




AMOS LAWRENCE.                   127
that my name be not thrust forward, as though I was to be a
by-word:for my vanity. I want to do good, but am sorry to be
published, as in the recent case."
As a merchant, Mr. Lawrence was upright, prudent, farseeing, sagacious, and courageous; as a citizen, he was patriotic,
public-spirited, and devoted; and as a man, he was a sincere,
earnest, Christian husband, father, and friend. Viewed in any
light, his character affords one of the most perfect models to be
found in our history. He was the Christian gentleman in all
things, even in the minutest detail of his business. His standard was very high, but he came up to it. Courteous and
dignified in manner, with a face handsome and winning in
youth, and gentle and benignant in age, he made scores of
friends wherever he went, for it was a true index to his character. It is a significant and interesting fact that, during the
hottest passages of the old nullification times, although his
views were known to be uncompromisingly opposed to the
attitude of the South, he never lost the warmest friendship of
some of the most advanced of the South Carolina leaders.
When one thinks of the friendships that were wrecked amid
the passions of those days, this fact speaks volumes for the
personal attributes of Mr. Lawrence.
He was a true American-proud of his country's past, hopeful for her future, and desiring nothing better than to live
and die in the land of his birth. He sent his children abroad
that they might see the Old World, and profit by the lessons
learned there, but he strove earnestly to keep them  true to
their country. To his son, who was traveling in France in
1829, he wrote:
"Bring home no foreign fancies which are inapplicable to
our state of society. It is very common for our young men
to come home and appear quite ridiculous in attempting to




128                 GREAT FORTUNES.
introduce their foreign fashions. It should be always- kept in
mind that the state of society is widely different here from that
in Europe; and our comfort and character require it should
long remain so. Those who strive to introduce many of the
European habits and fashions, by displacing our own, do a
serious injury to the republic, and deserve censure. An idle
person, with good powers of mind, becomes torpid and inactive
after a few years of indulgence, and is incapable of making
any high effort. Highly important it is, then, to avoid this
-enemy of mental and moral improvement. I have no wish that
you pursue trade; I would rather see you on a farm, or studying any profession.
"It should always be your aim so to conduct yourself that
those whom you value most in the world would approve your
conduct, if your actions were laid bare to their inspection; and
thus you will be pretty sure that He who sees the motive of
all our actions will accept the good designed, though it fall
short in its accomplishment. You are young, and are placed
in a situation of great peril, and are, perhaps, sometimes
tempted to do things which you would not do if you knew
yourself under the eye of your guardian. The blandishments
of a beautiful city may lead you to forget that you are always
surrounded, supported, and seen by that best Guardian."
He was an eminently just man, and he carried this trait
into the little details of his domestic life. His household
adored him; and his friends were bound to him by ties unusually strong. He was firm and positive in his own opinions;
but he was tolerant of those who differed from him. He was
a man of quick, nervous temperament, but he possessed a powerful self-control. He was a sincere and earnest Christian,
and while attaching himself to the sect of his choice, his synipathies and aid went out to the whole Christian Church.




AMOS LAWrENCE.                   129
Denominational differences had no place in his heart. He
stood on the broad platform of the "faith of Christ crucified."
During the last years of his life, Mr. Lawrence was a constant invalid. To a man of his temperament this was a great
trial, but he bore it unflinchingly, exhibiting, in the long years
of feeble health which preceded his death, a cheerfulness and
patience which plainly showed the aid of the Arm on which
he leaned for support. For sixteen years he did not take a
meal with his family. His food and drink, of the simplest
kind, were regularly weighed, a pair of scales being kept in
his chamber for that purpose. He wrote to his friend President Hopkins, of Williams College: "If your young folks
want to know the meaning of epicureanism, tell them to take
some bits of coarse bread (one ounce or a little more), soak them
in three gills of coarse meal gruel, and make their' dinner of
them, and nothing else; beginning very hungry, and leaving
off more hungry."
Mr. Lawrence continued in this condition until December,
1852, when he was seized with a severe attack of the stomachic
trouble to which he was a martyr. He died peacefully, on
the last day of that- month and year, at the age of sixty-six
years, eight months, and eight days. He was buried in Mount
Auburn Cemetery, and was followed to the grave by a host
of friends who mourned him as a brother, and by strangers
to whom his kindness in life had brought relief from many a
care and suffering.
9




130                GREAT FORTUNES,
CHAPTER V.
ANDREW V. STOUT.
HERE  are few men in the city of New York
who have won more fairly their proud positions
in the mercantile world than he whose name
stands at the top of this page. For more than
forty years he has carried on a large and increasing business with an energy, skill, and probity which could not
fail of success.
ANDREW V. STOUT was born in the city of New York, at
No. 6 Canal Street, or, as it was then called, Pump Street,
about the year 1814. When he was scarcely more than a child
he was left fatherless, and thrown upon his own resources for
a living. He was a manly little fellow, and, young as he was,
-was fully alive to the importance of the position he was compelled to assume. He was resolved not only to support himself,'but also to acquire a good education, and by studying hard
while most boys are at play, mastered the ordinary English
branches by the time he was twelve years old.
He had a mother and sister to support, and applied himself,manfully to the task of accomplishing this. He was well.grown for his age, and was generally supposed to be several,years older than he'really was. When he was fourteen years
old he applied for and received a position as assistant teacher




ANDREW V. STOUT.                  131
of the English branches in one of the public schools of the
city.  The trustees of the school supposed he was at least
eighteen or nineteen years old. Had his true age been known
to them, it is probable he would not have received the appointment. He was not questioned upon the subject, and he was
wise enough to keep his own counsel. He performed the duties
of his position to the entire satisfaction of the school officials,
and made such a good impression on his friends that at the
age of sixteen he was made assistant principal in one of the
most important and popular private schools of the day, taught
by Shepherd Johnson, a name well known to the old residents
of New York.
He was very young to fill this position, and, as may be supposed, it was peculiarly trying to one whose learning was
mainly self-acquired. He was determined to succeed, however,
and he applied himself energetically to master the course he
was teaching. He studied harder and more constantly than
any of his pupils, and was always fresh on the lessons for the
day.
When he was sixteen years old he was so well grown and
so mature that he passed for twenty. Having succeeded so
well in the management of his English classes, he was offered
the position of instructor of Latin, with an increase of his salary. The offer at first dismayed him. He was thoroughly ignorant of the Latin language, and utterly unprepared for the
duties demanded of him. He was very anxious to have the
place, however, for he needed the increase of salary offered him,
and, after hesitating a little while, accepted it. He purchased a Latin grammar, and engaged a private tutor. He
studied hard, and soon mastered the rudiments of the language.
In this way he managed to keep ahead of his classes. If a
question was asked him which he could not answer, he posth




132                 GREAT FORTUNES.
poned his reply, looked into the matter at night, and explained
it the next morning. By such hard study and patient efforts
did this boy, himself a mere novice, turn out what was admitted by all to be the best drilled Latin class Shepherd Johnson's
school had ever boasted of.
When he was eighteen years old he was made principal of
Public School No. 2 of Nlew York. He was living at Bushwick, where he resided with his mother and sister in a cosy
little cottage, the garden of which was his pride, since he
tended it with his own hands. It was his custom to rise every
morning at four o'clock, and work in his garden until seven.
Then he rode into the city, and attended to his school duties
until four o'clock, when he returned home.
He was now in possession of a comfortable living; but he was
not satisfied to do this and nothing more. He was anxious to
win fortune, to enter upon a more active and stirring pursuit,
and he kept himself always on the watch for an opening.
About the time he became the head of the public school we
have referred to, he commenced to engage in various ventures
of a commercial nature, devoting to them his evenings, and the
hours of the day not demanded by his school.
One of his relatives was a builder, with a fair trade, and had
made some money by erecting houses in New York. Young
Stout, who had saved a little money, proposed to him that
they should take out a contract for building a number of dwellings on the then fashionable thoroughfare of East Broadway.
The elder man was pleased with the plan, and at once consented
to it. The houses were built at a handsome profit; others followed them, and by attending closely to this business, as well
as his other duties, Andrew Stout, by the time he was twenty
years old, had saved seventeen thousand dollars —a very large
sum in those steady-going days.




ANDREW V. STOUT.                  133
He was greatly aided by the custom of doing business on
time, which then prevailed, but he never allowed one of his
notes to be protested, and never asked for an extension. When
he began business, he did so with the firm resolve that he would
conduct his most insignificant transaction as a Christian man of
honor. If he could not make money honestly, he would remain poor. Every body saw the energy and judgment with
which he conducted his affairs, and the strict integrity which
marked them all, and he was not long in building up a reputation as a business man of which any one might have been
proud. The promptness and apparent ease with which he
met every contract, and took up every note, caused it to be
generally believed that he was a very rich man. Further than
this, it was known that he was a zealous and earnest Christian,
one who carried his religion into his business, and who lived
up to his professions. He was an active member of the Methodist Church, and the business man of the congregation to
which he belonged. In his hands its finances prospered as
they had never done before. Such was the reputation of this
young man, who had not yet attained his majority.
He held his position in the public school for several years
after his appointment to it, but the requirements of his business at length compelled him to relinquish it.
In the midst of his prosperity Mr. Stout made one mistake.
A friend with whom he had been interested in building wished
to procure some money from the bank, and Mr. Stout was induced, with considerable reluctance, to indorse his note for five
thousand dollars. One false step in business, as in other affairs
of life, leads to another, and, in order to save this money, Mr.
Stout was forced to renew his indorsements until his liabilities
amounted to twenty-three thousand dollars. To his dismay he
was now informed by the builder for whose sake he had incurred




134                GREAT FORTUNES.
this risk, that he (the builder) had failed, without making
provision for the payment of the notes, and that Mr. Stout
would have to account to the bank for them.
"Several methods of relief were open to Mr. Stout. He was
worth seventeen thousand dollars, which he had earned by
nights of toil, by economy, and by daily and earnest attention
to business. To pay the notes would not only sweep away
every penny that he had, but would leave him six thousand
dollars in debt.  He had never realized one cent from the
money, and his name was used simply to accommodate the
builder. Besides, he was not of age, though nobody suspected
that fact, and he could repudiate his debts as a minor.  He
took no counsel, made no statement of his affairs to any one,
shut himself up in his own room, and considered thoughtfully
what he should do, and then followed out the decision that he
had reached. Having become bankrupt in money, he concluded
he would not be so in character. He had earned seventeen thousand dollars, and could earn seventeen thousand dollars more.
He did confide in one friend. He went to a relative, and asked
him to lend him six thousand dollars, the sum necessary to take
up all the notes. The relative was astonished at the request,
and insisted upon knowing the facts in the case. Mr. Stout
made a full and frank statement. It was met with the remark,' Well, Andrew, I thought you would be a rich man, but if this
is the way you do your business, you will never be worth any
thing.' But Mr. Stout did not want preaching, he wanted
money; and as the relative seemed to hesitate about loaning the
money, as no security was offered, Mr. Stout curtly told him he
could do as he pleased about it; he could get the money somewhere, and pay the notes. The money was promised, and he
vent on his way.
"The bank watched the young financier with a great deal of




ANDREW V. STOUT.                  135
interest. The whole matter had been discussed often in the
bank, and the wonder was how young Stout would meet the
blow. It was supposed that he would ask for an extension;
and- it was agreed to give it to him, and to make the time of
payment convenient to his ability. Had he proposed to compromise the matter by paying one-half, the bank would have
accepted it. That would have left him a capital of nearly eight
thousand dollars for a fresh start. Had he offered his seventeen
thousand dollars on condition that he was released from all liability,'the notes would have been canceled with alacrity. He
did neither. He proposed no compromise, asked no extension,
and attempted to negotiate no settlement. When the first note
became due, he paid it. He did the same with the second and
third. After the third payment, he was called into the office
of the president.  Reference was made to the notes, and to the
fact that he had obtained no benefit from the money.  The
president told him the bank was ready to renew the notes, and
to give him any accommodation that he might ask. Mr. Stout
simply replied that the blow was a heavy one, but that having
assumed the obligation, he should discharge it; that he asked
no favors, and as the notes matured he should take them up.
He paid every dollar due, and every one was certain that his
wealth must be very large.  His manliness, pluck, and integrity, which carried him through that crisis, became the sure
foundation-stone on which his great fortune was laid. He took
the front rank among successful financiers, and his honorable
course in that crisis established his fame as an honest man; in
whom it would be safe to confide. Years of earnest and active
business life have not changed that character, nor allowed a
blot or stain to cloud that reputation." *
Some years later, Mr. Stout became a merchant. He estab* Matthew Hale Smith.




136                 GREAT FORTUNES.
lished a wholesale boot and shoe store, and engaged actively in
that business. He brought to his new calling the energy, prudence, and integrity which had distinguished him all through
his life, and was successful from the first. He worked hard.
His business hours were from seven in the morning until six in
the evening. During his busy season, four months in the year,
he worked until ten, and often until twelve, paying his employ6s extra wages for labor performed after the regular business hours. Sometimes he worked until four in the morning,
but that did not deter him from being in the store at the usual
hour for opening. He was always the last to go home, never
leaving the store until the business of the day was over and
the house was closed.  He extended his operations into dry
goods, meeting with equal success in this department. As his
business expanded, he was compelled to form various partnerships, but in all these arrangements he reserved to himself,
like Stewart, the exclusive management of the finances.
About eighteen years ago, the shoe and leather merchants
of the city decided to organize a bank, in which their interests
should be the principal consideration. Mr. Stout engaged in
the effort with great enthusiasm, and the Shoe and Leather
Bank of iNew York was at length organized under the most
auspicious circumstances.  Mr. Stout was the largest stockholder in the new bank, and was elected one of its directors.
His influence was potent in directing its first operations, and
the next year he was elected vice-president, in which position
he really had the control of the enterprise left to him. A year
later he was elected president of the bank, a position which he
still holds, being in point of service the oldest bank president
in New York. Upon questions of banking and finance, his
views are listened to with great respect by his associates, who
have proof of their soundness in the splendid success of the




ANDREW V. STOUT.                  137
institution over which he presides; and it may be truly said
that there are few men in the city who enjoy so large a share
of the public confidence as is bestowed upon him.
As a citizen, he is public-spirited and liberal. Some years
ago, he held the office of city chamberlain, and during his administration of it a difficulty arose in regard to paying the
police force their wages. Knowing that the men and their
families would suffer if the money were not promptly paid
them, Mr. Stout generously advanced the necessary sum from
his private means, looking to the city to reimburse him. In
grateful acknowledgment of this practical sympathy for them,
the force presented him with a handsome testimonial. His fortune is immense, and is used liberally in behalf of the cause of
the Christian religion.  His charities are said to be large, but
one rarely hears of them, so quietly are they done. He is married and has a family.
No man's career holds out more encouragement to young
men seeking to rise than that of Andrew  V. Stout.  It
shows that courage, patient industry, and business capacity
will bring fortune to any honest worker. His uniform success speaks volumes in favor of a young man's striving to
lead a Christian life in the midst of his business cares and
struggles. God's blessing follows such an one at every step,
and he will succeed in the end, whatever trials may beset
his path at first. It is a great mistake to suppose that a man's
success depends on his "sharpness."  Shrewdness is a valuable
quality, but it must be coupled with a plain, practical honesty,
or it will amount to nothing in the end. A man must be faithful to his God if he would have his work stand.




138                 GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER VI.
JONAS CHICKERING.
N Tremont Street, in the City of Boston, near the
Roxbury line, there stands an immense building
of brick, said to be larger than any edifice in the
United States, save the Capitol at Washington.
It is built in the form of a hollow square, with a
large court-yard in the center, and the building and court-yard
together cover an area of five acres. It is five stories in height
on the outer side, and six on the inner, the court-yard being one
story lower than the street. The building is two hundred and
sixty-two feet in length from east to west, and two hundred and
forty-five from north to south, the shorter distance being the
length on Tremont Street. The width of the building all
around the court-yard is fifty feet. It contains nine hundred
windows, with eleven thousand panes of glass, and vwhen
lighted up at night seems almost a solid mass of fire. From
five to six hundred men are employed here in various capacities, and an immense steam engine of one hundred and twenty
horse-power furnishes the motive power for the machinery.
Altogether, it is one of the most prominent and interesting
of all the sights of Boston, and the visitor is surprised to learn
that it is due entirely to the energy and genius of one who,
but thirty-four years previous to its erection, came to Boston a




JON'AS CHICKERING.                139
penniless stranger. The building is the famous piano-forte
manufactory of Chickering & Sons, and its founder was Jonas
Chickering, the subject of this sketch.
JONAS CHICKEBING was born at New Ipswich, New Hampshire, on the 5th of April, 1798. His father was a blacksmith
by trade, and employed his leisure time in cultivating a small
farm of which he was the owner. He was esteemed by his
neighbors as an upright, reliable man, and prudent and careful in his temporal affairs. The family being poor, young
Jonas was required to do his share toward cultivating the
farm, andl received only such education as was afforded by the
district schools in the vicinity. He was noted at an early age
for his passionate love of music. When a mere child, he
learned to play on the fife, and was such a proficient performer that he was called upon with the town drummer to
furnish music for the militia musters, which were then the
pride of the town. These were happy days for the lad, but
his pleasure was marred by the ridicule which the contrast
between his slender figure and the stalwart frame of the "sixfoot drummer" caused the fun-loving towns-people to indulge in.
Soon after this he learned to play on the clarionet, and when
only seventeen or eighteen years old, was so advanced in his art
that he could read at sight music of the most difficult character.
At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker to learn his trade, and remained with him for three
years, exerting himself to become thorough master of every
detail of the business. Toward the close of his apprenticeship,
an event occurred which changed the whole current of his life,
and placed him in what proved to him the road to. fame and
fortune.
One of the wealthiest citizens of New Ipswich was the fortunate owner of a piano, the only instrument of the kind in the




140                 GREAT FORTUNES.
place; but his treasure was almost useless to him, for the reason
that it was out of tune aid seriously damaged in some respects.
It had lain in this condition for a long time, no one in or near
the place being able to make the necessary repairs. In this
extremity the owner bethought him of Jonas Chickering, who
had acquired an enviable reputation for skill in his trade, and
it was thought that a good cabinet-maker ought of necessity to
be a clever piano-maker. Young Chickering, thus appealed to,
consented to undertake the task, as much for the purpose of
becoming familiar with the instrument as of earning the sum
the owner of it proposed to pay for the repairs. He had not
the slightest knowledge of its internal organization, but he
believed that by patient investigation he could master it, and
he knew that the correctness of his ear would enable him to
tune it. He made a careful study of the instrument and of
every separate part, spent days over the task, discovered the
injury and the cause of it, and not only took the instrument to
pieces and restored it to its former condition, but did his work
so well that the piano was pronounced fully as good in every
respect as when it was new. This was not all. He discovered
defects in the instrument which even its maker was not able to
remedy, and his fertile brain at once suggested to him a plan
for removing them.
Here was a chance for him, and he resolved to profit
by it.  He would abandon cabinet-making and learn the
manufacture of pianos.  Then, when master of his trade,
he would make use of his discoveries, and earn both fame
and fortune. When his determination to change his business
was made known, his friends attributed it to his desire to
be in the midst of musical instruments, and where he could
gratify his love of music; but this was only a part of the
motive which influenced him.  He meant to rise in the




JONAS CHICKERIN'G.                141
world, and he was sure that he held in his hands the means
of doing so.
In 1818, when twenty years old, he removed to Boston, and
obtained employment with a cabinet-maker.  He did this in
order to give him time to look about him, to become familiar
with the city and city life, and to acquire such other information as would enable him  to decide upon the best means of
putting his plans into execution. He saved his wages with
the greatest care, and at the end of his first year in Boston
had accumulated a modest little sum, which he meant should
support him while he was learning his new trade.
On the 15th of February, 1819, without the loss of a day,
he began work with a piano-maker.
He had now entered upon what he meant should be the
business of his life, and he was resolved that he would be
master of it. From the first he took rank in his employer's
factory as the most careful workman in it. He spared no pains
to make his knowledge full in every detail. Time was of no
consequence compared with knowledge, and he was never
anxious to hurry through with his work. It soon came to be
recognized by his employer and fellow-workmen that he was
the best fitted for those portions of the work upon the instrument which required the greatest patience as well as the greatest care, and the most difficult and delicate work was always
intrusted to him, his wages being, of course, in proportion.
Other men had no thought but to earn a living. This man
meant to win fame and fortune, and to enlarge the scope of
that art to which he was so passionately devoted. He labored
with his mind as well as his hands, familiarizing himself with
every detail of the manufacture, and devising in silence the
means for improving the instrument and the implements used
in its construction. He could afford to wait, to be slower than




142                 GREAT FORTUNES.
his fellows. Every moment spent over his task made his workmanship the better, and opened to his mind new sources of improvement.  He spent three years as a journeyman, and then
went into business for himself. He associated himself with a
Mr. Stewart, under the firm of Stewart & Chickering.
Fifty years ago the piano-forte was a wretched piece of
mechanism compared with the superb instrument of to-day.
It was originally a progressive growth from the ancient lyre,
through the harp, psaltery, dulcimer, clavictherium, clavichord,
virginal, spinet, harpsichord, to the piano of Christofali in the
early years of the last century. At the period of Mr. Chickering's entrance into business, it was still very imperfect,
and the various manufacturers of the instrument were earnestly
endeavoring to discover some means of remedying the defects
of which they were all conscious. There are four divisions in
the manufacture of a piano, each of which requires great skill
and care. These are: First, The making of the framing and
the sound-board; Second, The stringing; Third, The keys and
action; Fourth, The case and ornamental work. The framing
requires strength and simplicity. It is this portion of the instrument which sustains the tension of the strings, which in full
to large-sized pianos is not less than from six to twelve tons,
and it is a matter of prime necessity that the portions which serve
as a strut or stretcher between the ends of the strings, and
which are to resist this enormous pull, must be made correspondingly strong and rigid, since by any gradual yielding
under the pull of the strings, their lengths and tensions, and
hence their tone, must undergo proportionate change. In the
old pianos, the frames were of wood, and it was impossible to
use any but small, short strings, for the reason given above.
Fullness and power were not to be thought of, and builders
were obliged to confine themselves to securing truthfulness of




JONAS CHICKERING.                 143
tone. A multitude of causes, among which were the changes
in the weather, combined to render it impossible to keep the oldfashioned instrument in tune. It was this defect which first
attracted the attention of Jonas Chickering, and his first endeavor was to produce an instrument which would withstand
the climatic changes which were so troublesome to the old ones.
He was fully aware of the fact that the piano trade in this
country was then so unimportant that it offered but little inducement to a man who could manufacture only the old instrument; but he believed that by producing an instrument of
better proportions, and one fuller, richer, and more lasting in
tone, he could create a demand for it which would insure the
sale of all he could manufacture. His hope of success lay not
in the old, but in an improved and nobler instrument. That
he was correct in his belief, the magnificent instrument of today which bears his name, and the lucrative business he has
left to his sons, amply demonstrate. Others besides himself
were working for the same end, and he knew that he would
have to bear the test of determined and intelligent competition.
He applied himself to his purpose with enthusiasm. IHe carefully studied the theory of atmospheric vibration and musical
combination, as well as an application of the principles of mechanical philosophy to the construction of the instrument. He
went deep into the science involved in his work, into the philosophy of melody. Passionately devoted to music, he was ambitious of placing that which has been so truly called "the
king of instruments " within the reach of all lovers of harmony,
and to give them the best instrument that human invention
could produce-an instrument which should not only withstand
atmospheric changes, but which should yield the richest, fullest
volume of melody, with the least exertion to the performer.
His progress was slow, but it was sure. Beginning with an




144                 GREAT FORTUNES.
improvement in the action, he accomplished, in a great measure
(in 1838), his plan for preserving the permanence and purity
of the tone of the instrument by casting the entire iron framing
with the parallel bars in one piece. Iron had for some time
before this been in general use for framing, but the frame was
cast in a few separate parts, which were put together by means
of bolts and screws, a plan which is still used to a considerable
extent in Europe. By his plan of casting the frame and its
supporting bars in one solid piece, Mr. Chickering not only
prevented the frame from yielding to the pull of the strings,
thus securing permanence and purity of tone, but was enabled
to use larger frames and more strings, which greatly increased
the capacity of the instrument.
Several other improvements were made by him, the most important of which was the invention, in 1845, of the circular
scale for square pianos, which is now in general use in this
country and in Europe. "This consists in giving to the row
of tuning pins and wrest-planks-previously straight in these
instruments-a curved disposition, answering nearly to an arc
of a circle, the advantage being that the strings become less
crowded, larger hammers, and a more direct blow can be secured, and the tone is both strengthened and improved." With
a rare; generosity, Mr. Chickering declined to patent this improvement, which would have enabled him to drive competition
out of the market. He regarded it as so necessary to a good
piano that he declared that all makers ought to have the use of
it, as it would thus be within the power of all persons able to
purchase a piano to avail themselves of it, whether they bought
a "Chickering" or not. Such generosity is too rare to fail to
receive the praise it merits.
Mr. Chickering did not continue long in business with Mr.
Stewart. The latter withdrew in a few years, and Mr. Chick



JONAS CHICKERING.                 145
ering carried on the business alone. In 1830 he formed, a
partnership with Captain John Mackay, a retired ship-merchant. In the new firm Captain Mackay took charge of the
finances and the office business, while Mr. Chickering devoted
himself entirely to the mechanical department. The operations
of the new, house were very successful. The improvements
made by Mr. Chickering from the first created a demand for
their instruments which was sometimes so great that it was
difficult to supply it. This demand continued to increase,
until the house was perfectly easy as to money matters, and
able to enlarge its facilities very greatly. It was Mr. Chickering's design that each separate instrument should be an improvement upon those which had preceded it, and he was careful that this plan should not miscarry. In a few years the
firm was enabled to import the foreign materials needed, by the
cargo, thus saving the profit which they had hitherto been compelled to pay the importer. Besides this saving, they were
enabled to keep on hand a large stock of the woods used in the
instrument, and thus it was allowed to become more thoroughly
seasoned than that which they had been compelled to purchase,
from  time to time, in small quantities. In 1841, Captain
Mackay sailed from Boston for South America, for the purpose
of obtaining a supply of the woods needed by the firm; but he
never returned, and as no tidings of him or his ship were ever
received, it is supposed that the vessel went down at sea with all
on board.
Mr. Chickering now decided to continue the business without a partner. His friends supposed that in assuming the
management of the concern, in addition to the direction of the
mechanical department, and the constant mental labor to which
he subjected himself in his efforts to improve the piano, he was
undertaking more than he was capable of performing. They
10




146-                GREAT FORTUNES.
feared his health would break down under it. Besides, it was
generally believed that, in spite of Mr. Chickering's undoubted
skill in his own department, he was not much of a business
man. He was confident of his own ability, however, and did
not hesitate to assume the new responsibility.
The business of which he now became the owner was very
heavy and extensive. Soon after the beginning of his connection with Captain Mackay, the firm erected a large factory for
the purpose of carrying on their business. One hundred hands
were employed in it when opened, but in a few years it was
necessary to employ more than twice that number, so rapidly
did the business increase. The supply of materials needed was
ample and of the very best quality, for Mr. Chickering never
allowed an inferior article to be used. The warerooms were
large and handsomely fitted up, and were filled with instruments ranging in price from a thousand dollars downward. It
was generally believed that while Mr. Chickering's genius had,created the demand for the pianos, it was Captain Mackay's
business knowledge and experience that had placed affairs on
their present footing, and when Mr. Chickering proposed to
ibuy Captain Mackay's interest from his heirs, which was valued:at several hundred thousand dollars, there was a very general
ibelief, which found expression, that he was incurring certain
ruin. The condition of the sale was that the purchase-money
should be divided into installments, for each of which Mr.
Chickering should give his note, secured by a mortgage on the
premises. At Mr. Chickering's request each note was made
payable "on or'before" a given day. The lawyer who conducted the transaction' smiled skeptically as he inserted this
clause, and asked the purchaser if he ever expected to pay the
notes at all,
"If I did not expect to pay them promptly, I should not




JONAS CHICKERING.                 147
give them," was the simple reply.  He was as good as his
word. The notes were met promptly, and although Captain
Mackay's family requested that they might stand as an investment for them, Mr. Chickering took up the last one at its
maturity.
With the business in his own hands, Mr. Chickering continued its operations, displaying an ease in his mercantile transactions which astonished and delighted his friends.  The business
prospered to a greater degree than before, and all the while
Mr. Chickering continued his labors for the improvement of
his instruments with still greater success than in former years.
His pianos were universally regarded as the best in the market,
and his competitors were unable to excel him. Although conducting a business which required the constant exercise of the
highest mercantile talent, he did not relax his energy in the
mechanical department. To the end of his life, long after he
had become a wealthy and prominent man, he had his own
little working-cabinet, with an exquisite set of t9ols, with which
he himself put the finishing touch to each of his splendid instruments, a touch he would not intrust to any other hands.
His competitors did all in their power to equal him, but he
distanced them all. One of them adopted a most startling expedient. He obtained permission from the Legislature of Massachusetts to change his name to Chickering, and at once sent out
his instruments marked with his new name, his object of course
being to deceive the public, and Jonas Chickering had the mortification of seeing the inferior -instruments of another maker
mistaken for his own. He promptly laid before the Legislature
a petition for redress, setting forth the facts of the case and the
motives of his rival. The result was that the Legislature reconsidered its action, and compelled the bogus Chickering to resume
his original name.




148                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Mr. Chickering was noted for his simplicity and straightforwardness in business transactions. Conscious of his own integrity, he listened to no proposition of a doubtful character,
nor would he ever allow his credit as a merchant to be questioned with impunity. Upon one occasion, he applied through
his clerk to the bank, with which he had dealt for many years,
for an accommodation which he needed.  The president of
the bank sent for him, and told him that security would be
required.
"I shall give you none," he replied. "I have done my
business at this bank for a long time, and if you do not know
me, I shall apply where I am better known."
The president was firm in his position, and Mr. Chickering
applied to another bank, which readily granted him the desired
discount, and to which he at once transferred his business, which
was worth to the bank about ten thousand dollars a year.
Shortly after, a director of the institution at which he had for,
merly dealt called on him, and urged him to restore his business to the bank, assuring him that in future it would readily
grant him any accommodation he might desire.
"No," he replied; "I will deal with no institution which,
having had the opportunity of knowing me, suspects my responsibility."
Again having need of accommodation, he sent his notes for
a large sum to one of the city banks for discount. The president said an indorser would be required.
"I shall indorse them myself," said Mr. Chickering.
"That will never do," replied the president.
"Very well," was the simple answer, and, without further
words, he took the notes to another bank, which promptly
loaned him the money on them.
He tolerated no irregularity in his own business. He was




JONAS CHICKERING.                 149
true to the spirit as well as to the letter of a contract, and
never, during the whole course of his long life, was he guilty
of a transaction in which the most rigid moralist could find a
taint of sharp practice. What a refutation of the theories of
those who hold that cunning and trickery are unavoidable
some time in the course of a long and successful mercantile
career lies in the story of this man, who, beginning life penniless, filled with a burning ambition to be rich and famous, never
swerved from the straight path of integrity, and by the exercise
of only the highest traits of his nature more than realized his
boyish dreams! Ponder it well, young man, and learn from it
that honesty is indeed the best -policy, in any calling.
5Mr. Chickering had married early in life, and now had three
sons just entering upon manhood. These were carefully educated at the public schools for which Boston is so justly famed,
and then put into their father's factory to learn the mechanical
part of the business. It was the father's ambition to be succeeded by his sons, but he was not willing to trust the labor of
his life to ignorant or incompetent hands. At the age of seventeen, Thomas Chickering, the eldest son, was taken from school,
and, under his father's eye, taught every detail of the mechanical branch of the business, until he understood it as well as
the senior Chickering himself. George, the second son, in due
time passed through the same course of training; while Francis,
the youngest, was brought up in the warehouse. The father
thoroughly imbued his sons with his own system and energy,
and to-day we see the result. The firm of Chickering & Sons
is still the most prominent in America. Thomas is now the
acting head of the house, and has led it on to continued success; Francis is'the presiding genius of the mechanical department, and has made many important improvements in the field
in which his father won success; and George exercises a gen



1.50                  GREAT FORTUNES.
eral supervision at the immense factory ill Boston.  The
mantle of the father has fallen upon the sons, and his labors
have found their highest reward in their success.
Mr. Chickering's good fortune was not entirely uninterrupted.
On the 1st of: December, 1852, his factory was burned to the
ground, with all its valuable patterns, stock, etc., involving a
loss to him of two hundred thousand dollars. The interruption
to his business was very serious, apart from the loss of his
property.  Expressions of sympathy poured in upon him from
his friends, coupled with offers of pecuniary assistance in his
efforts to reestablish his business. His disaster seemed merely
to inspire him with fresh energy, but the kindness of his friends
entirely overcame him.
He wasted no time in vain regrets, but at once went to work.
He was fifty-four years old, but he showed an energy and
determination which more than rivaled the fire of his young
manhood. The loss of his factory was not only a severe blow
I  M,Y M E N S H A L L N                iOT S U F  E R."
"'MY MEN SHALL NOT SUFFER."




JONAS CHICKERING.                 151
to him, but to the three hundred workmen who had been
employed in it, and who were dependent upon their wages for
their support. His first care was to assure them that they
should not suffer, but that they should continue to receive their
wages as regularly as though nothing had happened to interrupt their labor. He had always been kind and generous to
his employes, paying liberal wages, and rewarding especial
merit, but this act of kindness did more to endear him to
them than any previous benefaction. Having provided for
his men, he set to work to prepare temporary accommodations for his business, and then began his arrangements for the
construction of a new factory. He took a great degree of interest in the plans for the new building, the architect being almost
entirely guided by his suggestions, and the result of his labors
is the magnificent building to which reference was made at the
opening of this chapter. He did not live to see it completed,
however. He died at the house of a friend from the rupture
of a blood-vessel, produced, it is believed, by severe mental
labor, on, the 8th of December, 1853. His fortune at the time
of his death was estimated at a quarter of a million of dollars.
His sons assumed the charge of the business, which they still
conduct.
The loss of Mr. Chickering was felt by all classes of his fellow-citizens-especially by the poor. To them he had been a
kind and generous friend. Distress never appealed to him in
vain, and he proved::a faithful steward of the riches committed
to his care. Yet he performed his charities with such a modesty
and reticence that few beside the grateful recipients were aware
of them. Indeed, it was his custom to enjoin secrecy upon
those whom he assisted; but they would not remain quiet.
His liberality is in striking contrast with the closeness of
many who were worth more than twenty times his wealth, but
who lacked his warm and sympathizing nature.




152                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER VII.
NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.
HHE grape culture of the United States is yet in
its infancy. Although the annual wine product
is estimated at nearly three millions of gallons,
there can be no doubt that ere many years shall
have elapsed America will rank as one of the
most important wine countries of the world.  California is
already extending her vineyards for miles along her smiling
valleys, where the clear sky and the balmy air, which are unchangeable at the season of the grape harvest, permit a degree
of perfection in the fruit unattainable in any European country.
Already her wines are commanding an enviable place in the
markets of the world, with no apparent limits to the growing
demand for them. The hillsides of the lower Ohio Valley are
lined with thriving vineyards, whose rich clusters of Catawba
and Isabella grapes delight the eye on every hand, and thousands of acres are now given to successful grape culture, where
formerly only a few straggling vines were seen.  More than
five hundred thousand gallons of wine are now annually produced in the neighborhood of Cincinnati alone, and find a
market in that city, and what was but a few years ago a mere
experiment is now one of the chief sources of the wonderfil
prosperity of the Ohio Valley, and one of the most important
features in the commerce of the Queen City of the West. The




NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.                153
success which has attended this branch of our industry must be
a matter of congratulation to the whole country, and the man
to whose courage, energy, and liberality it is mainly due must
be regarded as a public benefactor.
This man, NICHOLAS LONGWORTH by name, was born at
Newark, New Jersey, on the 16th of January, 1782. His father
had been a man of large property, but in consequence of being
a Tory during the Revolution, his possessions were confiscated,
and he and his family impoverished. Young Nicholas's childhood was passed in indigence, and it is said that he was
apprenticed to a shoemaker, when a mere lad, to learn the
trade as a means of livelihood. However this may be, it is
certain that when very young he went to South Carolina as a'clerk for his elder brother. The climate of the South, however,
did not suit his health, and he returned to Newark, and began
the study of the law.
He was poor, and the East was overcrowded, even at that
early day, and offered but few inducements to a young man
entirely dependent upon his own efforts. Ohio was then the
" Far West," and emigration was setting in toward it rapidly.
Those who had seen the country related what then seemed marvelous tales of its wonderful fertility and progress. Few professional men were seeking the distant land, and Longworth
felt convinced that the services of such as did go would assuredly be in demand, and he resolved to cast his lot with the
West.
In 1803, at the age of twenty-one, he removed to the little
village of Cincinnati, and, having fixed upon this place as his
future home, entered the law office of Judge Jacob Burnet,
long the ablest jurist in Ohio. He soon won the confidence and
esteem of his instructor, and succeeded so well in his studies
that in an unusually short time he was admitted to the bar.




154                 GREAT FORTUNES.
He entered upon the practice of his profession with energy, and
soon acquired a profitable business, which increased rapidly.
HIe was a man of simple habits, and lived economically. His
savings were considerable, and were regularly invested by him
in real estate in the suburbs of the town. Land was cheap
at that time, some of his lots costing him but ten dollars each.
Long before his death they were worth more than as many
thousands. He had a firm conviction that Cincinnati was destined to become one of the largest and most flourishing cities
in the Union, and that his real estate would increase in value at
a rate which would render him wealthy in a very few years.
His first client was a man accused of horse-stealing, in those
days the most heinous offense known to Western law. Longworth secured his acquittal, but the fellow had no money to
pay his counsel, and in the absence of funds gave Longworth
two second-hand copper stills, which were his property. These
the lawyer accepted, thinking that he could easily dispose of
them for cash, as they were rare and valuable there in those
days. They were-in the keeping of Mr. Joel Williams, who
carried on a tavern adjacent to the river, and who was afterward one of the largest property-holders in Cincinnati. Mr.
WVilliams was building a distillery at the time, and, as he had
confidently reckoned upon using the two stills in his possession,
was considerably nonplused when Longworth presented his
order for them. In his extremity he offered to purchase them
from the lawyer for a lot of thirty-three acres of barren land in
the town, which was then worth little or nothing. Longworth
hesitated, for although, he had an almost prophetic belief in the
future value of the land, he was sorely in need of ready money;
but at length he accepted the offer.  The deed for the land
was made out in his name, and the stills became the property
of Mr. Williams.  The distillery was built, and its owner




NICHOLAS LONGWORTHI.                 155
realized a fortune; but Longworth did more. His thirty-three
acres of barren land were soon in the very heart of Cincinnati, and long before his death were valued at two millions
of dollars.
The foresight of Mr. Longworth was fully justified by the
course of events. The growth of Cincinnati was almost marvelous in its rapidity. In 1802, it contained about 800 inhabitants; in 1810, 2,540; in 1820, 9,060; in 1830, 24,831; in
1840, 46,338; in 1850, 118,761; and in 1860, just three years
before Mr. Longworth's death, 171,293 inhabitants. The reader
can easily imagine the immense profits which a half century's
increase placed in the hands of the far-seeing lawyer. It seems
almost like reading some old fairy tale to peruse the accounts
of successful ventures in real estate in American cities. They
have sprung up as if by magic, and it is impossible to say where
their development will end. Said a gentleman of less than
thirty-five years of age to the writer of these pages, " I am the
oldest native-born citizen of Chicago. When I first saw the
light, my native place could not boast even the dignity of a
village; and young as I am, I have witnessed all this wondlrful growth."  The prosperity of Cincinnati was scarcely less
marked, as the career of Mr. Longworth shows. The investment of a comparatively insignificant sum laid the foundation
of his fortune, and the first counsel fee he ever earned, a sum
trifling in itself, placed him in possession of millions.
Mr. Longworth continued carefully to invest his gains in
real estate. The prices paid by him increased, of course, with
the rise in the value of property, but as he was persuaded that
the limit had not yet been reached, he extended his operations
without fear of loss. He sold many of his original purchases,
but continued until the day of his death the largest land-owner
in the city. IIn 1850 his taxes-were over $17,000, and in the




156                GREAT FORTUNES.
same year the taxes of William B. Astor amounted to $23,116.
At the time of his death Mr. Longworth's estate was valued at
fifteen millions of dollars, and is doubtless worth fully onethird more at the present day.
Mr. Longworth retired from the practice of the law in 1819,
to devote himself to the management of his property, which
was already sufficiently important to require his undivided attention. He had always been an enthusiast in horticultural
matters, and believing that the climate of the Ohio Valley was
admirably adapted to the production of grapes, had for some
time been making experiments in that direction; but he feill
into the error of believing that only the foreign vines were
worth cultivating, and his experiments were unsuccessful. The
foreign grape did not mature well, and the wine produced from
it was not good. In 1828 his friend Major Adlum sent him
some specimens of the Catawba grape, which he had procured
from the garden of a German living near Washington City,
and he began to experiment with it in his own vineyard.
The Catawba grape, now so popular and well-known throughout the country, was then a comparative stranger to our people,
and was regarded even by many who were acquainted with it;
as unfit for vintage purposes. It was first discovered in a wild
condition about 1801, near Asheville, Buncombe County, North
Carolina, near the source of the Catawba River. General Davy,
of Rocky Mount, on that river, afterward Senator from North
Carolina, is supposed to have given the German in whose garden Major Adlum found the grape a few of the vines to experiment upon. General Davy always regarded the bringing
of this grape into notice as the greatest act of his life. "I
have done my country a greater benefit in introducing this
grape into public notice," said he, in after years, "than I
would have done if I had paid the national debt."




NICHOLAS LONGWORTIT.                157
Mr. Longworth's experiments with the Catawb- were highly
successful, and induced him to abandon all his efforts with
foreign vines, and undertake only the Catawba, to which he
afterward added the Isabella. He now entered systematically
upon grape-growing. He established a large vineyard upon a
hillside sloping down to the river, about four miles above the
city, and employed German laborers, whose knowledge of vinedressing, acquired in the Fatherland, made them the best workmen he could have. He caused it to be announced that all the
grape juice produced by the small growers in the vicinity
would find a cash purchaser in him, no matter in what quantities offered. At the same time he offered a reward of five
hundred dollars for any improvement in the quality of the
Catawba grape.
The enthusiasm which he manifested, as well as the liberality
of his offer, had a decidedly beneficial effect upon the small
growers in the neighborhood. "It proved a great stimulus to
the growth of the Catawba vine in the country around Cincinnati," to know that a man of Mr. Longworth's means stood
ready to pay cash, at the rate of from a dollar to a dollar and a
quarter a gallon, for all the grape-juice that might be brought
to him, without reference to the quantity. It was in this way,
and by urgent popular appeals through the columns of the
newspapers, that he succeeded, after many failures, and against
the depressing influence of much doubt and indifference, in
bringing the enterprise up to its present high and stable position. When he took the matter in hand there was much to
discourage any one not possessed of the traits of constancy of
purpose and perseverance peculiar to Mr. Longworth. Many
had tried the manufacture of wine, and had failed to give it
any economical or commercial importance. It was not believed,
until Mr. Longworth practically demonstrated it, that a native




158                 GREAT FORTUNES.
grape was the only one upon which any hope could be placed,
and that the Catawba offered the most assured promise of success, and was the one upon which all vine-growers might with
confidence depend. It took years of unremitted care, multiplied and wide-spread investigations, and the expenditure of
large sunms of money, to establish this fact, and bring the agricultural community to accept it and act under its guidance.
The success attained by Mr. Longworth soon induced other
gentlemen resident in the vicinity of Cincinnati, and favorably
situated for the purpose, to undertake the culture of the Catawba,
and several of them are now regularly and extensively engaged
in the manufacture of wine. The impetus and encouragement
thus given to the business soon led the German citizens of
Hamilton County to perceive its advantages, and, under their
thrifty management, thousands of acres, stretching up from the
banks of the Ohio, are now covered with luxuriant and profitable vineyards, rivaling in profusion and beauty the vine-clad
hills of Italy and France. The oldest vineyard in the county
of Hamilton is of Mr. Longworth's planting."
Mr. Longworth subsequently increased the size of his vineyard to two hundred acres, and toward the close of his life his
wine houses annually produced one hundred and fifty thousand
bottles of wine. His vaults usually contained a stock of three
hundred thousand bottles in course of thorough ripening.
His cellars were situated on the declivity of East Sixth
Street, on the road to Observatory Hill. They occupied a
space ninety feet by one hundred and twenty-five in size, and
consisted of two tiers of massive stone vaults, the lower of
which was twenty-five feet below the surface of the ground.
The manufacture of the wine was placed under the charge of a
celebrated chemist from Rheims, and the mode of preparation
was as follows:




NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.                  159
After the pressing of the grape, the juice is subjected to the
vinous fermentation, by which ten or eleven per cent. of alcohol
is developed. In the following spring, it is mixed with a small
quantity of sugar, and put into strong bottles, the corks of
which are secured with twine and wire. The sugar accelerates
a second fermentation, which always takes place about this
time, and thus a strong movement is produced inside the glass,
which generates gas enough to burst the vessels briskly, adding
thereby considerably to the cost. This is known as the gaseous
fermentation, and the effect of it is to render the wine more
enlivening, more stinging to the taste, and more fruity. "This
last effect results from this, that the flavor of the fruit mostly
passes off with the carbonic acid gas, vwhich is largely generated
in the first or vinous fermentation, and in a less degree in this
second or gaseous fermentation." It is impossible to avoid the
loss of the flavor in the first fermentation, but the strong bottles
and securely-fastened corks preserve it in the second.  The
liquid, which is muddy at first, becomes clear in about a year,
a thick sediment having collected at the bottom of the bottle.
The bottles are then placed in racks, with their necks downward, and are shaken vigorously every day for about three
weeks. This forces the sediment to settle down in the neck
against the cork. WVhen it is all in the neck, the wires are cut,
and the cork blown out by the gas, carrying the sediment with
it. Fresh sugar, for sweetness, is now added, new corks are
driven in and secured, and in a few weeks the wine is ready
for the market.
Mr. Longiworth continued his wine trade with great success
for about twenty-five years, and though for some time his
expenditures were largely in excess of his income from  this
source, he at length reaped a steady and increasing profit from
it, which more than reimbursed him for his former losses. He




160                 GREAT FORTUNES.
was very fond of the strawberry, and succeeded, by careful and
expensive cultivation, in making several very important improvements in that delicious fruit. His experiments in the
sexual character of the strawberry are highly interesting, but
must be passed by here. He manifested no selfishness with
respect to his fruits. He was anxious that their cultivation
should become general, and his discoveries and improvements
were always at the service of any and every one who desired to
make use of them.
He was thoroughly devoted to his adopted home, and anxious
to secure its steady improvement. When it was proposed to
establish an observatory, the Mount Adams property, then
owned by him, was regarded as the most fitting site for it;.
He was asked to name the price for which he would sell the
property. To the astonishment of the parties in charge of
the enterprise, he made a free gift of the land —four acres il
extent-to the trustees. A gentleman who had hoped to dis.pose of some of his own property for this purpose charged Mr.
Longworth, through the press, with being influenced by a
desire to improve his adjoining property by the erection of
the observatory on Mount Adams.  Longworth promptly
replied that if the writer of the article in question would
donate four acres of his own property for an observatory, he
(Longworth) would put up, at his own expense, a building
on it equal to that which had been erected on Mount Adams,
and transfer the latter place to the city as a permanent pleasure
ground. He quietly added that in this way his accuser might
himself receive, for his adjacent property, all the benefits
of such an improvement, and at the same time win:for
himself the lasting gratitude of the people of Cincinnati.
This settled the matter, and no more was heard from  the
other side.




NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.                 161
"Longworth," says one who knew him, "is a problem and a
riddle-a problem worthy of the study of those who delight in
exploring that labyrinth of all that is hidden and mysterious,
the human heart; and a riddle to himself and others. He is a
wit and a humorist of a high order; of keen sagacity and
shrewdness in many other respects than in money matters; one
who can be exact to a dollar, and liberal, when he chooses,
with thousands; of marked peculiarity and tenacity in his own
opinions, yet of abundant tolerance to the opinions, however
extravagant, of others-a mall of great public spirit and sound
general judgment.
" In addition to all this, it would be difficult to find an individual of his position and standing so perfectly free from
pride, in the ordinary sense. He has absolutely none, unless it
be the pride of eccentricity. It is no uncommon circumstance
for men to become rich by the concentration of time, and labor,
and attention to some one object of profitable employment.
This is the ordinary phase of money-getting, as closing the ear
and pocket to applications for aid is that of money-saving.
Longworth has become a rich man on a different principle.
He appears to have started upon the calculation that if he
could put any individual in the way of making a dollar'or
Longworth, and a dollar for himself at the same time, by aiding him with ground for a lot, or in building him a house
on it; and if, moreover, he could multiply cases of the kind
by hundreds, or perhaps thousands, he would promote his own
interests just in the same measure as he was advancing those of
others. At the same time he could not be unconscious that,
while their half was subdivided into small possessions, owned
by a thousand or more individuals, his half was a-vast, boundless
aggregate, since it was the property of one man alone. The event
has done justice to his sagacity. Hundreds, if not thousands;
11




162                GREAT FORTUNES.
in and adjacent to Cincinnati, now own houses and lots, and
many have become wealthy, who would, in all probability, have
lived and died as tenants under a different state of case. Had
not Mr. Longworth adopted this course, he would have occupied that relation to society which many wealthy men now sustain, that of getting all they can and keeping all they get."
In politics, Mr. Longworth was a Whig, and afterward a
Republican. During the famous Clay campaign he was asked
to give one hundred dollars to help defray the expenses of the
party.
" I never give something for nothing," said he. "We might
fail to elect Clay, as we did before, and I should fling away the
hundred dollars."
The applicant, who was himself a man of wealth, assured
him that there was no doubt of Clay's election.
"There can be no chance of your losing," he said.' Well,' replied Longworth, "I'11 tell you what I will do.
I will give you the hundred dollars, but mind, you shall be
personally responsible to me for its return if Clay is not
telected."
The offer was accepted; and when the campaign resulted in
the defeat of Clay, Longworth demanded his money from the
Politician, who was compelled to return it out of his own
pocket.
In his own way-and a quaint, singular way it was-Mr.
Longworth was exceedingly charitable. Long after he was
worth millions, and when every moment of his time was valuable, he was supernumerary township trustee. This was an
office which required the expenditure of a considerable portion
of his time, and brought him in constant contact with some of
the most wretched of the lowest class of the poor.  He was
always in his office, at stated times, and with a patience and




NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.                 163
kindness worthy of all admiration, the millionaire listened to
their sad tales, and provided such aid as was necessary, oftentimes giving it out of his own purse when the public funds
failed.
He was a bitter foe to vagabondage and mendicity. If people in need were willing to work, he would place them in the
way of doing so. He was the owner of a stone quarry on
Deer Creek, the traces of which may still be seen in the lines
of the new Gilbert Avenue; and he kept in his office a supply
of picks and shovels.  When a stout beggar asked him for
alms, he would inquire if he was willing to go to work. If
answered affirmatively, he would give him a pick and shovel,
and start him for the quarry, where the wages were promptly
paid out every night. Mlany availed themselves of the opportunity, and worked for him faithfully; but others gave the
quarry "a wide berth," and sold the pick and shovel for
money or liquor. It was his custom to buy large quantities of
bread tickets from the bakers, and to distribute them to those
whom he considered worthy; and he would also keep on hand'
large quantities of shoes, dry goods, etc., which he gave away
in the same manner.
Mr. Frank Pentland, who was once in his employ, relates
the following incident:
"One morning, just after Mr. Longworth had gone to his
office, near the Third-Street entrance, where he was accustomed
to receive applicants for charity, he was accosted by a man who
craved assistance. In answer to a question as to his needs, he
replied that his main want was a pair of shoes, and a glance at
his feet showed that he spoke truthfully. Mr. Longworth appeared'to take his measure' at a glance, and impulsively
shaking his right foot (he seldom wore his shoes tied), kicked
the shoe over to the applicant, saying:




164                GREAT FORTUNES.
"'Try that on, my man. How does it fit?'
"'Illigant, yer honor.'
"' Well, try that, now,' said he, kicking off the other.'How
will they do?'
"' Illigant, yer honor; illigant! May many a blessing'"'Well, well, go now-that'll do,' and turning to Pentland,
who was then a young boy in his service, ordered him to the
house to get another pair. Frank obeyed, but was told by Mrs.
Longworth that those he wore away from the house were all
that he had. The result was that Frank was hurried off to
William Hart's shoe store, on Fifth Street, for new ones, with
instructions to'Ask Mr. Hart for the kind I always buy, and
don't pay over a dollar and a half for them. "
Yet many persons charged this man with stinginess-a
charge to which every rich man lays himself open who does
not give to all who ask him. Even the rich must refuse sometimes, for there is no reason why they should answer all the
calls made upon them-a course which would soon impoverish
them. They must discriminate somewhere, and how this shall
be done is a question which each must decide for himself.
Longworth exercised this discrimination in an eccentric manner, eminently characteristic of him. He invariably refused
cases that commended themselves to others. A gentleman once
applied to him for assistance for a widow in destitute circumstances.
"Who is she?" asked the millionaire. " Do you know her?
Is she a deserving object?"
"She is not only a woman of excellent character," answered
his friend, " but she is doing all in her power to support a large
family of children."
"Very well, then," said Mr. Longworth, {" I sha'n't give a
cent. Such persons will always find a plenty to relieve them."




NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.                 165
He was firm, and turned coldly from the entreaties of his
friend. Yet he opened his purse liberally to those whom others
refused. Vagabonds, drunkards, fallen women, those who had
gone down far into the depths of misery and wretchedness, and
from whom respectable people shrank in disgust, never appealed to him in vain. "The devil's poor," he whimsically
called them. He would listen to them patiently, moved to the
depths of his soul by their sad stories, and would send them
away rejoicing that they were not utterly friendless. "Decent
paupers will always find a plenty to help them, " he wduld
say, " but no one cares for these poor wretches. Every body
damns them, and as no one else will help them, I must. " Yet
he aided them in such a manner as to encourage them to rise
above their wretchedness.
In his personal appearance Mr. Longwvorth was not prepossessing. He was dry and caustic in his remarks, and rarely
spared the object of his satire. He was plain and careless in
his dress, looking more like a beggar than a millionaire. He
cared nothing for dress, except, perhaps, that he preferred
common clothes to fine ones. One of his acquaintances relates the following story in illustration of this phase of his
character:
"Mcany winters ago, it will be remembered that a style of
striped goods was quite popular with poor people on account of
its cheapness, and that it acquired the name of'Hard Times.'
Every body with scant purses wore coats or pants of it, for the
reason that they could not very well buy any other kind. As
the story goes, it appears that' Old Nick,' as he was familiarly
called, invested in an overcoat of this material, and took great
pride in wearing it, much to the annoyance of the women
folks. It happened that one cold, stormy night the faithful
family coachman was at the house without an overcoat, and




166                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Mrs. Longworth, after very feelingly depicting his forlorn condition to her husband, solicited the privilege of giving him the
aforesaid overcoat. Much to her gratification, Mr. Longworth
assented, and the coachman wore off the'Hard Times,' the
good wife replacing it by an elegant broadcloth that she had
quietly provided for the occasion. The next morning'Old
Nick' very innocently (?) overlooked the new coat, and went off
to make his usual morning rounds without one; but it would
be impossible to portray the annoyance of the household when
they saw him returning to dinner wearing a duplicate of the
veritable'Hard Times,' and for weeks afterward it was no
uncommon occurrence to see the'master and man' flitting about
the old homestead dressed in their gray stripes."
The shabbiness of his dress once led to an amusing adventure, which he enjoyed very much. Climbing one of the hilly
streets of the city one broiling summer day, he sat down on a
pile of bricks, under the cool shade of a tree, to rest. Taking
off his well-worn hat, he laid it on his knee, and closing his
eyes, sat enjoying the breeze which had just then sprung up.
He was very tired, and his whole figure expressed his weariness. As he sat there in his shabby dress, with his eyes closed,
and his hat resting on his knees, he looked the very picture of
a blind beggar soliciting charity. For such, indeed, he was mistaken by a working man who passed by a few minutes later,
and who, pitying the supposed unfortunate, tossed a few pennies
into his hat. The noise of the coppers made the old man open
his eyes and look up; and to his amazement the workman recognized in the object of his charity Nicholas Longworth, the
millionaire. Mr. Longworth looked at him a moment in his
dry, quizzical way, and then, thanking him politely, put the
coins in his pocket, and, closing his eyes, once more resumed his
former position.




NICHOLAS LONGWORTH.                167
Mr. Longworth had erected a magnificent mansion in the
midst of his vineyard. He gathered there a fine library, and
a collection of paintings, statuary, and other art treasures, which
were his pride. He died there on the 10th of February, 1863,
at the age of eighty-one. His loss was severely felt by the
community, especially by his " devil's poor," for whom he had
cared so tenderly.




168                 GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER VIII.
GEORGE PEABODY.
T is not often that men who pass their lives in the
acquisition of money are able to retain the desire
to give it to others who have had no share in the'   earning of it. In European countries, the wealthy
merchant commonly uses his fortune for the purpose of founding a family, and securing sometimes a title of
nobility. His wealth is entailed, that it may remain in his
fimily and benefit remote generations; but few save those of his
own blood enjoy any benefit from it, and the world is no better
off for his life and success than if he had never been born. In
America, instances of personal generosity and benevolence on a
large scale are of more common occurrence than in the Old
World. We have already borne witness to the munificence of
Girard, Astor, Lawrence, Longworth, and Stewart, and shall
yet present to the reader other instances of this kind in the
remaining pages of this work. We have now to trace the
career of one who far exceeded any of these in the extent and
magnitude of his liberality, and who, while neglecting none
connected with him by ties of blood, took the whole Englishspeaking race for his family, and by scattering his blessings far
and wide on both sides of the Atlantic, has won a proud name
"As one who loved his fellow-men."
GEORGE PEABODY came of an old English family, which




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GEORGE PEABODY.                   169
traced its descent back to the year of our Lord 61, the days of
the heroic Boadicea, down through the brilliant circle of the
Knights of the Round Table, to Francis Peabody, who in 1635
went from  St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, to the New World,
and settled in Danvers, Massachusetts, where the subject of
this memoir was born one hundred and sixty years later, on
the 18th of February, 1795. The parents of George Peabody
were poor, and hard work was the lot to which he was born,
a lot necessary to develop his sterling qualities of mind and
heart. He was possessed of a strong, vigorous constitution,
and a quick, penetrating intellect. His education was limited,
for he was taken from school at the age of eleven, and set to
earning his living. Upon leaving school, he was apprenticed
to a Mr. Sylvester Proctor, who kept a "country store" in
-Danvers. Here he worked hard and faithfully for four or five
years, devoting himself, with an energy and determination surprising in one so young, to learn the first principles of business.
His mind matured more rapidly than his body, and he was a
man in intellect long before he was out of his teens. Having
gained all the information it was possible to acquire in so small
an establishment, he began to wish for a wider field for the exercise of his abilities.  A retail grocery store was no longer
the place for one possessed of such talents, and thoroughly conscious of them at such an early age, and it was natural that he
should desire some more important and responsible position.
Accordingly, he left Mr. Proctor's employment, and spent a
year with his maternal grandfather at Post Mills village,
Thetford, Vermont. "George Peabody's year at Post Mills,"
says a writer who knew him, "must have been a year of intense quiet, with good examples always before him, and good
advice whenever occasion called for it; for Mr. Dodge and his
wife were both too shrewd to bore him with it needlessly.




170                 GREAT FORTUNES.
"It was on his return from this visit that he spent a night at
a tavern in Concord, N. H., and paid for his entertainment by
sawing wood the next morning. That, however, must have
been a piece of George's own voluntary economy, for Jeremiah
Dodge would never have sent his grandson home to Danvers
without the means of procuring the necessaries of life on the
way, and still less, if possible, would Mrs. Dodge.
PEABODY PAYING FOR A NIGHT'S LODGING.
"The interest with which Mr. Peabody remembered this
visit to Post Mills is shown by his second visit so late in life,
and his gift of a library-as large a library as that place needs.
Of its influence on his subsequent career, of course, there is no
record. Perhaps it was not much. But, at least, it gave him
a good chance for quiet thinking, at an age when he needed it;
and the labors of the farm may have been useful both to mind
and body."
At the age of sixteen, in the year 1811, he went to Newburyport, and became a clerk in the store of his elder brother,
David Peabody, who was engaged in the dry goods business at




GEORGE PEABODY.                  171
that place. He exhibited unusual capacity and promise in his
calling, and soon drew upon himself the favorable attention of
the merchants of the place. He was prompt, reliable, and energetic, and from the first established an enviable reputation for
personal and professional integrity. It is said that he earned
here the first money he ever made outside of his business.
This was by writing ballots for the Federal party in Newburyport. Printed ballots had not then come into use.
He did not stay long in Newburyport, as a great fire, which
burned up a considerable part of the town, destroyed his
brother's store, and obliged him  to seek employment elsewhere. IHe always retained a warm attachment to the place,
however, an attachment which a resident of the town explains
as follows:
"The cause of Mr. George Peabody's interest in Newburyport was not alone that he had lived here for a brief period,
or that his relatives had lived here; but rather it was the
warm friendship that had been shown him, which was, in fact,
the basis of his subsequent prosperity. He left here in 1811,
and returned in 1857. The forty-six intervening years had
borne to the grave most of the persons with whom he had
formed acquaintance. Among those he recognized were several
who were in business, or clerks, on State Street in 1811,Messrs. John Porter, Moses Kimball, Prescott Spaulding, and
a few others. Mr. Spaulding was fourteen years older than
Mr. Peabody, and in business when the latter was a clerk with
his uncle, Colonel John Peabody. Mr. Peabody was here in
1857, on the day of the Agricultural Fair, and was walking
in the procession with the late Mayor Davenport, when he saw
Mr. Spaulding on the sidewalk, and at once left the procession
to greet him.
"Mr. Spaulding had rendered him the greatest of services.




172                GREAT FORTUNES.
When Mr. Peabody left Newburyport, he was under age, and
not worth a dollar. Mr. Spaulding gave him letters of credit
in Boston, through which he obtained two thousand dollars'
worth of merchandise of Mr. James Reed, who was so favorably impressed with his appearance, that he subsequently gave
him credit for a larger amount. This was his start in life, as
he afterward acknowledged; for at a public entertainment in
Boston, when his credit was good for any amount, and in any
part of the world, Mr. Peabody laid his hand on Mr. Reed's
shoulder, and said to those present,'My friends, here is my
first patron; and he is the man who sold me my first bill of
goods.' After he was established in Georgetown, D. C., the
first consignment made to him was by the late Francis Todd,
of Newburyport. It was from these facts that Newburyport
was always pleasant in his memory; and the donation he made
to the Public Library was on his own suggestion, that he desired to do something of a public nature for our town."
From New England, George Peabody turned his face southward, and entered the employment of his uncle, Mr. John
Peabody, who was engaged in the dry goods business in
Georgetown, in the District of Columbia. He reached that
place in the spring of 1812; but, as the second war with England broke out about the same time, was not able to give his
immediate attention to business. He became a member of a
volunteer company of artillery, which was stationed at Fort
Warburton, but as no active duty was required of the company, he soon went back to his uncle's store. His uncle was
a poor man and a bad manager, and for two years the business
was conducted by George Peabody, and in his own name; but
at the end of that time, seeing the business threatened with
ruin by his uncle's incapacity, he resigned his situation, and
entered the service of Mr. Elisha Riggs, who had just estab



GEORGE PEABODY.                   173
lished a wholesale dry goods house in Georgetown. Mr. Riggs
furnished tlie capital for the concern, and Mr. Peabody was
given the management of it. Soon after this, the latter became a partner in the house. It is said that when Mr. Riggs
invited Mr. Peabody to become his partner, the latter informed
him that he could not legally assume the responsibilities of the
business, as he was only nineteen years old. This was no
objection in the mind of the merchant, as he wanted a young
and active assistant, and had discerned in his boy-manager
the qualities which never fail to win success.
The new business in which he was engaged consisted chiefly
in the importation and sale of European goods, and consignments of dry goods from  the northern cities. It extended
over a wide field, and gave Mr. Peabody a fine opportunity for
the display of his abilities. Mr. Riggs' friends blamed him
very much for leaving his business so entirely in the hands of
a boy of nineteen; but he had better proof than they that his
affairs were not only in good but in the best hands, and he answered them all by telling them that time would justify his
course. Mr. Peabody traveled extensively in establishing his
business, often journeying into the wild and unsettled regions
of the border States on horseback. He worked with energy
and intelligence, and in 1815 the business was found to be
so extensive that a removal to Baltimore became necessary.
About this time a sort of irregular banking business was added
to the operations of the house. This was chiefly the suggestion of Mr. Peabody, and proved a source of great profit.
Mr. Peabody quickly took a prominent rank among the
merchants of Baltimore. His manner was frank and engaging,
and won him many friends. He was noted for " a judgment
quick and cautious, clear and sound, a decided purpose, a firm
will, energetic and persevering industry, punctuality and fidelity




174                GREAT FORTUNES.
in every engagement, justice and honor controlling every transaction, and courtesy-that true courtesy which springs from
genuine kindness —presiding over the intercourse of life."
His business continued to increase, and in 1822 it became necessary to establish branches in Philadelphia and New York,
over which Mr. Peabody exercised a careful supervision. He
was thoroughly familiar with every detail of his business, and
never suffered his vigilance to relax, however competent might
be the subordinates in the immediate charge of those details.
In 1827 he went to England on business for his firm, and during the next ten years made frequent voyages between New
York and London.
In 1829 Mr. Riggs withdrew from -the firm, and NMr. Peabody become the actual head of the house, the style of the
firm, which had previously been  "Riggs & Peabody," being
changed to " Peabody, Riggs & Co."  The firm had for some
time been the financial agents of the State of Maryland, and
had managed the negotiations confided to them with great skill
and success; and every year their banking department became
more important and more profitable.
In 1836 Mr. Peabody determined to extend his business,
which was already very large, to England, and to open a
branch house in London. In 1837 he removed to that city
for the purpose of taking charge of his house there, and from
that time London became his home.
The summer of this year was marked by one of the most
terrible commercial crises the United States has ever known.
A. large number of the banks suspended specie payment, and
the majority of the mercantile houses were either ruined or in
the greatest distress. Thousands of merchants, until then prosperous, were hopelessly ruined. "That great sympathetic nerve
of the commercial world, credit," said Edward Everett, "as far




GEORGE PEABODY.                  175
as the United States was concerned, was for the time paralyzed.
At that moment Mr. Peabody not only stood firm himself, but
was the cause of firmness in others. There were not at that
time, probably, half a dozen other men in Europe who, upon
the subject of American securities, would have been listened to
for a moment in the parlor of the Bank of. England. But his
judgment commanded respect; his integrity won back the reliance which men had been accustomed to place in American
securities. The reproach in which they were all involved was
gradually wiped away from those of a substantial character;
and if, on this solid basis of unsuspected good faith, he reared
his own prosperity, let it be remembered that at the same time
he retrieved the credit of the State of Maryland, of which he
was agent-performing that miracle by which the word of an
honest man turns paper into gold."
The conduct of Mr. Peabody, as well as the evidences which
he gave of his remarkable capacity for business, in this crisis,
placed him among the foremost merchants of London. He
carried on his business upon a large scale from his base of
operations in that city. He bought British manufactures in
all parts of England and shipped them to the United States.
His vessels brought back in return all kinds of American produce which would command a ready sale in England. Profitable as these ventures were, there was another branch of his
business much more remunerative to him. The merchants and
manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic who consigned
their goods to him frequently procured from  him  advances
upon the goods long before they were sold. At other times
they would leave large sums in his hands long after the goods
were disposed of, knowing that they could draw whenever they
needed, and that in the meanwhile their money was being so
profitably invested that they were certain of a proper interest




176                GREAT FORTUNES.
for their loans. Thus Mr. Peabody gradually became a banker,
in which pursuit he was as successful as he had been as a merchant. In 1843 he withdrew from the house of Peabody,
Riggs & Co., and established the house of "George Peabody &
Company, of Warnford Court, City."
His dealings were chiefly with America, and in American
securities, and he was always regarded as one of the best specimens of the American merchant ever seen in London. He was
very proud of his country; and though he passed so many years
of his life abroad, he never forgot that he was an American.
In speaking of the manner in which he organized his business
establishment, he once: said: " I have endeavored, in the con.
stitution of its members and the character of its business, to
make it an American house, and to give it an American atmosphere; to furnish it with American journals; to make it a
center of American news, and an agreeable place for my American friends visiting London."
It was his custom, from his first settlement in England, to
celebrate the anniversary of the independence of his country by
an entertainment at one of the public houses in the city, to
which the most distinguished Americans in London were always invited, as were also many of the prominent men of Great
Britain; and this dinner was only discontinued in deference to
the general celebration of the day which was afterward instituted by the whole body of Americans resident in the British
metropolis. In the year 1851, when it was thought that there
would be no representation of the achievements of American
skill and industry in the Great Exhibition of that year, from
a lack of funds, Mr. Peabody generously supplied the sum of
fifteen thousand dollars, which enabled the Commissioners to
make a suitable display of the American contributions. Said
the Hon. Edward Everett, alluding to this act:




GEORGE PEABODY,                  177
6In most, perhaps in all other countries, this exhibition had
been a government affair. Commissioners were appointed by
authority to protect the interests of the exhibitors; and, what
was more important, appropriations of money had been made
to defray their expenses.  No appropriations were made by
Congress. Our exhibitors arrived friendless, some of them
penniless, in the great commercial Babel of the world.  They
found the portion of the Crystal Palace assigned to our country
unprepared for the specimens of art and industry which they
had brought with them; naked and unadorned by the side of
the neighboring arcades and galleries fitted up with elegance
and splendor by the richest governments in Europe.  The
English press began to launch its too ready sarcasms at the
sorry appearance which Brother Jonathan seemed likely to
make; and all the exhibitors from this country, as well as those
who felt an interest in their success, were disheartened. At this
critical moment, our friend stepped forward. He did what
Congress should have done. By liberal advances on his part,
the American department was fitted up; and day after day, as
some new product of American ingenuity and taste was added
to the list,-McCormick's reaper, Colt's revolver, Powers's
Greek Slave, Hobbs's unpickable lock, Hoe's wonderful printing presses, and Bond's more wonderful spring governor, —it
began to be suspected that Brother Jonathan was not quite so
much of a simpleton as had been thought. He had contributed
his full share, if not to the splendor, at least to the utilities of
the exhibition. In fact, the leading journal at London, with a
magnanimity which did it honor, admitted that England had
derived more real benefit from the contributions of the United
States than from those of any other country."
As has been said, Mr. Peabody made the bulk of his colossal
fortune in the banking business. He had a firm faith in Amer12




178                 GREAT FORTUNE'S.
iean securities, and dealt in them largely, and with confidence.
His business instinct was remarkable, his judgment in mercantile and financial matters almost infallible, and he made few
mistakes. His course was now onward and upward, and each
year marked an increase of his wealth. I-Is business operations
were conducted in pursuance of a rigid system which was never
relaxed. To the very close of his life he never abandoned the
exact or business-like manner in which he sought to make
money. He gave away millions with a generosity never excelled, yet he could be exacting to a' penny in the fulfillment
of a contract.
In his youth he contracted habits of economy, and these he
retained to the last.  Being unmarried, he did not subject
himself to the expense of a complete domestic establishment,
but lived in chambers, and entertained his friends at his club
or at a coffee-house. His habits were simple in every respect,
and he was often seen making his dinner on a mutton-chop at
a table laden (at his cost) with the most sumptuous and tempting viands. His personal expenses for ten years did not average three thousand dollars per annum.
The conductor on an English railway once overcharged him
a shilling for fare. IIe promptly complained to the directors,
and had the man discharged. "Not," said he, "that I could
not afford to pay the shilling, but the man was cheating many
travelers to whom the swindle would be offensive."
Several years ago he chanced to ride in a hack in Salem,
Massachusetts, and upon reaching his destination tendered the
driver his usual fee of fifty cents.
"Here's your change, sir," said the man, handing him back
fifteen cents.
"Change!" exclaimed Mr. Peabody; "why, I'm not entitled
to any."




GEORGE PEABODY.                  179
"Yes, you are; I don't charge but thirty-five cents for a
ride in my hack."
"How do you live, then?"
"By fair dealing, sir. I do n't believe in making a man pay
more than a thing is worth just because I have an opportunity."
Mr. Peabody was so much pleased with this reply, that as
long as he remained in Salem he sought this man out and gave
him his custom.
In his dress Mr. Peabody was simple and unostentatious. He
was scrupulously neat and tasteful, but there was nothing about
him to indicate his vast wealth. He seldom wore any jewelry,
using merely a black band for his watch-guard. Display of all
kinds he abominated.
He made several visits to his native country during his last
residence in London, and commemorated each one of them by
acts of princely munificence. He gave large sums to the cause
of education, and to religious and charitable objects, and made
each one of his near kindred wealthy. None of his relatives received less than one hundred thousand dollars, and
some were given as much as three times that sum. He gave
immense sums to the poor of London, and became their benefactor to such an extent that Queen Victoria sent him her
portrait, which she had caused to be executed for him at a cost
of over forty thousand dollars, in token of her appreciation of
his services in behalf of the poor of her realm.
Mr. Peabody made another visit to the United States in 1866,
and upon this occasion added large sums to many of the donations he had already made in this country. He remained here
until May, 1867, when he returned to England. He came back
in June, 1869, but soon sailed again for England. His health
had become very feeble, and it was his belief that it would be




180                 GREAT FORTUNES.
better in the atmosphere of London, to which he had been so
long accustomed. His hope of recovery was vain. He failed
to rally upon reaching London, and died in that city on the 4th
of November, 1869.
The news of his death created a profound sadness on both
sides of the Atlantic, for his native and his adopted country
alike revered him as a benefactor. The Queen caused his body
to be placed in a vault in YWTestminster Abbey, amidst the
greatest and noblest of her kingdom, until all was in readiness
for its transportation to the United States in a royal man-ofwar. The Congress of the United States authorized the President to make such arrangements for the reception of the body
as he should deem necessary. Sovereigns, statesmen, and warriors united to do homage to the mortal remains of this plain,
simple man, who, beginning life a poor boy, and never departing from the character of an unassuming citizen, had made
humanity his debtor by his generosity and goodness. He was
borne across the ocean with kingly honors, two great nations
acting as chief mourners, and then, when the pomp and the
splendor of the occasion were ended, they laid him down in his
native earth by the side of the mother from whom he had imbibed those principles of integrity and goodness which were the
foundation of his fame and fortune.
It is impossible to obtain an accurate statement of the donations made by Mr. Peabody to the objects which enlisted his
sympathy. In addition to those mentioned in the list below,
he gave away for various public purposes sums ranging from
two hundred and fifty to one thousand dollars, and extending
back as far as the year 1835. He divided among his relatives
the sum of about three millions of dollars, giving them a portion during his last visit to this country, and leaving them the
remainder at his death.




GEORGE PEABODY.                      181
The following is a statement of his more important donations during his life, including the bequests contained in his last
will and testament:
To the State of Maryland, for negotiating the
loan of $8,000,000.......           $60,000
To the Peabody Institute, Baltimore, Md., including accrued interest.....  1,500,000
To the Southern Education Fund...     3,000,000
To Yale College..1.....150,000
To Harvard College.......         150,000
To Peabody Academy, Massachusetts...      140,000
To Phillips Academy, Massachusetts....       25,000
To Peabody Institute, etc., at Peabody, Mass..   250,000
To Kenyon College, Ohio.......    25,000
To Memorial Church, in Georgetown, Mass..   100,000
To Homes for the Poor in London....    3,000,000
To Libraries in Georgetown, Massachusetts,
and Thetford, Vermont..    10,000
To Kane's Arctic Expedition..    10,000
To different Sanitary Fairs........    10,000
To unpaid moneys advanced to uphold the
credit of States...'.                 40,000
Total........... $8,470,000
The life of such a man affords lessons full of hope and encouragement to others.  In 1856, when on a visit to Danvers,
now named Peabody, in honor of him, its most distinguished
son and greatest benefactor, he said:
"Though Providence has granted me an unvaried and unusual success in the pursuit of fortune in other lands, I am still
in heart the humble boy who left yonder unpretending dwelling. There is not a youth within the sound of my voice whose
early opportunities and advantages are not very much greater
than were my own, and I have since achieved nothing that is
impossible to the most humble boy among you."












0
tlj




II.
CAPIT-ALI STS
C HAPTE R IX.
CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.
TATEN  ISLAND  lies in the beautiful bay of
[New York, seven miles distant from the great
city. Its lofty heights shut in the snug anchorage of the inner bay, and protect it from the rude
storms which howl along the coast. It lies full
in sight of the city, and is one of the most beautiful and attractive of its suburbs. The commanding heights and embowered shores are covered with villas and cottages, and afford
a pleasant and convenient summer resort for the people of [New
York. It now contains a large and flourishing population, and
maintains a speedy and constant communication with the metropolis by means of steam ferry-boats, the total travel on
which sometimes reaches as many as ten or twelve thousand
passengers per day.
Seventy-six years ago, Staten Island was a mere country
settlement, and its communications with the city were maintained by means of a few sail-boats, which made one trip each
way per day.
One of these boats was owned and navigated by Cornelius
183




184                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Vanderbilt, a thriving farmer, who owned a small but well
cultivated estate on Staten Island, near the present Quarantine
Grounds. He was a man of exemplary character, great industry, and was generally regarded as one of the most prudent and
reliable men on the island. Having a considerable amount of
produce to sell in the city, he purchased a boat of his own for
the purpose of transporting it thither. Frequently, residents
of the island would secure passage in this boat to the city in
the morning, and return with it in the evening. He realized
a considerable sum of money in this way, and finally ran his
boat regularly between the island and the city. This was the
beginning of the New York and Staten Island Ferry. Mr.
Vanderbilt, by close application to his farm  and boat, soon
acquired a property, which, though small, was sufficient to
enable him  to maintain his family independently. His wife
was a woman of more than usual character, and aided him
nobly in making his way in the world.
This admirable couple were blessed with nine children. The
oldest of these, CORNELIUS, the subject of this sketch, was
born at the old farm-house on Staten Island, on the 27th of
May, 1794. He was a healthy, active boy, fond of all manner of out-door sports, and manifesting an unusual repugnance
to the confinement and labors of the school-room. He has
since declared that the only books he remembers using at
school were the New Testament and the spelling-book. The
result was, that he merely learned to read, write, and cipher,
and that imperfectly. He was passionately fond of the water,
and was never so well pleased as when his father allowed him
to assist in sailing his boat. He was also a famous horseman
from his earliest childhood, and even now recalls with evident
pride the fact that when but six years old he rode a racehorse at full speed. When he set himself to accomplish any




CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.               185
thing, he was not, like most boys, deterred by the difficulties
of his undertaking, but persevered until success crowned his
efforts. So early did he establish his reputation for overcoming obstacles, that his boyish friends learned to regard any
task which he undertook as already virtually performed.
When he was only twelve years old his father contracted to
remove the cargo from a ship which had gone ashore near
Sandy Hook, and to convey it to New York. The lighters
Which were to carry the goods to the city could not reach the
ship, and it was necessary to haul the cargo, transported in
wagons, across the sands from the vessel to them. In spite of
his tender age, little Cornelius was placed by his father in
charge of the undertaking, which he accomplished promptly
and successfully. He loaded his lighters, sent them up to New
York, and then started for home with his wagons. Upon reaching South Amboy, where he was to cross over to Staten Island,
he found himself, with his wagons, horses, and men, without any
money to pay his ferriage across to the island. The ferriage
would amount to six dollars, and how he was to raise this
sum he was, for a time, at a loss to determine. Finally, he
went to the keeper of the tavern, to whom he was a stranger,
and asked for the loan of six dollars, offering to leave one of
his horses as a pledge for the money, which he promised to
return within two days.  The tavern-keeper was so well
pleased with the boy's energy, that he loaned him the money,
and the party crossed over to Staten Island. The pawned
horse was promptly redeemed.
Young Vanderbilt was always anxious to become a sailor,
and, as he approached his seventeenth year, he determined to
begin life as a boatman in the harbor of New York. On the
1st of May, 1810, he informed his mother of his determination,
and asked her to lend him one hundred dollars to buy a boat.




186                 GREAT FORTUNES.
The good lady had always opposed her son's wish to go to sea,
and regarded this new scheme as equally hair-brained. As a
means of discouraging him, she told him if he would plow, lharrow, and plant with corn a certain ten-acre lot belonging to the
farm, by the twenty-seventh of that month, on which day lie
would be seventeen years old, she would lend him the money.
The field was the worst in the whole farm; it was rough, hard,
and stony; but by the appointed time the work was done, and
well done, and the boy claimed and received his money. He
VANDERBILT EARNING HIS FIRST HUNDRED DOLLARS.
hurried off to a neighboring village, and bought his boat, in
which he set out for home. He had not gone far, however,
when the boat struck a sunken wreck, and filled so rapidly that
the boy had barely time to get into shoal water before it sank.
"Undismayed at this mishap," says Mr. Parton, from whose
graphic memoir the leading incidents of this sketch are taken,
"he began his new career. His success, as we have intimated,
was speedy and great. He made a thousand dollars during
each of the next three summers. Often he worked all night;




CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.               187
but he was never absent from his post by day, and he soon
had the cream of the boating business of the port.
"At that day parents claimed the services and earnings of their
children till they were twenty-one.  In other words, families
made common cause against the common enemy, Want. The
arrangement between this young boatman and his parents was,
that he should give them all his day earnings and half his
night earnings. He fulfilled his engagement faithfully until his
parents released him from it, and with his own half of his
earnings by night, he bought all his clothes. He had forty
competitors in the business, who, being all grown men, could
dispose of their gains as they chose; but of all the forty,
he alone has emerged to prosperity and distinction. Why was
this?  There were several reasons. He soon became the best
boatman in the port. He attended to his business more regularly and strictly than any other. He had no vices. His
comrades spent at night much of what they earned by day,
and when the winter suspended their business, instead of living
on their last summer's savings, they were obliged to lay up
debts for the next summer's gains to discharge.  In those
three years of willing servitude to his parents, Cornelius Vanderbilt added to the family's common stock of wealth, and
gained for himself three things-a perfect knowledge of his
business, habits of industry and self-control, and the best boat
in the harbor."
During the War of 1812, young Vanderbilt was kept very
busy.  All the harbor defenses were fully manned, and a
number of war vesssls were in port all the time. The travel
between these and the city was very great, and boatmen were
in demand.
In September, 1813, a British fleet attempted to run past
Fort Richmond, during a heavy gale. The commanding officer




188                 GREAT FORTUNES.
was anxious to send to New York for reinforcements, but it
was blowing so hard that none of the old boatmen were willing
to venture upon the bay. They all declared that if the voyage
could be made at all, Cornelius Vanderbilt was the only man
who could make it. The commandant at once sent for the
young man, who, upon learning the urgency of the case,
expressed his belief that he could carry the messengers to
the city. "But," said he, "I shall have to carry them part
of the way under water."  He set out with the messengers,
and in an hour landed them safe, but drenched through, at the
foot of Whitehall Street, which was then the landing place of
all the boatmen of the harbor.
He was now so prosperous in his calling that he determined
to marry. He had wooed and won the heart of Sophia Johnson, the daughter of a neighbor, and he now asked his parents'
consent to his marriage, and also requested them to allow him
to retain his own earnings, in order that he might be able to
support a wife. Both of his petitions received the approval of
his parents, and in the winter of 1813 he was married. His
wife was a woman of unusual personal beauty and strength of
character, and proved the best of partners. He has often declared since that he owed his success in life as much to her
counsel and assistance as to his own efforts.
In the spring of 1814, it became known in America that
the British were fitting out a formidable military and naval
expedition for the purpose of attacking one of the Atlantik
ports of the United States. The whole coast was on the lookout, and, as it was feared that the blow would be struck at
New York, every precaution was taken to be ready.  The
militia were called into service for three months, under a
heavy penalty for refusing to obey the call. The term  of
service thus marked out covered the most prosperous season




CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.                189
of the boatmen, and made the call fall particularly hard upon
them. About this time, an advertisement was inserted in the
city journals by the Commissary-General of the army, calling
for bids from boatmen for the purpose of conveying provisions
from Nl'ew York to the various military posts in the vicinity.
The labor was to be performed during the three months for
which the militia were called out, and the contractor was to
be exempted from all military duty during that time. Bids
poured in from the boatmen, who offered to do the work at
ridiculously low figures-the chief object of each one being to
secure the exemption.
Young Vanderbilt, knowing that the work could not be done
at the rates at which his comrades offered to perform it, at first
decided not to bid for it, but at length-and more to please his
father than because he expected to succeed-offered to transport
the provisions at a price which would enable him to be sure
of doing it well and thoroughly. He felt so little hope of success that he did not even trouble himself to go to the office of
the Commissary on the day of the awarding of the contract,
until he learned from his companions that all their efforts to
secure it had been ineffectual. Then he called on the Colmmissary, merely through curiosity, to learn the name of the fortunate man, and to his utter astonishment was told that the
contract had been awarded to himself. The Government was
satisfied, from his sensible offer, that he would do the business
thoroughly, and this the Commissary assured him  was the
reason why they had selected him.
There were six posts to be supplied-Harlem, Hell Gate,
Ward's Island, the Narrows, and one other in the harbor, each
of which was to be furnished with one load per week. The
young contractor made arrangements to have a daily load of
stores ready for him each evening at six o'clock, and thus per



190                 GREAT FORTUNES.
formed all the duties of his contract at night, which left him
free to attend to his boating during the day. He never failed
to make a single delivery of stores, or to be absent from his post
on the beach at Whitehall one single day during the whole
three nmionths. He was often without sleep, and performed an
immense amount of labor during this period; but his indomitable energy and powerful physical organization carried him
safely through it all.
He made a great deal of money that summer, and with his
earnings built a splendid little schooner, which he named the
"Dread." In 1815, in connection with his brother-in-law, Captain De Forrest, he built a fine schooner, called the " Charlotte,"
for the coasting service. She was celebrated for the beauty of
her model and her great speed. He continued to ply his boat
in the harbor during the summer, but in the fall and winter
made voyages along the coast, often as far south as Charleston.
During the three years succeeding the termination of the war
he saved nine thousand dollars in cash, and built two or three
small vessels. This was his condition in 1818.
By this time it had become demonstrated to his satisfaction
that the new system of steamboats was a success, and was
destined to come into general use at no very distant day. He
therefore determined to identify himself with it at once, and
thereby secure the benefits which he felt sure would result from
a prompt connection with it.  Accordingly, in 1818, to the
surprise and dismay of his friends, he gave up his flourishing
business, in order to accept the captaincy of a steamboat which
was offered him by Mr. Thomas Gibbons. The salary attached
to this position was one thousand dollars, and Captain Vanderbilt's friends frankly told him that he was very foolish in
abandoning a lucrative bus`ss'or so insignificant a sum.
Turning a deaf ear to their remons. dnces, however, he entered




CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.               191
promptly upon the duties of his new career, and was given
command of a steamboat plying between ANew York and New
Brunswick.
Passengers to Philadelphia, at that day, were transported by
steamer from New York to New Brunswick, where they re.
mained all night The next morning they took the stage for
Trenton, from which they were conveyed by steamer to Philadelphia. The hotel at New Brunswick was a miserable affair,
and had never paid expenses. When Captain Vanderbilt took
commanid of the steamer, he was offered the hotel rent free, and
accepted the offer. He placed the house in charge of his wife,
under whose vigorous administration it soon acquired a popularity which was of the greatest benefit to the line.
For seven years he was harassed and hampered by the hostility of the State of New York, which had granted to Fulton
and Livingston the sole right to navigate New York waters by.
steam. Thomas Gibbons believed this law to be unconstitutional, and ran his boats in defiance of it. The authorities of the
State resented his disregard of their monopoly, and a long and
vexatious warfare sprang up between them, which was ended
only in 1824, by the decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States in favor of Mr. Gibbons.
As a means of crippling Gibbons, the New York authorities
at one time determined to arrest Vanderbilt and his crew; but
the wary captain was too cunning for them. He would land
his crew in Jersey City, and take charge of the engine himself,
while a lady managed the helm. In this way he approached
the wharf at New York, landed his passengers, and took on
more. As soon as he had made his boat -fast, he concealed
himself in the hold until the moment of his departure. As
soon as he appeared on deck, the Sherifl's officer (who was
changed every day to avoid recognition) would approach him




192                 GREAT FORTUNES.
with a warrant for his arrest. His reply was an order to let
go the line. The officer, unwilling to be carried off to New
Jersey, where he was threatened with imprisonment in the penitentiary for interfering with the steamer, would at once jump
ashore, or beg to be landed. This was kept up for two months,
but the captain successfully baffled his enemies during the
whole of that period. The opponents of Mr. Gibbons offered
a larger and better boat than the one he commanded if he would
enter their service, but he firmly declined all their offers, avowing his determination to remain with Mr. Gibbons until the
difficulty was settled.
After the decision of the Supreme Court placed Mr. Gibbons
in the full enjoyment of his rights, Captain Vanderbilt was
allowed to manage the line in his own way, and conducted it
with so much skill and vigor that it paid its owner an annual
profit of forty thousand dollars. Mr. Gibbons offered to increase his salary to five thousand dollars, but he refused to accept the offer.
"I did it on principle," he said, afterward. "The other captains had but one thousand, and they were already jealous
enough of me. Besides, I never cared for money. All I ever
cared for was to carry my point." 
In 1829 he determined to leave the service of Mr. Gibbons,
with whom he had been connected for eleven years. He was
thirty-five years old, and had saved thirty thousand dollars.
He resolved to build a steamer of his own, and command her
himself, and accordingly made known his intention to his employer. Mr. Gibbons at once declared that he could not carry
on the line without his assistance, and told him he might make
his own terms if he would stay with him. Captain Vanderbilt
had formed his decision after much thought, and being satisfied
that he was doing right, he persisted in his determination to set




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CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.               193
up for himself. Mr. Gibbons then offered to sell him the line
on the spot, and to take his pay as the money should be earned.
It was a splendid offer, but it was firmly and gratefully refused.
The captain knew the mer. among whom he would be thrown,
and that they could never act together harmoniously. He believed his own ideas to be the best, and wished to be free to
carry them out.
After leaving Mr. Gibbons he built a small steamer, called
the "Caroline," which he commanded himself. In a few years
he was the owner of several other small steamers plying between New York and the neighboring towns. He made slow
progress at first, for he had strong opposition to overcome. The
steamboat interest was in the hands of powerful companies,
backed by immense capital, and these companies were not disposed to tolerate the interference of any new-comer. They
met their match in all cases, however, for Vanderbilt inaugurated so sharp a business opposition that the best of them were'
forced to compromise with him. These troubles were very annoying to him, and cost him nearly every dollar he was worth,
but he persevered, and at length " carried his point."
From that time he made his way gradually in his business,
until he rose to the head of the steamboat interest of the United
States. He has owned or been interested in one hundred steam
vessels, and has been instrumental in a greater degree than any
other man in bringing down the tariff of steamboat fares. He
never builds a vessel without giving his personal superintendence
to every detail, so that all his various craft have been models of
their kind. He selects his officers with the greatest care, pays
them liberal salaries, and, as long as-they do their duty, sustains them against all outside interference or intrigue. In this
way he inspires them with zeal, and the result is that he has
never lost a vessel by fire, explosion, or wreck.
13




194                GREAT FORTUNES.
He built the famous steamer "North, Star," and- made a
triumphal cruise in her to the Old World. t It is said' that he
was at one time very anxious to divide the business of the ocean
with the Collins Line of steamers. When the " Arctic " was lost
he applied to Mr. Collins to allow his steamer to run in her
place. He promised to make no claim for the mail subsidy
which Collins received, and to take the vessel off as soon as
Collins could build another to take her place. Mr. Collins was
afraid to let Mr. Vanderbilt get any hold on the foreign trade
of the country, and not only refused his request, but did so in a
manner which roused the anger of the veteran, who thereupon
told Mr. Collins that he would run his line off the ocean if it
took his whole life and entire fortune to do it. He kept his
word. He at once offered the Government to carry the mails
more promptly and regularly than had ever been done before,
and to do this for a term of years without asking one single,cent as subsidy. It was well known that he was perfectly able
to do what he promised, and he pressed the matter upon the:Government so vigorously that he was successful. The sub-.sidy to Collins was withdrawn, and the magnificent line soon
-fell to pieces in consequence of the bankruptcy of its owner,
who might have averted his fate by the exercise of a little
liberality.
Of late years, Mr. Vanderbilt has been withdrawing his!money from ships and steamers, and investing it in railroads'and iron works. Success has attended him in all his ventures,
land he is to-day worth over thirty millions of dollars. He?controls the Hudson River, Harlem, and New York Central
Roads, and is largely interested in many others. He is all
powerfui in the stock market, and can move it as he will.
A few years ago he wished to consolidate the Hudson River
and Harlem Railroads, and when the scheme was presented be



CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.                     195
fore the Legislature of New York, secured- a sufficient number
of votes to insure the passage of the bill authorizing the conr
solidation. Before the bill was called up on its final passage,
however, he learned from a trustworthy source that the members of the Legislature who had promised to vote for the bill
were determined to vote against it, with the hope of ruining
him.  The stock of Harlem Road was then selling very high,
in consequence of the expected consolidation.  The defeat of
the bill would, of course, cause it to fall immediately.  The
unprincipled legislators at once commenced a shrewd game.
They sold Harlem  right and left, to be delivered at a future
day, and found plenty of purchasers.  They let their friends
into the secret, and there was soon a great deal of "selling'short"' in this stock.*   Commodore Vanderbilt, although
indignant at the treachery of which he was to be made the
victim, held his peace. He went into the market quietly, with
all the funds he could raise, purchased every dollar's worth
of Harlem  stock he could lay his hands on, and locked it up
in his safe. When the bill came before the. Legislature on its
final passage, the members who had pledged themselves to vote
for it voted against it, and it was rejected.
The speculators were jubilant.  They were sure that the
defeat of the bill would bring down "Harlem" with a rush.
To their astonishment, however, "Harlem" did not fall.  It
remained stationary the first day, and then, to their dismay,
* For the benefit of the uninitiated reader,we will explain the " game " more
clearly. Harlem stock was selling at a high price, in consequence of the expected consolidation. Those who sold " short " at this time sold at the market
price, which, as we have said, was high. By engaging to deliver at some future
day, they expected to be able to buy the stock for little or nothing after the defeat of the bill, and then to demand for it the price for which they had sold it
in the first place.. Such a transaction was infamous, but would have enabled
those engaged in it to realize immense sums by the difference in the price oi thl
stock.




196                 GREAT FORTUNES.
began to rise steadily.  Those to whom they had sold demanded the delivery of the stock, but the speculators found it
impossible to buy it. There was none in the market at any
price. Being unable to deliver stock, they were forced to pay
its equivalent in money, and the result was, that all who were
engaged in the infamous scheme were ruined.  One of the
shrewdest operators in New York lost over two hundred thousand dollars. He refused to pay, but his name was at once
stricken from the list of stock-brokers. This brought him to
terms, and he made good his contracts.  Vanderbilt made
enough money out of this effort to crush him to pay for all
the stock he owned in the Harlem Road.
During the rebellion, Commodore Vanderbilt was one of the
stanchest supporters of the Government. Early in the struggle
he equipped his splendid steamer, the "Vanderbilt," as a manof-war, and offered her to the Navy Department at a fair price.
He found that, in order to sell the vessel, he would have to pay
a percentage of the price received for her to certain parties who
stood between the Government and the purchase, and levied
black mail upon every ship the Government bought. Indignant and disgusted, he withdrew his ship, and declared she was
not for sale. Then, satisfying himself that she was in perfect
condition, he presented her to the Navy Department as a free
gift to the nation.
Says a recent writer, whose fondness for courtly similes the
reader must pardon, for the sake of the information he imparts:
"No man is felt in Wall Street more than Commodore Vanderbilt, yet he is seldom  seen there. All of his business is
done in his office in Fourth Street. Here his brokers meet
him, receive their orders, and give reports. Here the plans
are laid that shake the street, and Wall Street trembles at the
foot of an invisible autocrat.  If the reader would care to




CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.               -197
visit the court of that great railroad king, whose name has
become the terror of Wall Street, he may accompany us to a
plain brick residence in Fourth Street, near Broadway, and
distant from Wall Street nearly two miles. No sign indicates
its imperial occupant, except that the upper story being occupied as a millinery establishment bears a legend of that character. However, as we enter the hall, we notice the word'office,' and open the door thus inscribed. Here we see a table,
a few chairs, and a desk, at which a solitary clerk of middle
age is standing at work.
"The walls are bare, with the exception of a few pictures
of those steamships which originated the title of' Commodore.'
This is the ante-chamber, and a pair of folding doors screen
the king from vulgar gaze. He is closeted with his marshals,
and this privy council will last an hour or so. One after the
other they depart, and before three o'clock the effect of this
council will not only be felt in Wall Street, but will be flashed
over the Union. At length you are permitted to enter.- The
folding door is opened, and you behold an office as plain in
appearance as the one just described. It contains a few armchairs and a long business-table, thrown flush before you, on
the opposite side of which sits a large man, with his face
fronting you. He is writing, and his eyes are fixed on the
paper, so that you have a moment to note the dignity of frame
and the vast development of brain.  In a few minutes the
countenance raises, and you meet its expansive and penetrating glance.
"You face the king. He smiles in a pleasant and wholesouled manner, and in a moment puts you at ease. No stiffness nor formality here. His kingship is in himself; not in
etiquette. He- is ready for a Ipleasantry, and will initiate one
if it comes in the line of conversation. You note those won



198                GREAT FORTUNES.
derful eyes, bright and piercing, and so large and rich that one
is fascinated, and does not know how to stop gazing into them.
Such is the appearance of the railway king, and you take your
leave, conscious that some men, as Shakespeare says,'are born
great.' Indeed, we knows a man who would rather give five
dollars to sit and look at Commodore Vanderbilt for an hour
than to see any other sight in this city. Next door to the
office is a building of brown stone, with spacious doors and a
roadway. This is the Commodore's stable, where are some of
the finest horses in the country.
"Every afternoon he is wont to take an airing, and after tea
a game of whist affords an evening amusement. The Commodore is simple in his manners and habits. He is a representative of a former age, when men lived less artificially than at
the present time, and when there was more happiness and less
show. As for business, it is his nature. He can not help
being king. He is but developing himself, and any other mode
of life would be painful. He has in the Central afforded a
third wonder, the Harlem and the Hudson River being the
first and second, and if he gets the Erie he will soon show the
world another wonder. On Sundays the Commodore attends
Dr. Hutton's church on Washington Square, and here his tall
and dignified form may be seen, head and shoulders above the
rest of the congregation. He is a friend of the pastor, who
takes a deep interest in his welfare, and we hope will meet
him in a better world. He stood by the Commodore's side
when his wife was laid in the tomb, and cheered him in. that
dark and trying hour. Among his more recent works is the
completing of a tomb:in the old Moravian burial-ground in
Staten Island. The subterranean chamber is about thirty feet
square, and is surmounted by a lofty shaft, and a statue of grief
adds a peculiar finish to the spot. The cemetery is on an emi



CORINELIUS VANDERBILT.                    199
nence, from  which one gets a fine view of the ocean, dotted
with ships."
Commodore Vanderbilt's early passion for horses still survives, and his stable contains some of the finest in the world.
Nothing pleases him so well as to sit behind a fast team, with
the reins in his hands, and fly along the road with almost the
speed of the wind.
He is extremely generous to his friends, and gives liberally
to charitable objects. He never puts his name to a subscription paper, but his donations are none the less liberal for that.
His -old acquaintances-especially those of his boyhood-find
him a tender friend, and many of them owe to his bounty the
comforts which surround their age.*
He is the father of thirteen children-nine daughters and
four sons-nearly all of whom  are still living.  A few years
ago, at the celebration of his golden wedding, over one hundred and forty of his descendants and relatives assembled to
congratulate him. He lost a promising son during the war,
and his wife died two years ago.  Not long since he married
a:second time.  He is still one of the handsomest and most
imposing men in New York, and will doubtless live to see his
children's grandchildren.
* In July, 1870, Mr. Vanderbilt chanced to hear that the Rev. Dr. Deems, of New
York, was in want of a church. Admiring the energy with which the reverend
gentleman had built up his congregation in the short space of three years, Mr.
Vanderbilt quietly made up his mind that he should not want in vain. Accordingly he bought the Mercer Street Presbyterian Church, anda made the.ajoctor
a present of it, keeping him. in ignorance of his intention until ht placed tne
title deeds in his hand.




200                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER X.
DANIEL DREW.
HIE name of DANIEL DREW has so long been
familiar in the financial circles of the country,
that it is surprising that the history of his life
is not more generally known.
He was born at Carmel, in Putnam County,
New York, on the 29th of July, 1797. His father was a small
farmer, with limited means, and had to work hard to provide
his family with food and clothing. Young Daniel was brought
up to work on the farm, and at such times as he could be
spared from this work, was sent to the country school in the
neighborhood, where he acquired but a meager stock of learning. When he was fifteen years old, his father died, leaving
his family in an almost helpless condition. Young Daniel
remained on the farm three years longer, and in 1815, being
then eighteen years old, started out to try and earn a living
for himself.
He came to New York in search of employment, but the
country, just then, was in too depressed a condition to afford
him a chance in any regular business. After looking around
for awhile, he at length became a cattle drover. He spent five
years in driving cattle from Putnam County to New York for
sale, but failed to make any money at the business.




DANIEL DREW,                     201
In 1820, he removed to New York, and established his headquarters at the famous Bull's Head Tavern, in the Bowerv,
which was the great resort of the butchers and drovers doing
business in the city. He kept this tavern a part of the time,
and found it quite a profitable investment.  He soon formed a?artnership with two other drovers, and commenced buying
FOUNDING A GREAT FORTU N E,
cattle in the adjoining counties and bringing them  to New
York for sale. These ventures wvere so succssfiul that the
operations of the firm were extended into Pennsylvania, and
finally into Ohio and the other States of the great West. Mr.
Drew and his partners brought over the mountains the first
drove of cattle tlat ever came from the West into New Yorkl
city. The cattle, two thousand in number, were collected into
droves of one hundred each, and were driven by experienced
and careful men. The journey occupied two months, and the
total cost of the purchase and trip was twenty-four dollars per
head.  The profit on the venture was very large.
Mr. Drew  continued in this business for fourteen years,




202                GREAT  FORTUNES.
slowly and carefully laying the foundations of that immense
fortune which has made.him  so conspicuous an example to
others who have entered upon the life-struggle since then.
In 1834, an event occurred which changed the whole tenor
of his career. In that year, the steamer "General Jackson,"
owned. by Jacob Vanderbilt (a brother of the famous Commodore), and plying between New York and Peekskill, blew up
at Grassy Point. A friend of Mr. Drew at once put a boat
called the "Water Witch" in her place, and Mr. Drew, to oblige
his friend, advanced one thousand dollars toward the enterprise.
Commodore Vanderbilt was not willing that any rival should
contest the river trade with him, and built a steamer called
the" Cinderella," with which he ran a sharp opposition to Mr.
Drew. The contest was so sharp that fares and freights were
lowered to a ridiculous figure, and both parties lost heavily.
At the end of the season, the owner of the "Water Witch"
found himself ten thousand dollars in debt, and sold his boat to
Drew, Kellyv & Richards for twenty thousand dollars.
Finding that Mr. Drew was not frightened off by his opposition, Commodore Vanderbilt urged him to withdraw from his
attempt, telling him he knew nothing of the management of
steamboats.  Mr. Drew refused to be intimidated, however,
and continued his efforts. Since then, there have been fifty
attempts to run him off the river, but all alike have failed of
success.
In 1836, the-" Water Witch" was replaced by a fine steamer
called the "Westchester," which was subsequently run as a day
boat to Hartford, Connecticut. The "Westchester" was run
against the Hudson River Line, from New York to Albany.
The Hudson River Line at that time owned the "De Witt
Clinton," the "North America," and others-the finest steamboats then afloat-and it seemed at first foolhardiness for any




DANIEL DREW.                   203
one to attempt to oppose so popular a company. Mr. Drew
and his partners bought the "Bright Emerald," for which- they
gave twenty-six thousand dollars, and ran her as a night boat
between New York and Albany, reducing the fare from three
dollars to one dollar. During the season, they bought the
"Rochester" for fifty thousand dollars, and also bought out
the Hudson River Line, after which they restored the fare to
three dollars.
Several years later, Isaac Newton, who was largely interested
in the towing business of the Hudson, built two splendid passenger steamers called the "North America" and the "South
America."  In 1840, Mr. Drew formed a partnership with Mr.
Newton, and the celebrated "People's Line" was organized,
which purchased all the passenger steamers owned by Drew
and Newton. Mr. Drew was the largest stockholder in this
company, which, to-day, after a lapse of nearly thirty years,
still owns the most magnificent and popular steamers in the
world.  Soon after its organization, the company built the
"Isaac Newton," the first of those floating palaces for which
the Hudson is famed.. Since then, it has built the "New
World," the "St. John," the "Dean Richmond," and the
"Drew," the last two of which cost over seven hundred thousand dollars each. Repeated efforts have been made to drive
this line from the river, but it has been conducted so judiciously and energetically,: that, for nearly thirty years, it has
held the first place in the public favor.
In 1847, George Law and Daniel Drew formed a partnership, and established a line of steamers between New York and
Stonington, for the purpose of connecting with the railroad from
the latter place to Boston. The "Oregon" and the "Knickerbocker" were placed on the route, and the enterprise proved a
success. Mr. Drew and Commodore Vanderbilt secured a suf



204                GREAT FORTUNES.
ficient amount of stock in the railroad to give them a controlling interest in it, and by the year 1850 the Stonington
Steamboat Line was firmly established.
When the Hudson River Railroad was opened, in 1852, it
was confidently expected that the steamboat trade on the river
would be destroyed, and the friends and enemies of Mr. Drew
alike declared that he might as well lay up his boats, as he
would find it impossible to compete with the faster time of the
railroad. He was not dismayed, however, for he was satisfied
that the land route could not afford to carry freight and passengers as cheap as they could be transported by water. He
knew that it would only be necessary to reduce his passenger
and freight rates below those of the railroad, to continue in the
enjoyment of his immense business, and his faith in the steady
expansion of the trade of the city induced him to believe that
the time was close at hand when railroad and steamers would
all have as much as: they could do to accommodate it. His
views were well founded, and his hopes have been more than
realized. The river trade has steadily increased, while the
Hudson River Railroad is taxed to its utmost capacity to aceommodate its immense traffic.
In 1849, Mr. Drew, in connection with other parties, bought
out the Champlain Transportation Company. This corporation
had a capital of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and
ran a line of five steamers from White Hall to the Canada end
of the rake. The new proprietors ran the line seven years, and
in 1856 sold out to the Saratoga and White Hall Railroad
Company.
As a steamboat manager, Daniel Drew has few equals and no
superiors. His ventures on the water have all been crowned
with success, a result due entirely to his judicious and liberal
management. His employes are chosen with the greatest care,




DANIEL DREW.,                  205
and generally remain with him during their lives. He is very
liberal in his dealings with those who serve him faithfully, but
will not tolerate a single careless or incompetent man, however
unimportant may be his position. The steamers owned by him
are almost entirely free from accidents, and such misfortunes as
have befallen them have been those against which no skill or
foresight could guard. He refuses to insure his boats, holding
that care and prudence are the best safeguards against accidents,
and thus saves half a million of dollars. When the- "Dean
Richmond" was run down by the " Vanderbilt," a year or two
ago, he lost nearly three hundred thousand dollars. He paid
every claim presented by shippers and passengers, as soon as
made, without submitting one of them to the adjudication of
the courts.
In 1836, Mr. Drew entered the banking business in Wall
Street, and in 1840 established the widely-known firm of Drew,
Robinson & Co. This house engaged largely in the financial
operations of the day, and became known as one of the most
uniformly successful in its dealings of any in the city. Mr.
Drew remained at the head of it for thirteen years, but in 1855
withdrew to make room for his son-in-law, Mr. K-elley. This
gentleman died soon after his connection with the firm, and Mr.
Drew resumed his old place.
Having succeeded so well in all his ventures, Mr. Drew now
determined to enter another field. Railroad stocks were very
profitable, and might be made to yield him an immense return
for his investments, and he decided to invest a considerable part
of his fortune in them. In 1855, he indorsed the acceptances of
the Erie Railroad Company for five hundred thousand dollars.
This was the first decided evidence the public had received of
his immense wealth, and in 1857 another was given by his
indorsement of a fresh lot of Erie acceptances amounting to a




206                 GREAT FORTUNES.
million and a half of dollars. This last indorsement was made
in the midst of the great financial panic of 1857, and occasioned
no little comment. Men could admire, though they could not
understand, the sublime confidence which enabled Mr. Drew to
risk a million and a half of dollars in the midst of such a terrible crisis. Some one asked him if he could sleep quietly at
night with such large interests at stake.  "Sir," he replied,
calmly, "I have never lost a night's rest on! account of business
in my life."
In 1857, Mr. Drew was elected a director of the Erie Railroad Company, a position he held until recently. He was subsequently elected treasurer of the company, and is one of the
principal holders of Erie stock. He is also one of the principal creditors of the company.  The recent proceedings in the
New York courts to prevent the Erie Road from issuing the
new stock necessary to complete its broad-gauge connections
with the West, are too fresh in the mind of the reader to need
a recital of them here. It was proposed to issue ten millions of
dollars worth of new stock, and Mr. Drew was to guarantee the
bonds. After a tedious and costly suit, in which the New York
Central Road endeavored to prevent the issue of the stock, in
the hope of keeping the Erie Road from forming through connections with the West, the New York Legislature legalized
the new issue, and a compromise was effected between Mr.
Drew, in behalf of the Erie Road, and Commodore Vanderbilt,
who represented the New York Central.
Mr. Drew still continues his operations in 5Wall Street, where
he is known as one of the boldest and most extensive, as well
as one of the most successful, of all the operators in: railroad
stocks. Though losing heavily at times, he has -nevertheless
been one of fortune's favorites. His efforts have not been confined to the Erie Road.  He owns stock in other roads, and,




DANIEL DREW.                    207
together with Commodore Vanderbilt, took up the floating debt
of over half a million of dollars which weighed down the Harlem Road, and placed it in its present prosperous condition.
He owns a fine grazing farm on the Harlem Railroad, about
fifty miles from New York. It is situated in Carmel, in Putnram County;. is nearly one thousand. acres, in extent, and includes the old farm on which he was born. He has made it
one of the finest and most profitable in the State, and, it is
said, values it above all his other possessions. He has improved and beautified it upon an extensive scale, and near the
old grave-yard, where his parents lie sleeping, he has built one
of the most beautiful churches in the land.
In 1811, Mr. Drew became a member of the Methodist
Church, but for twenty-five years this connection was merely
nominal. During all the years. of his drover's life he kept
himself free from  the sins of intemperance and swearing.
Once while riding out in a buggy with a friend, to look at
some cattle, a thunder-storm came on, and his horse was killed
in the shafts by lightning. This narrow escape from death
made a deep impression on his mind, and in 1841 he united
with the Mulberry Street Methodist Church, of which he became an active member and a trustee. The elegant marble
structure now standing at the corner of Fourth Avenue and
Twenty-second Street attests his liberality to this congregation.
He is a trustee in the Wesleyan University, and has largely
endowed that institution; and within the past few years has
contributed several hundred thousand dollars for the endowment of the Drew Theological Seminary, which has been established at Madison, New Jersey, for the education of candidates for the Methodist ministry. He gives largely in aid of
missionary work, and is one of the most liberal men in his
denomination. It is said that he gives away at least one hun



208                 GREAT FORTUNES.
dred thousand dollars annually in private charities, besides the
large donations with which the public are familiar. He selects
his own charities, and refuses promptly to aid those which do
not commend themselves to him.
His property is estimated at twenty millions of dollars, and
he is said to earn at least half a million of dollars every year.
He has two children, a son and a daughter, the latter of whom
is the wife of a clergyman of the Baptist Church.
Mr. Drew is about five feet ten inches high, and slenderly
made. He is very active and vigorous for his age, and looks
a much younger man than he is. His expression is firm, but
withal pleasant. His features are regular, but dark and deeply
marked, while his black hair is still unstreaked with gray.
He is courteous and friendly in his intercourse, and is very
much liked by his acquaintances.




JAMES B. EADS.'29
CHA PTER XI.
JAMES B. EADS.
JAMES B. EADS was born in Lawrenceburg, In~~ g diana, in the year 1820. His father was a man of
moderate means, and was able to give him a fair
English education. From his earliest childhood
he evinced a remarkable fondness for all sorts of
machinery and mechanical arrangements. This fondness became at length a passion, and excited the surprise of his friends,
who could not imagine why a mere child should be so much interested in such things. His greatest delight was to go to the
machine shops in his neighborhood, in which he had many
friends, and watch the workings of the various inventions employed therein.
When he was nine years old his father removed to Louisville,
Kentucky. During the voyage down the Ohio, young Eads
passed the most of his time in watching the engines of the
steamer. The engineer was so much pleased-to see his interest
in the machinery that he explained the whole system of the
steam-engine to him. The boy listened eagerly, and every
word remained fixed in his mind. Two years later, with no
further instruction on the subject, he constructed a miniature
engine, which was worked by steam. This, for a boy of eleven
years, was no insignificant triumph of genius. His father, anxious to encourage such unmistakable talent, now fitted up a
14




210                 GREAT FORTUNES.
small workshop for him, in which he constructed models of
saw mills, fire engines, steamboats, and electrifying machines.
When he was only twelve years old he was able to take to
pieces and reset the family clock and a patent lever watch,
using no tool for this purpose but his pocket-knife.
At the age of thirteen his pleasant employment was brought
to a sudden end. His father lost all his property by the failure
of some commercial transactions, and the family was brought to
the verge of ruin. It now became necessary for young Eads to
labor for his own support, and for that of his mother and sisters. Boy as he was, he faced the crisis bravely. Having in
vain sought employment in Louisville, he resolved to go to St.
Louis. He engaged his passage there on a river steamer, and
landed in that city so poor that he had neither shoes to his feet
nor a coat to his back. He found it as difficult to procure work
here as it had been in Louisville, and was at length compelled
to resort to peddling apples on the street in order to secure a
living. He did this for some time, never relaxing his efforts to
iobtain more desirable employment.
After many attempts he succeeded in getting a situation in
a mercantile house, at a fair salary. One of his employers
was a man of wealth and culture, and was possessed of one of
the finest private libraries in the West. Learning the extraordinary mechanical talent possessed by his young clerk, this
gentleman placed his library at his disposal. The offer was
promptly and gratefully accepted, and young Eads devoted
almost all his leisure time to the study of mechanics, machinery,,and civil engineering. He remained with this house for several
years, and then obtained a clerkship on one of the Mississippi
River steamers, where he passed several years more. During
this time he became intimately acquainted with the great river
and its tributaries, and acquired an extensive knowledge of all




JAMES B. EADS.                   211
subjects appertaining to western navigation, which proved of
great service to him in his after life.
In 1842, being then twenty-two years old, and having saved
a moderate sum of money, he formed a copartnership with
Messrs. Case & Nelson, boat builders, of St. Louis, for the
purpose of recovering steamboats and their cargoes which had
been sunk or wrecked in the Mississippi. Accidents of this
kind were then very common in those waters, and the business
bade fair to be very profitable. The enterprise succeeded better
than had been expected, and the operations of the wrecking
company extended from Galena, Illinois, to the Balize, and into
many of the tributaries of the great river. The parties interested in the scheme realized a handsome profit on their investments. Mr. Eads was the practical man of the concern, and
worked hard to establish it upon a successful footing. In
1845 he sold out his interest in the company, and established a
glass manufactory in St. Louis. This was the first enterprise
of the kind ever attempted west of the Mississippi. Two years
later, in 1847, he organized a new company for the purpose of
recovering boats and cargoes lost in the Mississippi and its
tributaries. This company started with a capital of fifteen hundred dollars. It was slow work at first, but a steady improvement was made every year, and in 1857, just ten years from
the date of their organization, the property of the firm was
valued at more than half a million of dollars. During the
winter of 1856-'57, Mr. Eads laid before Congress a formal
proposition to remove the obstructions from the western rivers
and keep them open for a term of years, upon payment of a
reasonable sum by the General Government. Had this proposition been accepted, the benefits thereby secured to all who
were engaged in the navigation of those rivers would have
been very great. A bill was reported in Congress authorizing




212                  GREAT FORTUNES.
the acceptance of Mr. Eads' offer, but was defeated through
the influence of the Senators from Mississippi (Jefferson Davis)
and Louisiana (J. P. Benjamin).
In 1857, Mr. Eads was compelled, on account of ill-health,
to retire from business. He had earned a handsome fortune by
his industry and enterprise, and could well afford to rest for a
short time, preparatory, as it afterward proved, to the most
important part of his whole career.
When the secession troubles began to agitate the country,
toward the close of the year 1860, Mr. Eads cast the weight
of his private and public influence on the side of the Union.
He felt that the war,. if it should come, would be a very serious
affair for the West, as the prosperity of that section depends
largely upon the absolute freedom of the navigation of the
Mississippi. The Confederates well understood this, and prepared from the first to close the great river until their inde.
pendence should be acknowledged by the General Government.
Dr. Boynton, in his "History of the United States Navy
During the Rebellion," thus describes the condition of affairs in
the West, a proper understanding of which will show the reader
the importance of the services subsequently rendered by Mr.
Eads:
The main features of the rebel plan of war in the West were to seize
and hold Missouri, and, as a consequence, Kansas and Nebraska, and
thus threaten or invade the free States of the North-west from that point;
to hold Kentucky and Tennessee, and, if possible, to cross the Ohio, and
make the Northern States the theater of the war; or, in case they should
be unable to invade the North, to maintain their battle line unbroken
along the Ohio and through Missouri; to keep the great rivers closed,
and thus holding back, the North, and being secure within their own
territory, at length compel the recognition of their independence. They
certainly presented to the North a most formidable front, a line of defenses which was indeed impregnable to any means of assault which the




JAMES B. F ADS."                    213
Government at first possessed. No army could be moved into Tennes,
see by land alone, because the line of communication with a Northern
base could not be held secure, and a defeat far from the Ohio would be
the destruction of an army, and open the road for an invasion of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and the destruction of their cities.
It was quite evident that no impression could be made upon the power
of the rebellion in the West, until a firm foothold could be gained in
Kentucky and Tennessee, and until the Mississippi could be wrested
from the conspirators' control. It was clear that the whole seaboard
might be regained, even to Florida, and yet the rebellion remain as
dangerous as ever, if the rebels could hold'the Mississippi River and the
valley up to or near the Ohio.
France was looking with eager eyes toward Texas, in the hope of securing and extending her Mexican usurpation. England was ready to
give all the assistance in her power to any step which would weaken the
North; and had the rebels been pressed back from the seaports and the
Northern Atlantic slope, they would have had it in their power, if still
holding the Mississippi, the South-west, including Tennessee, and the
great natural fortresses of the mountains, to have so connected themselves with Mexico and France as to have- caused the most serious embarrassment. It became absolutely necessary to the success of the Government that the rebels' northern- line of defens'es should be broken
through, and that the Mississippi should be opened to its mouth.
At first, and before the nature of the work was fully understood, the
whole was'placed under the direction of the War Department, as it was
thought the few armed transports which would be needed would be a
mere appendage of'the army. The idea of a formidable river navy of
a hundred powerful steamers did not in the beginning enter into the
minds of any.
It was soon seen, however, that an entirely new description of craft
was needed for this work. It was clear that the river boats, which had
been built for the common purposes of freight and passage, were not
capable of resisting the fire of heavy artillery, and that the batteries of
the rebels could not be captured nor even passed by them. They could
not even be safely employed alone in the transportation of troops, for
they could be sunk or crippled by the field batteries that could be moved
from point to point. The question of iron-clads was proposed, but with




214                 GREAT FORTUNES.
only the ocean iron-clads as a guide, who should conceive the proper
form of an armored boat which could navigate our rivers and compete
successfully with the heavy guns, rifled as well as smooth-bore, of the
fortifications. It was by no means easy to solve this problem, but it was
absolutely necessary that the attempt should be made.  These
forts could only be reduced by the aid of gunboats, and these were
almost literally to be created.
There was in the Cabinet of President Lincoln at this time
a western man, intimately acquainted with the steamboat interest of the Mississippi. This was Edward Bates, the Attorney-General of the United States. He was an old friend of
Mr. Eads, and felt assured that in case of war the services of
that gentleman would be of the greatest value to the country.
When it was found that hostilities could not be avoided, he
mentioned the name of Mr. Eads to the Cabinet, and strongly
urged that his services should be secured at the earliest possible moment. On the 17th of April, 1861, three days after
Fort Sumter had fallen, he wrote to Mr. Eads, who was living
in comfortable retirement, at St. Louis: " Be not surprised if
you are called here suddenly by telegram. If called, come instantly. In a certain contingency it will be necessary to have
the aid of the most thorough knowledge of our western rivers,
and the use of steam on them, and in that event I have advised
that you should be consulted."
A few days later Mr. Eads was summoned to Washington.
Mr. Bates there explained to him in full a plan he had conceived
for occupying Cairo, and endeavoring to hold the Mississippi
by means of gunboats. Mr. Eads warmly indorsed the plan,
and was introduced by Mr. Bates to the President and members. of the Cabinet.  When the plan was proposed to the Cabinet, the Secretary of War pronounced it unnecessary and impracticable, but the Secretary of the Navy was much impressed




JAMES B. EADS.                 215
with it, and requested Mr. Eads to submit his views in writing,
which was done. The paper embodied Judge Bates's general
plan in addition to Mr. Eads's own views, and contained suggestions as to the kind of boats best fitted for service on the
western rivers, and also in regard to the best points on: those
streams for the erection of land batteries. This paper was
submitted to the Navy Department on the 29th of April, 1861,
and was referred by the Secretary to Commodore Paulding, who
reported in favor of its adoption.
The Secretary of the Navy now detailed Captain John
Rodgers to accompany Mr. Eads to the West, and purchase
and fit out such steamers as should be found necessary for the
service. Up to this time the Secretary of War had manifested
the most supreme indifference in regard to the whole subject,
but he now claimed entire jurisdiction in the matter, and this
interference caused considerable vexation and delay. At length
he issued an order to Mr. Eads and Captain Rodgers to proceed
with their purchases. These gentlemen obtained the approval
of General McClellan, in whose department the purchases were
to be made, and began their operations.
Upon arriving at Cairo, they found one of the old snag-boat
fleet, called the " Benton."  Mr. Eads knew the boat well, as
he had formerly owned her, and proposed to purchase and arm
her, but Captain Rodgers did not approve the plan for converting her into a gunboat. Mr. Eads then proposed to purchase
and arm several of the strong, swift boats used for the navigation of the Missouri River, and equip them a; St. Louis,
from which point there would always be water enough to get
them below Cairo. Captain Rodgers disapproved this plan
also, and went to Cincinnati, where he purchased and equipped
the "Conestoga," "Tyler," and " Lexington,". and started them
down the river.  They were not iron-clad, but were merely pro:




216                 GREAT FORTUNES.
tected around the boilers with coal bunkers, and provided
with bullet-proof oaken bulwarks.  Mr. Eads had warned
Captain Rodgers that he could not depend upon the Ohio to
get his boats down to Cairo, and his predictions were realized.
The boats were started from Cincinnati some time in July;
they were detained on the bars of the Ohio for six or seven
weeks, and did not reach Cairo until about the first of September; then the bottom of the "Tyler" was found to be so badly
damaged by sand-bars that she had to be put on the marine
railway for repairs.
In July, 1861, the War Department advertised for proposals
to construct a number of iron-clad gunboats for service on the,
Mississippi River.  On the 5th of August, when the bids:
were opened, it was found that Mr. Eads proposed to build:
these boats in a shorter time and upon more favorable terms
than any one else. His offer was accepted, and on the 7th of
August he signed a contract with Quartermaster-General Meigs
to have ready for their crews and armaments, in sixty-five days,
seven vessels, of about six hundred tons each, each to draw
six feet of water, to carry thirteen heavy guns, to be plated
with iron two and a half inches thick, and to steam nine miles
per hour. "-They were one hundred and seventy-five feet long,
and fifty-one and a half feet wide; the hulls of wood; their
sides placed out from the bottom. of the boat to the water line
at an angle of about thirty-five degrees, and from the water
line the sides fell back at about the same angle, to form a
slanting casemate, the gun-deck being but a foot above water.
This slanting casemate extended across the hull, near the bow
and stern, forming a quadrilateral gun-deck. Three nine or
ten-inch guns were placed in the bow, four similar ones on
each side, and two smaller ones astern. The casemate inclosed
the wheel, which was placed in a recess at the stern of the yes



JAMES B. EADS.                  217
sel. The plating was two and a half inches thick, thirteen
inches wide, and was rabbeted on the edges to make a more:
perfect joint."
In undertaking to complete these vessels in sixty-five days,.
Mr. Eads had assumed a heavy responsibility. The manufacturing interests of the West were sadly crippled by the sudden,
commencement of hostilities, and doubt and distrust prevailed
every-where. The worst feature of all was, that skilled work->
men were either enlisting in the army or seeking employment
in States more remote from the scene of war. Every thing.
needed for the gunboats was to be made..Even the timber
for their hulls was still standing in the forest, and the huge
machinery which was to roll out and harden their iron plates.
had yet to be constructed. No single city, no two cities, however great in resources, could possibly supply every thing.
needed withintlhe stipulated time, and it was necessary to employ: help wherever it could be obtained.
The very day the contract -was signed, the telegraph was
kept busy sending instructions all over the West for the commencement of the various parts of the work. The saw-mills
in Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota,
and Missouri were set to getting out the timber, which was
hurried to St. Louis by railroad and steamboat as fast as it
was ready. There were twenty-one steam engines and thirty-.
five boilers to be made, and the machine-shops in St. Louis,
Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh were put to work upon them. The
huge rolling-mills of Cincinnati and Portsmouth, Ohio, New-.
port, Kentucky, and St. Louis were engaged in making the iron
plates, and employed for this purpose no less than four thou-'
sand men. Night and day, Sundays included, the work went.
on with an almost superhuman swiftness.. Mr. Eads paid the.
workmen on the hulls large sums from his own pocket, ia




218                 GREAT FORTUNES.
addition to their wages, to induce them to continue steadily at
their work.
On the 12th of October, 1861, just forty-five days from the
time of laying her keel, the first iron-clad, belonging to the
United States, was launched, with her engines and boilers on
board. Rear Admiral Foote (then a flag officer), appointed to
command the Mississippi squadron, named her the "St. Louis,"
but upon being transferred to the Navy Department her name
was changed to the "Baron de Kalb." She was followed by the
other vessels in rapid succession, all being completed within
the stipulated time.
In September, 1861, General Fremont ordered the purchase
of the snag boat "Benton," which had been proposed by Mr.
Eads and rejected by Captain Rodgers, and sent her to Mr. Eads
to be armored and equipped as a gunboat.  Work was at once
begun on her, and pushed forward with the same energy that
had been displayed in the construction of the other iron-clads.
Her performances during the war fully sustained the high esteem
in which she was held by the officers of the navy. Admirals
Foote and Davis pronounced her the "best iron-clad in the
world."
By dint of such skill and energy as we have described, Mr.
Eads, in the brief period of one hundred days, built and had
ready for service a powerful iron-clad fleet of eight steamers,
carrying one hundred and seven heavy guns, and having an
aggregate capacity of five thousand tons. Such a work was
one of the greatest in magnitude ever performed, and, as may
be supposed, required a heavy capital to carry it to perfection. Mr. Eads soon exhausted his own means, and but for
the assistance of friends, whose confidence in his integrity and
capacity induced them to advance him large sums, would have
been compelled to abandon the undertaking; for the Govern



JAMES B. EADS.                   219
ment, upon various pretexts, delayed for months the stipulated
payments, and by its criminal negligence came near bringing
the iron-clad fleet, so necessary to its success, to an untimely
end. It was prompt enough, however, to commission the vessels as soon as they were ready. At the time they rendered
such good service in the conquest of Forts Henry and Donelson, and compelled the fall of Island No. 10, they were still
unpaid for, and the private property of Mr. Eads.
In the spring of 1862, Mr. Eads, in accordance with the de —
sire of the Navy Department, submitted plans for light-draught
armored vessels for service on the western rivers. He proposed
an ingenious revolving turret to be used on these vessels, the
performance of which he agreed to guarantee to the satisfaction
of the Department; but the Government decided to use the
Ericsson turret, which the recent encounter between the Monitor
and Merrimac had proved to be a success. Mr. Eads was allowed, however, to modify the Ericsson turret considerably, in
order to avoid making the draft of his steamers greater than
was desired. He built the "Osage" and "Neosho,"' and when
these vessels were launched, with all their weight on board, it
was found that they were really lighter than the contract called
for, a circumstance which permitted the thickness of their armor
to be afterward increased half an inch without injuring their
draught or speed.
In May, 1862, at the request of the Navy Department, Mr.
Eads submitted plans for four iron-clads, iron hull propellers, to
carry two turrets each of eight inches thickness, four eleven inch
guns, and three-quarters inch deck armor, to steam nine nautical miles per hour, to carry three days' coal, and not to exceed
a draught of six feet of water. His plans were accepted, and he
constructed the "'Winnebago," "Kickapoo," " Milwaukee," and
"Chickasaw."  Like the " Osage" and " Neosho," these vessels




220                 GREAT FORTUNES.
were found to be of lighter draught than had been agreed upon,
and the Department ordered all four to have an extra plating of
three-quarters inch armor, which was done.
Whatever may be the distinction awarded to others, to him
belongs the credit of having been the first to provide the Government: with the means of securing that firm hold upon the
great river of the West which, once gained, was never relaxed.
The great cast-steel arched bridge now building at St. Louis,
by Mr. Eads, furnishes one of those remarkable instances where
bold and original ideas, supported by arguments logically based
on physical laws, have signally triumphed over groundless prejudice and professional egotism. His plans for that structure
were assailed and unanimously condemned by a grave convention of twenty-seven distinguished engineers specially convoked
in 1867, to consider the question of bridging the river at St.
Louis. In his report (May 1868), Mr. Eads patiently reviewed
the objections of the convention; published in detail the most
minute data involved in the questions of strength and cost of
his bridge, and challenged the profession throughout the world
to disprove his conclusions, or to produce a design more safe and
economical than his own. His appeal from the convention to
the profession at large was triumphantly sustained, and the confidence of his company in their chief engineer never faltered.
His arguments were so conclusive, in the opinion of English
engineers, that the bonds of his company ($4,000,000) were
afterwards sold in London. The massive piers of the bridge
are already safely resting on the bed-rock of the Mississippi,.
and soon the completed structure will stand a proud monument
of the energy and talent of its builder, the bare-footed apple-boy
of 1833.




CYRUS W. FIELD.                  22.1
CHAPTER XII.
CYRUS W. FIELD.
1HUS far we have been considering the struggles
of men who have risen from obscure positions in
life, by the aid of their own genius, industry,
and courage, to the front rank of their respective
callings. We shall now relate the story of one
who having already won fortune, periled it all upon an enterprise in which his own genius had recognized the path to fame
and to still greater success, but which the almost united voice
of the people of his country condemned as visionary, and from
which they coldly held aloof until its brilliant success compelled them to acknowledge the wisdom and foresight of its
projector.
Fifteen years ago very few persons had heard of Cyrus W.
Field. Ten years ago he had achieved considerable notoriety
as a visionary who was bent on sinking his handsome fortune
in the sea. To-day, the world is full of his fame, as the man
to whom, above all others, it is indebted for the successful
completion of the Atlantic Telegraph; and those who were formerly loudest in ridiculing him are now foremost in his praise.
"Nothing succeeds like success," and what was once in their
eyes mere folly, and worthy only of ridicule, they now hail as
the evidences of his courage, foresight, and profound wisdom,




222                 GREA'T FORTUNES.
and wonder that they never could see them in their true light
before.
CYRUS WEST FIELD was born at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on the 30th day of November, 1819, and is the son of
the Rev. David Dudley Field, a distinguished clergyman of
that State. He was carefully educated in the primary and
grammar schools of his native county, and at the age of fifteen
went to New York to seek his fortune. He had no difficulty
in obtaining a clerkship in an enterprising mercantile house in
that city, and, from the first, gave evidence of unusual business
capacity. His employers, pleased with his promise, advanced
him rapidly, and in a few years he became a partner in the
house. His success as a merchant was uniform and markedso marked, indeed, that in 1853, when only thirty-four years
old, he was able to partially retire from business with a large
fortune as the substantial reward of his mercantile career.
Mr. Field had devoted himself so closely to his business that,
at his retirement, he resolved to seek recreation and change of
scene in foreign travel, and accordingly he left New York, and
passed the next six months in journeying through the mountains of South America. Upon his return home, at the close of
the year 1853, he declared his intention to withdraw entirely
from active participation in business, and to engage in no new
schemes.
He had scarcely returned home, however, when his brother,
Mr. Matthew D. Field, a successful and well-known civil
engineer, informed him that he had just become acquainted
with a Mr. Frederick N. Gisborne, of Newfoundland, who had
come to New York for the purpose of interesting some American capitalists in a company which had been organized in
Newfoundland for the purpose of procuring news in America
and Europe, and transmitting it between the two continents




CYRUS W. FIELD.                 223
with greater dispatch than was possible in the then existing
mode of communication between the two countries.  The
scheme of Mr. Gisborne had commended itself to Mr. Matthew
Field, and he urged his brother to meet that gentleman and
hear his statements. Mr. Cyrus Field at once declined to
undertake any share in the enterprise, and said that it would
be useless for him to meet Mr. Gisborne; but his brother was
so urgent that he at last consented to grant Mr. Gisborne an
interview, and at least hear what he had to say. At the
appointed time, Mr. Field received Mr. Gisborne at his house,
and was there made acquainted with the proposed plan of
operations of the "Electric Telegraph Company of Newfoundland." This company had gone into bankruptcy a short time
previous, but Mr. Gisborne hoped to be able to revive it by
the aid of American capital. The scheme which he laid before
Mr. Field, can not be better stated than by quoting the following extract from the charter which the Legislature of Newfoundland had granted the bankruptcy company:
"The telegraph line of this company is designed to be
strictly an'Inter-Continental Telegraph.' Its termini will
be New York, in the United States, and London, in the Kingdom of Great Britain; these points are to be connected by a
line of electric telegraph from New York to St. John's, Newfoundland, partly on poles, partly laid in the ground, and partly
through the water, and a line of the swiftest steamships ever
built, from that point to Ireland. The trips of these steamships, it is expected, will not exceed five days, and as very
little time will be occupied in transmitting messages between
St. John's and New York, the communication between the
latter city and London or Liverpool, will be effected in six
days, or less. The company will have likewise stationed at
St. John's a steam yacht, for the purpose of intercepting the




224                 GREAT FORTUNES.
European and American steamships, so that no opportunity
may be lost in forwarding intelligence in advance of the ordinary channels of communication."
Mr. Field listened attentively to his visitor, but declined to
commit himself to more than an expression of sympathy with
the enterprise. After the departure of his guest, he took the
globe which stood in his library, and turning it over, began to
examine the proposed route of the telegraph line and the distance to be traversed by the steamers. While engaged in this
examination, the idea flashed across his mind that instead of
undertaking such a complicated scheme, it would be better to
attempt to stretch a telegraph wire entirely across the ocean,
from the shores of Newfoundland to the coast of Ireland. The
vastness of this scheme pleased him, and its usefulness to the
entire world, if it~ could be carried out, was clear to his mind
from the first.
He at once set to work to ascertain if such an undertaking
as an Atlantic telegraph was practicable. He wrote to Lieutenant Maury, then the Chief of the National Observatory at
Washington, and asked if the laying of such a wire was possible; and to Professor Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, to
know if such a wire would be available for sending messages if
it could be laid. Lieutenant Maury promptly replied, inclosing
a copy of a report he had just made to the Secretary of the
Navy on the subject, from which Mr. Field learned that the
idea of laying a telegraph across the ocean was not original
with himself.  In this report Lieutenant Maury demonstrated
the entire practicability of such an enterprise, and sustained
his conclusions by a statement of the recent discoveries concerning the bed of the ocean, made by Lieutenant Berryman. Professor Morse came in person to visit Mr. Field,.and assured him  of his entire faith in the possibility of




CYRUS W. FIELD.                    225.
sending telegraphic messages across the. ocean with rapidity, and
success.
The two highest authorities.in the world thus having assured
him of the entire practicability of the undertaking, Mr.. Field:
declared his readiness, if he could procure. the assistance of- a
Lifficient number of capitalists in the United States, to under
takie'the laying of a. telegraph across the Atlantic betweenEurope and America.   Further deliberation only made him
better satisfied with the undertaking, and he set to work to find
ten;capitalists, each of whom he proposed should contribute one.
hundred thousand dollars, making the capital of the proposed
company one million of dollars.  Mr. Field was convinced that
the undertaking would be expensive, but he had then but a
faint conception of its magnitude, and was very far from supposing that " he might:yet:.be drawn on to stake upon its success the whole fortune-he had:accumulated; that.he was to sacrifice for it all the peace'and quiet he had hoped to enjoy, and
that for twelve years he was to be almost without a home,
crossing and recrossing the sea, urging his enterprise in Europe
and America."''.';'The scientific questions involved in the undertaking wereso,.
little understood at' the'time by the public, and the popular,
judgment regarded' the attempt to stretch a cable acrossbthe
deep, mysterious ocean with. so much incredulity, that Mr. Field
had considerable trouble in finding.-gentlemen willing or prepared to.share his'faith in the'enterprise.  His:first effort was
to induce Mr. Peter Cooper, of New York, his next door neigh-,
bor, to join him, and he succeeded so well that Mr. Cooper con.sented to do so if several others would unite with them.  En,.
couraged by his success with Mr. Cooper, whose name was a
tower of. strength to his cause, Mr.. Field renewed his efforts,
and succeeded in winning over the. followvinggentlemen, and in
15g




226                GREAT FORTUNES.
the order named: Moses Taylor, Marshall 0. Roberts, and
Chandler White. These gentlemen were very slow to accept
the views of Mr. Field, but, once having done so, they never
lost faith in the ultimate success of the undertaking. The
more thoroughly they became acquainted with its magnitude:and costliness, the stronger grew their confidence in it, for this
increase of knowledge not only showed them more plainly its
difficulties and dangers, but developed new grounds on which
to base their hopes.
Mr. Field was about to continue his efforts to procure additional names, when Mr. Cooper proposed that the five gentlemen already pledged to the scheme should undertake its entire cost without waiting for the other four. The proposition
was agreed to, and it was decided to take the necessary steps
to procure a charter for their company from the Legislature of'
Newfoundland. Mr. Field consented to undertake this, and at
once set off for St. John's, accompanied by his brother, Mr.
David Dudley Field, who was made the legal adviser of the
company. At St. John's they were greatly aided by Mr. Archibald, then the Attorney-General of the Colony, and afterward the British Consul at New York, and by the Governor,of Newfoundland. They succeeded in obtaining a charter
-from the Legislature under the name of the " New York, New-.foundland, and London Telegraph Company," with liberal
-grants in land and money. This accomplished, they assumed:and paid the liabilities of the old Telegraph Company which.had been brought to Mr. Field's notice by Mr. Gisborne, and
ithus removed the last difficulty in their way. Thisi much accomplished, Mr. Field hastened back to New York, and on the
6th of May, 1854, the Company was formally organized at the
residence of Mr. David Dudley Field. Messrs. Cooper, Taylor,
Field, Roberts, and White were the first directors. Mr. Cooper,




CYRUS W. FIELD.                   227
was made President of the Company, Mr. White, Vice-President, and Mr. Taylor Secretary. A capital of one million and a
half of dollars was subscribed on the spot,R Mr. Field contributing about two hundred thousand dollars in cash.
Work was at once begun on the section between New York
and St. John's. There was no road across the island of Newfoundland, and the Company had not only to build their telegraph line, but to construct a road by the side of it through an
almost unbroken wilderness. It was a work which required
the highest executive ability, and the services of an army of
men. The distance across the island was four hundred miles,
and there were numerous rocky gorges, morasses, and rivers in
the way. The country was a desolation, and it was found that
supplies would have to be transported from St. John's. The execution of the work was committed to Mr. White, the Vice-President, who went to St. John's to act as the general agent of the
Company, and to Mr. Matthew D. Field, who was appointed
constructing engineer. Theses gentlemen displayed such skill
and energy in their respective positions that in two years the
Company had not only built a telegraph line and a road of
four hundred miles across the island, but had constructed
another line of one hundred and forty miles in the island of
Cape Breton, and had stretched a submarine cable across the
Gulf of St. Lawrence.*  The line was now in working order
from New York to St. John's, Newfoundland, a distance of one
thousand miles, and it had required about a million of dollars
for its construction. It now remained to complete the great
work by laying the cable between Newfoundland and Ireland.
It being desirable to examine still further the bed of the: The first effort to lay a cable in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was made by this
Company, in August, 1855. It was a failure, and the cable was lost, The second
attempt was made in the summer of 1856, and was entirely successful.




228                GREAT FORTUNES.
ocean over which the cable was to be laid, Mr. Field requested
the Government of the United States to send out an expedition over the route for the purpose of taking deep sea soundings. His request was promptly granted, and an expedition
under Lieut. Berryman was dispatched, which proceeded to examine the ocean bed, with the most satisfactory results. This
was accomplished in the summer of 1856, and the next year
the same route was surveyed by Commander Daymon, with
the British war steamer Cyclops —this survey being ordered by
the IBords of the Admiralty, at Mr. Field's request. These
surveys made it plain beyond question that a cable could lie
safely on the bed of the sea, at a depth sufficient to protect it
from vessels' anchors, from icebergs, and from submarine currents, and that it would receive sufficient support from that bed
to free it from all undue tension. There was no doubt of the
ultimate success of the enterprise in the minds of the directors,
but it was necessary to convince the public in both Europe
and America that it was not an impossibility, and also to enlist
the sympathies of the Governments of Great Britain and the
United States, and secure their assistance.
Mr. Field, who had made several voyages to England and
to Newfoundland in behalf of the company, was elected VicePresident after the death of Mr. White, in 1856, and was
charged with the duty of proceeding to England to obtain the
assistance of the British Government, and to organize the company in London. Thus far the directors had borne the entire
cost of the undertaking, and it was but fair that they should
seek the means for completing their work in the country which
was to be so much benefited by it. Mr. Field sailed for England in the summer of 1856, and upon reaching that country
proceeded to consult some of its most eminent engineers and
electricians. The English people were slow to believe that so




CYRUS W. FIELD.                 229
long a cable could be successfully worked, even if laid intact,
and to remove their doubts, the opinions of Professor 1Morse
and Lieutenant Maury were published in their newspapers;
and this publication brought out communications from many
scientific men on the subject a number of them advocating the
undertaking. Thus, the attention of the English public was
gained.  Experiments were made by Professor Morse, Mlr.
Bright, and Dr. Whitehouse, which proved beyond all doubt
the ease with which a continuous line of more than two thousand miles of wire could be worked; and Professor Morse was
able, from these experiments, to declare his conviction that an
electric current could pass between London and New York, on
such a wire, in the space of one second.
Science had now done its utmost, and had in every thing sustained the great plan. It was now necessary to ask the aid of Her
Majesty's Government. This effort was intrusted to Mr. Field,
who carried it through successfully. The English Government
agreed to furnish the ships necessary for making soundings and
surveys, and to furnish vessels to assist in laying the cable. It
also agreed to pay to the company an annual subsidy of fourteen thousand pounds for the transmission of tlie government
messages until the net profits of the company were equal to a
dividend of six pounds per cent., when the payment was to be
reduced to ten thousand pounds per annum, for a period of
twenty-five years.  Provision was made for extra payment,
in case the government messages exceeded a certain amount;
and it was provided that the messages of the Governments of
Great Britain and the United States should be placed upon an
equal footing, and should have priority in the order in which
they arrived at the stations. This last provision exhibited a
decided liberality on the part of the English Government,
since both ends of the proposed cable would be in British ter



230                GREAT FORTUNES.
ritory. Indeed, throughout the whole negotiation, Great Britain cheerfully accorded to the United States every privilege
which she claimed for herself.
Having secured the aid of the Queen's Government on such
liberal terms, Mr. Field now undertook the organization of the
company, in addition to the task of raising a capital of three
hundred and fifty thousand pounds. In both efforts he was
effectively assisted by Mr. John W. Brett, who had laid the first
cable across the English Channel, and by Mr. Charles T. Bright
and Dr. Edward O. W. Whitehouse. The efforts of these gentlemen were successful. In a few weeks the whole capital was
subscribed. It had been divided into three hundred and fifty
shares of a thousand pounds each. One hundred and one of
these were taken up in London, eighty-six in Liverpool, thirtyseven in Glasgow, twenty-eight in Manchester, and a few in
other parts of England. Mr. Field, at the final division of
shares, took eighty-eight. He did not design making this investment on his own account, but thinking it but fair that at
least one-fourth of the stock should be held in America, he
made this subscription with the intention of disposing of his
shares after his return home. Owing to his continued absence
from New York, and the straitened condition of the money
market, it was nearly a year before he could succeed in selling
as much as twenty-seven shares. The company was organized
in December, 1856, a Board of Directors elected, and a contract made for the cable, half of which was to be made in London and the other half in Liverpool.
The day after the organization of the company, Mr. Field
sailed for New York, from which place he at once made a voyage to Newfoundland, to look after some matters which required
his presence. Returning home, he hurried to Washington, to
secure the aid of the General Government. He met with more




CYRUS W. FIELD.                 231
opposition here than he had encountered in England. A powerful lobby opposed him, and a spirit of hostility to his bill exhibited itself in Congress, and to such a degree that the measure
passed the Senate by a majority of only one vote. It came very
near failing in the House, but at length got through, and received the President's signature on the 3d of March, 1857.
In the summer of 1857, Mr. Field having returned to England, the cable was declared to be in readiness for laying. The
United States Government now placed at the disposal of the
Telegraph Company the magnificent new steam frigate "Niagara," as the most suitable vessel for laying the cable, and ordered
the " Susquehanna," the largest side-wheel frigate in the service,
to accompany her in the expedition. The British Government
provided the steam frigate " Agamemnon," a splendid vessel,
which had been the flagship of the English fleet at the bombardment of Sebastopol, and ordered the " Leopard" to accompany her as an escort. The "Niagara" was commanded by
Captain W. L. Hudson, of the United States Navy, and the
"Agamemnon" by Captain Noddal, of the Royal Navy. The
"Niagara" took on her share of the cable at Liverpool, and
the "Agamemnon" received hers at London. It was agreed
that the "Niagara" should begin the laying of the cable, and
continue it until her portion of it should be exhausted in midocean, when her end of it should be united with-the cable on
board the" Agamemnon," which ship should continue laying the
line until the shores of Newfoundland were reached. After
taking on the cable, the ships were ordered to Queenstown.
The vessels left England in the midst of general rejoicings,
and arrived at the rendezvous at the proper time. Thence they
sailed for the harbor of Valentia, which was to be the eastern
terminus of the line and the starting point of the expedition.
They were greeted every-where with enthusiasm, and the great



23.2                GREA'T FORTUNES.
est confidence in the success of the enterprise was manifested by
those on board.'Mr. Field, Professor Morse, and several other
officers of the company were on board the " Niagara," as that
ship was to conduct the first part of the sinking of the cable..
At length all was in readiness. The shore end of the cable
was landed and made fast on Wednesday afternoon, the 5th of
August, and the next morning, the fleet stood out to sea. "Before they had gone five miles the heavy shore end of the cable
caught in the machinery and1;parted. The'Niagara' put back,
and th'e cable':was'underraun":' the whole distance:At length
the:' end was lifted out: of the water and "spliced to the. gigantic
coil, and as it dropped'safely to: the bottom of the sea, the
mighty Ship began to stir..At first she moved very slowly,: not
more than two miles an hour, to avoid the, danger of accident:;
but the feeling that they are at last away is itself a relief. The
ships are all in sight, and so near that they can hear each other's
bells. The'Niagara,' as if knowiig that she is bound forthe
land out of whose forests she came, bends her head to the waves,
as her prow is turned -toward her native shores.
"Slowly passed the hours"-of that- day. But all went well,
and the ships were moving out into the broad Atlantic.' At
length the sun went down in the west, and stars came out on
the face of the deep. But no man slept.  A thousand eyes
were Watching a -great experiment, as those who have a personal interest in the issue. All through that night, and through
the anxious days and nights that followed, there was a feeling
in every soul on board as if a friend in the cabin were at the
turning-point of life or death, and they were watching beside
him. There was a strange, unnatural silence in the ship. Men
paced" the deck with soft and muffled tread, speaking only in
whispers, as if a loud voice or a heavy footfall might snap the
vitl: cord.-  So much, had they grown to feel for the enter



.CYRUS W. FIELD.'233
~prise, that the cable seemed:to them like a human creature, on
whose fate they hung, as if it were to decide their own
destiny.
" There are some who will never forget that first night at
sea. Perhaps the reaction from the excitement on shore made
the impression the deeper.  What strange thoughts came to
them as they stood on the deck and watched that mysterious
cord disappearing in the darkness, and gliding to- its ocean
bed!  There are certain moments in life when every thing
comes back upon us-when the events of years seem crowded
into an hour. What memories came up in those long night
hours!  How many on board that ship thought of homes
beyond the sea, of absent ones, of the distant and the dead!
Such thoughts, mingling with those suggested by the scene
around, added to the solemnity of the hour, had left an impression which can never be forgotten.
"But with the work in hand all is going on well. There
are vigilant eyes on deck. Mr. Bright, the engineer of the
company, is there, and Mr. Everett, Mr. De Sauty, the electrician, and Professor Morse. The paying-out machinery does its
work, and though it makes a constant rumble in the ship, that
dull, heavy sound is music to their ears, as it tells them that
all is well. If one should drop to sleep, and wake up at night,
he has only to hear the sound of'the old coffee-mill,' and his
fears are relieved, and he goes to sleep again."
Saturday and Sunday passed away without accident, but on
Monday, when two hundred miles at sea, in deep water, and
safely beyond the great submarine mountain, the electrical continuity was suddenly lost. This interruption amazed and perplexed all on board, but no one was able to remedy it, or to
account for it satisfactorily. It lasted for two hours, and then,
just as the order was about to be given to cut the cable and




234                 GREAT FORTUNES.
endeavor to wind it in, it came back as suddenly w&,,d mysteriously as it had disappeared. The greatest delight was now
manifested by all on board. "You could see," says the correspondent of the London Times, "the tears of joy standing in the
eyes of some as they almost cried for joy, and told their messmates that it was all right."
That night, however, the expedition came to grief. The cable
was running out freely at the rate of six miles per hour, while
the ship was making only four. This was supposed to be owing
to a powerful undercurrent. To check this waste of the cable
the engineer applied the brakes firmly, which at once stopped
the machine. The effect was to bring a heavy strain on the
cable that was in the water. The stern of the ship was down in
the trough of the sea, and as it rose upward on the swell, the
pressure was too great, and the cable parted. The alarm was at
once given, and the greatest consternation and grief prevailed
on board. "It made all hands of us through the day," says
Captain hIudson, "like a household or family which had lost
their dearest friend, for officers and men had been deeply interested in the success of the enterprise."
The fleet immediately put about and returned to England,
where Mr. Field at once informed the directors of the extent of
the disaster. The remaining portions of the cable were landed
and stored safely away, and the vessels were returned to their
respective Governments. Orders were given for the manufacture of seven hundred miles of cable to replace the portion which
had been lost, and to allow for waste in paying it out, and the
most energetic preparations were made for another attempt.
Being satisfied that the machine used for paying out the cable
was defective, Mr. Field went to Washington and procured from
the Navy Department the services of Mr. Wm. E. Everett, the
chief engineer of the "Niagara," stating to that gentleman the




CYRUS W. FIELD.                 235
necessity for a new machine, and urging him to invent it. This
Mr. Everett succeeded in doing during the winter. His machine was regarded as a great improvement on that which had
been used on the "1Niagara." "It was much smaller and lighter.
It would take up only about one third as much room on the
deck, and had only one fourth the weight of the old machine.
Its construction was much more simple. Instead of four heavy
wheels, it had but two, and these were made to revolve with
ease, and without danger of sudden check, by the application of
what were known as self-releasing brakes. These were the invention of Mr. Appold, of London, a gentleman of fortune, but
with a strong taste for mechanics, which led him to spend his
time and wealth in exercising his mechanical ingenuity. These
brakes were so adjusted as to bear only a certain strain, when
they released themselves. This ingenious contrivance was applied by Mr. Everett to the paying-out machinery.  The
strength of the cable was such that it would not break except
under a pressure of a little over three tons. The machinery
was so adjusted that not more than half that strain could possibly come upon the cable, when the brakes would relax their
grasp, the wheels revolve easily, and the cable run out into the
sea'at its own sweet will.' The paying-out machine, therefore, we are far from claiming as wholly an American invention.
This part of the mechanism was English. The merit of Mr.
Everett lay in the skill with which he adapted it to the laying
of the Atlantic cable, and in his great improvements of other
parts of the machinery. The whole construction, as it afterward
stood upon the decks of the "Niagara" and the "Agamemnon,"
was the combined product of English and American invention."
In January, 1858, the Board of Directors offered Mr. Field
the sum of five thousand dollars per annum if he would assume
the post of general manager of the company. He at once un



236                GREAT FORTUNES.
dertook the duties of the position, but declined all compensation.
Every thing being in readiness for the second attempt at laying the cable, the "Niagara" sailed from New York in March,
1858, to take on her portion of the cable at Plymouth. The
"Agamemnon" was again ordered to assist in the, undertaking, and the "Gorgon" was made her consort. Mr. Field had
hoped that the " Susquehanna " would again be the consort of
the "Niagara," but a few days before the sailing of the fleet he
was officially informed that he could not have the ship, as she
was then in the West Indies, with the greater part of her crew
down with the yellow fever. This was a keen disappointment,
as every arrangement had been made with the expectation of
having the assistance of the "Susquehanna." It was too late to
ask the Government at Washington for another ship, and it
was by no means certain- that the request would be granted if
made. In this dilemma Mr. Field frankly stated his disappointment to the Lords of the Admiralty of England, and
asked for a ship to accompany the "Niagara."  lIe was
informed that the English Government was at that moment
chartering vessels to convey troops to Malta, as it had not ships
enough of its own, and that it was doubtful whether it could
contribute a third ship to the expedition. Still, so greatly did
the government desire the success of the enterprise, that a little
later on the same day the "Valorous" was ordered to take
the place of the "Susquehanna" in the telegraph fleet. This
generous assistance was all the more praiseworthy, as it was
given at a time when the need of England for ships was very
urgent.
After shipping the cable, the squadron sailed from Plymouth
on the 29th of May, 1868, for the Bay of Biscay, where the
cable was subjected to numerous and thorough tests, which




CYRUS W. FIELD.                 237:
demonstrated its strength and its sensitiveness to the electric
current. This accomplished, the vessels returned to Plymouth.
"Among the matters of personal solicitude and anxiety at
this time, next to the success of the expedition, was Mr. Field
himself. He was working with an activity which was unnatural-which could only be kept up by great excitement, and
which involved the most serious danger. The strain on the
man was more than the strain on the cable, and we were in fear
that both would break together. Often he had no sleep, except
such as he caught flying on the railway. Indeed, when we
remonstrated, he said he could rest better there than anywhere
else, for then he was not tormented with the thought of any
thing undone. For the time being he could do no more; and
then, putting his head in the cushioned corner of the carriage,
he got an hour or two of broken sleep.
-" Of this activity we had an instance while in Plymouth.
The ships were then lying in the Sound, only waiting orders
from the Admiralty to go to sea; but some business required
one of the directors to go to Paris, and, as usual, it fell upon
him. He left on Sunday night, and went to Bristol, and
thence, by the first morning train, to London. Monday he
was busy all day, and that night went to:Paris. Tuesday,
another busy day, and that night back to London. Wednesday, occupied every minute till the departure of the Great
Western train.  That night back to Plymouth.  Thursday
morning on board the'Niagara,' and immediately the squadron sailed."
The plan of operations this time was for the vessels to proceed to a given point in mid-ocean, and there unite the two ends
of the cable, after which the' "Niagara" should proceed toward
Newfoundland and the "Agamemnon" toward. Ireland, and it
was supposed that each vessel wduld make land about. the same




238                 GREAT FORTUNES.
time. This was believed to be a better plan than the one pursued in the first expedition.
The squadron sailed from Plymouth on the 10th of June.
The weather was favorable for the first two or three days of
the voyage, but on the 13th a severe gale set in, which lasted
for over a week, and came near causing the "Agamemnon" to
founder beneath her immense load, a portion of which broke
loose in her hold. All the vessels succeeded in weathering the
storm, however, and on the 25th reached the rendezvous in
mid-ocean. The next day the splice was made, and the ships
set out for their respective destinations. Before they had gone
three miles the machinery of the "Niagara" caught the cable
and broke it. A second splice was made, but when each ship had
paid out about forty miles, the electric current suddenly ceased.
The cable was cut promptly, and the two vessels at once returned to the rendezvous, where they rejoined each other on the
28th. A comparison of the logs of the two ships " showed the
painful and mysterious fact that at the same second of time
each vessel discovered that a total fracture had taken place, at
a distance of certainly not less than ten miles from each ship,
in fact, as well as can be judged, at the bottom of the ocean."
A third splice was made without delay, and the two ships again
set out for the opposite shores of the Atlantic. This time about
two hundred miles of the cable were successfully laid, when it
parted about twenty feet from the stern of the "Agamemnon."
The "Niagara," being unable to communicate with the English
frigate, bore away for Queenstown, where she was joined a few
days later by the " Agamemnon."
This second failure greatly disheartened the directors, and it
required all Mr. Field's persuasiveness to induce them to sanction another attempt. Yet he prevailed, and, hastening from
London to Queenstown, sailed with the telegraph fleet on the




CYRUS W. FIELD'239
third attempt to lay the cable, leaving Queenstown on the 17th
of July. The rendezvous was reached on the 28th, and on the
29th the splice was made, and the "Niagara" and "Agamemnon"
parted company. This time the undertaking was successful.
The cable was laid across the Atlantic, the "Niagara" reaching
Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, on the 5th of August, and the
"Agamemnon" arriving at Valentia, Ireland, a few hours later
on the same day. Signals were sent across the entire length of
the line, from shore to shore, with ease and rapidity, and nothing occurred to mar the success of the mighty undertaking.
The successful laying of the cable was hailed with- the liveliest joy on both sides of the Atlantic, and those who had participated in it were regarded as heroes. But great as was the
achievement, it was not destined to be a lasting success. After
working for four weeks, the electric current suddenly ceased on
the 1st of September. It never worked perfectly at any period
of its existence, but it did transmit a number of messages
with intelligibleness, and thus put an end to all doubt in the
minds of the scientific men of the expedition of the feasibility
of laying a successful line across the ocean.
The public generally and the directors of the company were
greatly disappointed, and many of the latter and nearly all of
the former declared that all such attempts must of necessity fail.
Some persons even went so far as to avow their belief that the
statements as to the successful transmission of signals over the
wire were false; but the proofs that the wire did work properly
for awhile are too strong to allow us to accord the slightest
weight to this disbelief. But whether signals had passed over
the wire or not, there could be no doubt that the cable had
ceased to respond to the efforts of the electricians, and was a
total failure, and the discouragement of nearly every one connected with itWwas most profound.




240                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Mr. Field and one or two others were the only persons who
retained the slightest confidence in the enterprise, and it was
clear to them that any further effort to secure the aid of private
capital would be useless just then. An appeal was made to the
British Government. It was urged that the work was too
great to be undertaken by private capital alone, and that, since
it was to be more of a public than a private nature, it was but
just that the Government should undertake it. The company
asked the Government to guarantee the interest on a certain
amount of stock, even if the second attempt should not prove
a complete success.  The failure of the Red Sea cable, to
which the British Government had given an unconditional
guarantee, had just occurred, and had caused a considerable loss
to the treasury, and the Government was not willing to assume
another such risk. Anxious, however, for the. success of the
Atlantic telegraph, it increased its subsidy from fourteen thousand to twenty thousand pounds, and agreed to guarantee eight
per cent. on six hundred thousand pounds of new capital for
twenty-five years, upon the single condition that the cable
should be made to work successfully.
This was not all, however. The Government caused further
soundings to be made off the coast of Ireland, which effectually
dispelled all the fears which had been entertained of a submarine mountain which would prove an impassable barrier in the
path of an ocean telegraph. In addition to this, it caused the
organization of a board of distinguished scientific men for the
purpose of determining all the difficult problems of submarine
telegraphy. This board met in 1859, and sat two years. The
result of its experiments and investigations was a declaration,
signed by the members, that a cable properly made, "and paid
into the ocean with the most improved machinery, possesses
every prospect of not only being successfully laid. in the first.




CYRUS W. FIELD.                  241
instance, but may reasonably be relied upon to continue many
years in an efficient state for the transmission of signals."
Meanwhile, Mr. Field labored energetically to revive the
company. The war which had broken out in the United
States brought home to our Government the urgent need of
telegraphic communication with Europe, and Mr. Field had
no difficulty in obtaining from the President an assurance that
this Government would be most happy to join with Great
Britain in promoting this great international work. He addressed meetings of merchants in various American cities, and
displayed the greatest energy in his efforts to enlist the aid of
American capital. Very little was accomplished, however, until
1863. By this time the success of the lines in the Mediterranean and in the Persian Gulf had demonstrated the practicability of long submarine' telegraphs, and the public confidence
in the attempt had been revived to such an extent that the
directors ventured to call for proposals for the manufacture
of a cable. Seventeen offers were made, from which that of'
5Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co., of London, was selected. M..
Field now  renewed his indomitable efforts, and in a few
months the new capital of six hundred thousand pounds vwas&
subscribed, Messrs. Glass, Elliott & Co. taking three hiundedi
and fifteen thousand pounds, besides one hundred thousand;
pounds in bonds. This was accomplished in 1864, ande work.
on the cable was immediately begun. The cable now; adopted
was very different from, and much more sensitive than, those
which had been used before. It was heavier, and less liable
to be injured by the water.
The " Great Eastern" steamship, the greatest wonder of naval
architecture, was at this time advertised for sale, and it occurred
to several of the gentlemen interested in the telegraph company
that she was the best vessel for laying the cable that could be
16




242                 GREAT FORTUNES.
found. They at once organized themselves into a company,
purchased the ship, and fitted her up for that service. They
were fortunate in securing the services of Captain James Anderson, and placing him in charge of her, sent her to Sheerness,
where the cable was sent down to her in lighters from the factory at Greenwich. When the cable was on board, and all the
other arrangements had been completed, the big ship left the
Thames and sailed for Valentia harbor.
The point of landing had been changed from Valentia harbor, five or six miles, to Foilhommerum  Bay. On the 23d
of July, 1865, the shore end was connected with the cable on
board the ship, and the voyage was begun. It would be interesting to follow the huge steamer on this remarkable voyage,
and to relate to the reader the almost marvelous manner in
which faults were detected in the line hundreds of miles from
the shore, and how the cable was successfully hauled in and the
damage repaired. All went well until twelve hundred miles
of cable had been paid out, and the ship was but six hundred
miles from the shores of Newfoundland, when the cable broke
again and plunged into the sea.
Mr. Canning, the engineer in charge, was dismayed, but not
disheartened. For nine days the ship hung around the spot
grappling for the cable, in the hope of raising it, and sinking
its grapnels for this purpose to a depth of two miles. The
cable was caught several times, but the rope which held the
grapnel broke each time, and the precious coil fell back again
into the deep.  At length, having marked the place where
the cable was lost with buoys, the ship put back for England,
and the enterprise was abandoned for that year.
Though unsuccessful in carrying the cable across the ocean,
this expedition was by no means a failure. Its results are thus
summed up by the officers in charge of it:




CYRUS W. FIELD.                     243
1. It was proved by the expedition of 1858 that a submarine telegraph cable could be laid between Ireland and Newfoundland, and messages transmitted through the same.
By the expedition of 1865 it has been fully demonstrated:
2. That the insulation of a cable improves very much after its submersion in the cold deep water of the Atlantic, and that its conducting
power is considerably increased thereby.
3. That the steamship "Great Eastern," from her size and constant
steadiness, and from the control over her afforded by the joint use of
paddles and screw, renders it safe to lay an Atlantic cable in any
weather.
4. That in a depth of over two miles four attempts were made to
grapple the cable. In three of them the cable was caught by the grapnel, and in the other the grapnel was fouled by the chain attached to it.
5. That the paying-out machinery used on board the Great Eastern
worked perfectly, and can be confidently relied on for laying cables
across the Atlantic.
6. That with the improved telegraphic instruments for long submarine lines, a speed of more than eight words per minute can be obtained through such a cable as the present Atlantic one between Ireland
and Newfoundland, as the amount of slack actually paid out did not exceed fourteen per cent., which would have made the total cable laid between Valentia and Heart's Content nineteen hundred miles.
7. That the present Atlantic cable, though capable of bearing a
strain of seven tons, did not experience more than fourteen hundredweight in being paid out into the deepest water of the Atlantic between
Ireland and Newfoundland.
8. That there is no difficulty in mooring buoys in the deep water of
the Atlantic between Ireland and Newfoundland, and that two buoys
even when moored by a piece of the Atlantic cable itself, which had
been previously lifted from the bottom, have ridden out a gale.
9. That more than four nautical miles of the Atlantic cable have
been recovered from a depth of over two miles, and that the insulation
of the gutta-percha covered wire was in no way whatever impaired by
the depth of water or the strains to which it had been subjected by lifting and passing through the hauling-in apparatus.
10. That the cable of 1865, owing to the improvements introduced




244                  GREAT FORTUNES.
into the manufacture of the gutta-percha core, was more than one hundred times better insulated than cables made in 1858, then considered
perfect and still working.
11. That the electrical testing can be conducted with such unerring
accuracy as to enable the electricians to discover the existence of a fault
immediately after its production or development, and very quickly to
ascertain its position in the cable.
12. That with a steam-engine attached to the paying-out machinery,
should a fault be discovered on board whilst laying the cable, it is possible that it might be recovered before it had reached the bottom of the
Atlantic, and repaired at once.
It was now placed beyond the possibility of a doubt that this
cable would be laid within the next year. More than this, it
was determined not only to lay a new cable between the two
continents, but to fish up the cable of 1865, splice it and continue it to Newfoundland, thus giving the company two working lines.
It was necessary, however, to raise more capital, and in this
effort Mr. Field again put forth his restless and indomitable
energies. As the public confidence in the scheme had been
effectually restored, it was resolved to raise six hundred thousand pounds of new capital by the issue of one hundred and
twenty thousand shares of five pounds each, which should be
preferential shares, entitled to a dividend of twelve per cent.
before the eight per cent. dividend to be paid on the former
preference shares, and the four per cent. on the ordinary stock.
They at once proceeded to issue these bonds, when they were informed by the Attorney-General that the proceeding was contrary to law.
In this dilemma work on the new cable was at once stopped,
and the money which had been paid in returned to the subscribers. As Parliament was not in session, and a new issue of
stock could not be made by the company without its authori



CYRUS W. FIELD.                 245
zation, and as to wait for this would be to postpone the laying
of the cable for another year, Mr. Field was now advised by
Mr. Daniel Gooch, M. P., that the only way out of the difficulty
was to organize a newv company at once, which should assume
the work, issue its own shares, and raise its own capital. Eminent legal gentlemen sustained Mr. Gooch in this opinion, and
Mr. Field again set to work to organize a new company, under
the name of the "Anglo-American Telegraph Company."  The
capital was fixed at six hundred thousand pounds, Mr. Field
taking ten thousand pounds. The whole amount was raised in
a short time, and the company "contracted with the Atlantic
Cable Company to manufacture and lay down a cable in the
summer of 1866, for doing which it is to be entitled to what
virtually amounts to a preference dividend of twenty-five per
cent., as a first claim is secured to them by the Atlantic Telegraph Company upon the revenue of the cable or cables (after
the working expenses have been provided for) to the extent of
one hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds per annum, and
the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company undertake to contribute from their revenue a further annual sum of twenty-five thousand pounds, on condition that a
cable shall be working during 1866."
Once more the furnaces glowed and the hammers rang in
the manufacture of the cable. Great improvements were made
in the cable itself and in the machinery for laying it, and the
"Great Eastern" was thoroughly overhauled. The cable was
completed and put on board in June, and the big ship left the
Medway on the last of the month and proceeded to Berehaven,
in Ireland, where she took on her final stores of coal. This
done, she proceeded to Valentia, where she arrived on the
seventh of July.
The shore end was successfully laid and made fast to the cable




246                 GREAT FORTUNES.
on board the " Great Eastern," and on Friday morning, the 13th
of July, 1866, the huge ship set sail for Newfoundland, accompanied by her consorts of the telegraph fleet. The voyage occupied fourteen days, the ship making an average run of about
one hundred and eighteen miles per day, and paying out about
one hundred and thirty-one miles of cable in the same period of
time. The weather was fair during the whole voyage, but the
anxiety of the officers in charge was none the less on that
account. There were accidents to be dreaded more than unfavorable weather. The ship was run at moderate speed all the
way, as it was thought she had once or twice run too fast on the
last voyage, and exposed the cable to danger. " The total slack
of the cable was less than twelve per cent., showing that the
cable was laid almost in a straight line, allowing for the swells
and hollows in the bottom of the sea.
"As the next week drew toward its close, it was evident that
they were approaching the end of their voyage. By Thursday
they had passed the great depths of the Atlantic, and were off
soundings. Besides, their daily observations, there were many
signs well known to mariners that they were near the coast.
There were the sea-birds, and even the smell of the land, such
as once greeted the sharp senses of Columbus, and made him
sure that he was floating to some undiscovered shore. Captain
Anderson had timed his departure so that he should approach
the American coast at the full moon; and so, for the last two
or three nights, as they drew near the Western shore, the
round orb rose behind them, casting its soft light over sea and
sky; and these happy men seemed like heavenly voyagers,
floating gently on to a haven of rest.
"In England the progress of the expedition was known
from day to day, but on this side of the ocean all was uncertainty. Some had gone to Heart's Content, hoping to witness




CYRUS w. FIELD.                  247
the arrival of the fleet, but not so many as the last year, for
the memory of their disappointment was too fresh, and they
feared the same result again.  But still a faithful few were
there, who kept their daily watch.  Two weeks have passed.
It is Friday morning, the 27th of July. They are up early,
and looking eastward to see the day break, when a ship is
seen in the offing. She is far down on the horizon. Spyglasses are turned toward her. She comes nearer; and look,
there is another, and another! And now the hull of the'Great Eastern' looms up all glorious in that morning sky.
They are coming! Instantly all is wild excitement on shore.
Boats put off to row toward the fleet. The' Albany  is the first
to round the point and enter the bay. The' Terrible' is close
behind; the'Miedway' stops an hour or two to join on the heavy
shore end, while the'Great Eastern,' gliding calmly in as if she
had done nothing remarkable, drops her anchor in' front of the
telegraph house, having trailed behind her a chain of two thousand miles, to bind the old world to the new.
" Although the expedition reached Newfoundland on Friday,
the 27th, yet, as the cable across the Gulf of St. Lawrence was
broken, the news was not received in Nlew York till the 29th.
It was early Sunday morning, before the Sabbath bells had rung
their call to prayer, that the tidings came. The first announcement was brief:' Heart's Content, July 27th. We arrived here
at nine o'clock this morning. All well. Thank God, the cable
is laid, and is in perfect working order. Cyrus W. Field.'"
There was no failure in the communication this time. The
electric current has continued to flow strongly and uninterruptedly from that day until the present, and experience has
demonstrated for the wonderful wire a capacity far beyond the
hopes of its projectors.
Having laid the cable, the " Great Eastern" proceeded with




248                 GREAT FORTUNES.
surprising accuracy to where the line had been lost the year
before, and succeeded in grappling and raising it to the surface.
It was tested, and found to be in perfect order, messages being
sent with ease from the ship to Valentia, and from that point
back again.  A splice was then made, and the line was continued to Newfoundland. Both cables are still working, and
bid fair to be serviceable for many years to come.
Many persons had contributed to this great success, but to
Cyrus W. Field must be assigned the chief praise. His energy
and perseverance kept the subject constantly before the public.
His courage inspired others, and his faith in its ultimate success alone kept its best friends from abandoning it in its darkest hours. In its behalf he spent twelve years of constant toil,
and made over fifty voyages, more than thirty of which were
across the Atlantic. He devoted his entire fortune to the undertaking, of which he was the projector, and cheerfully incurred the risk of poverty rather than abandon it. Therefore,
it is but just that he, who was the chief instrument in obtaining for the world this great benefit, should receive the chief
measure of the praise which it has brought to all connected
with it.








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I NVE VNT O-R S.
CHAPTTER XIII.
ROBERT FULTON.
NTE of the pleasantest as well as one of the most
prominent places in the city of New York is the
D; ~  i   grave-yard of old Trinity Church. A liandsome
iron railing separates it from Broadway, and the
thick rows of grave-stones, all crumbling and
stained with age, present a strange contrast to the bustle, vitality, and splendor with which they are surrounded. They stare
solemnly down into Wall Street, and offer a bitter commentary
upon the struggles and anxiety of the money kings of the great
city. Work, toil, plan, combine as you may, they seem to say,
and yet it must all come to this.
Not far from the south door of the church, and shaded by a
venerable tree, is a plain brown stone slab, bearing this inscription: "The vault of Walter and Robert C. Livingston, sons
of Robert Livingston, of the manor of Livingston." A stranger
would pass it by without a second glance; yet it is one of the
Meccas of the world of science, for the mortal part of Robert
Fulton sleeps in the vault below, without monument or legendary stone to his memory, but in sight of the mighty steam
249




250                 GREAT FORTUNES.
fleets which his genius called forth. Very few visitors ever see
this part of the churchyard, and the grave of Fulton is unknown
to nine out of ten of his countrymen. Yet this man, sleeping
so obscurely in his grave without a namle, did far more for the
world than either Napoleon or Wellington. He revolutionized
commerce and manufactures, changed the entire system of navigation, triumphed over the winds and the waves, and compelled
the adoption of a new system of modern warfare. Now he lies
in a grave not his own, with no monument or statue erected to
his memory inoall this broad land.
ROBErnT FULTON was born in the township of Little Britain
(now called Fulton), in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,. in
1765. He was of Irish descent, and his father was a farmer in
moderate circumstances. He was the eldest son and third child
of a family of five children. The -farm  upon which he was
born was conveyed by his father in 1766 to Joseph Swift, in
whose family it still remains. It contains three hundred and
sixty-four acres, and is one of the handsomest farms in Lancaster County.
After disposing of his farm, Mr. Fulton, senior, removed to
the town of Lancaster, where he died in 1768, and there young
Robert grew up under the care of his mother.  He learned to
read and write quickly, but did not manifest much fondness for
his books after mastering his elementary studies. He early exhibited an unusual talent for drawing, however, greatly preferring the employment of his pencil to the more serious duties of
the school. His instructors and companions considered him a
dull boy, though all admitted that he showed no disposition to
be idle. All his leisure time was spent either in drawing, or in
visiting the shops of the mechanics in the place and eagerly
watching their operations. He displayed a remarkable talent
for mechanism, which was greatly assisted by his skill in draw



ROBERT FULTON.:251
ing, and his visits to the machine shops were always welcomed,by both the apprentices and their employers, who recognized
the unusual genius of the boy, and predicted great things for
him in the future. But to his teacher, who seems to have been
rather more belligerent than is usual with Quakers, Robert's
neglect of his studies and visits to the machine shops were so
many indications of growing worthlessness. The indignant
pedagogue once took occasion to remonstrate with him upon his
course, and, failing to convince him by argument, rapped him
sharply over the knuckles with a ruler, telling him he would
mnake him  do something. Robert at once placed his arms
akiimbo, and, looking his tutor sternly in the face, replied:
" Sir, I came here to have something beat into my brains, not
into my knuckles."
Some time after this Mrs. Fulton, in conversation with the
teacher, expressed her solicitude lest her son should "turn out
-nothing," since he neglected his books so entirely. The teacher
frankly confessed that he had done all in his power for the boy,
but that he was discouraged, and added: "Only yesterday,
madam, Robert pertinaciously declared to me that his head was
so full of original notions that there was no vacant chamber to
store away the contents of any dusty books." The lad was only
ten years of age at the time, and, as may be supposed, the good
Quaker who directed his education was not a little dismayed by
such a remark.
The boyhood of Fulton was passed during the stormy period
of the Revolution, and in a section so close to the theater of
war that he was in the midst of all the excitement engendered
by the conflict. He was an ardent patriot from the first, and
used his pencil freely to caricature all who showed the slightest
leaning to the cause of the enemy.
In 1778 the supply of candles was so low in Lancaster that




252                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the town authorities advised the people to refrain from illuminating their houses on the 4th of July of that year, in order
to save their candles. Robert, at this time but thirteen years
old, was determined not to forego a patriotic display of some
sort. He had prepared a quantity of candles for the occasion,
and after the proclamation of the Town Council was issued,
he took them to a Mr. John Fisher, who kept a store in the
place, and sold powder and shot. Mr. Fisher was somewhat
astonished at Robert's desire to part with the candles, which
were at that time scarce articles, and asked his reason for so
doing. The boy replied: "Our rulers have requested the citizens to refrain from illuminating their windows and streets;
as good citizens we should comply with their request, and I
prefer illuminating the heavens with sky-rockets." Having
procured the powder, he left Mr. Fisher's, and entered a small
variety store kept by a Mr. Cossart, where he purchased several
sheets of large-sized pasteboard. As Mr. Cossart was about to
roll them, the boy stopped him, saying he wished to carry them
open. Mr. Cossart, knowing Robert's mechanical genius, asked
him what he was about to invent.
" Why," said the boy, " we are prohibited from illuminating
our windows with candles, and I'm going to shoot my candles
through the air."
"Tut, tut, tut," said Mr. Cossart, laughingly; "that's an
impossibility."
"No, sir," said Robert, "there is nothing impossible.'"*
"Robert was known," says one of his biographers, " to purchase small quantities of quicksilver from Dr. Adam Simon
Kuhn, druggist, residing opposite the market-house. He was
trying some experiments that he did not wish to make public,
* He proved that this was not impossible, for he had his display, making his
rockets himself, and after his own model.




ROBERT FULTON.                  253
and which the workmen in Mr. Fenno's and Mr. Christian
Isch's shops were anxious to find out, but could not. He was
in the habit almost daily of visiting those shops, and was a
favorite among the workmen, who took advantage of his talent
for drawing by getting him to make ornamental designs for
guns, and sketches of the size and shape of guns, and then
giving the calculations of the force, size of the bore and balls,
and the distances they would fire; and he would accompany
them to the open commons near by potter's field, to prove his
calculations by shooting at a mark. On account of his expertness in his calculations, and of their ineffectual efforts to discover the use he was making of quicksilver, the shop-hands
nicknamed him'quicksilver Bob.'
"Mr. Messersmith and Mr. Christian Isch were employed
by the Government to make and repair the arms for the troops;
and on several occasions guards were stationed at their- shops
to watch and see that the workmen were constantly employed
during whole nights and on Sunday, to prevent amny delay.
The workmen had so much reliance and confidence in'quicksilver Bob's' judgment and mechanical skill, that every suggestion he would make as to the alteration of a gun, or any
additional ornament that he would design, was invariably
adopted by common consent.
"In the summer of 1779, Robert Fulton evinced an extraordinary fondness for inventions. He was a frequent visitor
at Mr. Messersmith's and Mr. Fenno's gunsmith shops, almost
daily, and endeavored to manufacture a small air-gun."
Among the acquaintances of Robert Fulton at this time was
a young man, about eighteen years of age, named Christopher
Gumpf, who used frequently to accompany his father in his
fishing excursions on the Conestoga. Mr. Gumpf, Sen., being
an experienced angler, readily consented to allow Robert to




254                 GREAT FORTUNES.
join himself and his son in these expeditions, and made the
two boys earn their pleasure by pushing the boat about the
stream, as he desired to move from point to point. As the
means of propulsion was simply a pole, the labor was very
severe, and Robert soon became tired of it. 1Not wishing, however, to give up his pleasant fishing trips, he determined to devise some means of lightening the labor.
"He absented himself a week, having gone to Little Britain
township to spend a few days at his aunt's; and while there
he planned and completed a small working model of a fishing
boat, with paddle-wheels. On leaving his aunt's, he placed the
model in the garret, with a request that it should not be destroyed. Many years afterward, that simple model was the
attraction of friends, and became, instead of lumber in the
garret, an ornament in the aunt's parlor, who prized it highly.
That model was the result of Robert's fishing excursions with
Christopher Gumpf; and when he returned from his aunt's he
told Christopher that he must make a set of paddles to work
at the sides of the boat, to be operated by a double crank, and
then they could propel the old gentleman's fishing-boat with
greater ease. Two arms or pieces of timber were then fastened
together at right angles, with a paddle at each end, and the
crank was attached to the boat across it near the stern, with a
paddle operating on a pivot as a rudder; and Fulton's first
invention was tried on the Conestoga River, opposite Rockford, in the presence of Peter and Christopher Gumpf. The
boys were so pleased with the experiment, that they hid the
paddles in the bushes on the shore, lest others might use and
break them, and attached them to the boat whenever they
chose; and thus did they enjoy very many fishing excursions."
This was the first experiment in the science of navigation




ROBERT FULTON.                  255
attempted by the man who afterward became the author of a
new system.
HaVing chosen the profession of an artist and portrait
painter, young Fulton removed to Philadelphia at the age of
seventeen, and remained there, pursuing his vocation, until the
completion of his twenty-first year. He formed there the acquaintance of Benjamin Franklin, by whom he was much noticed. His success was rapid, and upon attaining his majority
he was enabled to purchase and stock a farm of eighty-four
acres in Washington County, Pennsylvania, which he gave to
his mother for a home as long as she should live. Having
thus insured her comfort, he went to England for the purpose
of completing his studies in his profession. IHe took with him
letters to Benjamin West, then at the height of his fame, and
living in London. He was cordially received by Mr. West,
who was also a native of Pennsylvania, and remained an inmate of his family for several years. West was then the President of the Royal Academy of Great Britain, and was thus
enabled to extend to Fulton, to whom he became deeply attached, many advantages, both social and professional, of which
the young artist was prompt to avail himself.
Upon leaving the family of Mr. West, Fulton commenced
a tour for the purpose of examining the treasures of art contained in the residences of the English nobility, and remained
for two years in Devonshire. There he became acqainted with
the Duke of Bridgewater, to whom England is indebted for
the introduction of the canal system within her limits; and it
is said that he was induced by this nobleman to abandon the
profession of an artist, and enter upon that of a civil engineer.
This nobleman being devoted to mechanical investigations,
proved a very congenial acquaintance to Fulton. He was engaged at the time on a scheme of steam navigation by a pro



256                GREAT FORTUNES.
peller, modeled after the foot of a water fowl. His plan did
not commend itself to Fulton's judgment, and he addressed
him a letter, setting forth its defects, and advancing some of
the views upon which he acted himself in after life. Here he
also met with Watt, who had just produced the steam-engine,
which Fulton studied enthusiastically.  His own inventive
genius was not idle, and while living in Devonshire, he produced an improved mill for sawing marble, which won him the
thanks and medal of the British Society for the Promotion of
the Arts and Commerce; a machine for spinning flax and making ropes; and an excavator for scooping out the channels of
canals and aqueducts, all of which were patented. He published a number of communications on the subject of canals
in one of the leading London journals, and a treatise upon the
same subject. Having obtained a patent in England for canal
improvements, he went to France in 1797, with the design of
introducing them in that country.
Upon reaching Paris, he took up his residence with Mr. Joel
Barlow, and thus was laid the foundation of a friendship between these two gentlemen which lasted during their lives.
He remained in Paris seven years, residing during that time
with Mr. Barlow, and devoting himself to the study of modern
languages, and engineering and its kindred sciences.
His work was continuous and severe in Paris. He invented
and painted the first panorama ever exhibited in that city,
which he sold for the purpose of raising money for his experiments in steam navigation; he also designed a series of splendid
colored illustrations for The Columbiad, the famous poem of his
friend Mr. Barlow.  Besides these, he invented a number of
improvements in canals, aqueducts, inclined planes, boats, and
guns, which yielded him considerable credit, but very little profit.
In 1801, he invented a submarine boat which he called the




ROBERT FULTON.                   257':Nautilus,"  which is thus.described by M. de St. Aubin, a
member of the Tribunate:
"The diving-boat, in the construction of which he is now
employed, will be capacious enough to contain eight men and
provision for twenty days, and will be of sufficient strength
and power to enable him to plunge one hundred feet under
water, if necessary. He has contrived a reservoir of* air,
which will enable eight men to remain under water eight
hours. When the boat is above water, it has two sails, and
looks just like a common boat; when it is to dive, the mast
and sails are struck.
"In making his experiments, Mr. Fulton not only remained
a whole hour under water, with three of his companions, but
had the boat parallel to the horizon at any given distance. He
proved that the compass points as correctly under water as on
the surface, and that while under water the boat made way
at the rate of half a league an hour, by means contrived for
that purpose.
" It is not twenty years since all Europe was astonished at the
first ascension of men in balloons: perhaps in a few years they'
will not be less surprised to see a flotilla of diving-boats, whieh,.
on a given signal, shall, to avoid the pursuit of an. einemy,.
plunge under water, and rise again several leagues, fomn tI heplace where they descended!
"But if we have not succeeded in steering the balloon,. an'd
even were it impossible to attain that object, the case, is different:
with the, diving-boat, which can be conducted under water in,
the same manner as upon the surface. It has the advantage
of sailing like the common boat, and also of diving when it ispursued. With these qualities, it is fit for carrying secret
orders, to succor a blockaded fort, and to examine the force
and position of an enenly in their harbors."
17




258                GREAT FORTUNES.
In connection with this boat, Fulton invented a torpedo, or
infernal machine, for the purpose of destroying vessels of war
by approaching them under water and breaking up their hulls
by the explosion. He offered his invention several times to
the French Government, and once to the Ambassador of Holland at Paris, without being able to induce them to consider
it. Somewhat later, he visited London, at the request of the
British Ministry, and explained his invention to them. Although he succeeded in blowing up a vessel of two hundred
tons with one hundred and seventy pounds of powder, and in
extorting from Mr. Pitt the acknowledgment that, if introduced
into practice, the torpedo would annihilate all navies, his invention was rejected, through the influence of Lord Melville, who
feared that its adoption might injure England more than it
would benefit her. At the first, when it was thought that
England would purchase Fulton's invention, it was intimated
to him that he would be required to pledge himself not to
dispose of it to any other power. He replied promptly:
"Whatever may be your award, I never will consent to let
these inventions lie dormant should my country at any time
have need of them. Were you to grant me an annuity of
twenty thousand pounds, I would sacrifice all to the safety
and independence of my country."
In 1806, Mr. Fulton returned to New York, and in the
same year he married Miss Harriet Livingston, a niece of
Chancellor Livingston, by whom he had four children. He
offered his torpedo to the General Government, but the trial
to which it was subjected by the Navy Department was unsuccessful for him, and the Government declined to purchase the
invention..
But it was not as the inventor of engines of destruction that
Robert Fulton was to achieve fame. A still nobler triumph




ROBERT FULTON.                  259
was reserved for him —one which was to bring joy instead of
sorrow to the world. From the time that Fulton had designed
the paddle-wheels for his fishing-boat, he had never ceased to
give his attention to the subject of propelling vessels by machinery, and after his acquaintance with Watt, he was more than
ever convinced that the steam-engine could, under proper circumstances, be made to furnish the motive power.
Several eminent and ingenious men, previous to this, had
proposed to propel vessels by steam power, among whom were
Dr. Papin, of France, Savery, the Marquis of Worcester, and
Dr. Jolin Allen, of London, in 1726. In 1786, Oliver Evans,
of Philadelphia, and about the same time Dr. Franklin, proposed to accomplish this result by forcing a quantity of water,
by means of steam power, through an opening made for that
purpose in the stern of the hull of the boat.
In 1737, Jonathan Hulls issued a pamphlet proposing to
construct a boat to be moved by steam power, for the purpose
of towing vessels out of harbors against tide and winds. In his
plan the paddle-wheel was used, and was secured to a frame
placed far out over the stern of the boat. It was given this
position by the inventor because water fowls propelled themselves by pushing their feet behind them.
In 1787, Mr. James Rumsey, of Shepherdstown, Virginia,
constructed and navigated the first steamboat in actual use.
His boat was eighty feet in length, and was propelled by means
of a vertical pump in the middle of the vessel, by which the
water was drawn in at the bow and expelled at the stern
through a horizontal trough in her hull. The engine weighed
about one third of a ton, and the boat had a capacity of about
three tons burthen.- When thus laden, a speed of about four
miles an hour could be attained. The boiler held only five
gallons of water, and needed but a pint at a time. Rumsey




260                 GREAT FORTUNES.
went to England to exhibit his plan on the Thames, and died
there in 1793.
About the same time the Marquis de Joffrey launched a
steamer one hundred feet long on the Loire, at Lyons, using
paddles revolving on an endless chain, but only to find his
experiment a failure.
In December, 1786, John Fitch published the following
account of a steamer with which he had made several experiments on the Delaware, at Philadelphia, and which came nearer
to success than any thing that had at that time been invented:
"The cylinder is to be horizontal, and the steam to work
with equal force at each end. The mode by which we obtain
what I term a vacuum is, it is believed, 4entirely new, as is also
the method of letting the water into it, and throwing it off
against the atmosphere without any friction. It is expected
that the cylinder, which is of twelve inches diameter, will move
a clear force of eleven or twelve cwt. after the frictions are deducted: this force is to be directed against a wheel of eighteen
inches diameter. The piston moves about three feet, and each
vibration of it gives the axis about forty revolutions. Each
revolution of the axis moves twelve oars or paddles five and a
half feet: they work perpendicularly, and are represented by
the strokes of a paddle of a canoe. As six of the paddles are
raised from the water, six more are entered, and the two sets of
paddles make their strokes of about eleven feet in each revolution. The crank of the axis acts upon the paddles about onethird of their length from their lower ends, on which part of
the oar the whole force of the axis is applied. The engine is
placed in the bottom of the boat, about one-third from the stern,
and both the action and reaction turn the wheel the same
way."
Fitch was unfortunate in his affairs, and became so disheart



ROBERT FULTON.                   261
ened that he ceased to attempt to improve his invention, and
finally committed suicide by drowning himself in the Alleghany
River at Pittsburgh.
In 1787, Mr. Patrick Miller, of Dalwinston, Scotland, designed a double vessel, propelled by a wheel placed in the stern
between the two keels. This boat is said to have been very
successful, but it was very small, the cylinder being only four
inches in diameter. In 1789, Mr. Miller produced a larger
vessel on the same plan, which made seven miles per hour in
the still water of the Forth and Clyde Canal, but it proved too
weak for its machinery, which had to betaken out.
It was in the face of these failures that Fulton applied him.,
self to the task of designing a successful steamboat. During
his residence in Paris he had made the acquaintance of Mr.
Robert R. Livingston, then the American minister in France,
who had previously been connected with some unsuccessful
steamboat experiments at home. Mr. Livingston was delighted
to find a man of Fulton's mechanical genius so well satisfied
of the practicability of steam navigation, and joined heartily
with him in his efforts to prove his theories by experiments.
Several small working models made by Fulton convinced Mr.
Livingston that the former had discovered and had overcome
the cause of the failure of the experiments of other inventors,
and it was finally agreed between them to build a large boat
for trial on the Seine.  This experimental steamer was furnished with paddle wheels, and was completed and launched
early in the spring of 1803. On the very morning appointed
for the trial, Fulton was aroused from his sleep by a messenger
from the boat, who rushed into his chamber, pale and breathless, exclaiming, "Oh, sir, the boat has broken in pieces and
gone to the bottom!"  Hastily dressing and hurrying to the
spot, he found that the weight of the machinery had broken




262                GREAT FORTUNES.
the boat in half and carried the whole structure to the bottom
of the river. He at once set to work to raise the machinery,
devoting twenty-four hours, withont resting or eating, to the
undertaking, and succeeded in doing so, but inflicted upon his
constitution a strain from which he never entirely recovered.
The machinery was very slightly damaged, but it was necessary
to rebuild the boat entirely. This was accomplished by July of
the same year, and the boat was tried in August with triumphant success, in the presence of the French National Institute
and a vast crowd of the citizens of Paris.
This steamer was very defective, but still so great an improvement upon all that had preceded it, that Messrs. Fulton
and Livingston determined to build one on a larger scale in
the waters of New York, the right of navigating which by
steam  vessels had been secured by the latter as far back as
1798. The law which granted this right had been continued
from time to time through Mr. Livingston's influence, and was
finally amended so as to include Fulton within its provisions.
Having resolved to return home, Fulton set out as soon as possible, stopping in England on his return, to order an engine
for his boat from Watt and Boulton. He gave an exact description of the engine, which was built in strict accordance
with his plan, but declined to state the use to which he intended putting it.
Very soon after his arrival in New York, he commenced
building his first American boat, and finding that her cost
would greatly exceed his estimate, he offered for sale a third interest in the monopoly of the navigation of the waters of New
York, held by Livingston and himself, in order to raise money
to build the boat, and thus lighten the burdens of himself and
his partner, but he could find no one willing to risk money in
such a scheme. Indeed, steam navigation was universally re



ROBERT FULTON.                      263
garded in America as a mere chimera, and Fulton and Livingston were ridiculed for their faith in it. The bill granting
the monopoly held by Livingston was regarded as so utterly
absurd by the Legislature of New York, that that wise body
could with difficulty be induced to consider it seriously. Even
among scientific men the project was considered impracticable.
A society in Rotterdam had, several years before Fulton's
return home, applied to the American Philosophical Society
to be informed whether any and what improvements had
been made in the construction of steam-engines in America.
A reply to this inquiry was prepared, at the request of the
Society, by Mr. Benjamin H. Latrobe, a distinguished engineer.  The following extracts from  this paper will show the
reader how Fulton's scheme was regarded by one who was confessedly one of the most brilliant engineers of his day, and who
has since accomplished so much for the improvement of steam
travel:
During the general lassitude of mechanical exertion which succeeded
the American Revolution, the utility of steam-engines appears to have
been forgotten; but the subject afterward started into very general
notice in a form in which it could not possibly be attended with success.
A sort of mania began to prevail, which, indeed, has not yet entirely
subsided, for impelling boats by steam-engines. Dr. Franklin proposed
to force forward the boat by the immediate application of the steam
upon the water. Many attempts to simplify the working of the engine,
and more to employ a means of dispensing with the beam in converting
the libratory into a rotatory motion, were made. For a short time, a
passage-boat, rowed by a steam-engine, was established between Bordentown and Philadelphia, but it was soon laid aside. The best and most
powerful steam-engine which has been employed for this purpose-excepting, perhaps, one constructed by Dr. Kinsey, with the performance
of which I am not sufficiently acquainted-belonged to a gentleman
of New York. It was made to act, by way of experiment, upon oars,
upon paddles, and upon flutter-wheels. Nothing in the success of any




264                   GREAT FORTUNES.
of these experiments appeared to be sufficient compensation for the
expense and the extreme inconvenience of the steam-engine in the
vessel.
There are, indeed, general objections to the use of the steam-engine
for impelling boats, from which no particular mode of application can
be free. These are:
First. The weight of the engine and of the fuel.
Second. The large space it occupies.
Third. The tendency of its action to rack the vessel, and render it
leaky.
Fourth. The expense of maintenance.
Fifth. The irregularity of its motion, and the motion of the water in
the boiler and cistern, and of the fuel-vessel in rough water.
Sixth. The difficulty arising from the liability of the paddles and
oars to break, if light, and from the weight, if made strong.
Nor have I ever heard of an instance, verified by other testimony
than that of the inventor, of a speedy and agreeable voyage having
been performed in a steamboat of any construction.
I am well aware that there are still many very respectable and ingenious men who consider the application of the steam-engine to the
purpose of navigation as highly important, and as very practicable,
especially on the rapid waters of the Mississippi, and who would feel
themselves almost offended at the expression of an opposite opinion.
And, perhaps, some of the objections against it may be avoided. That
founded on the expense and weight of the fuel may not, for some years,
exist on the Mississippi, where there is a redundance of wood on the
banks; but the cutting and loading will be almost as great an evil.
Scientific men and amateurs all agreed in pronouncing Fulton's scheme impracticable; but he went on with his work, his
boat attracting no less attention and exciting no less ridicule
than the ark had received from the scoffers in the days of
Noah.  The steam-engine ordered from Boulton and Watt was
received in the latter part of 1806; and in the following spring
the boat was launched from  the ship-yard of Charles Brown,
on the East River.  Fulton named her the "Clermont," after




ROBERT FULTON.                    265
the country-seat of his friend and partner, Chancellor Livingston. She was one hundred and sixty tons burthen, one hundred and thirty feet long, eighteen feet wide, and seven feet
deep. Her engine was made with a single cylinder, two feet
in diameter, and of four feet stroke; and her boiler was twenty
feet long, seven feet deep, and eight feet broad. The diameter
of the paddle-wheels was fifteen feet, the boards four feet long,
and dipping two feet in the water. The boat was completed
about the last of August, and she was moved by her machinery
from the East River into the Hudson, and over to the Jersey
shore. This trial, brief as it was, satisfied Fulton of its success, and he announced that in a few days the steamer would
sail from  New York for Albany. A  few friends, including
several scientific men and mechanics, were invited to take passage in the boat, to witness her performance; and they accepted
the invitation with a general conviction that they were to do
but little more than witness another failure.
Monday, September 10, 1807, came at length, and a vast
crowd assembled along the shore of the North River to witness
the starting. As the hour for sailing drew near, the crowd
increased, and jokes were passed on all sides at the expense
of the inventor, who paid little attention to them, however,
but busied himself in making a final and close inspection of
the machinery. Says Fulton, "The morning I left New York,
there were not, perhaps, thirty persons in the city who believed
that the boat would ever move one mile per hour, or be of the
least utility; and while we were putting off from the wharf,
which was crowded with spectators, I heard a number of sarcastic remarks."
One o'clock, the hour for sailing, came, and expectation was
at its highest. The friends of the inventor were in a state of
feverish anxiety lest the enterprise should come to grief, and




266                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the scoffers on the wharf were all ready to give vent to
their shouts of derision. Precisely as the hour struck, the
moorings were thrown off, and the "Clermont" moved slowly
out into the stream. Volumes of smoke and sparks from her
furnaces, which were fed with pine wood, rushed forth from
her chimney, and her wheels, which were uncovered, scattered
the spray far behind her. The spectacle she presented as she
moved out gradually from her dock was certainly novel to
the people of those days, and the crowd on the wharf broke
into shouts of ridicule. Soon, however, the jeers grew silent,
for it was seen that the steamer was by degrees increasing her
speed. Iln a little while she was fairly under weigh, and making a steady progress up the stream at the rate of five miles per
hour. The incredulity of the spectators had been succeeded by
astonishment, and now this feeling gave way to undisguised
delight, and cheer after cheer went up from the vast throng.
Many people followed the boat for some distance up the river
shore. In a little while, however, the boat was observed to
stop, and the enthusiasm of the people on the shore at once
subsided. The scoffers were again in their glory, and unhesitatingly pronounced the boat a failure. Their chagrin may be
imagined when, after a short delay, the steamer once more proceeded on her way, and this time even more rapidly than
before. Fulton had discovered that the paddles were too
long, and took too deep a hold on the water, and had stopped
the boat for the purpose of shortening them.
Having remedied this defect, the "Clermont" continued her
voyage during the rest of the day and all night, without stopping, and at one o'clock the next day ran alongside the landing at Clermont, the seat of Chancellor Livingston. She lay
there until nine the next morning, when she continued her
voyage toward Albany, reaching that city at five in the after



]ROBERT FULTON.                  267
noon, having made the entire distance between New York and
Albany (one hundred and fifty miles) in thirty-two hours of
actual running time, an average speed of nearly five miles per
hour. - On her return trip, she reached New York in thirty
hours running time —exactly five miles per hour.  Fulton
states that during both trips he encountered a head wind.
The river was at this time navigated entirely with sailing
vessels, and large numbers of these were encountered by the
"Clermont" during her up and down trips. The surprise
and dismay excited among the crews of these vessels by the
zappearance of the steamer was extreme. These simple people,
the majority of whom had heard nothing of Fulton's experiments, beheld what they supposed to be a huge monster, vomiting fire and smoke from its throat, lashing the water with
its fins, and shaking the river with its roar, approaching rapidly in the very face of both wind and tide. Some threw
themselves flat on the deck of their vessels, where they remained in an agony of terror until the monster had passed,
while others took to their boats and made for the shore in
dismay, leaving their vessels to drift helplessly down the
stream. Nor was this terror confined to the sailors. The
people dwelling along the shore crowded the banks to gaze
upon the' steamer as she passed by.  A former resident of
the neighborhood of Poughkeepsie thus describes the scene at
that place, which will serve as a specimen of the conduct of
the people along the entire river below Albany:'"It was in the early autumn of the year 1807 that a knot
of villagers was gathered on a high bluff just opposite Poughkeepsie, on the west bank of the Hudson, attracted by the
appearance of a strange, dark-looking craft, which was slowly
making its way up the river. Some imagined it to be a seamonster, while others did not hesitate to express their belief




268                 GREAT FORTUNES.
that it was a sign of the approaching judgment. WVhat seemed
strange in the vessel was the substitution of lofty and straight
black smoke-pipes, rising from the deck, instead of the gracefully tapered masts that commonly stood on the vessels navigating the stream, and, in place of the spars and rigging, the
curious play of the working-beam and pistons, and the slow
turning and splashing of the huge and naked paddle-wheels,
met the astonished gaze. The dense clouds of smoke, as they
rose wave upon wave, added still more to the wonderment of
the rustics.
"This strange-looking craft was the'Clermont,' on her trial
trip to Albany; and of the little knot of villagers mentioned
above, the writer, then a boy in his eighth year, with his parents, formed a part. I well remember the scene, one so well
fitted to impress a lasting picture upon the mind of a child
accustomed to watch the vessels that passed up and down the
river.
"The forms of four persons were distinctly visible on the
deck as she passed the bluff-one of whom, doubtless, was
Robert Fulton, who had on board with him all the cherished
hopes of years, the most precious cargo the wonderful boat
could carry.
"On her return trip, the curiosity she excited was scarcely
less intense. The whole country talked of nothing but the sea-,
monster, belching forth fire and smoke. The fishermen became
terrified, and rowed homewards, and they saw nothing but destruction devastating their fishing-grounds; while the wreaths
of black vapor, and rushing noise of the paddle-wheels, foaming with the stirred-up waters, produced great excitement
among the boatmen, which continued without abatement, until
the character of that curious boat, and the nature of the enterprise which she was pioneering, had been understood."




ROBERT FULTON.                   269
The alarm of the sailors and dwellers on the river shore disappeared as the character of the steamer became better known;
but when it was found that the " Clermont" was to run regularly
between New York and Albany, as a packet-boat, she became
the object of the most intense hatred on the part of the boatmen on the river, who feared that she would entirely destroy
their business. In many quarters Fulton and his invention
were denounced as baneful to society, and frequent attempts
were made by captains of sailing vessels to sink the " Clermont"
by running into her. She was several times damaged in this
way, and the hostility of the boatmen became so great that it
was necessary for the Legislature of New York to pass a law
declaring combinations to destroy her, or willful attempts to injure her, public offenses punishable by fine and imprisonment.
It had been supposed that Fulton's object was to produce a
steamer capable of navigating the Mississippi River, and much
surprise was occasioned by the announcement that the "Clermont" was to be permanently employed upon the Hudson.
She continued to ply regularly between New York and Albany
until the close of navigation for that season, always carrying a
full complement of passengers, and more or less freight. During the winter she was overhauled and enlarged, and her speed
improved. In the spring of 1808 she resumed her regular
trips, and since then steam navigation on the Hudson has not
ceased for a single day, except during the closing of the river
by ice.
In 1811 and 1812, Fulton built two steam ferry-boats for
the North River, and soon after added a third for the East
River. These boats were the beginning of the magnificent
steam ferry system which is to-day one of the chief wonders of
New York. They were what are called twin-boats, each of
them consisting of two complete hulls, united by a deck or




270                GREAT FORTUNES.
bridge. They were sharp at both ends, and moved equally
well with either end foremost, so that they could cross and recross without being turned around. These boats were given
engines of sufficient power to enable them to overcome the force
of strong ebb tides; and in order to facilitate their landing, Fulton contrived a species of floating dock, and a means of decreasing the shock caused by the striking of the boat against the
dock. These boats could accommodate eight four-wheel carriages, twenty-nine horses, and four hundred passengers. Their
average time across the North River, a mile and a half wide,
was twenty minutes.
The introduction of the steamboat gave a powerful impetus
to the internal commerce of the Union. It opened to navigation
many important rivers (whose swift currents had closed them to
sailing craft), and made rapid and easy communication between
the most distant parts of the country practicable. The public
soon began to appreciate this, and orders came in rapidly for
steamboats for various parts of the country. Fulton executed
these as fast as possible, and among the number several for
boats for the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
Early in 1814, the city of New York was seriously menaced
with an attack from the British fleet, and Fulton was called on by
a committee of citizens to furnish a plan for a means of defending the harbor. He exhibited to the committee his plans for a
vessel of war to be propelled by steam, capable of carrying a
strong battery, with furnaces for red-hot shot, and which, he
represented, would move at the rate of four miles an hour.
These plans were also submitted to a number of naval officials,
among whom were Commodore Decatur, Captain Jones, Captain
Evans, Captain Biddle, Commodore Perry, Captain Warrington, and Captain Lewis, all of whom warmly united in urging
the Government to undertake the construction of the proposed




ROBERT FULTON.                   271
steamer. The citizens of New York offered, if the Government
would employ and pay for her after she was built, to advance
the sum ($320,000) necessary for her construction. The subject
was vigorously pressed, and in March, 1814, Congress authorized the building of one or more floating batteries after the plan
presented by Fulton. Her keel was laid on the 20th of June,
1814, and on the 31st of October, of the same year, she was
launched, amid great rejoicings, from the ship-yard of Adam and
Noah Brown. In May, 1815, her engines were put on board,
and on the 4th of July of that year she made a trial trip to
Sandy Hook and back, accomplishing the round trip-a distance of fifty-three miles-in eight hours and twenty minutes,
under steam alone. Before this, however, peace had been proclaimed, and Fulton had gone to rest from his labors.
The ship was a complete success, and was the first steam vessel
of war ever built. She was called the " Fulton the First," and
was for many years used as the receiving ship at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard. She was an awkward and unwieldy mass, but was
regarded as the most formidable vessel afloat; and as the pioneer
of the splendid war steamers of to-day is still an object of great
interest. The English regarded her with especial uneasiness,
and put in circulation the most marvelous stories concerning
her. One of these I take from a treatise on steam navigation
published in Scotland at this period, the author of which assures
his readers that he has taken the utmost pains to obtain fill
and accurate information respecting the American war steamer.
His description is as follows:
"Length on deck three hundred feet, breadth two hundred
feet, thickness of her sides, thirteen feet, of alternate oak plank
and corkwood; carries forty-four guns, four of which are 100pounders, quarter-deck and forcastle guns, 44-pounders; and
further, to annoy an enemy attempting to board, can discharge




272                GREAT FORTUNES.
one hundred gallons of boiling water in a minute, and by.
mechanism brandishes three hundred cutlasses, with the utmost
regularity, over her gunwales; works also an equal number of
heavy iron pikes of great length, darting them from her sides
with prodigious force, and withdrawing them every quarter of
a minute!"
Fulton followed up the "Clermont," in 1807, with a larger
boat, called the "Car of Neptune," which was placed on the
Albany route as soon as completed. The Legislature of New
York had enacted a law, immediately upon his first success,
giving to Livingston and himself the exclusive right to navigate the waters of the State by steam, for five years for every
additional boat they should build in the State, provided the
whole term should not exceed thirty years. "In the following
year the Legislature passed another act, confirmatory of the
prior grants, and giving new remedies to the grantees for any
invasion of them, and subjecting to forfeiture any vessel propelled by steam which should enter the waters of the State
without their license.  In 1809 Fulton obtained his first
patent from  the United States; and in 1811 he took outa second patent for some improvement in his boats and machinery.  His patents were limited to the simple means of
adapting paddle wheels to the axle of the crank of Watt's
engine.
" Meanwhile the power of the Legislature to grant the steamboat monopoly was denied, and a company was formed at
Albany to establish another line of steam passage boats on the
Hudson, between that city and New York. The State grantees
filed a bill in equity, and prayed for an injunction, which was
refused by Chancellor Lansing, on the ground that the act of
the State Legislature was repugnant to the Constitution of the
United States, and against common right. This decree was




ROBERT FULTON.                  273
unanimously reversed by the Court of Errors, and a compromise
was effected with the Albany company by an assignment to
them of the right to employ steam on the waters of Lake
Champlain.
"Legislative aid was again invoked, and an act was passed
directing peremptorily the allowance of an injunction on the
prayer of the State grantees, and the seizure of any hostile
boat at the commencement of the suit. Litigation was thus
effectually arrested in New York, though by an arbitrary
and unconstitutional enactment, and the waters of the State
remained in the exclusive possession of Fulton and his partner
during the lifetime of the former. A similar controversy with
Colonel Aaron Ogden, of New Jersey, was compromised by
advantageous concessions, which converted the opponent of
the monopoly into its firmest friend, and left him  many
years afterward the defeated party in the famous suit of
Gibbons and Ogden, in the Supreme Court of the United
States."
In January, 1815, Fulton was summoned to Trenton, New
Jersey, as a witness in one of the numerous suits which grew
out of the efforts to break down his monopoly. During his examination he was very much exposed, as the hall of the Legislature was uncommonly cold. In returning home, he crossed
the Hudson in an open boat, and was detained on the river
several hours. This severe exposure brought on an attack of
sickness, which for a short time confined him to his bed. The
steam frigate, then almost ready for her engines, occasioned him
great anxiety at the time, and before he had fairly recovered
his strength he went to the ship-yard to give some directions to
the workmen employed on her, and thus exposed himself again
to the inclemency of the weather. In a few days his indisposition prostrated him again, and, growing rapidly worse, he died
18




274                GREAT FORTUNES.
on the 24th of February, 1815, at the age of fifty years. His
death was universally regarded as a national calamity, and
appropriate honors were paid to his memory by the General
Government and by many of the State and municipal governments of the Union.  He was buried from  his residence,
No. 1 State Street, on the 25th of February, and his- body
was placed in the vault of the Livingston family, in Trinity
church-yard.
He left a widow and four children. By the terms of his will
he bequeathed to his wife an income of nine thousand dollars a
year, and five hundred dollars to each of his children until they
were twelve years old, after which they were each to receive
one thousand dollars a year until they should attain the age of
twenty-one years.
In person, Fulton was tall and handsome. His manner was
polished, cordial, and winning. He made friends rapidly, and
never failed in his efforts to enlist capital and influence in support of his schemes. He was manly, fearless, and independent
in character, and joined to a perfect integrity a patience and indomitable resolution which enabled him to bear up under every
disappointment, and which won him in the end a glorious success. His name and fame will always be dear to his countrymen, for while we can not claim that he was (nor did he ever
assume to be) the inventor of steam navigation, or even the
inventor of the means of such navigation, we do claim for him
the. honor of being the first man to cross the gulf which lies
between experiment and achievement, the man whose skill and
perseverance first conquered the difficulties which had baffled so
many others, and made steam navigation both practicable and
profitable. The Committee of the London Exhibition of 1851
gave utterance in their report to a declaration which places his
fame beyond assault, as follows:




ROBERT FULTON.                  275
" Many persons, in various countries, claim the honor of
having first invented small boats propelled by steam, but it
is to the undaunted perseverance and exertions of the American Fulton that is due the everlasting honor of having
produced this revolution, both in naval architecture and navigation."




276-                GREAT FORTUNES.
C HAPTE R XIV.
CHARLE S  GOODY.EAR.
N the year 1735, a party of astronomers, sent by
the French Government to Peru for purposes of
scientific investigation, discovered a curious tree
-   ~1/   growing in that country, the like of which no European had ever seen before. It grew to a considerable size, and yielded a peculiar sap or gum. It was the custom of the natives to make several incisions in each tree with
an ax, in tlhe morning, and to place under each incision a cup
or jar made of soft clay. Late in the afternoon, the fluid thus
obtained was collected in a large clay vessel, each incision yielding about a gill of sap per day. This process was repeated for
several days in succession, until the tree had been thoroughly
drained. This sap was simply a species of liquid gum, which,
though clear and colorless in its native state, had the property
of becoming hard and tough when exposed to the sun or artificial heat. It was used by the natives for the manufacture of a
few rude and simple articles, by a process similar to that by
which the old-fashioned "tallow-dip" candles were made. It
was poured over a pattern of clay or a wooden mold or last
covered with clay, and successive coatings were applied as fast
as the former ones dried, until the article had attained the desired thickness, the whole taking the shape of the mold over




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                 277
which the gum was poured. As the layers were applied, their
Jrying was hastened by exposure to the heat and smoke of a
fire, the latter giving to the gum a dark-black hue. Dried
without exposure to the smoke, or by the sun alone, the gum
became white within and yellowish-brown without. The drying process required several days, and during its progress the
gum was ornamented with characters or lines made with a stick.
When it was completed, the clay mold was broken to pieces
and shaken out of the opening. The natives in this manner
made a species of rough, clumsy shoe, and an equally rough
bottle. In some parts of South America, the natives make it a
rule to present their guests with one of these bottles, furnished
with a hollow stem, which serves as a syringe for squirting
svater into the mouth in order to cleanse it after eating. The
articles thus made were liable to become stiff and unmanageable
In cold weather, and soft and sticky in warm. The French
astronomers, upon their return to their own country, were quick
to call attention to this remarkable gum, which was afterward
discovered in Cayenne by Trismau, in 1751. At present it is
found in large quantities in various parts of South America, but
the chief supplies used in commerce are produced in the province of Para, which lies south of the equator, in Brazil. It is
also grown largely in the East Indies, vast and inexhaustible
forests of the trees which yield it being found in Assam, beyond
the Ganges, although the quality can not compare with that
of the South American article.
This substance, variously known as cachuchu, caoutchouc,
gum elastic, and India-rubber, was first introduced into Europe
in 1730, where it was regarded merely as a curiosity, useful
for erasing pencil marks, but valueless for any practical use.
Ships from South America brought it over as ballast, but it
was not until ninety years after its first appearance in Europe




278                GREAT FORTUNES.
that any effort was made to utilize it. About the year 1820 it
began to be used in France in the manufacture of suspenders
and garters, India-rubber threads being mixed with the materials used in weaving those articles. It was also used in blacking and varnish, and some years later, Mackintosh brought it
into prominent notice by using it in his famous water-proof
coats, which were made by spreading a layer of the gum between two pieces of cloth. The gum was thus protected from
the air, and preserved from injury.
Up to this time, it was almost an unknown article in the
United States, but in 1820 a pair of India-rubber shoes were
exhibited in Boston. Even then they were regarded as merely
a. curiosity, and were covered with gilt foil to hide their natural ugliness. In 1823, a merchant, engaged in the South
American trade, imported five hundred pairs from the Para
district. He had no difficulty in disposing of them; and so
great was the favor with which they were received, that in a
few years the annual importation of India-rubber shoes
amounted to five hundred thousand pairs. It had become a
matter of fashion to wear these shoes, and no person's toilet
was complete in wet weather unless the feet were incased in
them; yet they were terribly rough and clumsy. They had
scarcely any shape to them, and were not to be depended on
in winter or summer. In the cold season they froze so hard
that they could be used only after being thawed by the fire,
and in summer they could be preserved only by keeping them
on ice; and if,- during the thawing process, they were placed
too near the fire, there was danger that they would melt into
a shapeless and useless mass. They cost from three to five
dollars per pair, which was very high for an article so perishable in its nature.
The great popularity of India-rubber induced Mr. E. M.




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  279
Chaffee, of Boston, the foreman of-a patent leather factory in
that city, to attempt to apply the new substance to some of the
uses to which patent leather was then put. His- hope was that,
by spreading the liquid gum upon cloth, he could produce an
article which, while possessing the durability and flexibility
of patent leather, would also be water-proof. His experiments
extended over a period of several months, during which time
he kept his plan a secret. He dissolved a pound of the gum
in three quarts of spirits of turpentine, and added to the mixture enough lamp-black to produce a bright black color, and
was so well satisfied with his compound, that he felt sure that
the only thing necessary to his entire success was a machine
for spreading it properly on the cloth. Like a true son of New
England, he soon overcame this difficulty by inventing the de.
sired machine. His compound was spread on the cloth, and
dried in the sun, producing a hard, smooth surface, and one
sufficiently flexible to be twisted into any shape without cracking. Mr. Chaffee was now sure that he had mastered the difficulty. Taking a few capitalists into his confidence, he Suc-'
ceeded so well in convincing them  of the excellence of his
invention, that in February, 1833, a company, called the
"IRoxbury India-rubber Company," was organized, with a
capital of thirty thousand dollars. In three years this sum
was increased to four hundred thousand dollars. The new
company manufactured India-rubber cloth according to Mr.
Chaffee's process, and from  it made wagon-covers, pianocovers, caps, coats, and a few other articles, and, in a little
while, added to their list of products shoes without fiber.
They had no difficulty in disposing of their stock. Every
body had taken the "India-rubber fever," as the excitement
caused by Mr. Chaffee's discovery was called; and so high
were the hopes of the public raised by it, that buyers were




280                GREAT FORTUNES.
found in abundance whenever the bonds of the numerous:
India-rubber companies were offered for sale. The extraordinary success of the Roxbury Company led to the establishment of similar enterprises at Boston, Framingham, Salem,
Lynn, Chelsea, Troy, and Staten Island. The Roxbury Company could not supply the demand for its articles, and the others
appeared to have as much business as they could attend to.
Apparently, they were all on the high road to wealth.
Their prosperity was only fictitious, however, and a day of
fearful disaster was pending over them.  The bulk of the
goods produced in 1833 and 1834 had been manufactured in
the cold weather, and the greater part of them had succumbed
to the heat of the ensuing summer. The shoes had melted to
a soft mass, and the caps, wagon-covers, and coats had become
sticky and useless in summer, and rigid in the cold of winter.
In some cases the articles had borne the test of one year's use,
but the second summer had ruined them. To make the matter
worse, they emitted an odor so offensive that it was necessary
to bury them in the ground to get rid of the smell. Twenty
thousand dollars' worth were thrown back on the hands of the
Roxbury Company alone, and the directors were appalled by the
ruin which threatened them. It was useless for them to go on
manufacturing goods which might prove worthless at any moment; and, as their capital was already taxed to its utmost, it
was plain that unless a better process should be speedily discovered, they must, become involved in irretrievable disaster.
Their efforts were unavailing, however. No better process was
found, and the disgust of the public with their goods was soon
general and unmitigable. India-rubber stock fell rapidly, and
by the end of the year 1836 there was not a solvent company
in the Union. The loss of the stockholders was complete, and
amounted in the aggregate to two millions of dollars. People




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                 281
came to detest the very name of India-rubber, since it reminded
them only of blighted hopes and heavy losses.
Before the final disaster, however, it chanced that a bankrupt
merchant of Philadelphia, being one day in New York on business, was led by curiosity to visit the salesroom of the agency
of the Roxbury Company in that city. His visit resulted in
the purchase of a life-preserver, which he took home with him
for the purpose of examining it. Subjecting it to a carefill investigation, he discovered a defect in the valve used for inflating it, and promptly devised a simpler and better apparatus.
This man, afterward so famous in the history of India-rub.
ber manufacture, was CHARLES GOODYEAR. He was born at
New Haven, Connecticut, on the 29th of December, 1800. He
attended a public school during his boyhood, thus acquiring a
limited education. When quite a youth, he removed with his
family to Philadelphia, where his father entered into the
hardware business.  Upon coming of age, he was admitted
to partnership with his father and one of his brothers, the
style of the firm being A. Goodyear & Sons. The house was
extensively engaged in the manufacture of hardware, and among
the other articles which they introduced was a light hay-fork,
made of spring steel, which gradually took the place of the
heavy wrought iron implement formerly in general use among
the farmers. It required a large outlay and a great deal of time
to introduce this fork, but, once in use, it rapidly drove the
old one out of the market, and proved a source of considerable
profit to its inventor. The prosperity of the house, however,
soon began to wane, and it was brought to bankruptcy by tile
crisis of 1836.
Mr. Goodyear's attention had for some time been attracted
to the wonderful apparent success of the India-rubber companies
of the country, and he was hopeful that his improvement in the




282                 GREAT FORTUNES.
inflating apparatus of the life-preserver would bring him the
means of partially extricating himself from his difficulties.
Repairing to New York, he called on the agent of the Roxbury
Company, and explaining his invention to him, offered to sell
it to the company. The agent was struck with the skill displayed in the improvement of Mr. Goodyear, but, instead of
offering to buy it, astounded the inventor by informing him
of the real state of the India-rubber trade of the country. He
urged Mr. Goodyear to exert his inventive skill to discover
some means of imparting durability to India-rubber goods, and
assured him that if he could discover a process which would
secure that end, the various companies of the United States
would eagerly buy it at his own price. He explained to him
the process then in use, and pointed out its imperfections. Mr.
Goodyear listened carefully to his statements, forgot all about
his disappointment il failing to sell his improved inflating
apparatus, and went home firmly convinced that he had found
his true mission in life. In after years, when success had
crowned his labors, he modestly referred to this period of his
career in language the substance of which is thus recorded:
"From the time that his attention was first given to the
subject, a strong and abiding impression was made upon his
mind that an object so desirable and important, and so necessary to man's comfort, as the making of gum elastic available
to his use was most certainly placed within his reach. Having this presentiment, of which he could not divest himself
under the most trying adversity, he was stimulated with the
hope of ultimately attaining this object.  Beyond this, he
would refer the whole to the great Creator, who directs the
operations of the mind to the development of properties of
matter, in his own way, at the time when they are specially
needed, influencing some mind for every work or calling."




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                 283
There was something sublime in the attitude of this one
man, now feeble in health, the only dependence of a young
family, a bankrupt in business, starting out to seek success
in a field, in which so many had found only ruin. He was
convinced in his own mind that he would master the secret,
While his friends were equally sure that he would but increase
his difficulties. The firm of which he had been a member had
surrendered all their property to their creditors; but they still
owed thirty thousand dollars, and immediately upon his return
fromn New York, after his visit to the agent of the; Roxbury
Company, he was arrested for debt, and though not actually
thrown in jail, was compelled to take up his residence within
prison limits.
Strong in the conviction before named, that he was the man
of all others to discover the secret of controlling India-rubber,
he at once began his experiments. This was in the winter of
1834-35. The gum had fallen in price to five cents per pound,
and, poor as he was, he had no difficulty in procuring a sufficient quantity to begin with. By. melting and working the
gum thoroughly, and by rolling it upon a stone table with a
rolling-pin, he succeeded in producing sheets of India-rubber
which seemed to him to possess the properties which those of
Mr. Chaffee had lacked. He explained his process to a friend,
who, becoming interested in it, loaned him the money to manufacture a number of shoes, which at first seemed all that
could be desired.  Fearful, however, of meeting the fate
which had befallen the Roxbury Company, Mr. Goodyear put
his shoes away until the next summer, to ascertain whether
they would bear the heat. His doubts were more than realized. The warm weather completely ruined them, reducing
them to a mass of so offensive an odor that he was glad to
throw them away.




284                GREAT FORTUNES.
The friend of the inventor was thoroughly disheartened by
this failure, and refused to have any thing more to do with
Goodyear's schemes; but the latter, though much disappointed,
did not despair. He set to work to discover the cause of his
failure, and traced it, as he supposed, to the mixing of the
gum with the turpentine and lamp-black. Having procured
some barrels of the gum in its native liquid state, he spread it
on cloth without smoking it or mixing it with any thing else.
He succeeded in producing a very handsome white rubber cloth,
but it was one that became soft and sticky as quickly as thie
other had done.
It now occurred to him  that there must be some mineral
substance which, mixed with the gum, would render it durable,
and he began to experiment with almost every substance that,
he could lay his hands on. All these proved total failures,
with the exception of magnesia. By mixing half a pound of
magnesia with a pound of the gum, he produced a compound
much whiter than the pure gum, and one which was at first as
firm and flexible as leather. He made book-covers and piano.covers out of it, and for a time it seemed that he had discovered the longed-for secret; but in a month his pretty product
was ruined. The heat caused it to soften.; then fermentation
set in, and, finally, it became as hard and brittle as thin glass.
His friends, who had aided him at first, now turned from
him coldly, regarding him as a- dreamer; and his own stock of
money was exhausted. In his extremity he was forced to pawn
all his own valuables, and even some of the trinkets of his
wife. In spite of this, he felt sure that he was on the road to
success, and that he would very soon be enabled to rise above
his present difficulties, and win both fame and fortune. He
was obliged for the time, however, to remove his family to the
country, depositing with his landlord, as security for the pay



CHARLES GOODYEAR.                 285
ment of the first quarter's rent, some linen which had been
spun by his wife, and which he was never able to redeem.
Having settled his family in the country, he set out for New
York, where he hoped to find some one willing to aid him in
extending his researches still further.
Arrived in the great city, he found two old acquaintances,
to whom he stated his plans and his hopes. One of them
offered him the use of a room in Gold Street, as a laboratory,
and the other, who was a druggist, agreed to let him have
such chemicals as he needed on credit. He now proceeded to
boil the gum, mixed with magnesia, in quicklime and water,
and, as the result, obtained sheets of his compound whose
firmness and smoothness of surface won them a medal at the
fair of the American Institute in 1835. He seemed now on
the point of success, and readily disposed of all the sheets he
could manufacture. The newspapers spoke highly of his invention, for which he obtained a patent; and he was about to
endeavor to enlist some persons of means in its manufacture
on a large scale, when, to his dismay, lie discovered that a
single drop of the weakest acid, such as the juice of an apple,
or diluted vinegar, would utterly destroy the influence of the
lime in the compound, and reduce it to the old sticky substance
that had baffled him so often.
His next step was to mix quicklime with the gum.  In
order to work the compound thoroughly, he used to carry the
vessel containing it, on his shoulder, to a place threq miles
distant from his laboratory, where he had the use of horse
power. The lime, however, utterly destroyed the gum, and
nothing came of this experiment.
The discovery which followed was the result of accident, and
brought him on the very threshold of success, yet did not entirely conquer his difficulties. He was an ardent lover of the




286                 GREAT FORTUNES.
beautiful, and it was a constant effort with him to render his
productions as attractive to the eye as possible. Upon one
occasion, while bronzing a piece of rubber cloth, he applied
aqua fortis to it for the purpose of removing the bronze from a
certain part. It took away the bronze as he had designed, but
it also discolored the cloth to such a degree that he supposed it
ruined, and threw it away. A day or two later, he chanced
to remember that he had not examined very closely into the
effect of the aqua fortis upon the rubber, and thereupon instituted a search for it. He was fortunate enough to find it, and
was overjoyed to discover that the rubber had undergone a
remarkable change, and that the effect of the acid was to
harden it to such an extent that it would now stand a degree
of heat which would have melted it before. When the reader
remembers that aqua fortis is a compound two-fifths of which
is sulphuric acid, he will understand that Mr. Goodyear had
almost mastered the secret of vulcanizing rubber. He does
not appear, however, to have known the true nature of aqua
fortis, and called his process the "curing" of India-rubber by
the use of that acid.
The "cured" India-rubber was subjected to many tests, and
passed through through them successfully, thus demonstrating its adaptability to many important uses. Mr. Goodyear readily obtained a patent for his process, and a partner with a large capital was found ready to aid him. He hired the old India-rubber w*rks on Staten Island, and opened a salesroom in Broadway. He was thrown back for six weeks at this important
time by an accident, which happened to him while experimenting with his fabrics, and which came near causing his death.
Just as he was recovering and preparing to commence the
manufacture of his goods on a large scale, the terrible commercial crisis of 1836 swept over the country, and, by destroying




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                 287
his partner's fortune at one blow, reduced Goodyear to absolute beggary. His family had joined him in New York, and
he was entirely without the means of supporting them. As
the only resource at hand, he decided to pawn an article of
value, one of the few which he possessed, in order to raise
money enough to procure one day's supply of provisions. At
the very door of the pawnbroker's shop he met one of his
creditors, who kindly asked if he could be of any further
assistance to him. Weak with hunger, and overcome bythe
generosity of his friend, the poor man burst into tears, and
replied that, as his family was on the point of starvation, a
loan of fifteen dollars would greatly oblige him. The money
was given him on the spot, and the necessity for visiting the
pawnbroker averted for several days longer. Still he was a
frequent visitor to that individual during the year; and thus,
one by one, the relics of his better days disappeared. Another
friend loaned him one hundred dollars, which enabled him to
remove his family to. Staten Island, in the neighborhood of the
abandoned rubber works, which the owners gave him permission to use as far as he could. He contrived in this way to
manufacture enough of his "cured" cloth, which sold readily,
to enable him to keep his family from starvation. He made
repeated efforts to induce capitalists to come to the factory
and see his samples and the process by which they were made,
but no one would venture near him. There had been money
enough lost in such experiments, they said, and they were determined to risk no more.
Indeed, in all the broad land there was but one man who
had the slightest hope of accomplishing any thing with Indiarubber, and that one was Charles Goodyear. His friends regarded him as a monomaniac. He not only manufactured his
cloth, but even dressed in clothes made of it, wearing it for the




288                 GREAT FORTUNES.
purpose of testing its durability, as well as of advertising it.
He was certainly an odd figure, and in his appearance justified
the remark of one of his friends, who, upon being asked how
Mr. Goodyear could be recognized, replied: " If you see a man
with an India-rubber coat on, India-rubber shoes, an Indiarubber cap, and in his pocket an India-rubber purse, with not
a cent in it, that is Goodyear."
In September, 1836, a new gleam of hope lit up his pathway. A friend having loaned him a small sum of money, he
went to Roxbury, taking with him some of his best specimens.
Although the Roxbury Company had gone down with such a fearful crash, Mr. Chaffee, the inventor of the process in this country,
was still firm in his faith that India-rubber would at some
future time justify the expectations of its earliest friends. He
welcomed MIr. Goodyear cordially, and allowed him to use the
abandoned works of the company for his experiments. The
result was that Goodyear succeeded in making shoes and cloths
of India-rubber of a quality so much better than any that had
yet been seen in America, that the hopes of the friends of
India-rubber were raised to a high point. Offers to purchase
rights for certain portions of the country came in rapidly, and
by the sale of them Goodyear realized between four and five
thousand dollars. He was now able to bring his family to Roxbury, and for the time fortune seemed to smile upon him.
His success was but temporary, however. He obtained an
order from the General Government for one hundred and fifty
India-rubber mail-bags, which he succeeded in producing, and
as they came out smooth, highly polished, hard, well shaped,
and entirely impervious to moisture, he was delighted, and
summoned his friends to inspect and admire them. All who
saw them pronounced them a perfect success; but, alas! in a
single month they began to soften and ferment, and finally




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  289
became useless. Poor Goodyear's hopes were dashed to the
ground. It was found that the aqua fortis merely "cured" the
surface of the material, and that only very thin cloth made in
this way was durable. His other goods began to prove worthless, and his promising business came to a sudden and disastrous end. All his possessions were seized and sold for debt,
and once more he was reduced to poverty. His position was
even worse than before, for his family had increased in size,
and his aged father also had become dependent upon him foxv
support.
Friends, relatives, and even his wife, all demanded that he.
should abandon his empty dreams, and turn his attention t;o
something that would yield a support to his family. Four'
years of constant failure, added to the unfortunate experiencee
of those who had preceded him, ought to convince him, they
said, that he was hoping against hope. Hitherto his conduct,
they said, had been absurd, though they admitted that he was.
to some extent excused for it by his partial success; but to,
persist in it would now be criminal. The inventor was driven.
to despair, and being a man of tender feelings and ardently
devoted to his family, might have yielded to them had he not:
felt that he was nearer than ever to the discovery of the secret
that had eluded him so long.
Just before the failure of his mail-bags had brought ruin
upon him, he had' taken into his employ a manll named.
Nathaniel Hayward, who had been the foreman of the old,
Roxbury works, and who was still in charge of them when.
Goodyear came to Roxbury, making a few rubber articles one
his own account. He hardened his compound by mixing a
little powdered sulphur with the gum, or by sprinkling sulphur
on the rubber cloth, and drying it in the sun. He declared
that the process had been revealed to him in a dream, but
19




290                 GREAT FORTUNES.
could give no further account of it. Goodyear was astonished
to find that the sulphur cured the India-rubber as thoroughly
as the aqua fortis, the principal objection being that the sulphurous odor of the goods was frightful in hot weather. Hayward's process was really the same as that employed by Goodyear, the "curing" of the India-rubber being due in each case
to the agency of sulphur, the principal difference between
them being that Hayward's goods were dried by the sun, and
Goodyear's with nitric acid. Hayward set so small a value
upon his discovery that he had readily sold it to his new
employer.
Goodyear felt that he had now all'but conquered his difficulties. It was plain that sulphur was the great controller of
India-rubber, for he had proved that when applied to thin
cloth it would render it available for most purposes. The
problem that now remained was how to mix sulphur and the
gum in a'mass, so that every part of the rubber should be
subjected to the agency of the sulphur. He experimented for
weeks and mi'ouths with the most intense eagerness, but the
mystery completely baffled him. His friends urged him to
go to work to do something for his family, but he could not.turn back. The goal was almost in sight, and he felt that he
would be false to his mission were he to abandon his labors
now. To the,world'he seemed a crack-brained dreamer, and
esome -there were who, seeing the distress of his family, did
not hesitate to apply still harsher names to him; but to the
Great Eye that reads all hearts, how different did this man
appear! It saw the anguish that wrung the heart of Charles
Goodyear, and knew the more than heroic firmness with which,
in the midst of his poverty and:suffering, he agonized for the
great discovery.  Had it been merely wealth that he was
working for, doubtless he would have turned back and sought








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CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  291
some other means of obtaining it; but he sought more. He
was striving for the good of his fellow-men, and ambitious of
becoming a benefactor of the race.  He felt that he had a
mission to fulfill, and no one else could perform it.
He was right. A still greater success was about to crown
his labors, but in a manner far different from his expectations.
His experiments-had developed nothing; chance was to make
the revelation. It was in the spring of 1839 that this revelation came to him, and in the following manner: Standing
before a stove in a store at Woburn, Massachusetts, he was
explaining to some acquaintances the properties of a piece of
sulphur-cured India-rubber which he held in his hand. They
listened to him good-naturedly, but with evident incredulity,
when suddenly he dropped the rubber on the stove, which was
red hot. His old cloths would have melted instantly from
contact with such heat; but, to his surprise, this piece underwent no such change. In aniazement, he examined it, and
found that while it had charred or shriveled, like leather, it
had not softened at all. The bystanders attached no importance to this phenomenon, but to him it was a revelation. He
renewed his experiments with enthusiasm, and in a little while
established the facts that India-rubber, when mixed with sulphur and exposed to a certain degree of heat for a certain time,
would not melt or even soften at any degree of heat,:that it
would only char at two hundred and eighty degrees, and that
it would not stiffen from exposure to any degree of cold. The
difficulty now consisted in finding out the exact degree of heat
necessary for the perfection of the rubber, and the exact length
of time required for the heating.
He made this discovery in his darkest days; when, in fact,
he was in constant danger of arrest for debt, having already
been a: frequent inmate of the debtor's prison. He was in the




292                 GREAT FORTUNES.
depths of bitter poverty, and in such feeble health that he was
constantly haunted by the fear of dying before he had perfected his discovery —before he had fulfilled his mission. His
poverty was a greater drawback to him than ever before. He
needed an apparatus for producing a high and uniform heat
for his experiments, and he was unable to obtain it. He
used to bake his compound in his wife's bread oven, and steam
it over the spout of her tea-kettle, and to press the kitchen fire
into his service as far as it would go. When this failed, he
would go to the shops in the vicinity of Woburn, and beg to
be allowed to use the ovens and boilers after working hours
were over. The workmen regarded him as a lunatic, but were
too good-natured to deny him the request. Finally, he induced
a bricklayer to make him an oven, and paid him in mason's
aprons of India-rubber. The oven was a failure. Sometimes
it would turn out pieces of perfectly vulcanized cloth, and again
the goods would be charred and ruined. Goodyear was in
despair.
All this time he lived on the charity of his friends. His
neighbors pretended to lend him money, but in reality gave
him the means of keeping his family from starvation. He has
declared that all the while he felt sure he would, before long,
be able to pay them back, but they declared with equal emphasis
that, at that time, they never expected to witness his success.
He was yellow and shriveled in face, with a gaunt, lean figure,
and his habit of wearing an India-rubber coat, which was
charred and blackened from his frequent experiments with it,
gave him a wild and singular appearance. People shook their
heads solemnly when they saw him, and said that the madhouse was the proper place for him.
The winter of 1839-40 was long and severe. At the opening of the season, Mr. Goodyear received a letter from a house




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  293
in Paris, making him a handsome offer for the use of his process of curing India-rubber with aqua fortis.  Here was a
chance for him to rise out of his misery. A year before he
would have closed with the offer, but since then he had discovered the effects of sulphur and heat on his compound, and
hlad passed far beyond the aqua fortis stage. Disappointment
and want had not warped his honesty, and he at once declined
to enter into any. arrangements with the French house, informing them that although the process they desired to purchase
was a valuable one, it was about to be entirely replaced by
another which he was then on the point of perfecting, and
which he would gladly sell them as soon as he had completed
it. His friends declared that he was mad to refuse such an
offer; but he replied that nothing would induce him to sell a
process which he knew was about to be rendered worthless by
still greater discoveries.
A few weeks later, a terrible snow-storm  passed over the
land, one of the worst that New England has ever known, and
in the midst of it Goodyear made the appalling discovery that
he had not a particle of fuel or a mouthfill of food in the house.
He was ill enough to be in bed himself, and his purse was entirely emptyv. It was a terrible position, made worse, too, by
the fact that his friends who had formerly aided him had turned
from him, vexed with his pertinacity, and abandoned him to
his fate. In his despair, he bethought him of a mere acquaintance who lived several miles from his cottage, and who but a
few days before had spoken to him with more of kindness than
he had received of late. This gentleman, he thought, would aid
him in his distress, if he could but reach his house, but in such a
snow the journey seemed hopeless to a man in his feeble health.
Still the effort must be made. Nerved by despair, he set out,
and pushed his way resolutely through the heavy drifts. The




294                 GREAT FORTUNES.
way was long, and it seemed to him that he would never accomplish it. Often he fell prostrate on the snow, almost fainting
with fatigue and hunger, and again he would sit down wearily
in the road, feeling that he would gladly die if his discovery
were but completed.  At length, however, he reached the
end of his journey, and fortunately found his acquaintance at
home. To this gentleman he told the story of his discovery,
his hopes, his struggles, and his present sufferings, and implored
him to aid him. Mr. Coolidge * —for such was the gentleman's
name-listened to him kindly, and after expressing the warmest
sympathy for him, loaned him money enough to support his
family during the severe weather, and to enable him to continue
his experiments.
"Seeing no prospect of success in Massachusetts, he now
resolved to make a desperate effort to get to New York, feeling
confident that the specimens he could take with him would convince some one of the superiority of his new method. He was
beginning to understand the causes of his many failures, but he
saw clearly that his compound could not be worked with certainty without expensive apparatus. It was a very delicate operation, requiring exactness and promptitude. The conditions
upon which success depended were numerous, and the failure
of one spoiled all... It cost him thousands of failures to learn
that a little acid in his sulphur caused the blistering; that his
compound must be heated almost immediately after being
mixed, or it would never vulcanize; that a portion of white
lead in the compound greatly facilitated the operation and improved the result; and when he had learned these facts, it still
required costly and laborious experiments to devise the best
methods of compounding his ingredients, the best proportions,
the best mode of heating, the proper duration of the heating,
0O. B. Coolidge, of Woburn.




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  295
and the various useful effects that could be produced by varying the proportions and the degree of heat. He tells us that
many times when, by exhausting every resource, he had prepared a quantity of his compound for heating, it was spoiled
because he could not, with his inadequate apparatus, apply the
heat soon enough.
"' To New York, then, he directed his thoughts. Merely to
get there cost him a severer and a longer effort than men in
general are capable of making. First he walked to Boston, ten
miles distant, where he hoped to borrow from an old acquaintance fifty dollars, with which to provide for his family and pay
his fare to New York. He not only failed in this, but he was
arrested for debt and thrown into prison.  Even in prison,
while his father was negotiating to procure his release, he
labored to interest metl of capital in his discovery, and made
proposals for founding a factory in Boston. Having obtained
his liberty, he went to a hotel, and spent a week in vain efforts
to effect a small loan. Saturday night came, and with it his
hotel bill, which he had no means of discharging. In an agony
of shame and anxiety, he went to a friend and entreated the
sum of five dollars to enable him to return home. He was met
with a point blank refusal. In the deepest dejection, he walked
the streets till late in the night, and strayed at length, almost
beside himself, to Cambridge, where he ventured to call upon a
friend and ask shelter for the fight. He was hospitably entertained, and the next morning walked wearily home, penniless
and despairing.  At the door of his house a member of his
family met him with the news that his youngest child, two
years old, whom he had left in perfect health, was dying. In
a few hours he had in his house a dead child, but not the means
of burying it, and five living dependents without a morsel of
food to give them. A storekeeper near by had promised to




296                 GREAT FORTUNES.
supply the family, but, discouraged by the unforeseen length of
the father's absence, he had that day refused to trust them further.  In these terrible circumstances, he applied to a friend
upon whose generosity he knew he could rely, one who never
failed him. He received in reply a letter of severe and cutting
reproach, inclosing seven dollars, which his friend explained
was given only out of pity for his innocent and suffering family.
A stranger who chanced to be present when this letter arrived
sent them a barrel of flour —a timely and blessed relief. The
next day the family followed on foot the remains of the little
child to the grave."
He had now reached the lowest ebb of his misery, and a
brighter day was in store for him,. Obtaining fifty dollars from
a relative, he went to New York, where he succeeded in interesting in his discovery two brothers, William and Emory Rider.
They agreed to advance him a certain sum to support his family and continue his experiments. By means of this aid he was
enabled to keep his family from want in the future, andl from
that time his experiments never flagged.  Before entire success crowned his efforts, the brothers Rider fhiled; but he had
advanced his experiments so greatly that his brother-in-law,
William De Forrest, a rich woolen manufacturer, came to his
support, and supplied him with the means to go on with his
labors. Mr. De Forrest's total advances amounted to forty-six
thousand dollars, from which fact the reader may gain some
idea of the obstacles overcome by Goodyear in this last stage
of his invention.
The prize for which he had labored so long and so heroically
was secured at last, and in 1844, ten years after the commencement of his experiments, he was able to produce perfectly vulcanized India-rubber with expedition and economy, and, above
all, with certainty. He had won a success which added a new




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  297
material to art and commerce, and one which could be applied
in a thousand different ways, and all of them useful to man.
But great as his success was, he was not satisfied with it. To
the end of his life his constant effort was to improve his invention, and apply it to new uses. He had an unlimited faith
in its adaptability, believing that there was scarcely any article
of general use that could not be made of it. Upon one occasion he read in a newspaper that twenty persons perished every
hour by drowning. The statement impressed him deeply, and
his wife noticed that for several nights he scarcely slept at
all. "Try to compose yourself, and sleep," she said to him.
"Sleep!" he exclaimed, "how can I sleep when twenty humnan beings are drowning every hour, and I am the man that
can save them?"  And at this time it was his constant endeavor to invent some article of India-rubber which could be
easily carried by travelers, and which would render it impossible for them to sink in water.
Having brought his process to a successful completion in
this country, and obtained patents for it, he went to Europe
to secure similar protections in the principal countries of the
Old World.  "The French laws require that the patentee
shall put and keep his invention in public use in France
within two years from its date. Goodyear had, at great inconvenience and expense, endeavored to comply with this and with
all other requirements of the French laws, and thought lie had
effectually done so; but the courts of France decided that he had
not in every particular complied with the strict requisitions of the
law, and that, therefore, his patent in France had become void.
In England he was still more unfortunate. Having sent specimens of vulcanized fabrics to Charles Mackintosh & Co., in
1842, and having opened with them a negotiation for the sale
of the secret of the invention or discovery, one of the partners




298                 GREAT FORTUNES.
of that firm, named Thomas Hancock, availing himself, as he
admits, of the hints and opportunities thus presented to him,
rediscovered, as he affirms, the process of vulcanization, and
described it in a patent for England, which was enrolled on
May 21, 1844, about five weeks after the specification and publication of the discovery to the world by Goodyear's patent for
vulcanization in France. And the patent of Hancock, held
good according to a peculiarity of English law, thus superseded Goodyear's English patent for vulcanization, which
bore date a few days later. Goodyear, however, obtained the
great council medal of the exhibition of all nations at London,
the grand medal of the world's exhibition at Paris, and the
ribbon of the Legion of Honor, presented by Napoleon III."
In his own country, Mr. Goodyear was scarcely less unfortunate. His patents were infringed and violated by others,
even after the decision of the courts seemed to place his rights
beyond question.  He was too thoroughly the inventor and
too little the man of business to protect himself from the robberies of the wretches who plundered him of the profits of his
invention. It is said that his inability to manage sharp transactions made him the victim of many who held nominally fair
business relations with him. The United States Commissioner
of Patents, in 1858, thus spoke of his losses:
"No inventor, probably, has ever been so harassed, so
trampled upon, so plundered by that sordid and licentious
class of infringers known in the parlance of the world, with
lno exaggeration of phrase, as'pirates.' The spoliation of
their incessant guerrilla warfare upon his defenseless rights
have, unquestionably, amounted to millions."
Failing to accomplish any thing in Europe, Mr. Goodyear'
returned to this country, and continued his labors.  His
health, never strong, gave way under the continued strain, and




CHARLES GOODYEAR.                  299
he died in New York in July, 1860, in the sixtieth year of his
age, completely worn out. Notwithstanclding his great invention-an invention which has made millions for those engaged
in its manufacture -,he died insolvent, and left his family
heavily in debt. A few years after his death an effort wau
made to procure from Congress a further seven years' extension of his patent for vulcanization, for the benefit of his family
and his creditors. The men who had trampled his rights
under foot while living were resolved, however, that he should
not have justice done him in death; and, through their influence, that august body, in strange contrast with its usual lavish generosity in the matter of land grants and the like, coldly
declined to do any thing for the family of the man to whom
civilization owes so much, and the effort proved abortive.
But, though unfortunate in a pecuniary sense, though he
died without freeing himself from the embarrassments which
haunted him through life, there can be no question that Charles
Goodyear richly merits the place which we have given him in
this gallery of " Our Self-made Men; " not only on account of
the great merit and usefulness of his discovery or invention,
but because that invention has been the source of many a
"'great fortune" to others, as it might, indeed, have been to
him, had his rights been respected, or properly protected when
infringed.  It is sad to reflect that he died poor who has given
wealth to so many, and accomplished results so beneficent to
mankind. Yet he did not fail entirely of his reward in life;
he lived to see his invention give rise to large factories in the
United States, and in England, France, and Germany, which
employ sixty thousand operatives, and produce over five hundred different kinds of articles, to the amount of eight millions
of dollars annually. He lived to see boots and shoes, clothing,
caps, hats, articles of commerce and of pleasure, mechanical,




300                 GREAT FORTUNES.
scientific, and surgical instruments, toys, belting for machinery,
packing fo)r the steam-engine, and many other articles now in
common use, made of the material, the discovery and perfection of which cost him long and sorrowful years of toil. He
lived to hear his name mentioned by millions as one of their
greatest benefactors; to know that he had conferred upon the
world benefits of which those who had robbed him could not
deprive his fellow-men; and to feel that he had at length
accomplished his mission-a mission which has been produc;
tive of good alone.'THE MADHOUSE I THE PR PER P CE FOR HIM.'




ELI WHITNEY.                   301
CHAPTER XV.
ELI WHITNEY.
T the close of the Revolution the States of South
Carolina -and Georgia presented large tracts of
land to the gallant General Nathaniel Greene,
to whose genius they were indebted for their
relief from British tyranny. Soon after. this
grant was made, General Greene removed his family to Mulberry Grove, a fine plantation on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. Here he died in 1786, from sunstroke, but his
family continued to reside on the place. The mansion of Mrs.
Greene was noted for its hospitality, and was frequently filled
with guests who came to pay their respects to the widow of the
most brilliant and best trusted subordinate of the immortal
Washington.
To this mansion there came one day, in the year 1792, ELI
WVHITNEY, then a young man recently from New England. He
was a native of Westborough, Massachusetts, where he was born
on the 8th of December, 1765. Of his youth. but little is
known, save that he was gifted with unusual mechanical genius,
the employment of which enabled him to overcome some of the
difficulties incident to his poverty, and to acquire the means of
obtaining a good common school education. Adding to this the
labors of a teacher, he earned a sum sufficient to carry him




302                 GREAT FORTUNES.
through Yale College, where he was graduated in the summer
of 1792, a few months before his arrival in Georgia. He had
come South to accept the offer of a situation as teacher, but the
place had been filled before his arrival, and, being without
friends in that section, he sought employment from Mrs. Greene.
Though pleased with his modesty arid intelligence, that lady
could not avail herself of his services as a tutor, but invited him
to make her house his home as long as he should desire to remain in Georgia. He was sick in body and disheartened by his
first failure, and gladly accepted her invitation. While her
guest he made her a tambour frame of an improved pattern,
and a number of ingeiious toys for her children, which so delighted the good lady that she enthusiastically declared him
capable of doing any thing.
Not long after Mr. Whitney's arrival at the plantation, Mrs.
Greene was entertaining a number of visitors from the surrounding country,.several planters of considerable wealth being
among the number, when one of the guests turned the conversation upon the subject of cotton-raising, by declaring that he had
met with such poor success that he was ready to abandon the
undertaking. His trouble was not, he said, that cotton would
not grow in his land, for it yielded an abundant return, but
that the labor of clearing it from the seed was so enormous that
he could not do more than pay expenses after selling it.
His case was simply one among a thousand. The far Southern States were admitted by every one to be admirably adapted
to the cultivation of cotton, but, after it was grown and picked,
the expense of cleaning it destroyed nearly all the profits of the
transaction. The cleaning process was performed by hand, and
it was as much as an able-bodied negro could do to clean one
pound per day in this manner. Disheartened by this difficulty,
which no one had yet been able to remove, the planters of the




ELI WHITNEY.                   303
South were seriously contemplating the entire abandonment of
this portion of their industry, since it only involved them in
debt. Their lands were heavily mortgaged, and general ruin
seemed to threaten them. All felt that the invention of a
machine for cleaning or ginning the cotton would not only re-move their difficulties, but enable them to plant the green cotton-seed, from the use of which they were then almost entirely
debarred, because, although more productive and of a better
quality than the black, and adapted by nature to a much greater
variety of climate, it was much more difficult to clean, and
therefore less profitable to cultivate.
These facts were discussed in the conversation at Mrs.
Greene's table, and it was suggested by one of the company
that perhaps the very urgency of the case would induce some
ingenious mall to invent a machine which should solve the
problem, and remove all the difficulties in the way.
"Is it a machine you want-?" said Mrs. Greene, eagerly.
"Then, gentlemen, you should apply to my young friend, Mr.
Whitney; he can make any thing."
She at once sent for Whitney, and introduced him to her
guests, who repeated to him the substance of their conversation, and urged him to undertake the invention of what was so
much needed. The young man protested that he had never
seen either a pod of cotton or a cotton-seed in his life, and was
utterly incompetent for the task they proposed. In spite of
this, however, Iis new acquaintances urged him to attempt it,
and assured him that if successful his invention would make his
fortune. Whitney would promise nothing more than to think
of the matter, and the planters departed in the belief that nothing would come of their entreaties, and that the culture of cotton would languish until it should finally die out.
Whitney did think of the matter, and the result was that he




304                 GREAT FrOTUNES.
decided to attempt the production of a machine which should
clean cotton both expeditiously and cheaplv. It was late in
the season, and unginned cotton, or cotton from which the
seeds had not been removed, was hard to procure.'With consiiderable difficulty lhe succeeded in finding a few pounds on the
wharf at Savannal and at once securing his prize, lhe carried
it home in his hands.
Mrs. Greene being confidentially infrnmed of 1his p1ns, provided him with a room in the celltar of her house, where  he
could carry on his work in secret.  All that winter he worked'Aa~ic ~       ~     -~~
-~~~~ NI ~r:'
4;
m:~~~~~~7/ -
/-'/7/~~~~~~~~~.




ELI WHITNEY.                   305
he needed. He wanted wire, but none was to be found, and he
was compelled to make all that he used. A score or more of
drawbacks presented themselves, and were overcome in this
way, and all through the winter the young inventor applied
himself with diligence to his task. The children and servants
regarded him with the greatest curiosity. They heard him
hammering and sawing in his room, the doors of which were
always kept locked, and into which they were never allowed to
enter. Mrs. Greene was kept fully informed of his progress.
When sure of success, Whitney revealed the secret to a Mle.
Miller, a gentleman of means, who consented to enter into a
copartnership with him for the manufacture of the machines,
after the completion of the model should have enabled Whitney
to secure a patent for his invention.
Whitney had hoped to keep his work secret from all others,
but this proved to be impossible. It became rumored about
the country that the young man from New England, who was
living at Mrs. Greene's, was engaged in inventing a machine
which would clean cotton with the rapidity of thought, and the
most intense eagerness was manifested to see the wonderful
production, which every one felt would entirely revolutionize
cotton culture in the South. Whitney endeavored to guard his
invention from the public curiosity, but without success. Before
he had completed his model, some scoundrels broke into the
place containing it, and carried it off by night. He succeeded
in recovering it, but the principle upon which it depended was
made public, and before the model was completed and a patent
secured, a number of machines based on his invention had. been
surreptitiously made, and were in operation.
In spite of this discouraging circumstance, Whitney brought
his invention to perfection, and in the spring of 1793 set up his
first cotton gin, under a shed on Mrs. Greene's plantation, and
20




306                   GREAT FORTUNES.
invited a number of the neighboring planters to witness its
operation.
His machine was very simple, but none the less ingenious
on that account.  The cotton was placed in a trough, the bottom of which consisted of parallel rows of wire, placed like the
bars in a grating, but so close together that the seed could not
pass through them.  Underneath this trough revolved an iron
roller, armed with teeth formed of strong wires projecting from
the roller, which passed between the wire bars, and, seizing. the
cotton, drew it through the bars and passed it behind the roller,
where it was brushed off the wire teeth by means of a cylindrical brush. The seed, unable to pass through the bars, were
left behind, and, completely stripped of the fiber, ran out in a
stream through a spout at one end of the trough. It was found
that the cotton thus ginned was cleaned thoroughly,* and far
better than it could be done by hand, and that a single man, by
this process, could clean as much as three hundred pounds in:a day.
The spectators were delighted with Whitney's machine, and
aurged him to lose no time in putting it in the market.  They
prseicted an unlimited success for it, and assured the inventor
that it would not only make his own fortune, but also render
cotton culture the source of wealth to the South. They did not
exaggerate.  As soon as it was made known to the public,
Whitney's machine came into general use.  Planters had no
lcrnger any thing to fear from the labor and expense of prepar* The -cotton for which Whitney's machine accomplished so much, was the
short staple, which is the principal product of the South. The Sea Island cotton could not be cleaned by it, on account of the length and delicacy of its fiber;
and this species, for the want of some cheap and expeditious method of pre..
paring it, has seldom been grown to a greater quantity than fifty thousand bags
of three hundred pounds each. Consequently, it has always commanded a high
price.




ELI WHITNEY.                   307
ing their great staple for market. Whitney's genius had swept
away all their difficulties, and they reaped a golden harvest
from it. They were enabled to send their cotton promptly
and cheaply to market, where it brought good prices. With
the money thus obtained they paid their debts, and increased
their capacity for cultivation. Every year the area devoted to
cotton-growing became more extended, and the prosperity of
the South became greater and more durable. In 1793, the
total export of cotton from the United States was ten thousand
bales; in 1860, it was over four millions of bales. Hundreds
of millions of dollars were brought into the South by this inven-.
tion-so that it is no exaggeration to say that the remarkable
prosperity enjoyed by the South at the commencement of our
late civil war was due entirely to the genius of Eli Whitney.
This opinion is fortified -by the following remarks of Judge
Johnson, uttered in a charge'to the jury in a suit brought by
Whitney, in Savannah, in 1807, to sustain the validity of his
patent:
"With regard to the utility of this discovery...  the
whole interior of the Southern States was languishing, and its
inhabitants emigrating for want of some object to engage their
attention and employ their industry, when the invention of this
machine at once opened views to them which set the whole
country in active motion. From childhood to age it has presented to us a lucrative employment. Individuals who were
depressed with poverty, and sunk in idleness, have suddenly
risen to wealth and respectability. Our debts have been paid
off, our capitals have increased, and our lands have trebled
themselves in value. We can not.express the weight of the
obligation which the country owes to this invention. The extent of it can not now be seen."
Surely, the reader will exclaim, if such was the profit of this




308                 GREAT FORTUNES.
invention to the country at large, what a vast fortune must it
have been to its inventor!  Let -us see. In'May, 1793, Whitney and Miller went to Connecticut and established a factory
for the construction of cotton gins. They were in possession
of a patent which was supposed to pledge to the them the protection of the United States. The demand for the machine was
increasing every day, and it seemed that they would reap a
golden harvest from it. They were disappointed. The machine
was so simple that any competent mechanic could easily manui
facture one after examining the model, and this temptation to
dishonesty proved too strong for the morality of the cottolgrowing community. In a short time there were hundreds of
fraudulent machines at work in the South, made and sold in
direct and open-violation of Whitney's rights. In vain the inuventor brought suit against those who infringed his patent. It
was rare that a jury in a cotton State gave a verdict in his
favor. In Georgia it was boldly asserted that Whitney was not
the inventor of the cotton gin, but that some persons in Switzerland had invented something similar to it, and the substitution of teeth, cut in an iron plate, instead of wire, was claimed
as superseding his invention. The Legislature of South Carolina granted him the beggarly sum of $50,000 for the use of
his invention by the planters of that State; but it was only by
going to law, and after several tedious and vexatious suits,
that he was able to secure this sum. Tennessee agreed to allow
him a percentage for the use of each saw for a certain period,
but afterward repudiated her contract. The action of North
Carolina forms the only bright page in this history of fraud
and wrong. That State allowed him a percentage for the use
of each saw for the term of five years, and promptly collected
the money and paid it over to the patentee. For fourteen
years Whitney continued to manufacture his machines, reaping




ELI WTHITNEY.                   309
absolutely no profit from his investments, and earning merely a
bare support. During all this time his rights were systematically violated, suits were wrongfully decided against him by
various Southern courts, and he was harassed and plundered on
every side. America never presented a more shameful spectacle than was exhibited when the courts of the cotton-growing
regions united with the piratical infringers of Whitney's rights
in robbing their greatest benefactor. In 1807, Whitney's partner died, and his factory was destroyed by fire. In the same
year his patent expired, and he sought its renewal from Congress. Here again he was met with the ingratitude of the
cotton States. The Southern members, then all powerful in
the Government, united in opposing the extension of his patent, and his petition was rejected. At the same time a report
was industriously circulated that his machine injured the fiber
of the cotton; but it is a significant fact that, although the
planters insisted vehemently upon this assertion while Whitney was seeking an extension of his patent, not one of them
discontinued the use of his machine, or sought to remedy the
alleged defect.
Whitney, thoroughly disheartened, now abandoned the manu~facture of cotton gins in disgust, wound up his affairs, and
found himself a poor man. In spite of the far-reaching benefits of his invention, he had not realized one dollar above his
expenses. He had given millions upon millions of dollars to
the cotton-growing States, he had opened the way for the establishment of the vast cotton-spinning interests of his own country and Europe, and yet, after fourteen years of hard labor, he
was a poor man, the victim of a wealthy, powerful, and, in his
case, a dishonest class, who had robbed him of his rights and of
the fortune he had so fairly earned. Truly, "wisdom is better
than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is despised."




310                GREAT FORTUNES.
Whitney, however, was not the man to waste his time in
repining. He abandoned his efforts to protect his cotton gin
because of his conviction that there was not honesty enough in
the country to sustain him in his rights, but he did not abandon
with it the idea of winning fortune. He promptly turned his
genius in another direction, and this time with success.
The fire-arms then in use were heavy, clumsy weapons, and
effective only at very short range. He examined the system
closely, and quickly designed several important improvements
in them, especially in the old-fashioned musket. Although his
improved arms were. not to be compared with the terribly effective weapons of to-day, they were admitted to be the best then
in use. By examining the Springfield musket, which is due
almost entirely to his genius, the reader can form an accurate
estimate of the service he rendered in this respect. He has the
honor of being the inaugurator of the system of progressive improvement in fire-arms, which has gone on steadily and without flagging for now fully sixty years past.
Some time before abandoning the manufacture of the cotton
gin, Mr. Whitney established an arms factory in New Haven,
and obtained a contract from the Government for ten thousand
stand of arms, to be delivered in two years. At this time he
not only had to manufacture the machinery needed by him for
this purpose, but had to invent the greater part of it. This
delayed the execution of his contract for eight years, but at the
expiration of that time he had so far perfected his establishment, which had been removed to Whitneyville, Conn., that
he at once entered into contracts for thirty thousand more
arms, which he delivered promptly at the appointed time. His
factory was the most complete in the country, and was fitted up
in a great measure with the machinery which he had invented,
and without which the improved weapons could not be fabri



ELI WHITNEY.                   311
cated. He introduced a new system into the manufacture of
fire-arms, and one which greatly increased the rapidity of construction. "He was the first manufacturer of fire-arms who
carried the division of labor to the extent of making it the duty
of each workman to perform by machinery but one or two
operations on a single portion of the gun, and thus rendered all
the parts adapted to any one of the thousands of arms in process of manufacture at the same time."
His success was now marked and rapid. His factory was
taxed to its fullest capacity to supply the demand for arms.
His genius, was rewarded at last, and he acquired a fortune
which enabled him not only to pass the evening of his days in
comfort, but also to leave a handsome estate to his family. He
married a daughter of Judge Pierpont Edwards, a lady of fine
accomplishments and high character. He died at New Haven
on the 8th of January, 1825, in his sixtieth year.




312                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAUNCEY JEROME.
ANY readers of these pages doubtless remember
the huge old-fashioned clocks, tower-like in shape,
that in the days of their childhood ornamented
the remote corner of the hall, or stood solemnly
near the chimney in the sitting-room of the old
homestead,-such a clock as that which greeted little Paul
]Dombey, when he commenced to be a man, with its "How, is,
my, lit, tie, friend?-how, is, my, lit, tie, friend?"  Very different from the bright, pretty timepieces of to-day, which go
ticking away, as if running a race with time, was the clock of
the olden days, as it stood, solemn and dark, in its accustomed
corner, from which the strength of two men was necessary to
move it, sending the sound of its slow, steady strokes into all
parts of the house. And in the night, when all within was
still, how its deep beats throbbed in the dark hall louder and
sterner even than in the day. There was something eminently
respectable about an old clock of this kind, and it would have
been audacity unheard of for any member of the family to
doubt its reliability. Set once a year, it was expected to retain its steady-going habits for the rest of the twelvemonth.
You dared not charge it with being slow; and as for being too
fast, why, the very idea was absurd. There was sure to be




CHAUNCEY JEROME.                  313
some white-capped, silver-haired old lady, whose long years
had been counted by the venerable pendulum with unerring
precision, ready to defend the cause of the clock, to vouch for
its accuracy, and to plead its cause so well and so skillfully, that
you were ready to hide your face in shame at the thought of
having even suspected the veracity of so venerable and so honored an institution.
Truth to say, however, these old clocks, to the masses of the
people of this country, were objects of admiration, and nothing
more; for their exceeding high price placed them beyond the
reach of all save the wealthier classes. A good clock cost from
seventy-five to one hundred and fifty dollars, and the most indifferent article in the market could not be obtained for less than
twenty-five dollars. At the opening of the present century,
the demand for them was so small that but three hundred-and
fifty clocks were made in the State of Connecticut, which was
then, as at present, the one most largely engaged in this branch
of American industry. To-day the annual manufacture of
Connecticut is about six hundred thousand clocks of all kinds,
which command a wholesale price of from fifty cents upward,
the greater number bringing the maker less than five dollars.
Thus the reader will see that, while the business of the clockmaker has prospered so extraordinarily, valuable timepieces
have been brought within the reach of even the poorest.
The man to whom the country is indebted for this wonderful
and beneficial increase is CHAUNCEY JEROME, who was born
at Canaan, Connecticut, in 1793. His father was a blacksmith and nail-maker, to which trade he added the cultivation
of the little farm on which he lived; and being poor, it was
necessary for him to labor hard in all his callings in order to
provide his family with a plain subsistence. Young Chauncey
had little or no time given him for acquiring an education.




;314                GREAT FORTUNES.
He learned to read and write, but went no further; for, when
he was but a little more than seven years old, and barely able
to do the lightest kind of labor, he was put to work on the
farm to help his father, who kept him at this until he was
nine, when he took him into his shop. All the nails then in
-use were made by hand, for there were no huge iron works in
the country to send them out by the ton; and such articles were
scarce and high. The boy was set to work to make nails, and
for two years pursued his vocation steadily. He was a manly
little fellow, and worked at his hammer and anvil with a will,
resolved that he would become thorough master of his trade;
but when he had reached the age of eleven, the sudden death of
his father made an entire change in his career, and threw him
upon the world a helpless and penniless orphan.
In, order to earn his bread, he hired himself to a farmer,
receiving for his labor- nothing but his " victuals and clothes,"
the latter being of the plainest and scantiest kind. He worked
very hard; but his employer was cold and indifferent to him
at all times, and occasionally used him very badly. The boy.was naturally of a cheerful disposition, and it did him good
service now in helping to sustain him in his hard lot. Four
years were passed in this way, and when he was fifteen years
old his guardian informed him that he had now reached an
age when he must begin his apprenticeship to some regular
trade.
The boy was very anxious to learn clock-making, and begged
his guardian to apprentice him to that trade; but the wise individual who controlled his affairs replied, sagely, that clockmaking was a business in which he would starve, as it was
already overdone in Connecticut. There was one man, he said,
engaged in that trade who had been silly enough to make two
hundred clocks in one year, and he added that it would take the




CHAUNCEY JEROME.                  315
foolish man a life-time to sell them, or if they went off quickly,
the market would be so glutted that no dealer would have need
to increase his stock. for years to come. Clock-making, he informed the boy, had already reached the limit of its expansion
in Connecticut, and offered no opportunities at all. The carpenter's trade, on the other hand, was never crowded with good
workmen, and always offered the prospect of success to any
enterprising and competent man. It was the custom then to
regard boys as little animals, possessed of a capacity for hard
work, but without any reasoning powers of their own. To the
adage that "children should be seen and not heard," the good
people of that day added another clause, in effect, "and should
never pretend to think for themselves."  It was this profound
conviction that induced parents and guardians, in so many instances, to disregard the wishes of the children committed to
their care, and to condemn so many to lives for which they
were utterly unfitted. So it was with the guardian of Chauncey Jerome. He listened to the boy's expression of a preference, it is true, but paid no attention to it, and ended by apprenticing his ward to a carpenter.
The life of an apprentice is always hard, and in those days it
was especially so. No negro slave ever worked harder, and but
few fared worse, so far as their bodily comfort was concerned,
than the New England apprentices of the olden time. Masters
seemed almost to regard the lads indentured to them as their
property, and in return for.the: support they gave them exacted
from them the maximum amount of work. they were capable
of performing. They granted them no privileges, allowed them
no holidays, except those required by the law, and never permitted the slightest approach to.laziness. Chauncey Jerome's
master proved no exception to the rule, and when the boy exhibited an unusual proficiency and quickness in his trade, the




316                GREAT FORTUNES.
only notice his employer took of it was to require more work
of him. When only a little over sixteen years old, this boy
was able to do the work of a full-grown man, and a man's
work was rigorously exacted of him. When sent to work at a
distance from his employer's home, he invariably had to make
the entire journey on foot, with his tools on his back, sometimes being required to go as far as thirty miles in one day in
this way. His mother was living at some distance from the
place where his master resided, and whenever he visited her,
he had to walk all night in order to avoid using his master's
time, not one hour of which was allowed him.
In 1811, he informed his master that he was willing to undertake to clothe himself if he could have the five months of
the cold season to himself. As this part of the year was always
a dull period, and apprentices were little more than an expense
to their masters, young Jerome's employer promptly consented
to the proposed arrangement. Jerome, now eighteen years old,
had never relinquished his old desire to become a clock-maker.
He had watched the market closely, and questioned the persons
engaged in the business, and he found that, so far from the
market being over-stocked, there was a ready sale for every
clock made. Greatly encouraged by this, he resolved to devote
the five months of his freedom to learning the business, and
to apply himself entirely to it at the expiration of his apprenticeship.  As soon as he had concluded his bargain with'his
master, he set out for Waterbury on foot, and upon arriving
there, sought and obtained work from a'man who made clockdials for the manufacturers of clocks.
He worked with his new employer awhile, and then formed
an arrangement with two journeymen clock-makers. Having
perfected their plans, the three set out for New Jersey in a
lumber wagon, carrying their provisions with them. The two




CHAUNCEY JEROME.                  317
clock-makers were to make and set up the works, and Jerome
was to make the cases whenever they should succeed in selling
a clock on their journey. Clock-making was then considered
almost perfect. It had been reduced to a regular system, and
the cost of construction had been very greatly lessened. A
good clock, with a case seven feet high, could now be made for
forty dollars, at which price it yielded a fair profit to the
maker. The three young men were tolerably successful in their
venture. Jerome worked fifteen hours a day at case-making,
and by living economically, managed to carry some money with
him when he went back to his master's shop in the spring.
For the remaining three years of his apprenticeship he employed his winters in learning the various branches of clockmaking, and not only earned enough money to clothe himself,
but laid by a modest sum besides.
In 1814, being twenty-one years of age and his own master,
he set up a carpenter shop of his own, being not yet sufficiently
master of clock-making to undertake that on his own account.
In 1815, he married. Times were hard. The war with England had just ended, and labor was poorly compensated. He is
said at this time to have "finished the whole interior of a threestory house, including twenty-seven doors and an oak floor,
nothing being found for him but the timber," for the beggarly
sum of eighty-seven dollars —a task which no builder would
undertake to-day for less than a thousand dollars. Still, he
declared that, in spite of this poor rate of compensation, he was
enabled to save enough to make a partial payment on a small
dwelling for himself. It required a constant struggle, however,
to live at this rate, and in the winter of 1816, being out of
work, and having a payment on his house to meet in the
spring, he determined to go to Baltimore to seek work during
the winter. He was on the eve of starting, when he learned




318                 GREAT FORTUNES.
that Mr. Eli Terry, the inventor of the wooden clocks which
were so popular fifty years ago, was about to open a large factory for them in an adjoining town. He walked to the town,
and made his application to Mr. Terry, who at once engaged
him at liberal wages. Mr. Terry's factory was then the largest
in the country, and, as he used wooden instead of metal works,
he was able to manufacture his best clocks at fifteen dollars,
and other grades in proportion. This reduction in price largely
increased the sale of his clocks, and in a comparatively short
time after opening his factory, Mr. Terry made and sold about
six thousand clocks a year.
Jerome was determined that he would spare no pains to make
himself master of every detail of clock-making, and applied
himself to the business with so much intelligence and energy,
that by the spring of 1817 he felt himself competent to undertake their manufacture on his own account. He began his
operations very cautiously, at first buying the works already
made, putting them together, and making the cases himself.
When he had finished two or three, he would carry them about
for sale, and as his work was well done, he rarely had any difficulty in disposing of them. Gradually he increased his business, and in a year or two was able to sell every clock he could
make, which kept him constantly busy. A Southern dealer
having seen one of his clocks, was so well pleased with it that
he gave the maker an order for twelve exactly like it, which the
latter agreed to furnish at twelve dollars each. It was an enormous order to Jerome, and seemed to him almost too good to
be real. He completed the clocks at the stipulated time, and
conveyed them in a farmer's wagon to the place where the purchaser had agreed to receive them. The money was paid to him
in silver, and as the broad pieces were counted into his hand,
he was almost ready to weep for joy. One hundred and forty



CHAUNCEY JEROME.                   319
four dollars was the largest sum he had ever possessed at one
time, and it seemed almost a fortune to him. His clocks were
taken to Charleston, South Carolina, and sold. They gave
entire satisfaction; and when, some years later, he commenced
to ship regular consignments to the Southern cities, he found
no difficulty in disposing of his wares.
Mr. Jerome's success was now more decided. He was enabled to pay for his house in a short time, and having, soon
afterward, an opportunity to dispose of it at a fair profit, he
did so, and took clock-works in payment. He bought land and
timber, and paid for them in clocks, and his affairs prospered
so well that, before long, he began to employ workmen to assist
him, and to dispose of his clocks to peddlers and merchants,
instead of carrying them around for sale himself. As his business increased, he invented and patented labor-saving machinery for the manufacture of the various parts of the clock, and
thus greatly decreased the cost of construction. He designed
new and ornamental cases, and exerted himself to render the
exterior of his clocks as tasteful and attractive as possible.
His business now increased rapidly, and he was soon compelled
to take in a partner. He began to ship his clocks to the
Southern States, sending them by sea. They met with a ready
sale, but all his ventures of this kind were subject to serious
risks. The works, being of wood, would frequently become
damp and swollen on the voyage, thus rendering them unfit
for use. Mr. Jerome endeavored in various ways to remedy
this defect, but was finally compelled to admit that, until he
could change the nature of the wood, he could not prevent
it from being influenced by moisture.
He passed many sleepless nights while engaged in seeking this
remedy, for he plainly foresaw that unless the defect could be removed, the days of the wooden clock business were numbered.




320                GREAT FORTUNES.
In the midst of his depression, the idea occurred to him, one
night while lying awake, that the works of a clock could be
manufactured as cheaply of brass as of wood. The thought came
to him with the force of a revelation. He sprang out of bed, lit
his candle, and passed the rest of the night in making calcula-,
tions which proved to him that he could not only make brass
works as cheaply as wooden ones, but, by the employment
of certain labor-saving machinery, at a cost decidedly less.
There was one important obstacle in his way, however. The
machinery requisite for cutting brass works cheaply was not in
existence. Before making known his plans, Mr. Jerome set to
work to invent the clock-making machinery which has made
him famous among American inventors. When he had completed it, he commenced to make brass clocks, which he sold at
such a low price that wooden clocks were speedily driven out
of the market. Little by little, he brought his machinery to
perfection, applying it to the manufacture of all parts of the
clock; and to-day, thanks to his patience and genius, clockmaking in the United States has become a very simple affair.
By the aid of Jerome's machinery, one man and one boy can
saw veneers enough for three hundred clock cases in a single
day. By the aid of this same machinery, six men can manufacture the works of one thousand clocks in a day; and a factory employing twenty-five workmen can turn out two thousand
clocks per week. By the aid of this same machinery, the total
cost of producing a good clock of. small size has been brought
down to forty cents.
As the reader will suppose, Jerome made a large fortune —a
princely fortune-for himself, and entirely revolutionized the
clock-making trade of the Union. Thanks to him, scores of
fortunes have been made by other manufacturers also, and
American clocks have become famous all over the world for




CHAUNCEY JEROME.                 321
their excellence and cheapness. "Go where you will, in
Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, you will be sure to come
upon Yankee clocks. To England they go by the shipload.
Germany; France, Russia, Spain, Italy, all take large quantities.
Many have been sent to China and to the East Indies. At
Jerusalem, Connecticut clocks tick on many a shelf, and travelers have found them far up the Nile, in Guinea, at the Cape of
Good Hope, and in all the accessible places of South America."
After conducting his-business for some years, Mr. Jerome organized the Jerome Cloqck-Making Company, of New Haven.
It began its operations with a large capital, and conducted
them upon an extensive scale. In a few years Mr. Jerome retired from the active management of its affairs, but continued
nominally at its head as its president. He built for himself an
elegant mansion in New Haven, where he gathered about him
his family and the friends which his sterling qualities and upright character had drawn to him, and here he hoped to pass
the remainder of his days.
He was doomed to a bitter disappointment. Although nominally at the head of the Clock Company, he left its control
entirely to his partners, who, by injudicious management,.
brought it at length to the verge of bankruptcy. They made
energetic efforts to ward off the final catastrophe, but without.
success, and in 1860, almost before Mr. Jerome was aware of
the full extent of the trouble, the Company was ruined. Its
liabilities were heavy, and every dollar's worth of Jerome's
property was taken to meet them. Honest to the core, he gave
up every thing. His elegant mansion was sold, and he was
forced to remove to an humble cottage, a poorer man thanm
when he had first set up for himself as a carpenter.
He was not the man to repine, however, and he at once
began to look about him for employment. He was sixty-seven
21




322                GREAT FORTUNES.
years old, and it was hard to go out into the world to earn his
bread again, but he bore his misfortunes bravely, and soon succeeded in obtaining the employment he desired. The great
Clock Company of Chicago engaged him at a liberal salary to
superintend their manufactory in that city, which position he
still holds. The Company manufacture his own clocks, and
are fortunate in having the benefit of his genius and experience.
Were he a younger man, there can be no doubt that he would
win a second fortune equal to that which was swept from him
so cruelly, through no fault of his own. As it is, we can only
venture to hope that his sturdy independence and indomitable
energy will provide him with the means of passing the closing
years of his life in comfort. Few men have done the world'better service, er'been more worthy of its rewards.








I PON~~~~~~~U...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~u




ELIAS HOWE.                   323
CHA PTE R XVII.
ELIAS HOWE, JR.
NE of the busiest parts of the busy thoroughfare
of Broadway, in the city of New  York, is the
point of its intersection with Fourth Street.
Thousands and tens of thousands of people pass
and repass there daily, but few ever pause to look
at the curious machine which stands in the window of
the shop at the north-west corner of these two streets. This
machine, clumsy and odd-looking as it is, nevertheless has
a history which makes it one of the most interesting of all the
sights of the great city. It is the first sewing-machine that
was ever made.
ELIAS HOWE, its maker, was born in the town of Spencer,
Massachusetts, in 1819. He was one of eight children, and it
was no small undertaking on the part of his father to provide
a maintenance for such a household. Mlr. Howe, Sen., was a
farmer and miller, and, as was the custom at that time in the
country towns of New England, carried on in his family some
of those minor branches of industry suited to the capacity of
children, with which New England abounds. When Elias was
six years old, he was set, with his brothers and sisters, to sticking wire teeth through the leather straps used for making cotton cards. When he became old enough he assisted his father




324                GREAT FORTUNES.
in his saw-mill and grist-mill, and during the winter months
picked up a meager education at the district school. He has
said that it was the rude and imperfect mills of his father that
first turned his attention to machinery. He was not fitted for
hard work, however, as he was frail in constitution and incapable of bearing much fatigue.  Moreover, he inherited a
species of lameness which proved a great obstacle to any undertaking on his part, and gave him no little trouble all through
life. At the age of eleven he went to live out on the farm of
a neighbor, but the labor proving too severe for him, he returned home and resumed his place in his father's mills, where
he remained until he was sixteen years old.
When at this age, he conceived an ardent desire to go to
Lowell to seek his fortune.  One of his friends had just returned from that place, and had given him such a wonderful
description of the city and its huge mills, that he was eager to
go there and see the marvel for himself. Obtaining his father's
consent, he went to Lowell, and found employment as a learner
in one of the large cotton-mills of the city. He remained there
two years, when the great financial disaster of 1837 threw him
out of employment and compelled him to look for work elsewhere. He obtained a place at Cambridge, in a machine-shop,
and was put to work upon the new hemp-carding machinery
of Professor Treadwell.  His cousin, Nathaniel P. Banks,
afterward governor of Massachusetts, member of Congress, and
major-general, worked in the same shop with him, and boarded
at the same house. Howe remained in Cambridge only a few
months, however, and was then given a place in the machineshop of Ari Davis, of Boston.
At the age of twenty-one he married. This was a rash step
for him, as his health was very delicate, and his earnings were
but nine dollars per week. Three children were born to him




ELIAS HOWE.                    325
in quick succession, and he found it no easy task to provide
food, shelter, and clothing for his little family. The lightheartedness for which he bad formerly been noted entirely deserted him, and he became sad and melancholy. His health
did not improve, and it was with difficulty that he could perform his daily task. His strength was so slight that he would
frequently return home from  his day's work too much exhausted to eat. He could only go to bed, and in his agony he
wished "to lie in bed forever and ever."  Still he worked
faithfully and conscientiously, for his wife and children were
very dear to him; but he did so with a hopelessness which
only those who have tasted the depths of poverty can understand.
About this time he heard it said that the great necessity of
the age was a machine for doing sewing. The immense amount
of fatigue incurred and the delay in hand-sewing were obvious,
and it was conceded by all who thought of the matter at all
that the man who could invent a machine which would remove
these difficulties would make a fortune. Howe's poverty inclined him to listen to these remarks with great interest. No
man needed money more than he, and he was confident that his
mechanical skill was of an order which made him as competent
as any one else to achieve the task proposed. He set to work
to accomplish it, and, as he knew well the dangers which surround an inventor, kept his own counsel. At his daily labor, in
all his waking hours, and even in his dreams, he brooded over
this invention. He spent many a wakeful night in these meditations, and his health was far from being benefited by this
severe mental application.  Success is not easily won in any
great undertaking, and Elias Howe found that he had entered
upon a task which required the greatest patience, perseverance,
energy, and hopefulness. He watched his wife as she sewed,




326                  GREAT FORTUNES.
and his first effort was to devise a machine which should do
what she was doing.  He made a needle pointed at both ends,
with the eye in the middle, that should work up and down
through the cloth, and carry the thread through at each thrust;
but his elaboration of this conception would not work satisfactorilv.  It was not until 1844, fully a year after lhe began the
attempt to invent the machine, that he came to the conclusion
~;                    _
HOWE'S FIRST IDEA  OF THE SEWING-MACHINE.
that the movement of a machine need not of necessity be an
imitation of the performance of the hand.  It was plain to him
that there must be another stitch, and that if he could discover
it his difficulties would all be ended. A little later he conceived
the idea of using two threads, and forming a stitch by the aid
of a shuttle and a curved needle with the eye near the point.
This was the triumph of hlis skill. He had now invented a
perfect sewing-ma&ine, and had discovered the essential principles of every subsequent modification of his conception. Satisfied that he had at length solved the problem, n he constructed
a rough model of his machine of wood and wire, in October,




ELIAS HOWE.                      327
1844, and operated it to his perfect satisfaction. His invention
is thus described:
"He used a needle and a shuttle of novel construction, and
combined them  with holding surfaces, feed mechanism  and
other devices, as they had never before been brought together
in one machine..           One of the principal features of
Mr. Howe's invention is the combination of a grooved needle,
having an eye near its point, and vibrating in the direction of
its length, with a side-pointed shuttle for effecting a locked
stitch, and forming, with the threads, one on each side of the
cloth, a firm and lasting seam not easily ripped. The main
action of the machine consists in the interlocking of the loop,
made by the thread carried in the point of the needle through
the cloth, with another thread passed through this loop by
means of a shuttle entering and leaving it at every stitch.
The thread attached to this shuttle remains in the loop and
secures the stitch as the needle is withdrawn to be ready to
make the next one. At the same time the cloth, held by little
projecting pins to the baster plate, is carried along with this
by what is called the'feed motion' just the length of a stitch,
the distance being readily adjusted for finer or coarser work.. a..  The cloth is held in a vertical position in the
machine, and the part to be sewed is pressed against the side
o5' the shuttle-race by a presser plate hinged on its upper
edge, and capable of exerting any required pressure on the
cloth, according as the adjusting screw that regulates it is
turned. A slot, or perforation through the plate, also extended
through the side of the shuttle-race near the bottom, admits the
passage of the needle; and when this is pushed in the shuttle
can still pass freely over it. The shuttle is pushed one way
and then the other through its race or trough by picker
staves.  The thread for the needle is supplied by a bobbin,




328                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the movement of which is checked by a friction band, this
securing the proper tension, and the slack of the thread is
duly taken up by a suitable contrivance for the purpose.
Thus, all the essential features of the most approved sewingmachine were first found in that of Mr. Howe; and the
machines of later date are, in fact, but modifications of it."
At this time, he had abandoned his work as a journeyman
mechanic, and had removed to his father's house. Mr. Howe,
Sen., had established in Cambridge a machine-shop for the
cutting of strips of palm-leaf used in the manufacture of hats.
Elias and, his family lived under his father's roof, and in the
garret of the house the half-sick inventor put up a lathe,
where he did a little work on his own account, and labored
on his sewing-machine. He was miserably poor, and could
scarcely earn enough to provide food for his family; and, to
make matters worse, his father, who was disposed to help him,
lost his shop and its contents by fire. Poor Elias was in a
most deplorable condition. IHe had his model in his head,
and was fully -satisfied of its excellence, but he had not the
money to buy the materials needed in making a perfect machine, which would have to be constructed of steel and iron,
and without which he could not hope to convince others of its
value. His great invention was useless to him without the
five hundred dollars which he needed in the construction of a.working model.
In this dilemma, he applied to a friend, Mr. George Fisher,
a coal and wood merchant of Cambridge, who was a man of
some means. He explained his invention to him, and succeeded in forming a partnership with him. Fisher agreed to
take Howe and his family to board with him while the latter
was making the machine, to allow his garret to be used as a
workshop, and to advance the five hundred dollars necessary




ELIAS HOWE.                     329
for the purchase of tools and the construction of a model. In
return for this he was to receive one-half of the patent, if
Howe succeeded in patenting his machine. About the first of
December, 1844, Howe and his family accordingly moved into
Fisher's house, and the little workshop was set up in the
garret. All that winter he worked on his model. There was
little to delay him in its construction, as the conception was
perfectly clear in his mind. He worked all day, and sometimes nearly all night, and in April, 1845, had his machine so
far advanced that he sewed a seam with it. By the middle of
May the machine was completed, and in July he sewed with it
the seams of two woolen suits, one for himself and the other
for Mr. Fisher. The sewing was so well done that it outlasted
the cloth.
It has been stated by Professor Renwick and other scientific
men that Elias Howe "carried the invention of the sewingmachine further on toward its complete and final utility than
any other inventor has ever brought a first-rate invention at
the first trial." Those who doubt this assertion should examine
the curious machine at the corner of Broadway and Fourth
Street, and their doubts will be dispelled; for they will find in
it all the essentials of the best sewing-machine of to-day.
Having patented his machine, Howe endeavored to bring it
into use. He was full of hope, and had no doubt that it would
be adopted at once by those who were so much interested in
the saving of labor. He first offered it to the tailors of Boston; but they, while admitting its usefulness, told him it would
never be adopted by their trade, as it would ruin them. Considering the number of machines now used by the tailoring
interest throughout the world, this assertion seems ridiculous.
Other efforts were equally unsuccessful. Every one admitted
and praised the ingenuity of the machine, but no one would




330               GREAT FORTUNES.
invest a dollar in it. Fisher became disgusted, and withdrew
from his partnership, and Howe and his family moved back to
his father's house. Thoroughly disheartened, he abandoned his
machine. He then obtained a place as engineer on a railroad,
and drove a locomotive until his health entirely broke down.
With the loss of his health his hopes revived, and he determlined to seek in England the victory which he had failed
to win here. Unable to go himself, he sent his machine by his
brother Amasa, in October, 1846. Upon reaching London,
Amasa sought out Mr. William Thomas, of Cheapside, and explained to him his brother's invention. He found Mr. Thomas
willing to use the machine in his business, but upon terms more
favorable to himself than to the inventor. He offered the sum
of twelve hundred and fifty dollars for the machine which
Amasa Howe had brought with him, and agreed to pay Elias
fifteen dollars per week if he would enter his service, and
adapt the machine' to his business of umbrella and corset
making. As this was his only hope of earning a livelihood,
Elias accepted the offer, and, upon his brother's return to the
United States, sailed for England. He remained in Mr.
Thomas's employ for about eight months, and at the end of
that time left him, having found him  hard, exacting, and
unreasonable.
Meanwhile his sick wife and three children had joined him
in London, and he had found it hard to provide for them on
the wages given him by Mr. Thomas; but after being thrown
out of employment his condition was desperate indeed. He
was in a strange country, without friends or money, and often
he and his little family went whole days without food. Their
sufferings were very great, but at length Howe was able (probably by assistance from home) to send his family back to his
father's house. He himself remained in London, still hoping




ELIAS,,)IOWE.                  331
to bring his machine into use. It was in vain, however, and
so, collecting what few household goods he had acquired in
England, he shipped them  to America, and followed them
thither himself in another vessel, pawning his model and patent
papers to pay his passage. When he landed in New York he
had half a crown in his pocket, and there came to him on the
same day a letter telling him that his wife was dying with consumption in Cambridge. He could not go to her at once, as he
had no money, and was too feeble to undertake the distance on
foot. He was compelled to wait several days until he could
obtain the money for his fare to Cambridge, but at length succeeded in reaching that place just in time to see his wife die.
In the midst of his grief he received the announcement that
the vessel containing the few household goods which he had
shipped from England had been lost at sea. It seemed to him
that Fate was bent upon destroying him, so rapid and stunning were the blows she dealt him.
But a great success was now in store for him, and he was to
rise out of his troubles to the realization of his brightest hopes.
Soon after his return home he obtained profitable employment,
and, better still, discovered that his machine had become famous
during his absence. Fac-similes of it had been constructed by
unscrupulous mechanics, who paid no attention to the patents
of the inventor, and these copies had been exhibited in many
places as "wonders," and had even been adopted in many
important branches of manufacture. Howe at once -set to work
to defend his rights. He found friends to aid him, and in
August, 1850, began those famous suits which continued for
four years, and were at length decided in his favor. His adversaries made a bold resistance, but the decision of Judge
Sprague, in 1854, settled the matter, and triumphantly established the rights of the inventor.




332                GREAT FORTUNES.
In 1850, Howe removed to New York, and began in a small
way to manufacture machines to order. He was in partnership
with a Mr. Bliss, but for several years the business was so unimportant that upon the death of his partner, in 1855, he was
enabled to buy out that gentleman's interest, and thus become
the sole proprietor of his patent. Soon after this his business
began to increase, and continued until his own proper profits
and the royalty which the courts compelled other manufacturers to pay him for the use of his invention grew front $300
to $200,000 per annum. In 1867, when the extension of his
patent expired, it is stated that he had earned a total of two
millions of dollars by it. It cost him large sums to defend his
rights, however, and he was very far from being as wealthy as
was commonly supposed, although a very rich man.
In the Paris Exposition of 1867, he exhibited his machines,
and received the gold medal of the Exposition, and the Cross
of the Legion of Honor, in addition, as a compliment to him as
a manufacturer and inventor.
He contributed money liberally to the aid of' the Union in
the late war, and enlisted as a private soldier in the Seventeenth
Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, with which command he
went to the field, performing all the duties of his position until
failing health compelled him to leave the service. Upon one
occasion the Government was so much embarrassed that it
could not pay the regiment of which he was a member. Mr.
Howe promptly advanced the money, and his comrades were
saved from the annoyances which would have attended the
delay in paying them. He died at Brooklyn, Long Island, on
the 3d of October, 1867.
Mr. Howe will always rank among the most distinguished
of American inventors; not only because of the unusual degree
of completeness shown in his first conception of the sewing



ELIAS HOWE.  333
machine, but because of the great benefits which have sprung
from it. It has revolutionized the industry of the world,
opened new sources of wealth to enterprise, and lightened the
labor of hundreds of thousands of working people. Many a
pale-faced, hollow-eyed woman, who formerly sat sewing her
life away for a mere pittance, blesses the name of Elias Howe,
and there is scarcely a community in the civilized world but
contains the evidence of his genius, and honors him as the
benefactor of the human race.




334                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER XVIII.
RICHARD M. HOE.
0 write the complete history of the printing press
would require years of patient labor and research,
and a much larger space than the limits of the
present work will permit. There are few subjects more attractive or more worthy of consideration than the history of this wonderful invention, which seems
more like a romance than a narration of facts. The historian
who should essay the task would be required to carry his
reader back to the darkest ages of the world, and, beginning
with the stamps used for affixing hieroglyphical characters to
the now crumbling ruins of Egypt and Nineveh, trace the
gradual development of the beneficent conception from the
signets of the Israelites, and the stamps used by the Romans
for marking certain kinds of merchandise, through the rude
process of the Chinese, Japanese, and Tartars, to the invention
of Johannes Guttenberg, and, finally, to the wonderful lightning steam-presses of to-day.
In these pages it is not proposed to offer to the reader any
such narrative. On the contrary, the story of the printing
press will be taken up just as it was on the point of reaching its
greatest perfection, since our subject concerns only the man
who brought it to that state.




RICHARD M.t HOE.                335
This man, RICHARD MARCH HOE by name, was born in the
city of New York, on the 12th of September, 1812. His father,
Robert Hoe, was a native of the village of Hose, Leicester,
England, and the son of a wealthy farmer. Disliking his father's pursuit, he apprenticed himself to a carpenter. When only
sixteen years old, the elder Hoe purchased his indentures from
his master and sailed for the United States. He was almost
penniless when he reached New York, and in this condition
entered the store of Mr. Grant Thorb-urn one day in search of
employment. Mr. Thorburn manifested a sudden and strong
liking to the youth, took him to his own house, and when he
was prostrated with the yellow fever, during the epidemic of
1804, nursed him tenderly throughout. Setting to work immediately upon his arrival in New York, he made friends rapidly,
and prospered in his trade so well that when but twenty years
old he was able to marry. His bride was a daughter of Matthew
Smith, of Westchester, and a sister of Peter Smith, the inventor of the hand printing press, which bears his name. With this
gentleman and Matthew Smith, jr., his brother, Robert Hoe
entered into partnership. Their business was that of carpentering and printers' joinery; but after Peter Smith had completed
the invention of his hand press, it gradually grew into the
manufacture: of presses and printers' materials. Both of the
brothers died in 1823, and Robert Hoe succeeded to the entire
business.
The manufactory of "Robert Hoe & Co." was originally
located in the centre of the old block between Pearl and William Streets, and Pine Street and Maiden Lane. Soon after
their establishment there, the city authorities ran Cedar Street
right through their building, and they removed to Gold Street,
near John. They have been twice burned out here, but still
occupy these premises with their counting-room and lower shop.




336                GREAT FORTUNES.
Printing by steam had long attracted the attention of persons
engaged in the art, and many essays had been made in this
direction by different inventors, both in this country and in
Europe. The most successful results were the Adams press,
the invention of Mr. Isaac Adams, of Boston, Mass., and the
Napier press, that of a British artisan. It was the latter which
was the means of identifying Mr. Hoe with the steam press.
The Napier press was introduced into this country in 1830,
by the proprietors of the National Intelligencer, but when it arrived, these gentlemen were not able to release it from the Custom-house. Major Noah, himself the proprietor of a newspaper, was at that time Collector of the port of New York,
and he, being anxious to see the press in operation, requested
Mr. Hoe to put it together. Mr. Hoe performed this task successfully, although the press was a novelty to him, and was permitted to take models of its various parts before it was reshipped to England. It was found to be a better press than
any that had ever been seen in this country, and the Commercial Advertiser, of New York, and the Chronicle, of Philadelphia, at once ordered duplicates of it from England.
Mr. Hoe was very much pleased with this press, but believed
that he could construct a much better one. "To this end he
despatched his new partner, Mr. Sereno Newton, to England to
examine all the improvements in machinery there, and bring
home samples of such as he thought might be advantageously
adopted in this country. Mr. Newton, besides being an ingenious mechanic, was well-read in books, and was considered
one of the first mathematicians in New  York.  Returning from his mission, he constructed a new two-cylinder press,
which soon superseded all others then in use." Mr. Hoe's
health failed, compelling him, in 1832, to retire from the
business.




RICHARD M. HOE.                   337
Young Richard M. Hoe had been brought up in his father's
business, after receiving a fair education. He inherited his
father's inventive genius, combined with  a rare business
capacity, and from the first was regarded as the future hope of
the establishment.  Upon the withdrawal of his father, a partnership was established between himself, his brother Robert,
Mr. Newton, and his cousin Matthew Smith, but the style of
the firm remained unchanged.
Richard Hoe's first invention was conceived in 1837, and.
consisted of a valuable improvement in the manufacture of
grinding saws. Having obtained a patent for it in the Unite&d
States, he visited England in that year for the same purpose~.
By his process circular saws may be ground with accuracy to
any desired thickness. He readily obtained a patent in Enggland, as the excellence of his invention commended it to every
one. While there he gave especial attention to the improvements Wvhich had been made in the printing press, in the manufacture of which his firm was still largely engaged. Returning to New York, he devoted himself entirely to this branch of
his business, and soon produced the machine known as'"Hoe's
Double-Cylinder Press," which was capable of niking aabout
six thousand impressions per hour. The first ]resst of this
kind ever made was ordered by the New Yorl, Saun,,and was,
the admiration of all the printers of the city.I This. style of
press is now  used extensively for printing country newspapers.
As long as the newspaper interest of the couantry stood still,
"Hoe's Double-Cylinder Press" was amply sufficient for its
wants, but as the circulation of the journals of the large cities
began to increase, the "'double-cylinder'" was. often taxed far
beyond its powers. A printing press capable of striking off
papers with much greater rapidity was felt to. be an imperative
22




338                  GREAT FORTUNES.
and still-increasing need. It was often necessary to hold the
forms back until nearly daylight for the purpose of issuing the
latest news, and in the hurry which ensued to get out the
morning edition, the press very frequently met with accidents.
Mr. Hoe was fully alive to the importance of improving his
press, and, in 1842, he began to experiment with it for the
purpose of obtaining greater speed. It was a serious undertaking, however, and at every step fresh difficulties arose. He.spent four years in experimenting, and at the end of that time
rwras almost ready to confess that the obstacles were too great to
b6 overcome.  One night, in 1846, while in this mood, he resumed his experiments. The more he pondered over the subject the maore difficult it seemed.  In despair, he was about to
relinquish the effort for the night, when suddenly there flashed
across his mind a plan for securing the type on a horizontal
cylinder. This had been his great difficulty, and he now felt
that he had maastered it.  He sat up all night, working out his
design, and maliailg a note of every idea that occurred to him,
in order that naofthing should escape him. By morning the
problem whidh had baffled him so long had been solved, and
the magnificent'" Lightning Press" already had a being in the
inventor's fertile brain.
He carried ihis model rapidly to perfection, and, proceeding
with it to Washiangtoin, obtained a patent. On his return home
he met Mr.'S-wain, the proprietor of the Baltimore Sun and
Philadelphia Lecder, and explained his invention to him. Mr.
Swain was,so nacch pleased with it that he at once ordered a
four-cylinder press, which was completed and ready for use on
the 31st of December, 1848. This press was capable of making
ten thousand impressions per hour, and did its work with entire satisfaction in every respect.
This was a success absolutely unprecedented-so marked, in




RICHARD M. HOE.                  339
fact, that some persons were inclined to doubt it. The news
flew rapidly from city to city, and across the ocean to foreign
lands, and soon wherever a newspaper was printed men were
talking of Hoe's wonderful invention. Orders came pouring
in upon the inventor with such rapidity that he soon had as
many on hand as he could fill in several years. In a comparatively brief period the Herald, Tribune, and Sun, of New
York, were boasting of their "Lightning Presses," and soon
the Traveller and Daily Journal, in Boston, followed their example. Mr. Hoe was now not only a famous man, but possessed of an assured business for the future, which was certain
to result in a large fortune. By the year 1860, besides supplying the principal cities of the Union (fifteen lightning
presses being used in the city of New York alone), he had
shipped eighteen presses to Great Britain, four to France, and
one to Australia. Two of the presses sent to England were
ordered for the London Times.
Mr. Hoe continued to improve his invention, adding additional cylinders as increased speed was desired, and at length
brought it to the degree of perfection exhibited in the splendid
ten-cylinder press now in use in the offices of our leading journals, which strikes off twenty-five thousand sheets per hour.
Whether more will be accomplished with this wonderful machine the future alone canll determine, but the inventor is said
to be still laboring to improve it.
In 1858, Mr. Hoe purchased the patent rights and manufactory of Isaac Adams, in Boston, and since then has carried on
the manufacture of the Adams press from that place. He has
also established a manufactory in England, where he conducts a
profitable business in both the Adams and the Hoe press. Over
a million and a half of dollars are invested in these establishments in New York, Boston, and London, in land, buildings,




340                  GREAT FORTUNES.
and stock. The firm  manufacture presses of all kinds, and
all materials used by printers except type and ink.  They
also manufacture circular saws, made according to Mr. Hoe's
process.
Mr. Hoe, now fifty-eight years of age, is still as vigorous and
active as many a younger man.  Besides being one of the most
prominent and distinguished inventors and manufacturers in
the country, he is justly esteemed for his many virtues and his
commanding business talents. He is still the active head of the
house which he has carried to such a brilliant success, and is
the possessor of an ample fortune, which his genius and industry
have secured to him. He is courteous and obliging to all, and
very liberal to those whose needs commend them to his benevolence.
The ten-cylinder press costs fifty thousand dollars, and is
regarded as cheap at that immense sum.  It is one of the most
interesting inventions ever made.  Those who have seen it
working in the subterranean press-rooms of the journals of the
great metropolis will not soon forget the wonderful sight.  The
ear is deafened with the incessant clashing of the machinery; the
printed sheets issue from the sides of the huge engine in an unceasing stream; the eye is bewildered with the mass of lines and
bands; and it seems har'd to realize that one single mind could
ever have adjusted all the various parts to work harmoniously.
The following is a description of the ten-cylinder steam
printing-press now used in the office of the New York World.
It is one of the best specimens of its kind to be seen in the
great city:
The dimensions of the press are as follows: Entire length, 40 feet;
width, 15 feet; height, 16 feet. The large horizontal cylinder in the
center is about 41 feet in diameter, and on it are placed the "forms " of
type for the four pages of one side of the paper. Each of these consti



RICHARD M. HOE.                        341
tutes a segment of a circle, and the whole four occupy a segment of only
about one-fourth of the surface of the cylinder, the other three-fourths
being used as an ink-distributing surface. Around this main cylinder,
and parallel with it, are ten smaller impression cylinders, according to
the number of which a press is termed a four, six, or ten-cylinder press.
The large cylinder being. set in revolution, the form of types is carried
successively to all the impression cylinders, at each of which a sheet is
introduced and receives the impression of the types as the form passes.
Thus as many sheets are printed at each revolution of the main cylinder
as there are impression cylinders around it. One person is required at
each impression cylinder to supply the sheets of paper, which are taken
at the proper moment by fingers or grippers, and after being printed are
conveyed out by tapes and laid in heaps by means of self-acting flyers,
thereby dispensing with the hands required in ordinary machines to
receive and pile the sheets. The grippers hold the sheet securely, so
that the thinnest newspaper can be printed without waste.
The ink is contained in a fountain placed beneath the main cylinder,
and is conveyed by means of distributing rollers to the distributing surface on the main cylinder. This surface being lower or less in diameter than the form of types, passes by the impression cylinders without touching them. For each impression there are two inking rollers,
which receive their supply of ink from the distributing surface of the
main cylinder, and raise and ink the form as it passes under them, after
which they again fall to the distributing surface.
Each page of the paper is locked up on a detached segment of the
large cylinder, called by the compositors a "turtle," and this constitutes
its bed and chase. The column-rules run parallel with the shaft of the
cylinder, and are consequently straight, while the head, advertising, and
dash-rules are in the form of segments of a circle. The column-rules are
in the form of a wedge, with the thin part directed toward the axis of
the cylinder, so as to bind the type securely, and at the same time to
keep the ink from collecting between the types and the rules. They are
held down to the bed by tongues projecting at intervals along their
length, which slide into rebated grooves, cut crosswise in the face of the
bed. The spaces in the grooves between the column-rules are accurately
fitted with sliding blocks of metal even with the surface of the bed, the
ends of the blocks being cut away underneath to receive a projection on




342                   GREAT FORTUNES.
the- sides of the tongues of the column-rules. The form of type is locked
up in the bed by means of screws at the foot and sides, by which the type
is held as securely'as in the ordinary manner upon a flat bed, if not even
more- so. The speed of the machine is limited only by the ability of the
feeders to supply the sheets. Twenty-five hundred is about as many as
a man can supply in an hour, and multiplying this by ten-one man
being at each cylinder-we have 25,000 sheets an hour as the capacity
of the press.




SAMUEL COLT.                   343
CHAPTER XIX.
SAMUEL COLT.
AMUEL COLT was born at Hartford, Connecticut, on the 19th of July, 1814. He was descended from one of the original settlers of that
city, and his father, who possessed some means,
was a man of great energy, intelligence, and
enterprise. The senior Colt began life as a merchant, and afterward became a manufacturer of woolen, cotton, and silk goods.
The mother of our hero was the daughter of Major John Caldwell, a prominent banker of HartfIrd, and is said to have been
a woman of superior character and fine mental attainments.
It was within the power of the parents of Samuel Colt to
give him a thorough education, and this they were anxious to
do; but he was always so full of restless energy that he greatly
preferred working in the factory to going to school. He loved
to be where he could hear the busy looms at work, and see the
play of the intricate machinery in the great building. In order
to gratify him, his father placed him in his factory at the age of
ten years, and there he remained for about three years, leaving
it only at rare intervals and for short periods of time, which he
passed in attendance upon school and working on a firm.
When he was thirteen his father declared that he would not
permit him to grow up without an education, and sent him to




344                  GREAT FORTUNES.
a boarding-school at Amherst, Massachusetts.  He did not remain there long, for the spirit of adventure came over him with
such force' that he could not resist it, He ran away from
school and shipped as a boy before the mast on a vessel bound
for the East Indies.  The ship was called the Coreo, and was
commanded by Captain Spaulding.
The voyage was long, and the lad was subjected to great
hardships, which soon convinced him that running away to sea
was not, as romantic in real life as in the books he had read,
THE BOY COLT INVENTING THE REVOLVER.
but his experience, though uncomfortable enough, failed to conquer his restless spirit. While at sea in the Coroo he had an
abundance of leisure time for refletiction  but instead of devotin
it to meditating upon the folly of his course, he spent it in
inventing a revolving pistol, a rough model of which he cut in
wood with his jack-knife.  This was the germ of the invention which afterward gave him such fame, and it is not a little
singular that the conception of such a weapon should have
come to a boy of sourteen.




SAMUEL COLT.                   345
Returning home, he became an apprentice in his father's factory at Ware, Massachusetts. He was put into the dyeing and
bleaching department, and was thoroughly trained in it by Mr.
William T. Smith, a scientific man, and one of the best practical chemists in New England. Young Holt manifested a remarkable aptitude for chemistry, and when but a mere boy was
known as one of the most successful and dexterous manipulators
in New England.
When he had reached his eighteenth year, the old spirit of
restlessness came over him again, and he embarked in an unusually bold undertaking for one so young, in which, however,
he was much favored by the circumstance that he was very
much older in appearance than in reality, commonly passing
for a full-grown man. Assuming the name of Dr. Coult, he
traveled throughout the Union and British America, visiting
nearly every town of two thousand inhabitants and over, lecturing upon chemistry, and illustrating his lectures with a series of
skillful and highly popular experiments. His tour was entirely
successful, and he realized in the two years over which it extended quite a handsome sum. The use which he made of the
money thus acquired was characteristic of the man.
He had never abandoned the design of a revolving pistol
which he had conceived on board the Coroo, and he now set to
work to perfect it, using the proceeds of his lectures to enable
him to take out patents in this country and in Europe. He
spent two years in working on his model, making improvements
in it at every step, and by 1835 had brought it to such a state
of excellence that he was enabled to apply for a patent in the
United States. His application was successful. Before it was
decided, however, he visited England and France, and patented
his invention in those countries. Though now only twenty-one
years old, he had given seven years of study and labor to his




346                 GREAT FORTUNES.
"revolver," and had brought it to a state of perfection which
was far in advance of his early hopes.
"At this time, and, indeed, for several years after, he was not
aware that any person before himself had ever conceived the
idea of a fire-arm with a rotating chambered breech. On a
subsequent visit to Europe, while exploring the collection of
fire-arms in the Tower of London and other repositories of
weapons of war in England and on the continent, he found
several guns having the chambered breech, but all were so constructed as to be of little practical value, being far more liable
to explode prematurely and destroy the man who should use
them than the objects at which they might be aimed. Unwilling, however, to seem to claim that which had been previously
invented, he read before the Institution of Civil Engineers in
England (of which he was the only American associate), in
1851, an elaborate paper on the subject, in which he described
and illustrated, with appropriate drawings, the various early
inventions of revolving fire-arms, and demonstrated the principles on which his were constructed."
Having secured patents in the United States and in the
principal countries of Europe, Mr. Colt exerted himself to organize a company for the manufacture of his revolver. He
met with considerable opposition, for it was commonly asserted
that his pistol would never be of any practical value.  The
wise ones said it was too complicated for general use, and that
its adoption would be attended by the killing or maiming of
the majority of those who used it. The inventor disregarded
these birds of ill omen, however, and, persevering in his efforts,
finally succeeded in securing the aid of some capitalists in 1New
York. A company was formed in 1835, called the "Patent
Arms Company," with a capital of $300,000, and an armory
was established at Paterson, New Jersey. Mr. Colt then




SAMUEL COLT.                   347
endeavored to induce the Government of the United States to
adopt the arm in the military and naval service. Strange as
it now seems, however, the officers of the army and navy were
not disposed to regard the revolver with favor. They declared
that the percussion cap was entirely unreliable, and that no
weapon requiring it could be depended on with certainty; that
there was great danger that two or more of the charges would
explode at the same time; and that the arm was liable to get out
of order very easily. They further protested that it was much
more difficult to repair than the arms then in use, and that this
alone rendered it unfit for adoption by the Government. Notwithstanding these objections were fully met by Mr. Colt, who
explained carefully the principles of his weapon, it was two years
before the Government consented to give the revolver a trial.
In 1837, the Florida war raged with great violence, and the
Seminoles, secure in their fastnesses in the Everglades, were
enabled to bid defiance to all the efforts of the army of the
United States. Their superior skill in the use of the rifle
gave them an advantage which the bravery and determination
of our troops could not overcome. In this emergency, the
Government consented to make a trial of Colt's revolver. A
regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey was armed with this
weapon, and its success was so marked from the first that the
Government promptly gave an order for more, and ended by
making it the principal arm of the troops in Florida. The
savages were astounded and disheartened at seeing the troops
fire six or eight times without reloading; and when the warwas brought to a close, as it soon was, it was plain to all that
the revolver had played a decisive part in the struggle. It
was a great triumph for Colonel Colt, -but in the end proved a
source of misfortune. The speedy termination of the war put
an end to the demand for his weapon, and his business fell off




348                 GREAT FORTUNES.
so greatly that in 1842 the Patent Arms Company was compelled to close its establishment and wind up its affairs.
For five years none of the revolvers were manufactured, and,
meanwhile, the stock which had been put in the market was
entirely exhausted by the demand which had set in from Texas
and the Indian frontier. In 1847 the war with Mexico began,
and General Taylor, who had witnessed the performance of the
revolver in Florida, was anxious to arm the Texan Rangers
with that weapon. He sent Captain Walker, the commander
of the Rangers, to Colonel Colt to purchase a supply. Walker
was unsuccessful. Colt had parted with the last one that he
possessed, and had not even a model to serve as a guide in
making others. The Government now gave him an order for
one thousand, which he agreed to make for $28,000; but there
was still the difficulty caused by having no model to work by.
In this dilemma, he advertised extensively for one of his old
pistols, to serve as a model, but failing to procure one, was.
compelled to make a new model. This was really a fortunate
circumstance, as he made several improvements in the weapon,
which officers who had used it suggested to him, so that his
weapons were very much better than the old ones. Having no
factory of his own, Colonel Colt hired an armory at Whitneyville, near New Haven, where he produced the first thousand
pistols ordered by the Government. These gave entire satisfaction, and further orders from  the War Department came in
rapidly. Colonel Colt now hired and fitted up larger and more
complete workshops in Hartford, and began business on his own
account, supplying promptly every order that was given him,
The weapon proved most effective during the Mexican War,
and the orders of the Government were sufficiently large to
allow the inventor to reap a handsome profit from them, and
lay the foundations of his subsequent business success.




SAM1UEL COLT.                  349
At the close of the war, Colonel Colt was apprehensive that
the demand for his weapon would again drop off, as it had done
after the Florida campaign; but he was agreeably disappointed.
The success of the revolver in Mexico had made it generally
and favorably known throughout the country, and there was
now a steady and even a growing demand for it. The discovery
of gold in California, which so quickly followed the cessation
of hostilities, greatly stimulated this demand, for the most
essential part of the gold seeker's outfit was a revolver; and
the extraordinary emigration to Australia, which set in somewhat later, still further extended the market for his weapon.
Convinced by this time that there would be no considerable
falling off' in his orders, Colonel Colt began to take steps to
assure the permanency of his business.
The experience of the American officers during the Mexican
War enabled them to point out many improvements to the inventor, who promptly adopted them. This made his pistol
almost a new weapon, and the most formidable small arm
then in use.  He obtained a new patent for it, as thus improved, and it was adopted by the Government as the regular arm of the army and navy, different sizes being made for
each service. The Crimean and Indian wars, which followed
soon after, brought the inventor large orders from the British Government, and during the next few years his weapon
was formally introduced into the armies of the leading States
of Europe.
His success was so rapid that, as early as 1851, it became
necessary to provide still more ample accommodations for his
manufactory. The next year he began the execution of a plan,
the magnitude of which caused many of his friends to tremble
for his future prosperity. He resolved to build the largest and
most perfect armory in the world, one which should enable him




350                 GREAT FORTUNES.
to manufacture his weapons with greater rapidity and nicety
than had ever yet been possible.
Just to the south of the Little or Mill River there was a
piece of meadow land, about two hundred and fifty acres in
extent, generally regarded as useless, in consequence of its
being submerged every spring by the freshets in the river.
Colonel Colt bought this meadow for a nominal sum, and, to
the astonishment of the good people of Hartford, proceeded
to surround it with a strong dike, or embankment.  This
embankment was two miles in length, one hundred and fifty
feet wide at the base, from  thirty to sixty feet wide at the
top, -and from  ten to twenty-five feet high.  Its strength
was further increased by planting willows along the sides;
and it was thoroughly tested just after its completion by
a freshet of unusual severity. Having drained the meadow,
Colonel Colt began the erection of his armory upon the
land inclosed by the embankment.  It was constructed of
Portland stone, and consisted of three buildings-two long
edifices, with a third connecting them in the center, the whole
being in the form of the letter H. The front parallel was five
hundred by sixty feet, the rear parallel five hundred by forty
feet, and the central building two hundred and fifty by fifty
feet-the front parallel and central building being three stories
in height. Connected with these buildings were other smaller
edifices for offices, warerooms, watchmen's houses, etc.
In 1861, the demand for the arms had become so enormous
that the armory was doubled in size, the new buildings being
similar in style to the old. "In this establishment there is
ample accommodation for the manufacture of one thousand
fire-arms per day," which is more than the arsenals at Harper's Ferry and Springfield combined could turn out in the
same time previous to the war. In 1861, Colt's armory turned




SAMUEL COLT.                   351
out about one hundred and twenty thousand stand of arms,
and in 1860, the two armories before mentioned made about
thirty-five thousand between them. A portion of the armory
at Hartford is devoted to the fabrication of the machinery
invented by Colonel Colt for the manufacture of his pistols.
This machinery is usually sold to all parties purchasing the
right to manufacture the revolver. Colonel Colt supplied in
this way a large part of the machinery used in the Government manufactory at Enfield, in England, and all of that used
in the Imperial armory at Tulin, in Russia. Near the armory,
and in the area inclosed by the dike, Colonel Colt erected a
number of tasteful cottages for his workmen, and warehouses
for other kinds of business. His entire expenditure upon his
land and buildings here amounted to more than two million
five hundred thousand dollars.
"Among his other cares, the intellectual and social welfare
of his numerous employ6s were not forgotten. Few mechanics
are favored with as convenient residences as those he has erected
for them; and a public hall, a library, courses of lectures, concerts, the organization of a fine band of music, formed entirely
from his own workmen, to whom he presented a superb set of
musical instruments, and of a military company of his operatives, provided by him with a tasteful uniform, and otherwise
treated by him with great liberality, were among the methods
by which he demonstrated his sympathy with the sons of
toil."
The Hartford armory is the largest and most complete in the
world, in extent and perfection of machinery. All the articles
needed with the revolver, such as the powder flask, balls, lubricator, bullet molds, cartridges, etc., are made here on a large
scale. The establishment is a noble monument to the inventive
genius and business capacity of its founder.




352                 GREAT FORTUNES.
In addition to his inventions of fire-arms, Colonel Colt
invented a submarine battery, which was thoroughly tested
by the officers of the United States Navy, and is said to be
one of the most formidable engines for harbor defense ever
known,  He also invented a submarine telegraph cable, which
he laid and operated with perfect success, in 1843, from Coney
Island and Fire Island to the city of New York, and from the
Merchants Exchange to the mouth of the harbor. His insulating material consisted of a combination of cotton yarn with
asphaltum and beeswax; the whole was inclosed in a lead pipe.
This was one of the most successful experiments of the early
days of submarine telegraphy, and entitles Colonel Colt to a
conspicuous place in the list of those who brought that science
to perfection.
After the permanent establishment of his business, in 1847
and 1848, Colonel Colt's success was rapid. He acquired a
large fortune, and built an elegant and tasteful mansion in
Hartford, where he resided, surrounded with all the luxuries of wealth and taste. In 1855, he married Miss Elizabeth
Jarvis, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Jarvis, of Portland, Connecticut, a lady of great beauty and superior character and accomplishments. She still survives him.
He repeatedly visited Europe after his settlement at Hartford, and as the excellence of his weapons had made his name
famous the world over, he was the recipient of many attentions
from the most distinguished soldiers of Europe, and even from
some of the monarchs of the Old World. In 1856, being on
a visit to Russia, with his family, he was invited with them
to be present at the coronation of the Emperor Alexander
II.  He was decorated by nearly all the Governments of
Europe, and by some of the Asiatic sovereigns, with orders
of merit, diplomas, medals, and rings, in acknowledgment of




SAMUEL- COLT.                   353
the great services he had rendered to the world by his invention.
He died, at his residence in Hartford, on the 10th of January, 1862, in the forty-eighth year of his age. The community of which he was a member lost in him one of its most
enterprising and public-spirited citizens, and the country one
of the best representatives of the American character it has
ever produced.




354                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER XX.
SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.
AMiUEL FINLEY  BREESE MORSE is the
eldest son of the late Jedkdiah Morse, one of the
most distinguished Presbyterian clergymen of
-~~  New England. He was born at Charlestown,
Massachusetts, on the 27th of April, 1791, was
carefully educated in the common schools of his native town,
and at an early age entered Yale College, where he graduated
in 1810. He exhibited an early fondness for art as well as
studies of a scientific character, and while a student at Yale
displayed an especial aptness for chemistry ard natural philosophy. Upon leaving college he decided to adopt the profession
of an artist, and was sent abroad to study under the tuition of
West and Copley and Allston.
"When Allston was painting his'Dead Man Restored to
Life,' in London," says Mr. Tuckerman, in his Book of the
Artists, S"he first modeled his figure in clay, and explained to
Morse, whe was then his pupil, the advantages resulting from
a plan so frequently adopted by the old masters. His young
countryman was at this time meditating his first compositiona dying Hercules-and proceeded at once to act upon this suggestion. Having prepared a model that exhibited the upper
part of the body —which alone would be visible in the picture



:  ~~~~~~O 
M,3SAMUEI, F. 13. M 0 R S E.~~.   I







SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.                355
he submitted it to Allston, who recognized so much truth in
the anatomy and expression that he urgently advised its completion. After six weeks of careful labor, the statue was finished
and sent to West for inspection. That venerable artist, upon
entering the room, put on his spectacles, and as he walked
around the model, carefully examining its details and general
effect, a look of genuine satisfaction beamed from his face. He
rang for an attendant and bade him call his son.'Look here,
Raphael,' he exclaimed, as the latter appeared;'did I not
always tell you that every painter could be a sculptor?' We
may imagine the delight of the student at such commendation.
The same day one of his fellow pupils called his attention to a
notice issued by the Adelphi Society of Arts, offering a prize for
the best single figure, to be modeled and sent to the rooms of
the association within a certain period. The time fixed would
expire in three days.  Morse profited by the occasion, and
placed his' Dying Hercules' with the thirteen other specimens
already entered. He was consequently invited to the meeting
of the society on the evening when the decision was to be announced, and received from the hands'of the Duke of Norfolk,
the presiding officer, and in the presence of the foreign ambassadors, the gold medal. Perhaps no American ever started in the
career of an artist under more flattering auspices; and we can
nrot wonder that a beginning so successful encouraged the young
Painter to devote himself assiduously to study, with a view of
returning to his own country fully prepared to illustrate the
historical department of the art."
Morse spent four years in Europe in close study, and was
then obliged to return to America by lack of means to carry on
his education in the Old World. He had not indeed reached
the high degree of proficiency which he had hoped to obtain
before returning home, but he was possessed of natural talents




356                 GREAT FORTUNES.
and acquired skill which fairly entitled him to recognition as
one of our leading artists. This recognition never came to him,
however, and his artist life in this country was a series of sorrowful disappointments. He found no opportunity of devoting
himself to the higher branches of his art, and was obliged to
confine himself entirely to portrait painting as a means of
livelihood.  His artist career is thus referred to by Mr.
Tuckerman:
"Morse went abroad under the care of Allston, and was the
pupil of West and Copley. Hence he is naturally regarded by
a later generation as the connecting bond that unites the present
and the past in the brief annals of our artist history. But his
claim to such recognition does not lie altogether in the fact that
he was a pioneer; it has been worthily evidenced by his constant devotion to the great cause itself. Younger artists speak
of him with affection and respect, because he has ever been
zealous in the promotion of a taste for, and a study of, the fine
arts. Having entered the field at too early a period to realize
the promise of his youth, and driven by circumstances from the
high aims he cherished, misanthropy was never suffered to grow
out of personal disappointment. He gazed reverently upon the
goal it was not permitted him to reach, and ardently encouraged the spirit which he felt was only to be developed when
wealth and leisure had given his countrymen opportunities to
cultivate those tastes upon the prevalence of which the advancement of his favorite pursuit depends. When, after the failure
of one of his elaborate projects, he resolved to establish himself
in New York, he was grieved to find that many petty dissensions kept the artists from each other. He made it his business
to heal these wounds and reconcile the animosities that thus
retarded the progress of their common object. He sought out
and won the confidence of his isolated brothers, and one even



SAMUEL. F. B. MORSE.                357
ing invited them all to his room ostensibly to eat strawberries
and cream, but really to beguile them into something like
agreeable intercourse. He had experienced the good effect of
a drawing club at Charleston, where many of the members
were amateurs; and on the occasion referred to covered his table
with prints, and scattered inviting casts around the apartment.
A very pleasant evening was the result, a mutual understanding
was established, and weekly meetings unanimously agreed upon.
This auspicious gathering was the germ of the National Academy of Design, of which Morse became the first president,
and before which he delivered the first course of lectures on the
fine arts ever given in this country."
In 1829 Mr. Morse went abroad for the purpose of completing his art studies. He remained in Europe for more than
three years, residing in the principal cities of the Continent.
During his absence he was elected "Professor of the Literature of the Fine Arts" in the University of the City of New
York. He set out on his return home to accept this professorship in the autumn of 1832, sailing from Havre on board the
packet-ship "Sully."
AAs has been stated, he had manifested a decided fondness
for Chemistry and Natural Philosophy while at Yale College,
where he was a pupil of Professor Silliman in the former
science, and of Professor Day in the latter, and after his de-.
parture from college he had devoted all his leisure time to the
pursuit of these studies. \So great was his fondness for them
that some of his friends declared their belief that he ought to
abandon art and devote himself to science. In 1826-27 he
had delivered, at the Athenaeum in New York, the course of
fine-art lectures to which reference has been made, and on alternate nights of the same season Professor J. Freeman Dana
had lectured upon electro-magnetism, illustrating his remarks




358'                GREAT FORTUNES.
with the first electro-magnet (on Sturgeon's principle) ever seen
in this country. Morse and Dana had been intimate friends,
and had often held long conversations upon the subject of magnetism, and the magnet referred to had at length been given to
the former by Professor Torrey. The interest which he had
thus conceived in this instrument had never diminished, and
his investigations and studies had never ceased, so that at the
time of his departure from France in the "Sully," in 1832, he
was one of the best informed men upon the subject to be found
in any country.
Among his fellow-passengers were a number of persons at
intelligence and cultivation, one of whom had but recently
witnessed in Paris some highly interesting experiments witka
the electro-magnet, the object of which was to prove haw
readily the electric spark could be obtained from the magnet,
and the rapidity with which it could be disseminated. To
most of the passengers this relation was deeply interesting, but
to all save one it was merely the recital of a curious experiment. That one exception was, Mr. Morse. To him the development of this newly-discovered property of electricity was
more than interesting. It showed him his true mission in life,
the way to his true destiny. Art was not his proper field now,
for however great his abilities as an artist, he was possessed of
genius of a higher, more useful type, and it was henceforth his
duty to employ it. He thought long and earnestly upon the
subject which the words of his fellow-passenger had so freshly
called up, pacing the deck under the silent stars, and rocked in
his wakeful berth by the ocean whose terrors his genius was
to tame, and whose vast depths his great invention was to set
at naught. He had long been convinced that electricity was to
furnish the means of rapid communication between distant
points, of which the world was so much in need; and the ex



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.                359
periments which his new acquaintance had witnessed in Paris
removed from his mind the last doubt of the feasibility of the
scheme. Being of an eminently practical character, he at once
set to work to discover how this could be done, and succeeded
so well that before the " Sully" reached New York he had conceived "not merely the idea of an electric telegraph, but of an
electro-magnetic and chemical recording telegraph, substantially
and essentially as it now exists," and had invented an alphabet of signs, the same in all important respects as that now in
use. "The testimony. to the paternity of the idea in Morse's
mind, and to his acts and drawings on board the ship, is ample.
His own testimony is corroborated by all the passengers (with
a single exception), who testified with him before the courts,
and was considered conclusive by the judges; and the date of
1832 is therefore fixed by this evidence as the date of Morse's
conception, and realization also-so far as the drawings could
embody the conception-of the telegraph system which now
bears his name." 
But though invented in 1832, it was not until 1835 (during
which time he was engaged in the discharge of the duties of
his professorship in the University of the City of New York)
that he was enabled to complete his first recording instrument.
This was but a poor, rude instrument, at the best, and was
very far!from being equal to his perfected invention. It embodied his idea, however, and was a good basis for subsequent
improvements. By its aid he was able to send signals from a
given point to the end of a wire half a mile in length, but as
yet there was no means of receiving them back again from the
other extremity. He continued to experiment on his invention,
and made several improvements in it. It was plain from the
first that he needed a duplicate of his instrument at the other
end of his wire, but he was unable for a long time to have one




360                 GREAT FORTUNES.
made. At length he acquired the necessary funds, and in July,
1837, had a duplicate instrument constructed, and thus perfected his plan. His telegraph now worked to his entire satisfaction, and he could easily send his signals to the remote end
of his line and receive replies in return, and answer signals
sent from that terminus. Having brought it to a successful
completion, he exhibited it to large audiences at the University
of New York, in September, 1837. In October, 1837, Professor Morse filed a caveat to secure his invention, but his
patent was not obtained until 1840.
He now entered upon that period of the inventor's life which
has proved so disastrous to many, and so wearying and disheartening to all-the effort to bring his invention into general
use. It was commonly believed that, although the invention
was successful when used for such short distances as had been
tried in the City of New York, it would fail when tested by
longer lines. Morse was confident, however, that this was not
the case, and in December, 1837, he went to Washington to
solicit from the Government an appropriation for the construction of an experimental line from Washington City to Baltimore-a distance of forty miles. This line he declared would
thoroughly test the practicability and utility of the telegraph.
His petition was laid before Congress, and a committee appointed to consider it. He stated his plan to this body, and
proved its practicability by actual experiments with his instruments. Considerable interest in the subject was thus
aroused in Congress and throughout the country, but he derived no benefit from it. If men spoke of his telegraph, it
was only to ridicule it, or to express their doubts of its success.
This was especially the case in Congress, and it was very uncertain whether that body would sustain the report from the committee in favor of the invention. The session wore away in




SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.                361
this manner, and at length ended without any action being
taken in the matter.
Having failed to secure the assistance of Congress, Professor
Morse went to Europe in the spring of 1838, for the purpose
of enlisting the aid of the governments there in bringing his
invention into use.  He was unsuccessful.  In England a
patent was refused him, and in France he merely obtained a
worthless brevet d'invention. He tried several other countries,
but was equally unsuccessful in all, and he returned home
almost disheartened, but not entirely cast down. For four
years he had to struggle hard for a living. He was very poor,
and, as one of his friends has since declared, had literally "to
coin his mind for bread." His sturdy independence of character would -not allow him to accept assistance from any one,
although there were friends ready and even anxious to help
him in his troubles. Alone and manfully he fought his way
through these dark days, still hopeful of success for his invention, and patiently seeking to improve it wherever opportunity presented itself. At length, in 1840, he received his longdelayed patent from the General Government, and, encouraged
by this, determined to make another effort to bring his telegraph into use.
He was not able to do so until the session of Congress of
1842-43, when he presented a second petition to that body, asking its aid in the construction of an experimental line between
Baltimore and Washington. He had to encounter a great degree of skepticism and ridicule, with many other obstacles, not
the least of which was the difficulty of meeting the expense of
remaining in Washington and urging his invention upon the
Government. Still he persevered, although it seemed to be
hoping against hope, as the session drew near its close, and his
scanty stock of money grew daily smaller. On the evening of




362                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the 3d of March, 1843, he returned from the Capitol to his
lodgings utterly disheartened. It was the last night of the
session, and nothing had been done in the matter of his petition. He sat up late into the night arranging his affairs so as
to take his departure for home on the following day. It was
useless to remain in Washington any longer. Congress would
adjourn the next day, and his last hope of success had been
shattered.
On the morning of the 4th of March he came down to the
breakfast-table gloomy and despondent. Taking up the morning journal, he ran over it listlessly. Suddenly his eye rested
upon a paragraph which caused him to spring to his feet in
complete amazement. It was an announcement that, at the
very last hour of the session of the previous night, a bill had
been passed by Congress appropriating the sum of thirty thousand dollars for the purpose of enabling Professor Morse to
construct an experimental line of telegraph between Baltimore
and Washington. He could scarcely believe it real, and, as
soon as possible, hastened to the Capitol to seek authentic in.
formation. The statement was confirmed by the proper authorities, and Morse's dearest wish was realized. The hour of his
triumph was at hand, and his long and patient waiting was rewarded at last.
Work on the telegraph line was immediately begun, and carried on actively. At first, an insulated wire was buried under
ground in a lead pipe, but this failing to give satisfaction,
the wire was elevated upon poles. On the 27th of May, 1844,
the line was completed, and the first trial of it made in the
presence of the Government officials and many other distinguished men. Professor Morse was confident of success; but
this occasion was a period of the most intense anxiety to him,
for he knew that his entire future was staked upon the result




SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.                363
of this hour. Among the company present to witness the trial
was the Secretary of the Treasury, John C. Spencer. Although
very much interested in the undertaking, he was entirely ignorant of the principles involved in it, and, therefore, very apprehensive of its failure. It was upon this occasion that he
asked one of Professor Morse's assistants how large a bundle
could be sent over the wires, and if the United States mail
could not be sent in the same way.
When all was in readiness, Professor Morse seated himself at
the instrument, and sent his first message to Baltimore. An
answer was promptly returned, and messages were sent and
replies received with a rapidity and accuracy which placed the
triumph of the invention beyond the possibility of doubt. Congratulations were showered upon the inventor, who received
them as calmly as he had previously borne the scoffs of many
of these same men. Yet his heart throbbed all the while with
a brilliant triumph.  Fame and fortune both rose proudly
before him. He had won a great victory, and conferred a
lasting benefit upon his race.
The success of the experimental line brought Professor Morse
numerous offers for the use of his invention.- Telegraph companies were organized all over the country, and the stock issued
by them was taken up as fast as offered. At the present day,
not only the United States, but the whole world, is covered with
telegraph lines.  In July, 1862, just eighteen years after the
completion of Morse's experimental line, it was estimated that
the lines then in operation throughout the world amounted to
an aggregate length of 150,000 miles. The Morse system is
adopted on the principal lines of the United States, on all
the lines of the Eastern continent, and exclusively on all
the continental lines of Europe, "from  the extreme Russian
north to the Italian and Spanish south, eastward through the




364                GREAT FORTUNES.
Turkish empire, south into Egypt and northern Africa, and
through India, Australia, and parts of China."
The rapid growth of the telegraph interest of the United
States placed Professor Morse in the possession of a large fortune, which was greatly increased by the adoption of his invention in Europe.  The countries which had refused him
patents at first now did honor to his genius. Nor was he the
only gainer by this. In France, especially, the benefits of his
invention were great. The old system of semaphore telegraphs
had been an annual expense to the government of that country
of 1,100,000 francs, but Morse's telegraph yielded to the French
Government, in the first three years after its introduction, a
total revenue of 6,000,000 francs.
Fortune was not Morse's only reward. Honors were showered upon him from all parts of the world. In 1848, his alma
mater, Yale College, conferred on him  the complimentary
degree of LL.D., and since then he has been made a member
of nearly all the American scientific and art academies. From
European Governments and scientific and art associations he
has received more honors than have ever fallen to the share of
any other American. In 1848, he received from the Sultan of
Turkey the decoration of the Nishaun Iftichar in diamonds, and
subsequently gold medals of scientific merit were awarded him
by the King of Prussia, the King of Wiirtemburg, and the Emperor of Austria. The gift of the King of Prussia was set in a
massive gold snuff-box. In 1856, the Emperor Napoleon III
gave him the Cross of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor;
in 1857, he received from the King of Denmark the Cross of
Knight of the Danebrog; and in 1858, the Queen of Spain sent
him the Cross of Knight Commander of the order of Isabella
the Catholic. In 1859, a convention of the representatives of
the various European powers met in Paris, at the instance of




SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.                365
the Emperor Napoleon III, for the purpose of determining
upon the best means of giving Professor Morse a collective
testimonial. France, Russia, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Sardinia, Tuscany, Turkey, and the Holy See were represented, and their deliberations resulted in the presentation to
Professor Morse, in the name of their united governments, of
the sum of 400,000 francs, as an honorary and personal reward
for his labors. In 1856, the telegraph companies of Great
Britain gave him a banquet in London, at which Mr. William
Fothergill Corke, himself the distinguished inventor of a system of telegraphy; presided.
Professor Morse is also the inventor of submarine telegraphy.
In 1842, he laid the first submarine telegraph line ever put
down, across the harbor of New York, and for this achievement received the gold medal of the American Institute. On
the 10th of August, 1843, he addressed a communication to
the Secretary of the Treasury, in which he avowed his belief
that a telegraphic cable could and would be laid across the
Atlantic ocean, for the purpose of connecting Europe and
America. His words upon this occasion clearly prove that the
idea of the Atlantic telegraph originated with him. They were
as follows: " The practical inference from this law is, that a
telegraphic communication on the electro-magnetic plan may
with certainty be established across the Atlantic ocean. Startling as this may now seem, I am confident the time will come
when this project will be realized."
In February, 1854, Mr. Cyrus WV. Field, of New York,
ignorant of Professor Morse's views upon this subject, wrote to
him to ask if he considered the working of a cable across the
Atlantic practicable. The Professor at once sought an interview with Mr. Field, and assured him of his entire confidence
in the undertaking. He entered heartily into Mr. Field's




366                 GREAT FORTUNES.
scheme, and rendered great aid in the noble enterprise which
has been described elsewhere in these pages. He was present
at each attempt to lay the cable, and participated in the final
triumph by which his prediction, made twenty-three years previous, was verified.
Professor Morse is now in his eightieth year. He resides
during the winter in the city of New York, and passes his summers at his beautiful country seat near Poughkeepsie, on the
Hudson. - He bears his great honors with the same modesty
which marked his early struggles, and is the center of a host
of friends whom he has attached to himself by the tenderest
ties. "Courage and patience have been his watchwords, and
although the snows of time have bleached his hair, the same
intelligence and enterprising spirit, the same urbane disposition
that endeared him to the friends of his youth, still cause all
who know him to rejoice in the honorable independence which
h; rrrp.at, invention has secured to his age."




I V.
PUBLISHERS.
CHAPTER XXI.
JAMES HARPER.
OME years ago a gentleman having business with
the great house of Harper & Brothers asked one
of the employ6s of that establishment, "Which
one is Harper, and which are the brothers?"
He was answered, "Either one is Harper, and
all the rest are the brothers." This reply fully sets forth the
difficulty which must be experienced by any one attempting
to write the story of the life of either member of this house. In
such an undertaking it is very difficult to select "Harper," and
inpossible to pass by the "Brothers."  The interests of each
were so thoroughly in harmony with those of all the others, and
there was such perfect unanimity of sentiment existing between
tliem with regard to their private as well as their public affairs,
that it is hardly possible to separate them. Since, however, it
is not consistent with the design of this work to relate the history of the "house," it is the purpose of the writer to select the
eldest of the brothers as the representative of the group, and to
offer him to the reader as a type of the American publisher.
The grandfather of JAMES HARPER came to this country
367




368                GREAT FORTUNES.
from England about the year 1740, and was one of the first of
the American Methodists. His son Joseph was born in 1766.
He married Elizabeth Kollyer, and settled at Newtown, on
Long Island, as a farmer. It was here that James, their eldest
child, was born, on the 13th of April, 1795. He grew up with
a vigorous constitution, and the pure influences of his home,
together with the sound religious training which he received
from his parents, laid the foundation of those simple and steady
habits for which he was noted through life. In the winter he
attended the district school, and in the summer he worked on
his father's farm. Thus his life passed away quietly and healthfully until he had completed his fifteenth year.
It now became necessary for him to make some choice of a
profession in life, and when the matter was presented to him
he promptly decided to become a printer. His father cheerfully
seconded his wishes, and he was accordingly apprenticed to a
printer in New York. On the morning of his departure from
home, when the family assembled for "prayers," his mother,
who was a woman of superior character, took the father's place
and led the worship. With trembling tones she commended
her boy to the love and protection of the Saviour, and when the
moment of leave-taking came she sent him forth into the world
with the tender warning never to forget his home or his religious duties, or "that he had good blood in him."
The change from his happy home to the place of "devil"
in the printing office was one which tried the lad's fortitude to
the utmost. His position was but little better than that of a
menial, and not only was all the drudgery and disagreeable
work put upon him, but he was made the sport of the workmen, some of whom used him even roughly.' He bore it all
good-naturedly, however, devoting himself to his trade with the
determination to master it.




JAMES HARPER..                  369
The printing office in which he was employed was located
near Franklin Square, then occupied by the best people of the
city. Often, as young Harper passed across the square to and
fiom his work, his rough "country clothes" drew upon him
the ridicule of the children of these "goodly citizens."  They
teazed and insulted him, and sometimes carried their cruelty to
the extremity of offering him bodily violence. He bore it patiently for a time, but at length determined to put a stop to it.
He was physically the superior of any of his tormentors, and
had put up with their conduct merely from his sincere desire to
avoid a "street fight."  In accordance with his new resolution,
however, when one of them approached him one'day and asked
for his card, he set down a bucket which he was carrying, and,
seizing the fellow, kicked him across the square, saying to him:.
"That's my card, take good care of it. When I am out of my
time, and set up for myself, and you need employment, as you
will, come to me, bring the card, and I will give you wori.'"'' Forty-one years after," says the writer upon whose authority
this incident is related, "when Mr. Harper's establishment was,
known throughout all the land, after he had borne the highest
municipal honors of the city, and had become one of our wealthiest men, the person who had received the card came to Mr..
James Harper's establishment and asked employment, claiming
it on the ground that he had kept the card given him forty-one
years before."
In a little while James was joined by his brother John, whb
was apprenticed to another printer in the city, and the two lads'
spent with each other much of their leisure time. Both worked
hard. James soon became noted as the best pressman in the
city, his great personal strength enabling him  to work the
old-fashioned hand-press with ease. It is said that if he disliked a fellow pressman and wished to be rid of him, he merely
24




370                 GREAT FORTUNES.
p)ut forth his immense strength and outworked him. The man
being unable to keep up with him, was obliged to retire.
"The habits of his rural home followed him to the city. In
an age when every body drank ardent spirits freely, lie was
strictly temperate, and the cold water disciple justified his faith
by his works. With the cheerful constancy of the fathers of
his church he quietly resisted the temptations of the city. He
opened a prayer-meeting in the house of an old colored woman
in Ann Street, and joined the John Street Methodist Church.
Meanwhile, to their simple and thrifty method of life, James
and his brother added work out of hours, so that when their
apprenticeship was ended they had a little money saved."
James' excellent habits and great skill as a workman had
given entire satisfaction to his master during the whole period
of his apprenticeship, and he informed the young man at the
expiration of his indentures that he was willing to employ him
again at fair wages. The young workman surprised him by
telling him that he intended to set up for himself, and that
all he wanted from him now was a certificate that he was fit
to be trusted with a book. This was given, and James and his
brotlaer John took their little capital, which was increased by a
loaMn of a few hundred dollars from their father, and renting a
stnmal TeOEm in Dover Street, set up an office on their own
account, anid began business under the firm name of J. & J.
Harper.'1Th.eir capital was small-less than the annual wages
of some:of their workmen to-day-but they were sustained by
industry, determination, and high moral principle. When they
began business, it Nwas with a tacit agreement that each would
endeavor to deserve the confidence of the other, and of their
fellow-men. There was to be no evasion of principle, no sharp
plractice, in their house. They were resolved to make money,
but to make it honestly. They would engage in no transaction




JAMES HARPER.                   371
which should cause a doubt of their integrity in the breast of
the good mother who had sent them forth with her blessing.
Mnore than fifty years have passed away since then, and the
Harpers have prospered steadily, and so greatly, too, that for
many years their house has stood at the head of the publishing
interest of America. Their career is an instructive one, giving
an emphatic denial to the assertion we hear so often repeated, that
an "over-honest" man can not make money in New York.
Shut your ears to the calumny, young man, just staring out in
life. "Honesty is the best policy;" and it is only by scrupulous honesty that enduring success can be obtained. Trickery
and sharp practice may earn wealth rapidly, but depend upon
it they have their reward; for it is a curious fact in the history
of man that wealth acquired by knavery rarely stays with its
possessors for more than a generation, if so long.
In starting out, the young Harpers printed books to order,
attempting nothing at their own risk. They did a part of the
composition and press-work with their own hands, and were,
perhaps, the hardest workers in their establishment. Their
first job was two thousand copies of Seneca's Morals, and was
intrusted to them by Evert Duyckinck, a famous publisher of
that day. The books were delivered in August, 1817, and gave
entire satisfaction.
Immediately after this, they undertook to stereotype an edition of the "Book of Common Prayer" for the Protestant
Episcopal Church of New York, supposing that they would;
be able to make a fair profit at the rate at which they had
agreed to do the work. It was their original intention to do
the composition themselves, and have the stereotyping done at
one of the large establishments of the city; but upon a closer
investigation they found that this would cost them more than
they had agreed to do the work for. In this dilemma, they




372                 GREAT FORTUNES.
resolved to learn the art of stereotyping themselves, and perform that portion of their contract on their own premises. It
was a tedious undertaking; but they went through with it
determinedly, and at the proper time delivered the books to
the officials of the Episcopal Church. Their profit was not
very large, but they had become stereotypers as well as printers,
and had added a valuable department to their business. Further than this, their Prayer Book was pronounced the best
piece of stereotyping that had ever been seen in the city, and
won the young men congratulations on all sides. They next
undertook twenty-five hundred copies of Mair's "Introductioa
to Latin," which they delivered in:December, 1817.
In April, 1818, they put forth.l their first venture on their
own account. This consisted: of five hundred copies of Locke's
"Essay upon the Human Understanding."  These were readily
disposed of, and their success encouraged them to further efforts.
They proceeded very cautiously, and it was for a long time
their custom, when contemplating the publication of a book,
and especially in the case of a reprint, to send to the leading
booksellers in the large cities of the Union, and ascertain how
many copies each one would take. Thus they pushed their
way forward, seizing upon every favorable opportunity for the
publication of original and foreign works. They rarely made
an unsuccessful venture, and as each worked hard, and had
constantly in view, above all other subjects, the success of
the house, they gradually extended their business until they
secured the foremost place among the publishers of the United
States.
Beginning with works of a dry, philosophic nature, the Harpers have extended their operations into every department of
literature.- Their catalogue of publications, issued in 1869, lies
on the vriter's table. It is a duodecimo volume of two hun



JAMES HARPER.'                     373'dred and ninety-six'closely-:priried pages, and embraces' a list;of several thousand volumes. I::n this list are histories, biog-,raphies, travels, adventures, novels, poems, educational works,
works on science, art, philosophy, metaphysics-in' short, books
on every topic familiar to man.'In; the department of fiction,
the success of this. house has been remarkable.  They have
published between four and: fi;ve hun'dred novels, in cloth and,paper bindings, and the demand'for their early publications of
this kind'is still sufficiently active to compel them  to' keep a
stock always on hand. Wlhen they` began to issue their Library
of Select Novels, they did so with a -distinct purpose' in view.
Novel-reading has always been a passioiilwnith; Americans, but'at the period referred to the best novels were published at such.high prices that but few could ifford to buy:- them.:The masses
iwere compelled to put:up with.the cheap flashy stories wvhich
were so well known some years ago as "yellow covers.".: This
style of fiction, now confined to; the l6west- class of readers, at:that time found its way into Ial most-eyery house, and:the popular taste was at a.very lowi ebb... The Harpers felt, sure that
by issuing the best, and only the best, English novels at- a low.price, they would not' only -meet a:real want on the part of the.public, but in great measure supersede. the ".yellow? covers,f'
with all their pernicious influences.l The sequel proved the
correctness of these views, and resulted in large profits: to
them.
Soon after commencing business, James and John, Harper
received their younger brothers, Joseph Wesley and Fletcher,
into their establishment as apprentice's. These young men were
taught the business thoroughly, and when they had completed
their apprenticeship were admitted.into' the firm as partners,
the former entering the'-firm in! 1823, and the latter in- 1826.
In 1825.the:style of: the' firm  wasx changed.toQ Harper &




374                GREAT FORTUNES.
Brothers, and the business was removed to 81 and 82 Cliff
Street, on a portion of the site of the present establishment.
It was then the largest printing-house in New York, employing fifty workmen and ten hand presses.
In 1850, the Harpers decided to commence the publication
of a monthly periodical, and, accordingly, in the summer of
that year they issued the first number of "Harper's New
Monthly }Magazine," which, in point of popularity, stands today, after a career of twenty years, at the head of American
magazines, and boasts- of a circulation of 180,000 copies. The
recognition of another want of the public led, in 1857, to the
establishment of an illustrated newspaper, "Harper's Weekly,"
which has at present a circulation of 100,000 copies. In 1869
they began the publication of a new weekly fashion paper,
called "the Bazaar," which has reached a circulation of 75,000
copies.
From the first, the Harpers made their house a popular establishment. They sought public favor by legitimate means,
and generally managed to retain it in the same way. From
an early period in their history, their imprint on a book has
been sufficient to secure its sale; and they have managed to
identify themselves so thoroughly with American progress that
the whole country feels an interest in their success. By studying the popular taste closely, they were enabled to publish in
rapid succession works suited to it; and by fair and liberal
dealings with authors they soon drew around them a corps of
the best writers in the Union.
Their success was rapid, and by the year 1853 their establishment had increased in size so much that it occupied " nine
large contiguous buildings, full of costly machinery of every
kind, with stores of plates and books." On the 10th of December of that year, a workman in one of the upper rooms




JAMES HARPER.                    375
carelessly threw a piece of lighted paper into what he supposed
to be a pail of water, but which proved to be camphene. In
a few minutes the building was in flames; all efforts to save
it were in vain. The fire spread rapidly, and in a few hours
the entire establishment was in ruins. The loss was one million of dollars, of which sum only about one-fourth was covered
by insurance.
It was a terrible blow, but James Harper and his brothers
wasted no time in repining.  Before the embers had ceased
smoking they were taking active measures to reestablish their
business. From the wreck of their establishment they saved a
part of the stereotype plates, which had been stored in the
vaults, out of the way of the fire. They immediately rented
Sheffield's paper warehouse, at the corner of Beekman and
Gold Streets, and went to work with greater energy than ever.
"'Presses were employed in New  York, Philadelphia, and
Boston. Nothing was forgotten. The next monthly issue of
the Magazine:had been made ready, and it was reproduced at
the earliest moment. One regular contributor, then in Chicago,
received the first news of the fire by a brief telegram:'Copy
destroyed.  Send fresh copy immediately.' Before the ruins
were cleared away the plans of the new buildings were ready,
and the buildings themselves were rapidly finished."
The new establishment of Harper & Brothers is one of the
wonders of the great city in which it is located. The buildings are of iron and brick, and cover half an acre of ground.
The establishment really consists of two buildings. The front
building faces Franklin Square, and is a magnificent iron
structure, painted white. Behind this is the second building,
which fronts on Cliff Street. A court-yard intervenes between
them, spanned by several bridges, connecting them.  Each
building is seven stories in height, and completely fire-proof.




376                 GREAT FORTUNES.
There are no openings in the floors for communication, but the
various floors are connected by circular stairways of iron,
placed outside the building.. The front building, or that which
faces Franklin Square, is used for storerooms, salesrooms, and
the editorial and business offices of the establishment. In the
rear building the various branches of the book manufacture
are carried on. The author's manuscript is received here and
sent back to him a complete book. Every portion of the work
is done under the same roof, and it is well done. The building
is filled with the most costly and complete machinery for saving time and labor. Besides the machinery used in other departments, it contains in its press-room  forty-three Adams
presses for book work, and five cylinder presses for printing
the "Weekly" and the "Bazaar."  About 600 persons, 250
of whom are females, are employed in the establishment; and
it is to the credit of both employers and employes that but
few changes occur in this force. Many of the employ6s have
been with the firm since its first entrance into business. The
old man in charge of the vaults-a curiosity in his way-has
been in the service of the house for fifty years, and to leave it
now would, doubtless, break his heart; for none of the Har,
pers are as proud of their.reputation as he is. The most perfeet system  reigns throughout every department, and every
thing goes on promptly and in its proper place.
"Of course," says a writer who many years has witnessed
the operations of the house, "the development and organization of such a business were due not to one brother alone, but
to the cooperation of all.... The business was to James,
as to the others, the great central interest, but prosperity could
not relax his steady character. He did not forget his early
faith, nor the counsels and the habits of his Long Island home.
He remained strictly a'temperance man,' and his marvelous




JAMES HARPER.                    377.
physical vigor was claimed by the temperance advocates as
that of a cold-water man. He was long an official member of
John-Street Church, and when he left his house in Rose Street,
and went to live in the upper part of the city, he joined the
congregation of St. Paul's Church, in the Fourth Avenue. -But
with all his fidelity to his ancestral faith, he cherished the
largest charity, and by much experience of the world had
learned to agree with his favorite apostle, James, that pure
religion and undefiled, is to visit the fatherless and widows,
and keep himself unspotted from  the world. Thus, with all
his conviction and devotion, there was nothing hard or fanatical in his feeling or conduct, and he held pleasant personal relations with men of every faith. Few  men indulged in so
little harsh criticism of others, and he expressed censure or disapprobation by humorous indirection rather than by open accusation.'We must not be too hard,' he was fond of saying,' it is so difficult to know all the circumstances. If you should
insist, for instance, that the use of tobacco is a sin, dear me!
dear me!'
"Mr. Harper was a Whig during the days of that party,
and a natural conservative. But in politics he showed the
same moderation and toleration.'Don't try to drive men too0
roughly, my dear sir; it is much easier to draw than to push.'
ie took no conspicuous or active part in politics, except in
1844, when he was elected Mayor of the city. He was constantly asked to serve in Congress and in other public stations,
but he steadily declined, saying, with a sly smile, that he preferred to stick to, the business that he understood.
"To that business his heart and life were given. Of late
years its active cares had naturally fallen into the hands of his
younger associates; but he never relaxed his interest and devotion.'While I was dressing,' said a much younger neigh*




378                 GREAT FORTUNES.
bor,' I used to see Mayor Harper coming out of his house to go
down town, and felt ashamed of myself. Early at the office, he
opened and looked over the mail, and during the hours of the
morning he passed from one roomn to another, his shrewd eye
seeing every thing, and measuring men and work, chatting and
jesting as he went. But out of those shrewd eyes looked a
kind and gentle heart. He knew by name the men and women
and children employed in the various parts of the great build-ings, interested himself in their family stories, and often won a
confidence that was never betrayed. His charities, which were
ample, were thus intelligent and effective, and poor men as well
as women bent to kiss his calm, unchanged face as he lay in his
coffin."
To the very last, James Harper retained his physical and
mental vigor, and was looked up to by all the members of the
house as its brightest ornament. To the last, he was one of
the best known and most honored citizens of the great metropolis. His great wealth had not ruffled the serenity of his
spirit, or caused the slightest variation in his conduct. To the
last he was the Christian merchant, citizen, and father, offering
to his children in himself a noble model by which to shape
their lives.
It had been his custom at family prayers to ask of God protection from sudden death, but for some time before his death
he ceased to do so. His family noticed this, and one of them
asked his reason for the omission. He answered quietly, "The
Lord knows best."
On the 25th of March, 1869, he was at his usual post in his
office, and after business hours, as was his habit, set out with
his daughter for a drive in the Central Park. As he neared
the Park the pole of his carriage broke suddenly, and the
horses, becoming frightened, dashed off furiously, dragging the




JAMES HARPER.                   379
carriage after them. Mr. Harper and his daughter were both
thrown violently upon the pavement. The latter was but
slightly injured, but Mr. Harper was taken up insensible, and
conveyed to St. Luke's Hospital, which was close at hand. He
never regained consciousness, but lingered until fifteen minutes
after seven on the evening of the 27th, when he expired, surrounded by all his family, excepting his wife, who had long been
an invalid. His death was regarded as a calamity to the city,
and all classes of the community united to do honor to his
memory.




380                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER XXII.
JAMES T. FIE-LDS.
HE old " corner book-store" at the intersection
of Washington and School Streets, in the city
of Boston, is one of the most notable places in
the New England metropolis. The memory of
the oldest inhabitant can not recall a time when
this corner was not devoted to its present uses; and around it,
in the long years that have passed since the first book merchant first displayed his wares here, there have gathered a
host of the most interesting, as well as the most brilliant,
souvenirs of our literary history. Here were sold, in "the
days that tried men's souls," those stirring pamphlets that
sounded the death-knell of British tyranny in the New World;
and it was from this old corner that the tender- songs of Longfellow, the weird conceptions of Hawthorne, the philosophic
utterances of Emerson, first found their way to the hearts of
the people.
In 1834, the corner book-store was kept by Carter & Bendee, and was then the leading book-house in Boston. One
morning in that year there entered the office of the proprietors a young lad from New Hampshire, who stated that he
came to seek employment in their service. His bright, intelligent appearance was in his favor, scarcely less than the testi



JAMES T. FIELDS,                 381
monials which he brought, vouching for his integrity and industry. His application was successful, and he entered the
service of Messrs. Carter & Bendee, being given the lowest
clerkship in the establishment and a salary barely sufficient to
support him.
This lad was JAMES T. FIELDS. He was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; on the 30th. of December, 1820.
His father was a captain in the merchant service, and died
when the boy was only four years old, leaving him to the care
and guidance of one of the best of mothers. He way -educated
at the common schools of the city, and was thence transferred
to the high school. He exhibited a remarkable fondness for
study, and at the early age of thirteen graduated at the high
school, taking the first honors of his class. He was regarded
as.one of the best classical scholars in the institution, and during his course took several prizes in Latin and Greek composition. Unusual abilities as a poet were also manifested very
early, and when but twelve years old he wrote a poem in
blank verse, which attracted the attention of the late Chief
-Justice Woodbury, then Governor of New Hampshire, who
was so much surprised and gratified to find such talent in so
young a boy, that he earnestly advised him to endeavor to complete his studies at Harvard University. This, indeed, was
the chief desire of the boy, but a collegiate education required
means which he could not command, and he was forced to go
out into the world to seek his fortune. Having secured a
good elementary education, however, he was resolved that he
would not'abandon his efforts to acquire knowledge. All his
leisure time, after going to Boston to live, was devoted to
reading and study. While neglecting no duty in his business,:he gave the hours which most: boys devote to amusement to
severe mental labor. Young as he was, he was ambitious.




382                 GREAT: FORTUNES.
He knew that knowledge was power, especially in the community in which he lived, and he was resolved that this power
should be his. The result is plainly seen in his subsequent
career. Although deprived of the advantages of a collegiate
course, Mr. Fields has more than made up that deficiency by
his faithful labors, and there are few men in New England
to-day possessed of more varied and extensive mental accomplishments than he. Upon going to Boston he promptly identified himself with the Mercantile Library Association of that
place, availing himself of its advantages, and exerting all the
influence of which he was possessed to insure its success. When
but eighteen years old, he was chosen to deliver an anniversary
poem before the association. The value of the compliment will
be better appreciated by the reader when it is stated that the
oration upon that occasion was pronounced by Edward Everett.
His industry in his business duties was great. He entered
the house of Carter & Bendee with the determination to rise
in it. He worked faithfully, and was the first at his post in
the morning, and the last to leave it at night. When the
style of the firm was changed to Allen & Ticknor, he was
promoted to a more important place. He proved himself
from the first one of the most valuable and trustworthy assistants in the house, and his merits were promptly recognized.
From the lowest place in the house, he worked his way up
steadily until lie became the manager of the establishment.
Each promotion brought with it an increase of salary. Knowing well that "a penny saved at present is a pound gained in
future" to a young man striving to rise in the world, he practiced the most conscientious economy. He made himself thoroughly acquainted with every detail of the publishing trade;
and although, of late years, he has had the supervision more
especially of the literary department of his large business, there




JAMES T. FIELDS.                   383
are few publishers in this country more intimate with the business and mechanical branches of their trade.
In 1846, just twelve years after his entrance into the house,
his clerkship came to an end, and he became a partner in the
establishment, the style of the firm  being Ticknor & Fields.,
He took an active share in the business; and while full credit
must be given to Mr. Ticknor for the extraordinary success
which the firm enjoyed, it can not be denied that Mr. Fields'
share in this work was very great, and fully equal to that of
his partner.  His acknowledged literary abilities won him
friends among the most gifted writers of the country, and
these naturally sought his assistance in presenting their works
to the world. Their friendship induced an intelligent confidence in his literary taste and mercantile integrity, and it was
a decided gain for them to secure one so generally esteemed
and trusted as their publisher. Young writers, still struggling
for fame, felt that in submitting their works to his inspection
they would receive the patient examination of not only a conscientious reader, but of one whose own literary abilities rendered him unusually competent for the task. The public generally learned to share this confidence in his literary judgment.
And so it came to pass that the imprint of Ticknor & Fields
was universally accepted as a sufficient guarantee of the excellence of any book, and rarely failed to insure its success. Naturally, the house was proud of this confidence, and it is pleasant to record that they have never abused it. There is, perhaps, no other publishing firm in the Union whose catalogue
is so free from. objectionable or worthless publications as that
issued by this house.
Gradually Messrs. Ticknor & Fields became the recognized
publishers of a large number of the leading writers of this
country and of Great Britain.  In their catalogue we find




384                GREAT FORTUNES.
the names of Longfellow, Bryant, Whittier, Holmes, Aldrich;
Agassiz, Beecher, Alice Cary, Cummins, Dana, Emerson,
Hawthorne, Gail Hamilton, Lowell, Parton, Saxe, Sprague,
Stowe, Bayard Taylor, Thoreau, and Tuckerman, in American
literature; and in English literature, the names of Browning,
Dickens, George Eliot, Mrs. Jameson, Kingsley, Owen Meredith, Charles Reade, and Tennyson.  With their English
authors they maintain the pleasantest relations, recognizing
their moral right to their works, and paying them a fair royalty upon the sales of their books. Of their relations -with
their American authors, a popular periodical says:
"There are no business men more honorable or generous
than:the publishers of the United States, and especially hon-orable and considerate toward authors.  The relation usually
existing between author and publisher in the United States is
that of a warm and lasting friendship, such as now animates
and dignifies the intercourse between the literary men of New.England and Messrs. Ticknor & Fields..     The relation, too, is one of a singular mutual trustfulness. The author
receives his semi-annual account from the publisher with as ablute a faith in its correctness as though he had himself counted
the volumes sold."
In 1865, the firm removed from the old corner stand to a
new and elegant establishment on Tremont Street, near the
Common, and in the same year'Mr. Howard Ticknor, who
had succeeded his father in the business, withdrew from  it.
New partners were admitted, and the style of the firm became
Fields, Osgood & Co., Mr. Fields still remaining at the head
of the house.
The new book store is one of the handsomest and most
attractive in the country. The store proper is eighty feet deep
by fifty feet wide, and is fitted up handsomely in hard wood.




JTAMES T. FIELDS.                385
There is no paint about it, every piece of wood in use presenting its natural appearance. On the right in entering are the
book shelves and counters, and on the opposite side the desks
devoted to the magazine department.  At the rear are the
counting rooms and the private office of Mr. J. R. Osgood,
the active business man of the concern. The second story is
elegantly and tastefully fitted up. It contains the luxurious
private office of Mr. Fields, in which are to be seen excellent
likenesses of his two dearest friends, Longfellow and Dickens;
and the parlor of the establishment, which is known as the
Author's Room. This is a spacious and handsomely-appointed
room, whose windows, overlooking the Common, command one
of the prettiest views in New England. It is supplied with the
leading periodicals of' the day, and choice volumes of current
literature.  Here one may always find one or more of the
"gifted few," whose names are familiar to the reader; and
frequent reunions of the book-making fraternity are designed
to be held here, under the genial auspices of the literary partner of the house.
It is not often that men win success in both literature and
mercantile life. Good authors have usually made very poor
business managers, and vice versa; but the subject of this
memoir, besides winning a great success as a merchant, and
that in one of the most hazardous branches of mercantile life,
has also won an enviable reputation as a man of letters. His
poems have made him well known, both in this country and
in England. Besides the poems recited before various literary
associations, he has published two volumes of fugitive pieces.
The first appeared in 1843, while he was still a clerk, and
the second in 1858.  His poems abound in humor, pathos,
and a delicate, beautiful fancy. One of his friends has said
of him:
25




386                  GREAT FORTUNES.
"Little of the sad travail of the historic poet has Mr. Fields
known.  Of the emaciated face, the seedy garment, the collapsed purse, the dog-eared and often rejected manuscript, he
has never known, save from well-authenticated tradition.  His
muse was born in sunshine, and has only been sprinkled with
the tears of affection. Every effort has been cheered to the
echo, and it is impossible for so genial a fellow to fail of an
ample and approving audience for whatever may fall fiom his
lip or pen."
The following lines, from his second volume, will serve as a
specimen of the "homely beauty" of Mr. Fields' muse, though
it hardly sets forth all his powers:
She came among the gathering crowd
A maiden fair, without pretense,
And when they asked her humble name,
She whispered mildly, "Common Sense."
Her modest garb drew every eye,
Her ample cloak, her shoes of leather;
And when they sneered, she simply said,
"I dress according to the weather."
They argued long and reasoned loud,
In dubious Hindoo phrase mysterious;
While she, poor child, could not divine
Why girls so young should —be so serious.
They knew the length of Plato's beard,
And how the scholars wrote in Laturn;
She studied authors not so deep,
And took the Bible for her pattern.
And so she said, "Excuse me, friends,
I feel all have their proper places,
And Common Sense should stay at home
With cheerful hearts and smiling faces."




JAMES T. FIELDS.                  387
Mr. Fields has been a frequent contributor to his own periodicals, his latest effort being a paper devoted to personal
recollections of Charles Dickens, which was published in the
"Atlantic Monthly" soon after the death of the great master.
He has made several extended tours throughout Europe,
where he has enjoyed social advantages rarely opened to travelers. One of his friends says that, in his first visit to the
Old World, "he passed several months in England, Scotland,
France, and Germany, visiting the principal places of interest,
and forming most delightful and profitable intimacies with the
most distinguished literateurs of the day. He was a frequent
guest at the well-known breakfasts of the great banker-poet
of'The Pleasures of Memory' and of'Italy,' and listened or
added his own contributions to the exuberant riches of the
hour, when such visitors as Talfoburd, Dickens, Moore, and
Landor were the talkers." He also formed a warm friendship
with Wordsworth, and, during his stay in Edinburgh, with
Professor Wilson and De Quincey. The writings of the lastnamed author were published by Ticknor and Fields, in
eighteen volumes, and were edited by Mr. Fields, at the author's own request.
Ir. Fields is now in his fiftieth year, but shows no sign
of age, save the whitening of his heavy, curling beard. He
is still young and active in mind and body. He is of medium
height, and well proportioned, with an erect carriage.  Polished and courteous in manner, he is easily accessible to all.
To young writers he is especially kind, and it is a matter of
the truest pleasure to him  to seek out and bring to notice
genuine literary merit. He has a host of friends, and is widely
popular with all classes.








EDITORS.
CHAPTER XXIII.
JAMES GORDON BENNETT.
AMES GORDON BENNETT was born at New
Mill, Keith, in Banffshire, on the north-eastern
coast of Scotland, about the year 1800.  His
relatives were Roman Catholics, and he was
brought up in a Catholic family of French origin.
In his fourteenth year, having passed through the primary
schools of his native place, he entered the Roman Catholic
Seminary at Aberdeen, for the purpose of studying for the
priesthood of that Church. During the two or three years
which he passed here he was a close student, and acquired the
basis of an excellent education.
In 1817 he came into possession of a copy of Benjamin
Franklin's autobiography, which had been recently published
in Scotland. The perusal of this little book changed the course
of his whole life. It induced him to abandon all thoughts of
the priesthood, and to try his fortune in the New World, in
which the great philosopher had succeeded so well before him.
A little more than a year later he left Glasgow, and in May,
1819, being now about twenty years old, landed at Halifax,
389




390                GREAT FORTUNES.
Nova Scotia. He had less than twenty-five dollars in his purse,
knew no vocation save that of a book-keeper, and had not a
friend on this side of the ocean.
He secured a few pupils in Halifax, and gave lessons in
book-keeping, but his profits were so small that he determined
to reach the United States as soon as possible. Accordingly he
made his way along the coast to Portland, Maine, where he
took passage for Boston in a small schooner. He found great
difficulty in procuring employment, for Boston then, as now,
offered but few inducements to new-comers. He parted with
his last penny, and was reduced to the most pressing want.
For two whole days he went without food, and a third day
would doubtless have been added to his fast had he not been
fortunate enough to find a shilling on the Common, with which
he procured the means of relieving his hunger. He now obtained a salesman's place in the bookstore of Messrs. Wells &
Lilly, who, upon discovering: his fitness for the place, transferred him to their printing-offlice as proof-reader; but his employers failed about two years after his connection with them
began, and he was again thrown out of employment.
From Boston he went, in 1822, to New York, where he obtained a situation on a newspaper. Soon after his arrival in the
metropolis he was offered, by Mr. Wellington, the proprietor of
the " Charleston (S. C.) Courier," the position of translator from
the Spanish, and general assistant. He accepted the offer, and
at once repaired to Charleston. He remained there only a few
months, however, and then returned to New York.
IHe now proposed to open a "Permanent Commercial School,"
at 148 Fulton Street, and advertised to teach the usual branches
"in the inductive method."  His advertisement set forth that
his pupils would be taught "reading, elocution, penmanship,
and arithmetic; algebra, astronomy, history, and geography;




JAMES GORDON BENNETT.               391
moral philosophy, commercial law, and political economy;
English grammar and composition, and, also, if required, the
French and Spanish languages by natives of those countries."
This elaborate scheme was never put into execution, as -Mr.
Bennett did not receive a sufficient number of applications to
warrant him in opening the school. He next attempted a
course of lectures on political economy at the old Dutch Church
in Ann Street, but this enterprise was also a pecuniary failure.
In 1825 he purchased the " New York Courier," a Sunday paper,
but did not succeed with it. He continued to write for the
press, principally for one or two papers, selling his articles
where he could, and in 1826 formed a regular connection with
the "I National Advocate," a Democratic journal. To his duties
in this position he applied himself with an energy and industry
never surpassed, and rarely equaled, in his profession. He took
an active part in politics, and wrote regularly and constantly
for his paper, acquiring considerable reputation by his articles
against the tariff and on banks and banking. He now embarked in journalism as the business of his life, and with the
determination to succeed. In order to win success, he knew
he must first learn to master himself. He neither smoked,
drank, nor gambled. He indulged in no species of dissipation,
but was temperate and prudent in all things. A few years
later he said of himself, "I eat and drink to live, not live to
eat and drink. Social glasses of wine are my aversion; public
dinners are my abomination; all species of gormandizing my
utter scorn and contempt. When I am hungry, I eat; when
thirsty, drink. Wine or viands taken for society, or to stimulate conversation, tend only to dissipation, indolence, poverty,
contempt, and death."
In 1827 the "National Advocate" changed hands, and, under
its new proprietors, supported-John Quincy Adams for Presi



*392                GREAT FORTUNES.
dent. Mr. Bennett, being a supporter of Martin Van Buren,
then a United States Senator, resigned his position on the paper,
and soon after, in connection with the late M. M. Noah, established "The Enquirer," which warmly espoused the cause of
Andrew Jackson in the.Presidential canvass of 1828. About
this time he became a recognized member of the Tammany
Society.
In the spring of 1828 he went to Washington, where he resided -for some time as the correspondent of "The Enquirer."
In looking through the library of Congress one day, he found
an edition of Horace Walpole's letters, which he read with a
keen relish. These suggested the idea of a series of similar
letters to his own paper, and he at once put his plan into execution. His letters were written and published. They were
"spicy," pleasant in style, full of gossip about the distinguished
personages who thronged the capital every winter, and, withal,
free from any offensive personality. They were' read with
eagerness, and widely copied by the press throughout the country. Yet he was poorly paid for them, and at a time when he
~had made a "real hit" was forced to labor hard for a bare subsistence. He did all kinds of literary work. Iie wrote editorials, letters, sketches, poetry, stories, police reports, in short,
every thing that a newspaper had use for, and yet his earnings
were barely more than sufficient to afford him a decent support.
In 1829, the "Courier and Enquirer" were united under one
management, and Mr. Bennett was made assistant editor, with
James Watson Webb as his chief. In the autumn of that
year he became associate editor. Says Mr. James Parton (by
no means an ardent admirer of Mr. Bennett):
"During the great days of the' Courier and Enquirer,' from
1829 to 1832, when it was incomparably the best newspaper
on the continent, James Gordon Bennett was its most efficient




JAMES GORDON BENNETT.                393.hand.'It lost him in 1832, when the paper abandoned General
Jackson and took up Nicholas Biddle, and in losing him lost
its chance of retaining the supremacy among American newspapers to this day. We can truly say that at that time- journalism, as a thing by itself and for itself, had no existence in
the United States.  Newspapers were mere appendages of
party, and the darling object of each journal was to be recog*nized as the organ of the party it supported. As to the public,
*the great public, hungry for interesting news, no one thought
of it. Forty years ago, in the city of New York, a copy of a
newspaper could not be bought for money. If any one wished
Ato see a newspaper, he: had either to go to the office and subscribe,' or repair to a bar-room and buy a glass of something
to drink, or bribe a carrier to rob one of his customers. The
circulation of the'Courier and Enquirer' was considered some*thing marvelous when it printed thirty-five hundred copies a
day, and its business was thought immense when its daily advertising averaged fifty-five dollars.  It is not very unusual
-for a newspaper now to receive for advertising, in one day, six
hundred times that sum. Bennett, in the course of time, had a
chance been given to him, would have made the'Courier and
-Enquirer' powerful enough to cast off all party ties, and this he
would have done merely by improving it as a vehicle of news.
But he was kept down upon one of those ridiculous, tantalizing, corrupting salaries, which are a little more than a single
man needs, but not enough for him to marry upon.- This salary was increased by the proprietors giving him -a small share
in the small profits of the printing-office; so that, after fourteen
years of hard labor and Scotch economy, he found himself, on
leaving the great paper, a capitalist to the extent of a few hundred dollars.  The chief editor of the paper which he now
abandoned sometimes lost as. much in a single evening at the




394                 GREAT FORTUNES.
card-table. It probably never occurred to him that this poor,
ill-favored Scotchman was destined to destroy his paper and all
the class of papers to which it belonged. Any one who examines a file of the'Courier and Enquirer' of that time, and
knows its interior circumstances, will see plainly enough that
the possession of this man was the vital element in its prosperity. He alone knew the rudiments of his trade. He alone
had the physical stamina, the indefatigable industry, the
sleepless vigilance, the dexterity, tact, and audacity needful
for keeping up a daily newspaper in the face of keen competition."
Mr. Bennett left the "Courier and Enquirer" in 1832, the
cause of his action being the desertion of General Jackson
by that journal. He at once started a cheap partisan paper,
called "The Globe," devoted to the interests of Jackson and
Van Buren. It failed to receive the support of the Democratic
party, however, and went down after a precarious existence of
thirty days.
Undismayed by this failure, Mr. Bennett removed to Philadelphia, and invested the remainder of his capital in a daily
Democratic journal, called "' The Pennsylvanian," of which he
was the principal editor, laboring hard to win for it the assistance and support of the party. He had rendered good and
admitted service to the Democracy, but was to experience the
ingratitude for which political organizations are proverbial.
He applied to Martin Van Buren and other prominent leaders
of the party to aid him in securing a loan of twenty-five hundred dollars for two years, which sum would have enabled him
to establish his paper on a paying basis, but the politicians
turned deaf ears to his appeals, and his paper failed, after a
brief and desperate struggle.
He came back to New York about the beginning of 1835, a




JAMES GORDON BENNETT.               395
little sore from his unsuccessful battle with fate, but far from
being dismayed or cast down. His failures to establish party
organs had convinced him that success in journalism does not
depend upon political favor, and he determined to make one
more effort to build up a paper of his own, and this time one
which should aim  to please no party but the public. That
there was need of an independent journal of this kind he felt
sure, and he knew the people of the country well enough to be
confident that if such a journal could be properly placed before
them, it would succeed. The problem with him was how to
get it properly before them. He had little or no money, and
it required considerable capital to carry through the most insignificant effort of the kind. He made several efforts to inspire
other persons with his confidence before he succeeded. One of
these efforts Mr. Parton thus describes, in his Life of Horace
Greeley: "An incident connected with the job-office of Greeley
& Co. is perhaps worth mentioning here. One James Gordon
Bennett, a person then well known as a smart writer for the
press, came to Horace Greeley, and, exhibiting a fifty-dollar
bill and some other notes of smaller denominations as his cash
capital, wanted him to join in setting up a new daily paper,'The -New York Herald.'  Our hero declined the offer, but
recommended James Gordon, to apply fo another printer,
naming one, who he thought would like to share in such an
enterprise. To him the editor of'The Herald' did apply,
and with success."
The parties to whom Mr. Greeley referred Mr. Bennett were
two young printers, whom he persuaded, after much painstaking, to print his paper and share with him its success or
failure. He had about enough cash in hand to sustain the
paper for ten days, after which it must make its own way. He
proposed to make it cheap-to sell it at one penny per copy,




396                GGREAT FORTUNES.
and to make it meet the current wants of the day. The "Sun,"
a penny paper, was already in existence, and was paying  well,
and this encouraged Mr. Bennett to hope for success in his own
enterprise.
He rented a cellar in Wall Street, in which he established
his office, and on the 6th of May, 1835, issued the first number of "The Morning Herald."  His cellar was bare and poverty-stricken in appearance. It contained nothing but a desk
made of boards laid upon flour barrels. On one end of this
desk lay a pile of "Heralds" ready for purchasers, and at the
other sat the proprietor writing his articles for his journal and
managing his business. Says Mr. William Gowans, the famous
Nassau-Street bookseller: "I remember to have entered the
subterranean office of its editor early in its career, and purchased a single copy of the paper, for which I paid the sum of
one cent United States currency. On this occasion the proprietor, editor, and vendor was seated at his desk, busily engaged in writing, and appeared to pay little or no attention to
me as I entered. On making known my object in coming in,
he requested me to put my money down on the counter and
help myself to a paper, all this time he continuing his writing
operations. The office was a single oblong underground room;
its furniture consisted of a counter, which also served as a desk,
constructed from two flour barrels, perhaps empty, standing
apart from  each other about four feet, with a single plank
covering both; a chair, placed in the center, upon which sat
the editor busy at his vocation, with an inkstand by his right
hand; on the end nearest the door were placed the papers
for sale."
Standing on Broadway now, and looking at the marble
palace from which the greatest and wealthiest newspaper in the
Union sends forth its huge editions, one finds it hard to real



H OW T HE'"NE W  Y O RK HE RA L D" B E GAN.








JAMES GORDON BENNETT.                397.
ize that just thirty-four years ago this great journal was born
in a cellar, an obscure little penny sheet, with a poor man for
its proprietor. Yet such was the beginning of "The:New York
Herald."
The prospect was not a pleasant one to contemplate, but: Mr.
Bennett did not shrink from it. He knew that it was in him
to succeed, and he meant to do it, no matter through what
trials or vicissitudes his path to fortune lay. Those who heard
his expressions of confidence shook their heads sagely, and said
the young man's air-castles would soon fade away before the
blighting breath of experience. Indeed, it did seem a hopeless
struggle, the effort of this one poor man to raise his little
penny sheet from its cellar to the position of "a power in the
land."  He was almost unknown. He could bring no support
or patronage to his journal by the influence of his name, or by
his large acquaintance. The old newspaper system, with its
clogs and dead-weights, was still in force, and as for newsboys
to hawk the new journal over the great city, they were a race
not then in existence. He had to fight his battle with poverty
alone and without friends, and he did fight it bravely. He was
his own clerk, reporter, editor, and errand boy. He wrote all
the articles that appeared in "The Herald," and many of the
advertisements, and did all the work that was to be performed
about his humble office.
"The Herald" was a small sheet of four pages of four
columns each. Nearly every line of it was fresh news. Quotations from other papers were scarce. Originality was then,
as now, the motto of the establishment. Small as it was, the
paper was attractive. The story that its first numbers were
scurrilous and indecent is not true, as a reference to the old
files of the journal will prove. They were of a character similar to that of" The Herald" of to-day, and were marked by




398                GREAT FORTUNES.
the same industry, tact, and freshness, which make the paper
to-day the most salable in the land.
Says Mr. Parton: "The first numbers were filled with nonsense and gossip about the city of New York, to which his
poverty confined him. He had no boat with which to board
arriving ships, no share in the pony express from Washington,
and no correspondents in other cities. All he could do was to
catch the floating gossip, scandal, and folly of the town, and
present as much of them every day as one man could get upon
paper by sixteen hours' labor. He laughed at every thing and
every body,-not excepting himself and his squint eye,- and
though his jokes were not always good, they were generally
good enough. People laughed, and were willing to expend a
cent the next day to see what new folly the man would commit or relate. We all like to read about our own neighborhood; this paper gratified the propensity.
"The man, we repeat, had really a vein of poetry in him,
and the first numbers of'The Herald' show it. He had occasion one day to mention that Broadway was about to be paved
with wooden blocks. This was not a very promising subject
for a poetical comment, but he added:'IWhen this is done,
every vehicle will have to wear sleigh-bells, as in sleighing
times, and Broadway will be so quiet that you can pay a compliment to a lady, in passing, and she will hear you.' This
was nothing in itself; but here was a man wrestling with fate
in a cellar, who could turn you out two hundred such paragraphs a week, the year round. Men can growl in a cellar;
this man could laugh, and keep laughing, and make the floating population of a city laugh with him. It must be owned,
too, that he had a little real insight into the nature of things
around him —a little Scotch sense, as well as an inexhaustible
fund of French vivacity. Alluding, once, to the'hard money'




JA}MES GORDON BENNETr.              399
cry by which the lying politicians of the day carried elections,
he exploded that nonsense in two lines:'If a man gets the
wearable or the eatable he wants, what cares he if he has gold
or paper money?' He devoted two sentences to the Old School
and New School Presbyterian controversy:'Great trouble
among the Presbyterians just now. The question is whether or
not a man can do any thing toward saving his own soul.' He
had also an article upon the Methodists, in which he said that
the two religions nearest akin were the Methodist and the Roman
Catholic. We should add to these trifling specimens the fact
that he uniformly maintained, from 1835 to the crash of 1837,
that the prosperity of the country was unreal, and would end
in disaster."
These things served the end for which they were intended.
They brought " The Herald" conspicuously before the public.
While engaged in them, the proprietor was anxiously planning
the means of making his paper a great newsacper.  He worked
sixteen or seventeen hours each day. He rose before five o'clock
in the morning, and gave three hours to writing his editorials
and the witty paragraphs to which allusion has been made.
At eight o'clock he went to his cellar, or " office," and was at
his post there during the morning, selling his papers, receiving
advertisements, and often writing them for those who were not
able to prepare them, doing such other work as was necessary,
and finishing his editorial labors. At one o'clock he went into
Wall Street, gathering up financial news and interesting items
of the street. He returned to his office at four o'clock, and
remained there until six, when the b'usiness of the day was
over. In the evening he went to the theater, a ball, concert,
or some public gathering, to pick up fresh items for his paper.
All this while, however, he was losing money. He had a
heavy load to carry, and though he bore* it unflinchingly and




400                  GREAT FORTUNES.
determinedly, the enterprise seemed doomed to failure for lack
of funds. At this juncture, he resolved to make the financial
news of the day a special feature of " The Herald." The monetary affairs of the country were in great confusion-a confilsion which was but the prelude to the crash of 1837; and Wall
Street was the vortex of the financial whirlpool whose eddies
were troubling the whole land. Every body was anxious to get
the first news from the street, and to get it as full and reliable
as possible. At this time, too, our relations with France were
exceedingly critical-a circumstance which served to increase
the trouble in financial matters.  Appreciating the anxiety
which was generally felt on this subject, Mr. Bennett resolved
to create a demand for "The Herald " among the business men
of the country. On the 13th of June, 1835, just five weeks
after the establishment of the paper, he printed his first money
article-the first that ever appeared in an American newspaper.
It was as follows:
COMMERCIAL.
Stocks yesterday maintained their prices during the session of the
Board, several going up. Utica went up 2 per cent.; the others stationary. Large quantities were sold. After the Board adjourned and
the news from France was talked over, the fancy stocks generally went
down' 1 to 1~ per cent.; the other stocks quite firm. A rally was made
by the bulls in the evening under the trees, but it did not succeed. There
will be a great fight in the Board to-day. The good people up town are
anxious to know what the brokers think of Mr. Livingston. We shall
find out, and let them know.
The cotton and flour markets rallied a little. The rise of cotton in
Liverpool drove it up here a cent or so. The last shippers will make
2] per cent. Many are endeavoring to produce the impression that there
will be a war. If the impression prevails, naval stores will go up a
good deal. Every eye is outstretched for the "Constitution." Hudson,
of the Merchants News Room, says he will hoist out the first flag. Gil



JAMES GORDON BENNETT.                 401
pin, of the Exchange News Room, says he will have her name down in
his room one hour before his competitor. The latter claims having beat
Hudson yesterday by an hour and ten minutes in chronicling the "England."
The money article was a success, and appeared regularly in
"The Herald " after this. It created a demand for the paper
among the merchants, and increased its circulation so decidedly
that at the end of the third month the daily receipts and expenditures balanced each other. Mr. Bennett now ventured to
engage a cheap police reporter, which gave him more time to
attend to other duties.
The paper now seemed on the point of becoming a success,
when it received a severe and unlooked-for blow. The printing-office was burned down, and the gentlemen who had printed
"The Herald " were so much discouraged that they refused to
renew their connection with it. Mr. Bennett knew that he was
too near to success to abandon the enterprise, and courageously
put his wits to work to devise means to carry on the paper.
By the greatest and most indomitable exertions he managed to
secure the means of going on with it, and bravely resumed its
publication alone.
A few months after this the " great fire" swept, over0 New
York, and laid nearly the whole business portion of the city
in ashes. This was Mr. Bennett's opportunity. The other
journals of the city devoted a brief portion of their space to
general and ponderous descriptions of the catastrophe, but Mr.
Bennett went among the ruins, note-book and pencil in hand,
and gathered up the most.minute particulars of the fire. He
spent one-half of each day in this way, and the other half in
writing out reports of what he thus learned. - These reports
he published in, "The Herald." - They were free, graphic, offhand sketches of the fire and its consequences, and were so full
26




402                 GREAT FORTUNES.
and complete that they left little or nothing connected with
the incidents they described to be added. Mr. Bennett also
went to the expense of publishing a picture of the burning of
the Merchants Exchange, and a map of the burnt districta heavy expense for his little journal. The result proved the
sagacity of his views.  "The Herald" reports of the fire
created a heavy demand for the paper, and its circulation increased rapidly.  Yet its success was not assured.
When his first year closed, Mr. Bennett found his paper still
struggling for existence, but with a fair prospect of success, if it
could follow up the "hit" it had made with its reports of the
fire. About this time he received an offer from Dr. Benjamin
Brandreth to advertise his pills in "The Herald," and a contract was at once concluded between them. The money thus
paid to the paper was a considerable sum, and proved of the
greatest assistance to it. All the money received~ was conscientiously expended in the purchase of news. The circulation
grew larger as its news facilities increased, and for some years
its proprietor expended all his profits in making the paper more
attractive.
At the close of the fifteenth month of its career Mr. Bennett
increased the size of "The Herald," and raised the price of it
to two cents per copy. His success was now assured, and continued to increase, as, under his able and far-seeing management, his paper expanded and enlarged its facilities for securing and making public the promptest and most reliable news of
the day. Since that time his success has been unvarying.  He
has made "The Herald" the leading.newspaper of the world,
for no other journal upon the globe can compare with it in
liberality and energy in the collection of newvs or in promptness
and completeness of detail in laying it before: the:public. Its
growth has been slowo, but sure., Every step has been won by




JAMES GORDON BENNETT.                 403
hard and conscientious labor, as well as by the force of real
genius~. Other journals have been compelled to -follow the example of "The Herald," but none have surpassed it. It still
stands at the head of the newspaper press of the world, and we
are justified in believing that it will continue to stand there as
long as its founder's hand controls it.
Instead of the little penny sheet of thirty-four years ago,
"The New York Herald" of to-day is an immense journal,
generally of twelve, and often of sixteen pages of six columns
each, making a total of from seventy-two to ninety-six closely
printed columns of matter. From four to nine pages are filled
with advertisements, classified with the utmost exactness. No
reader has to search the paper over for the article or advertisement he wishes to see; each subject has its separate place, which
can be discovered at a glance.  Its advertisements have reference to every trade, profession, or calling known to civilized
man, and are a faithful mirror of the busy age in which we live.
Its news reports are the freshest, most complete, and most
graphic of any American journal, and are collected at an expenditure of more time, care, and money than any other journal
sees fit to lay out. It has its correspondents in all parts of the
world,: and when news. is worth sending, these. are instructed to
spare no pains or expense in transmitting it at once. During
the late war it had a small army of attaches in the field, and its
reports were the most eagerly sought of all by the public.
During the Abyssinian war its reporters and correspondents furnished the London press with reliable news in advance of their
own correspondents.  Any price is paid for news, for it is the
chief wish of:Mr. Bennett that "The Herald" shall be the first
to -chronicle the events of the day.
"'The Herald" office is now located at the corner of Broadway
and Ann Street. The building, of white marble, is five stories




404                 GREAT FORTUNES.
in height, and is one of the handsomest in the country. It is
the most complete newspaper establishment in existence. It
has two cellars, in which are placed the two steam-engines that
drive the huge presses which strike off the various editions of
"The Herald."  Every thing is in perfect order, and the machinery shines like polished gold and silver. The proprietor's
eye is upon the whole establishment, and he is quick to notice
and reprimand a fault. The street floor contains the business
office of the journal, a magnificent room, gorgeous with marble,
plate-glass, black walnut, and frescoes. The editorial rooms are
above, and near them are the reporters' rooms. The top floor
constitutes the finest composing room in the world, from which
speaking-tubes and vertical railways communicate with all the
other parts of the building. Every department of 1the paper
has a responsible head, and the most rigid discipline prevails
throughout the office. There are twelve editors, thirty-five
reporters, and four hundred and fifty-three other employ6s,
making a total force of five hundred men engaged upon
"The Herald."  The circulation of the various editions of
the paper amounts to tens of thousands.  It is to be found
in every town of importance in the land, and its daily receipts
from advertisements alone are counted by tens of thousands of
dollars.
Mr. Bennett rarely writes for the paper now. He assembles
his editors in his council at noon every day, hears their suggestions, decides what topics shall be treated in the next day's
issue, and assigns to each man the subject upon which he is to
write. In his absence his place at the council-board is filled by
his son, or by the managing editor. Mr. Bennett in this way
exercises a close supervision over all the articles that appear in
"The Herald," and imparts to them a considerable share of his
personality.




JAMES GORDON BENNETT.               405
Mr. Bennett is married, and has two children, a son, James
Gordon Bennett, jr., who will succeed his father in the ownership of "The Herald," and a daughter. He lives on Fifth
Avenue at present, his favorite residence, at Washington
Heights, having been recently destroyed by fire. He is said
to be a courtly and agreeable host, and one who rarely
fails to send away his visitors with a pleasant impression of
himself.
In person he is tall and firmly built, and walks with a dignified carriage. His head is large, and his features are prominent and irregular. He has a thoroughly Scotch face, and is
cross-eyed. His forehead is broad and high, betokening great
capacity and force of character. His expression is firm and
somewhat cold-that of a man who has had a hard fight with
fortune, and has conquered it. He is reserved in his manner
to strangers, but always courteous and approachable. To his
friends he is genial and unreserved. He is finely educated,
and is said to be a man of excellent taste. His favorite studies
are history and biography, and he still pursues them with a
keen relish. His home is one of the most elegant in the city.
He is proud of his success, as he may well be, and very proud
of the fact that he owes it to himself alone. While he was
building the new "Herald" office, he was waited on by the
president of one of the national banks of the city, who said
to him:
"Mr. Bennett, we know that you are at great expense in
erecting- this building, besides carrying on your immense business. If you want any accommodation, you can have it at our
bank."
"Mr. -," replied Mr. Bennett, "before I purchased the
land, or began to build, I had on deposit two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars in the Chemical Bank. There is not a dollar




406                GREAT FORTUNES.
due on'The Herald' building that I can not pay. I would
pay off the mortgage to-morrow, if the owner would allow me
to do so. When the building is opened, I shall not owe one
dollar to any man, if I am allowed to pay. I owe nothing
that I can not discharge in an hour. I have not touched one
dollar of the money on deposit in the bank, and while that
remains I need no accommodation."




ROBERT BONNER.                  407
CHAPTER XXIVT.
ROBERT BONNER.
OBERT  BONNER was born in the north of
Ireland, near the town of Londonderry, about
the year 1824'..He came to this country when
a mere child, and was brought up in the State
of Connecticut, Where he received a good common-school education.
Manifesting a decided liking for the printer's trade, he was
placed at an early age in the office of the " Hartford Courant,"
where he took his first lessons in the art of setting type. He
entered upon the business with'the determination to learn it
thoroughly, and when he had mastered his trade soon acquired
the reputation of being the best workman in Hartford. As a
compositor, he was not only neat and thorough, but was remarkably rapid as well. On one occasion, when the' " Courant"
Was endavoring' to publish the "President's Message" in advance of all its competitors, Mr. Bonner is said to have worked
at the rate of seventeen hundred ems an hour-a feat absolutely
unparalleled.
In 1844, he removed to New York and engaged in the
office of a new journal, called the "American Republican,"
then lately established as.the organ of the American party in
that city, upon which he worked steadily during its brief




408                 GREAT FORTUNES.
career. His iwages were small, and it was only by practicing
the most rigid economy that he could live upon them.
When the "Republican" suspended publication, Mr. Bonner was employed in the office of the "Evening Mirror," published by Morris, Willis & Fuller. Here he made himself so
useful, that the business of getting up or displaying advertisements attractively was soon left entirely to him. His taste in
this department was almost faultless, and the advertisements of
the "Mirror" soon became noted for their neat and handsome
appearance.
At this time there was published in ]New York a small,
struggling paper, exclusively mercantile in its characterecalled
the "Merchants' Ledger."  This paper was almost entirely
dependent upon its advertising patronage, and the attention
of its proprietor was called to Mr. Bonner's skill, as exhibited
in the "Mirror," in displaying advertisements to the greatest
advantage. The result was that Mr. Bonner received an offer,
which he accepted, to take charge of this paper. This was the
origin of his connection with the journal which he has since
rendered famous.
Being fond of composition, he made frequent contributions to
the editorial columns of the paper, which were well received
by the general public, but which seem to have aroused the petty
jealousy of the proprietor of the " Ledger."
Soon after forming his connection with the "Ledger," Mr.
Bonner purchased it. From his boyhood up, it had been his
ambition to become the proprietor of a journal which should
be carried out upon his own ideas, and he believed that the
"Ledger" offered him the best means of doing this. It was
generally doubted. at that time that a literary paper could
flourish in New York-Boston and Philadelphia having apparently monopolized such enterprises. Mr. Bonner, however,




ROBERT BONNER.                   409
had a clearer view of the matter, and was convinced from the
first that the great center of American industry was the: very
best place for such an undertaking.  He proceeded very cautiously at first, however, changing the character of his- paper
very gradually, from a commercial to a literary journal.
At this time Fanny Fern was the great literary sensation
of the day. She had just published her" Ruth Hall," which
had attracted universal attention, and had given rise to a sharp
discussion in the public press as to whether she was the sister.of N. P. Willis or not. Mr. Bonner resolved to profit by her
sudden notoriety, and requested her to write a story for the
" Ledger," for which he offered to pay her twenty-five dollars
per column.  She declined the proposition. He then offered
her fifty dollars a column, and, upon a second refusal, increased
his offer to seventy-five dollars a column. She was pleased
with the energy exhibited by Mr. Bonner, and flattered by his
eagerness to secure her services, but declared that she would
write no more for the newspapers. A little later Mr.. Bonner
was offered a story from her, about ten columns long. He at
once accepted her proposition, and upon the receipt of the manuscript sent her a check for one thousand dollars.
With this story began that wonderful career of the "Ledger"
which seems more like a dream than hard reality. The story
was double-leaded, and made to fill twenty columns of the
paper. The "Ledger" itself was changed from its old. style
to its present form, and made a purely literary journal. The
price paid for the story was unparalleled in the history of
American journalism, and Mr. Bonner spread the announcement far and wide that he was publishing a serial for which he
had given one hundred dollars a column. His advertisements
were to be seen in almost every newspaper of respectable circulation throughout the Union. In form they were different




410                GREAT FORTUNES.
from any that had preceded them. "Fanny Fern writes for
the'Ledger.'"' "Buy the' New York Ledger,' "etc., appeared,
dozens of times repeated, until men were absolutely tired of
seeing the announcement. Nothing had ever been brought to
the public notice so prominently before. For awhile people
were astonished at the audacious boldness of " the'Ledger'
man."  Then they began to buy the paper. Since then the
demand for it- has steadily increased.
The venture was successful. Fanny Fern's reputation and
Mr..Bonner's energy and boldness made a demand for the
"Ledger," at once, and out of the profits of the story for which
he had paid. such an unheard-of price Mr. Bonner purchased a
handsome residence in New York City.
There was as much originality as boldness in the peculiar
style in which Mr. Bonner advertised his paper..As before
stated, npthing of the kind had ever been seen before, and the
novelty of the announcements at once attracted attention. It
was seen that they were expensive also, and people naturally
felt some curiosity to see for themselves the paper for which a
man was willing to assume such risk and expense. These announcements sometimes covered a whole page of a daily paper;
sometimes the page would be almost entirely blank, with only
a few lines in each column containing the announcement.
Again the advertisement would be the opening chapters of a
story, which would be sure to excite the curiosity of the.reader,
and induce him to purchase the remaining chapters in the
"Ledger" itself. It is to the credit of the "Ledger" that it
rarely loses a subscriber. It has become a family paper.
A recent writer thus refers to Mr. Bonner's early experience
in advertising:"His mode of advertising was new, and it excited both
astonishment and ridicule. His ruin was predicted over and




ROBERT BONNER.                  411
over again. But as he paid as he went along, he alone would
be the sufferer. He was assailed in various ways. Men sneered
at his writers, as well as at the method in which he made them
known. He had no competition. Just then it was announced
that the Harpers were to put a first-class weekly into the field.
The announcement was hailed with delight- by many classes.
Men who had been predicting Bonner's ruin from the start
were anxious to see it accomplished.  He had agents in all the
leading cities in the land. These held a monopoly of the'Ledger.' The book men and newspaper men, who were left
out, were quite willing to have the'Ledger' go under. The
respectability and wealth of the house, its enterprise, with the
class of writers it could secure, made the new paper a dangerous rival. Mr. Bonner concluded to make the first issue serviceable to himself..His paragraph advertising was considered
sensational, and smacking of the charlatan. He resolved to
make it respectable. He wrote half a column in sensational
style:' Buy IHarper's Weekly!' —' Buy Harper's Weekly!'-'Buy Harper's Weekly!'-' Buy Harper's Weekly!' —and so
on through the half column. Through his advertising agent
he sent this advertisement to the'Herald,''Tribune,' and'Times,' and paid for its insertion. Among the astonished
readers of this'Ledger' style of advertising were the quiet
gentlemen who do business on Franklin Square, The community were astonished.'The Harpers are waking up!''This
is the Bonner style!''This is the way the Ledger man
does it.!' were heard on all sides. The young Harpers were
congratulated by the book men every-where on the enterprise
with which they were pushing the new publication.  They
said nothing, and took the joke in good part. But it settled
the respectability of the'Ledger' style of advertising.. It is
now imitated by the leading publishers, insurance men, and




412                GREAT FORTUNES.
most eminent dry goods men in the country. The sums spent
by Mr. Bonner in advertising are perfectly marvelous.  He
never advertises unless he has something new to present to the
public. He pays from five to twenty-five thousand dollars a
week when he advertises."              v
Mr. Bonner well knew that all his advertising would be
worth nothing.in the end unless he made the " Ledger " worthy
of the public patronage, and he exerted himself from the first
to secure the services of a corps of able and popular writers,.
In his arrangements with his contributors, he inaugurated:a
system of liberality and justness which might well put his
rivals to shame.
When Mr. Everett was engaged in his noble effort to assist
the ladies of the Mount Vernon Association in purchasing the
home and tomb of Washington, Mr. Bonner proposed to him
to write a series of papers for the "'Ledger," for which he
offered him ten thousand dollars, the money to be appropriated
to the purchase of Mount Vernon. Mr. Everett accepted the
offer, and the celebrated Mount Vernon Papers were the result.
This was a far-sighted move on the part of Robert Bonner.
Under ordinary circumstances Mr. Everett would probably have
declined to "write for the'Ledger;'" but in a cause so worthy
he could not refuse. The association of his name with the
journal was of incalculable service to it, and the Mount Vernon Papers were to its proprietor his very best advertisement.
(We are viewing the matter commercially.) The sale of the
paper. was wonderfully increased, and a golden harvest was
reaped.
This connection of Mr. Everett with the "Ledger" led to a
warm personal friendship between himself and its proprietor,
which was broken only by the statesman's death-a circumstance which: speaks volumes for the private. worth of the




ROBERT BONNER.                   413
younger man. Mr. Everett continued to write for the paper
after his MIount Vernon articles were finished, and is said to
have earned over fifty thousand dollars by his able contributions to it.
Soon after the completion of the Mount Vernon Papers,
Mr. Bonner secured the services of George Bancroft, the historian, who contributed a series of admirable articles. Mr.
Everett's connection with the "Ledger" had settled the question that it was not beneath the dignity of the most eminent
literateur in the land to write for it. Fanny Fern's husband,
Mr. James Parton, Alice and Phoebe Carey, Mrs. Southworth,
and a host of others have helped, and still help, to fill its
columns.
-But perhaps its most profitable contributor, next to Mr.
Everett, is Henry Ward Beecher. That wonderful gift of the
great preacher which enables him to touch so constantly upon
subjects nearest to the hearts of most men, would make him invaluable to any paper. Mr. Bonner was struck with this after
hearing him  preach several times, and resolved to secure his
services for the " Ledger."  He proposed, to the parson's utter
astonishment, that Mr.: Beecher should write a story for the
paper, and coupled it with the offer of a sum which many persons would consider a fortune. The field was utterly new to
Mr. Beecher. /Novel-writing was something he had never even
thought of; but after some hesitation he accepted the offer.
Soon after this, the publication of " Norwood" was begun in
the columns of the "Ledger."  The story was longer than was
at first agreed upon, and Mr. Bonner paid its author a handsome sum in addition to the amount originally offered.  The
reward was princely, but not out of proportion to the service
rendered by Mr. Beecher, who has won thousands of readers for
the paper. Mr. Beecher still writes for the " Ledger," and




414                 GREAT FORTUNES.
there is no present prospect of his genial and useful contributions coming to a close.
Mr. Bonner has made his paper useful to young people as
well as those of maturer years. Each number contains articles,
briefly and pointedly written, upon some popular and. useful
topic, so that thousands find not only amusement, but valuable hints and profitable instruction in the "Ledger.'"
It was for a long time the custom of the newspaper press to
indulge in sneers at the " Ledger," and, at the least, to treat it
with a species of mild contempt.  In order to. stop this, its
proprietor secured and published a series of articles from James
Gordon Bennett of "The Herald," Henry J. Raymond of "The
Times," and  Horace Greeley of "The Tribune."  By thus
identifying the leading journalists of the country with his enterprise, he effectually silenced the scoffers, and with them the
"lesser lights" of the press.
It was said by some over-careful persons that the "Ledger"
was not a proper paper for young persons to read. Mr. Bonner at once secured the services of the Presidents of the twelve
principal colleges of the Union, and articles from each of these
gentlemen appeared in his paper. After this it was not to be
presumed that a journal which had among its contributors
twelve such distinguished guides of youth could be unfit for
any one to read.'In order to make still less room for doubt on this subject, a
series of articles by twvelve distinguished clergymen soon after
appeared in the "Ledger."
Indeed, the greatest care is exercised to exclude from the
columns of the paper anything savoring in the. least of impurity.  It is the proprietor's aim to make it a help as well as
an. amusement to its readers, and his object is to elevate, not to
degrade them.




ROBERT BONNER,.                  415
The"' Ledger" now circulates over three hundred thousand
copies per week, and is growing.in the public favor. From
the profits of his business Mr. Bonner has built a splendid
marble publishing-house at the corner of William and Spruce
Streets, in New York, from which the " Ledger" is now issued.
It is one of the most complete establishments in the world, and
is fitted up with every convenience necessary to the performance of the work upon the paper in the most perfect and expeditious manner. Mr. Bonner has created all this by his own
energy and business talent, and richly deserves the success he
enjoys. He resides in an elegant mansion in New York, and
has also a handsome country seat at Morrisania, in Westchester
County. He is married, and has a family.
Mr. Bonner's great wealth has enabled him to achieve a distinction of another kind. He is famous as the owner of the
finest horses in America. His stables are located in Twentyseventh Street, and are the most perfect of their kind in this
country. They contain every thing needed for the comfort and
care of the horses, and the men employed in them are thoroughly
skilled in their business. The horses are seven in number.
First on the list is "Dexter," who has made his mile in the
unprecedented time of 2: 17} in harness, and 2: 18 under the
saddle. He is the fastest horse in the world. "Lantern," a
splendid bay, fifteen and a half hands high, has made his mile
in 2: 20. "Pocahontas," the most perfectly formed horse in
existence, has made her mile in 2: 23; while "Peerless," a fine
gray mare, has followed close on to her in 2: 231. "Lady
Palmer" has made two miles with a three hundred and fifty
pound wagon and driver in 4: 59, while her companion, " Flatbush Mare," has made a two-mile heat to a road wagon in
5: 014. The " Auburn Horse," a large sorrel, sixteen and a half'hands high, with four white feet and a white face, was declared




416                GREAT FORTUNES.
by Hiram Woodruff to be the fastest horse he ever drove.
These horses cost their owner-over two hundred thousand dollars, and he would not part with them for double that sum. He
does not race them for money, but drives them for his own use,
and holds the reins himself.




LAWY E R S.
CHAPTE R XXV.
JOHN MARSHALL.
O the writer's mind the most perfect specimen of
the American lawyer known to our history was. | f JOHN MARSHALL, of Virginia, Chief Justice of
the United States. Profoundly learned in the,
law, irresistible in argument, and possessed of an
eloquence which drew men in throngs to listen to him, he was
also the soul of honor. Neither in his private nor professional
life could the most malicious find an action open to reproach.
Simple and earnest as a child, he was yet a tower of strength
to the cause of justice. Occupying the highest place in our
judiciary system, he was never unduly elated by his honors,
and while gaining and awarding fortunes in the discharge of his
professional duties, he was himself so true a man that the most
brazen suitor would not have dared to offer him a bribe. He
was in all things the simple, honest gentleman, the fearless advocate, the just judge, and the meek and earnest follower of his
Saviour. Although belonging to a past generation, his story is
presented here because I wish to offer to those who seek to fol27                                 417




418                 GREAT FORTUNES.
low him in his noble calling the purest and highest model our
history affords.
John Marshall was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, on
the 24tl of September, 1755. He was the oldest of a family
of fifteen children, and was the son of Colonel Thomas Marshall,
a planter of moderate fortune. During the Revolution, Colonel
Marshall commanded a regiment of Virginia troops, and won
considerable distinction at the battles of the Great Bridge, Germantown, Brandywine, and Monmouth. At the Brandywine
the regiment bore the brunt of the attack of the British army,
led by Cornwallis in person.
John Marshall was born in a region so thinly settled as to
be almost cut off' from civilization. The people were plain and
even rough in their habits, and the mode of life which pre-'vailed in his native county doubtless did much to lay the foun-:dation of those habits of simplicity for which he was noted in
after life. Schools were almost unknown in this region, and.such as were in operation were so rude in character that Colonel
Marshall, who was a man of education and culture, decided,not to attempt to train his children in them. Being unable to,raise the means of sending them to better schools in other parts,of the Colony, he determined to become their teacher himself,
and applied himself to his task with a devotion which was signally rewarded by the brilliant career of his eldest son. He
laid especial weight upon their acquiring a thorough knowledge
~fthe English language and of history, and sought to cultivate
in them  a love for the poetry of their native tongue. Referring
in after life to his father's devoted labors, Judge Marshall once
said, with great feeling, "To him I owe the solid foundation of
all my success in life." John Marshall did ample justice to his
father's labors, and when only fourteen years old was thoroughly familiar with the writings of Shakespeare, Dryden,




JOHN MARSHALL.                   419
Milton, and Pope, and could repeat by heart nearly the whole
of the "Essay on Man." These poets were always his favorites,
and in mature life he would quote them with readiness and the
keenest relish.
He showed such marked talent that his father. determined to
make an effort to secure him a better education than his private
labors could impart to him, and accordingly sent him for a
year to the school of the Rev. Mr. Campbell, in Westmoreland
County, where he received a good drilling in English and
Latin. At this school began his acquaintance with James
Monroe, who was then one of Mr. Campbell's pupils. Returning home at the end of the year, he continued his studies
under the Rev. Mr. Thompson.
He studied hard and was an industrious reader. Poetry and
romance were his favorites, but he read history with the deepest interest. He was quiet and thoughtful in manner, and full
of a dreamy, poetic enthusiasm. He loved to wander in the
thick woods, and would pass many of his leisure hours in gazing at the beauties of nature. His constitution was a sound
and vigorous one, and he was not only fond of manly and
athletic sports, but excelled in them. He had no inclination
toward dissipation, and the simple, healthful life of his home
was calculated to develop his physical powers to the utmost.
Colonel Marshall did not neglect the moral training of his
children, but always impressed upon them the importance of
Christianity as the basis of their characters, rearing them in
that simple code of true gentility which was so dear to our
fathers, but of which we of to-day are fast losing sight.
Being destined for the bar, young Marshall began his legal
studies at the age of eighteen, but in two years they were interrupted by the troubles with Great Britain, which terminated
in open hostilities. A volunteer company was raised in the




420                GREAT FORTUNES.
neighborhood, and John Marshall promptly attached himself
to it. He took a prominent part in the questions of the day,
and expressed himself boldly in favor of resistance. In 1775
Patrick Henry made his memorable appeal for volunteers to
drive the Loyalist Governor, Lord Dunmore, out of Virginia.
Three companies were immediately organized in Marshall's
neighborhood. Among these were the famous "Culpepper
Minute Men."  Marshall's father was elected major of the
regiment, and he himself was chosen a lieutenant in the Minute
Men. The force at once hastened to the lower counties, and
bore a conspicuous part in the battle of Great Bridge. In
July, 1776, Marshall's company was assigned to the Eleventh
Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army, and sent North.
In May, 1777, he was made captain of his company. He participated in the fight at Iron Hill, and in the battles of Germantown, Brandywine, and Monmouth, and shared the sufferings of the army at the memorable encampment of Valley
Forge. Until the close of 1779 he was constantly in active
service. He was always patient, cheerful, and hopeful. In
the severest hardships to which the army was exposed his
spirits never sank. One of his comrades said that he did more
than any other man to keep alive the hopes of the army during the terrible winter at Valley Forge, and another has declared that " the officers of the Virginia line appeared to idolize
him."  I-is conduct attracted the attention of Washington, who
conceived a warm friendship for him, and Marshall, on his part,
returned the friendship of his chief with a feeling almost of
worship. Washington frequently appointed him deputy judge
advocate during the winter.
At the close of 1779 he went to Virginia to take command
of a new corps which the Legislature was about to raise. The
project remaining under discussion for some months, he passed




JOHN MARSHALL.                  421
the time in attendance upon a course of lectures on law, delivered
by George Wythe, and a course of lectures on natural philosophy, delivered by the Rev. Dr. Madison, afterward Bishop of
Virginia, at William and Mary College, in Williamsburg.
The next summer he received his license to practice law.
Meanwhile, the project for raising troops had taken the shape
of a definite failure, and he now set out to rejoin the army.
Too poor to pay his passage to the North, he walked the entire
distance from Williamsburg, Virginia, to Philadelphia, upon
reaching which city he was so travel-worn and shabby in appearance, that the landlord of the hotel at which he wished to
stop refused him admittance. He joined the army in due time,
and remained with it until the spring of 1781, when he resigned his commission, a few months before the close of the
war.
With the return of peace the courts were again thrown open,
and Marshall began that brilliant legal career which has made
him one of the most famous men in our history. His success
was marked from the first, as his professional talents were such
as to make themselves felt anywhere, and his personal popularity aided him greatly in overcoming the difficulties which
lie in the path of a young aspirant to legal honors. In 1782,
the people of Fauquier elected him to the House of Delegates
in the General Assembly of the Commonwealth, and in the
fall of that year he was appointed one of the Council of State.
In January, 1783, he was married to Miss Mary Willis Ambler, with whom he lived in the most perfect happiness for over
fifty years. His bride was a woman of great personal beauty,
and in every respect a fitting helpmate for such a man —than
which no higher tribute could be paid her. About this time,
Mr. Marshall decided not to return to Fauquier, but to locate
himself permanently in Richmond, where he could enjoy many




422                 GRFEAT FORTUNES.
more professional advantages. In spite of this, however, his
old friends in Fauquier re-elected him to the Legislature, and
in 1787 he sat in that body as representative from the county
of Henrico.
He was very plain and even careless in his personal attire,
and this often led to amusing occurrences. Soon after he began
the practice of his profession in Richmond, he was strolling
through the streets one morning, dressed in a plain linen suit
and a straw hat. The hat was held under his arm, and was
filled with cherries, of which he ate as he walked. In passing
the Eagle Hotel, he stopped to exchange salutations with the
landlord, and then continued his walk. Sitting near the landlord, on the hotel porch, was a Mr. P-, an elderly gentleman from the country, who had come to the. city to engage
counsel in an important case which was to be tried in a day or
two. The landlord referred him to Marshall as the best lawyer
in the city; but the old gentleman was so much prejudiced
against the young advocate, by his careless appearance, that he
refused to engage him. On entering court, Mr. P-.  was a
second time referred to Marshall by the clerk of the court, and
a second time he refused to employ him. At this moment entered Mr. V-, a venerable-looking legal gentleman, in a
powdered wig and black coat, whose dignified appearance produced such an impression on Mr. P — that he engaged him
at once.:In the first case which came on, Marshall and Mr.
V -  each addressed the court. "The vast inferiority of his
advocate was so apparent that at the close of the case Mr. Pintroduced himself to young Marshall, frankly stated the preju-:dice which had caused him, in opposition to advice, to employ
Mr. V; that he extremely regretted the error, but knew
not how to remedy it. He had come to the city with one hundred: dollars as his lawyer's fee, which he had paid, and had




JOHN MARSHALL.                   423
but five left, which, if Marshall chose, he would cheerfully give
him for assisting in the case. Marshall, pleased with the incident, accepted the offer, not, however, without passing a sly
joke at the omnipotence of a powdered wig and black coat."
In 1788, Mr. Marshall was elected to the Virginia Convention
which met in June of that year for the purpose of considering
the question of the adoption or rejection of the Federal Constitution.: The debates in this body were among the most brilliant in history. Marshall took a decided stand in favor of the
Constitution, and is believed to have done more than any other
man, save Mr. Madison, to secure its adoption. He added
greatly to his reputation by his labors in this body, and the
close of the session found his practice very much enlarged.
He was anxious to devote himself entirely to his professional
duties; but he was urged so vehemently to accept a seat in the
Legislature from the city of Richmond, that he was forced to
consent. He sat in that body from 1789 to 1791, and in those
sessions which were marked by the brilliant contests between
the Federalists and Republicans took a decided stand with the
former, and sustained his position by an array of arguments
against which his opponents were powerless. The struggle was
one of great bitterness, but Marshall, although victorious in it,
made no enemies among his antagonists.
For the next three years he devoted himself industriously to
his profession, appearing in public only to defend with masterly
eloquence the course of President Washington with reference
to the insolent conduct of Citizen Genet, the French Agent.
In 1795, he was again elected to the Legislature, "not only
without his approbation, but against: his known wishes;". but
yielding to the desires of his friends he took his seat in that
body. The great question of the day was the adoption of "Jay's
Treaty" with Great Britain. In Virginia, a bitter opposition




424                 GREAT FORTUNES.
assailed the treaty, and the entire State rang with denunciations
of it. Even the influence of Washington was powerless to stay
the tide of popular passion excited against the treaty and those
who upheld it. Meetings were held in Richmond, and the treaty
was fiercely denounced. Marshall now came to the rescue, and
before a meeting of the citizens of that place made such an
unanswerable argument in favor of the treaty, that the men
who had been foremost in assailing it now united in the adoption of resolutions indorsing the policy of the Administration.
In the Legislature his efforts were equally successful, and the
opponents of the Administration were forced to abandon their
constitutional objections to the treaty, and to content themselves with a simple denial of the expediency of the measure
at that time. President Washington attached so much importance to these services that he offered to his old friend and
comrade the position of Attorney-General of the United States,
but Marshall declined the offer, as he wished to devote himself to his practice, which had now become very lucrative.
He continued to sit in the Legislature, which did not interfere
with his private business, and remained the constant and vigilant friend of Washington's Administration. In 1796, he was
offered the post of Minister to France, as Mr. Monroe's successor, but he declined it for the same reason which had made
him refuse the Attorney-Generalship. In 1797, when the
offer was repeated, this time by President Adams, Marshall
yielded to the entreaties of Washington, and went to France
with Pinckney and Gerry, as Envoy Extraordinary. The
object of the mission was to remove the obstructions placed
by France in the way of American commerce. The Envoys
were unsuccessful, but a correspondence took place between
Marshall and Talleyrand, which was a source of great satisfaction to American publicists, and raised Marshall still higher




JOHN MARSHALL.                  425
in their esteem and confidence. Upon his return home in
1798, he was given a public reception in New York by the
citizens, and a public dinner by the two Houses of Congress,
"as an evidence of affection for his person, and of their
grateful approbation of the patriotic firmness with which he
had sustained the dignity of his country during his important
mission." He subsequently took a prominent part in support
of the measures of retaliation directed against France by the
Administration, which were, sharply assailed by the opposition.
He resumed his practice in Richmond, but was again drawn
from it by a message from Washington, who requested him to
visit him at Mt. Vernon. He did so, and the result was that
he yielded to the solicitations of his old chieftain, and consented to accept a seat in Congress. He was elected to the
Lower House of that body in 1799. During the canvass,
President Adams offered him a seat in the Supreme Court
of the United States, but he declined it.
His career in Congress was brief, but brilliant. The Federalist party was hard pressed by the Republicans, and he
promptly arrayed himself on the side of the former, as the
champion of the Administration of John Adams. The excitement over the "Alien and Sedition Laws" was intense, but he
boldly and triumphantly defended the course of the Administration. Mr. Binney says of him that, in the debates on the
great constitutional questions, "he was confessedly the first
man in the House. When he discussed them, he exhausted
them; nothing more remained to be said; and the impression
of his argument effaced that of every one else."
His great triumph was his speech in the Jonathan Robbins
affair. Robbins had committed a murder on board an English
ship-of-war, and had sought refuge from punishment in the
United States. In accordance with one of the provisions of




426                 &REAT FORTUNES.
Jay's Treaty, his surrender had been demanded by the British
Minister, on the ground that he was a British subject, and he
had been surrendered by President Adams. The opposition in
Congress made this act a pretext for a famous assault upon the
Administration, and a resolution was introduced into the House
of Representatives by Mr. Livingston, censuring the President
for his course in the matter. This resolution produced an extended debate in the House; in the course of which Marshall
defended the President in a speech of great force and eloquence.
Judge Story has said of this speech, that "it was riponse sans
rEplique-an answer so irresistible that it admitted of no reply.
It silenced opposition, and settled then and forever the points
of national law upon which the controversy hinged."
In May, 1800, Mr. Adams offered Marshall a seat in his
Cabinet as Secretary of War, but before he could enter upon
the duties of that office he was made Secretary of State, in
which capacity he acted for a short while, conducting several
important negotiations during that time, and leaving behind
him several of the most magnificent state papers to be found
in our archives. During his occupancy of this position, it
became necessary to appoint a Chief Justice of the United
States, and Marshall took advantage of the occasion to urge
upon the President the propriety of tendering the place to a
distinguished gentleman who had been a faithful friend to the
Administration; but Mr. Adams quietly informed him that he
had made up his mind to confer the honor upon the man best
suited to it, and that he had sent to the Senate the name of
John Marshall, of Virginia. This appointment, which came
to him entirely unsolicited, was made on the 31st of January,
1801, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
He held the: position of Chief Justice for more than thirtyfour years, and this period is justly regarded as the most bril



JOHN MARSHALL.                   427
liant portion of the history of our highest court, a court of
which a famous judge has said:
"The decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States
have raised the renown of the country not less than they have
confirmed the Constitution. In all parts of the world its judgments are spoken of with respect. Its: adjudications of prize
law are a code for all future time. Upon commercial law it
has brought us nearly to one system, befitting the probity of a
great commercial nation. Over its whole path, learning and
intelligence and integrity have shed their combined luster."
Although holding so high a post in the General Government,
he continued to take a warm interest in the affairs of his native
State, and in 1828 was a delegate to the Charlottesville Convention, which met for the purpose of recommending to the
Legislature a system of internal improvements best suited to
the needs of the State. In 1829, he was a member of the
Convention which met in Richmond for the purpose of revising the Constitution of the State. Though now quite old and
feeble, he took an active part in the debates of the Convention,
and was mainly instrumental in effecting the settlement of the
disputes between- the eastern and western sections of the State.
In 1805, Judge Marshall published, in five volumes, his
"Life of Washington."  The first volume was devoted to the
history of the Colonies, from their settlement to the commencement of the Revolution. This work has always held the first
position: in our Revolutionary annals, and won for its author a
place in the- front rank of American writers. It is, all in all,
the best biography of Washington in existence.
Sterling honesty was exemplified in Judge Marshall's whole
career. His word was indeed as:good as his bond. He would
never argue in behalf of a cause which he had reason to think
unjust, and he scorned to take a legal advantage at the expense




428                 GREAT FORTUNES.
of moral honesty.  He once indorsed a bond to the amount
of several thousand dollars. The drawer failed, and Marshall
paid it, although he knew he could avoid it, as the holder
had forfeited his claim in law by requiring more than legal
interest.
He was generous to a fault.  Once, as he passed through
Culpepper County, he met with Captain S-, one of his old
comrades in the Revolution. In the course of the conversation
which ensued, S.- told him that his estate was burdened
with a mortgage for $3,000, which was about to fall due, and
that, as he was unable to pay it, he saw nothing but ruin in
store for him. At his departure, Marshall handed a note to
the servant who brought his horse to the door, and told him to
give it to his master. This was done as Marshall was riding
away, and upon opening the note Mr. S-  found that it contained a check for the amount of the mortgage. Mounting his
horse, he soon overtook Marshall, and, though he thanked him
warmly for his generosity, refused to accept it. Marshall strenuously urged its acceptance, but the other persistently refused.
Finally, the former suggested a compromise. Marshall took
up the mortgage, and thus satisfied the first claim, but as his
friend was never prosperous, he never asked for the payment
of the debt.
William Wirt has left us the following description of his personal appearance: "He is tall, meager, emaciated; his muscles
relaxed, and his joints so loosely connected as not only to disqualify him apparently for any vigorous exertion of body, but
to destroy every thing like harmony in his air or movements.
Indeed, in his whole appearance and demeanor,-dress, attitudes, gesture, sitting, standing, or walking,-he is as far removed from the idolized graces of Lord Chesterfield as any
other gentleman on earth."




.JOHN MARSHALL.                    429
"In spite, however, of this ungainly person," says a writer,
"no one was a greater social favorite than the Chief Justice.
The people of Richmond regarded his eccentric figure with
strong personal affection as well as respect.  The black eyes,
under their bushy gray brows, beamed with good nature, and
the lips were habitually smiling. The courtesy of the Judge
was one of his most beautiful traits.  It was the spontaneous
exhibition of the simple and kindly emotions of his heart.
Pure benevolence and philanthropy displayed itself in every
word which he uttered. He gave his hand to the plain yeoman clad in homespun as courteously and sincerely as to the
greatest personage in the country.  HIe had the same simple
smile and good-humored jest for both, and seemed to recognize
no difference between them.  It was instructive to estimate in
the good Chief Justice the basis and character of true politeness. John Randolph, one of the most fastidious and aristocratic of men, left his opinion that Marshall's manner was perfect good breeding. In dress and bearing, it would be difficult
to imagine any one more simple than Judge Marshall.  He
presented the appearance of a plain countryman, rather than a
Chief Justice of the United States.  He had a farm in Fauquier County, and another near Richmond, and he would often
return from the latter to take his seat on the bench with burrs
sticking to his clothes.  His great passion was the game of
quoits, and he was a member of the club which met, as it
still meets, at Buchanan's Spring, near the city, to play at this
game. Here the Governor of Virginia, the Chief Justice, and
the most eminent lawyers of the Court of Appeals, were found
by a French gentleman, Baron Quinet, with their coats off,
gayly pitching quoits, with the ardor of a party of urchins. In
these simple amusements passed the hours of leisure which
Judge Marshall could steal from his exhausting judicial toil.




430                GREAT FORTUNES.
At such times he seemed to become a boy again, and to forget
the ermine. His fondness for other social enjoyments was great.
He was the center of a brilliant circle of men, many of whom
were famous, and the tradition of their dinner parties, and the
jests which they circulated, is still preserved."
It was his custom always to provide for his table himself
when at home, and he might be seen every morning at the
Shockoe Hill Market, with his basket on his arm, engaged in
making his purchases. Upon one of these occasions he noticed
a fashionably-dressed young man, swearing violently because he
could not find any one willing to carry home for him a turkey
which he had just purchased, and which his foolish pride would
not permit him to carry himself. Approaching him quietly,
the Judge asked where he lived, and upon being told, said, "I
am going that way, and will carry it for you." Taking the
turkey, he set out and soon reached the young man's door.'Upon receiving his turkey, the young man thanked him for his
trouble, and asked, "How much shall I pay you?"  "Oh,
nothing," replied the Judge, smiling, "you are welcome. It
was on my way, and no trouble."  So saying, the Judge departed, and the young man, with a faint suspicion of the
truth, turned to a bystander, and asked, in some confusion,
"Who is that polite old gentleman who brought home my
turkey for me?"  "That is John Marshall, the Chief Justice
of the United States," was the reply. "Why, then, did he
bring home my turkey?" stammered the fop. " To give you a
deserved rebuke," said the gentleman, "and to teach you to
conquer your silly pride."
Reference has been made to his carelessness in regard to his
personal appearance. A wager was once laid among his friends
in Richmond that he could not dress himself without leaving
about his clothing some mark of his carelessness. The Judge




JOHN MARSHALL.                   431
good-humoredly accepted the wager. A supper was to be given
to him upon these conditions. If his dress was found faultless
upon that occasion, the other parties were to pay for the entertainment; but if any carelessness could be detected about his
dress or in his appearance, the expense was to fall upon him.
Upon the appointed evening the gentlemen and the Judge met
at the place agreed upon, and to the surprise of all, the Judge's
dress seemed faultless. He appeared the very perfection of
neatness and taste. The supper followed, the Judge being in
high glee over his victory. Near the close of the repast, however, one of the guests, who sat next to Judge Marshall, chanced
to drop his napkin, and stooping down to pick it up, discovered that the Judge had put on one of his stockings with the
wrong side out. Of course the condition of affairs was immediately reversed, and, amid roars of laughter, the Chief Justice
acknowledged his defeat.
The means of locomotion in the Southern States being limited in the days of Judge Marshall, it was his custom to travel
about the country, when holding his circuit courts, in an oldfashioned and very much dilapidated gig. His plain and even
rusty appearance often led him into ludicrous adventures, which
he related to his friends With keen enjoyment. At other times
people to whom he was personally unknown were astonished to
find that this shabbily-dressed old man was the famous ChiefJustice Marshall. One of his adventures is thus related by an
eye-witness:
"It is not long since a gentleman was traveling in one of
the counties of Virginia, and about the close of the day stopped
at a public-house to obtain refreshment and spend the night.
He had been there but a short time when an old man alighted
from his gig, with the apparent intention of becoming his fellow-guest at the same house. As the old man drove up, he




432                 GREAT FORTUNES.
observed that both the shafts of his gig were broken, and that
they were held together by withes formed from the bark of a
hickory sapling. Our traveler observed, further, that he was
plainly clad, that his knee-buckles were loosened, and that
something like negligence pervaded his dress. Conceiving him
to be one of the honest yeomanry of our land, the courtesies of
strangers passed between them, and they entered the tavern. It
was about the same time that an addition of three or four young
gentlemen was made to their number-most of them, if not all,
of the legal profession. As soon as they became conveniently
accommodated, the conversation was turned by the latter upon
an eloquent harangue which had that day been delivered at the
bar. The other replied that he had witnessed the same day
a degree of eloquence no doubt equal, but that it was from
the pulpit. Something like a sarcastic rejoinder was made to the
eloquence of the pulpit, and a warm and able altercation ensued,
in which the merits of the Christian religion became the subject
of discussion. From six o'clock until eleven the young champions
wielded the sword of argument, adducing with ingenuity and
ability every thing that could be said pro and con. During
this protracted period, the old gentleman listened with all the
meekness and modesty of a child, as if he was adding new information to the stores of his own mind; or perhaps he was
observing, with philosophic eye, the faculties of the youthful
mind, and how new energies are evolved by repeated action;
or, perhaps, with patriotic emotion, he was reflecting upon the
future destinies of his country, and on the rising generation
upon whom these future destinies must devolve; or, most probably, with a sentiment of moral and religious feeling, he was
collecting an argument which-characteristic of himself-no art
would be'able to elude and no force resist.' Our traveler remained a spectator, and took no part in what was said.








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f~~il~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lli~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~litli~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hl




JOHN MARSHALL.                  433
" At last one of the young men, remarking that it: was, impossible to combat with long-established prejudices, wheeled
around, and, with some familiarity, exclaimed,':Well, my old
gentleman, what think you of these things?' If, said the. traveler, a streak of vivid lightning had at that moment crossed
the room, their amazement could not have been greater than it
was with what followed. The most eloquent and unanswerable
appeal was made, for nearly an hour, by the old gentleman, that
he ever heard or read. So perfect was his recollection, that
every argument used against the Christian religion was met in
the order in which it was advanced. Hume's sophistry on the
subject of miracles was, if possible, more perfectly answered
than it had already been done by Campbell. And in the whole
lecture there was so much simplicity and energy, pathos and
sublimity, that not another word was uttered. An attempt to.
describe it, said the traveler, would be an attempt to paint the
sunbeams. It was now a matter of curiosity and inquiry who
the old gentleman was. The traveler concluded it was the
preacher from whom the pulpit eloquence was heard; but noit was the Chief Justice of the United States."
Judge Marshall was a simple and earnest Christian, and heldi
in the deepest abhorrence the fashionable skepticism of his day.
His conduct was consistent with his profession, and to the last
this good and great man repeated night and morning the.
simple prayer he had learned at his mother's knee.
For many years he suffered from an affection of the bladder;s
and was at length compelled to resort to a surgical operations
for relief. This had the desired effect, but he was soon after
taken with an attack of "liver complaint."  He repaired to
Philadelphia for medical treatment, but failed to derive any
benefit from it, and died in that city on the 6th of July, 1835.
His body was conveyed to Richmond for interment, and he,
28




434                GREAT FORTUNES.
now sleeps by the side of his wife in. the Shockoe Hill Cemetery in that city. The spot is marked by a plain slab of
marble, over which the weeds and the rank grass are growing,
and on which may be read the following inscription, dictated
(saving the last date) by himself:
"John Marshall, son of Thomas and Mary Marshall, was
born 24th of September, 1755; intermarried with Mary Willis
Ambler, the 3d of January, 1783; departed this life the 6th
day of July, 1835."








JAMES T. BRADY.




JAMES T. BRADY.                  435
CHAPTER XXVI.
JAMES T. BRADY.
TH E  father of James T. Brady was born ill Ire~~~ I aland, and came to this country during the second
war with England, and just after his marriage.
Mr. Brady opened a school for boys, in New
York, soon after his arrival, and it was in that
city, on the 9th of April, 1815, that his eldest son, JAMES
TOPHAM  BRADY, was born. Other children followed, there
being seven in all, twvo boys (James T., and Judge John R.
Brady) and five girls. Mr. Brady, senior, was a man of rare
abilities, and his wife was a woman of great personal beauty
and high character, " one of those mothers," says a distinguished
gentleman, who knew  her, "whose quiet virtues shed their
blessed influence over families, and are felt so long in their
durable effect upon children."
James T. Brady grew up with a sound, vigorous constitution,
and at an early age was put at his studies in his father's school.
He was only seven years old when he began, and though so
young, he worked hard, storing his "big head"-which seemed
too big for the little feet below it-with  knowledge.  He
endeared himself very greatly to his school-fellows, and formed
with several of them friendships which continued through life.
"He was so noted," says one of his former school-fellows, "for




436                 GREAT FORTUNES.
his loving kindliness as a boy, that it almost obliterates every
other recollection."  His amiable traits developed with his
years. He always delighted in acts of kindness, and could
never bear to give pain, even to the most insignificant animal
or insect. He detested hunting and fishing, which he regarded
as a needless sacrifice of life. Yet while so tender and gentle
in his disposition, he was brave and fearless, unusually independent, and, above all, as mirthful and fond of a jest at fifty
as at sixteen.
Before he had completed his education, his father abandoned
the profession of teaching for that of a lawyer, and young
Brady entered his office as office-boy and student, it being his
desire to become an advocate. He was bright, quick-witted,
and remarkably apt in his studies. His buoyant spirits and
ready repartee often led him into encounters with his elders,
who were generally forced to confess that his tongue was too
much for them. His father encouraged him to form his own
opinions, and to hold them tenaciously until convinced of his
error. He made rapid progress in his legal studies, and soon
acquired such proficiency in the management of the details of
the office business that every thing which did not absolutely
need his father's personal attention was left to him.
Although fond of social enjoyment, and full of the' fire and
joyfulness of youth, he knew how to seclude himself from the
pleasures he relished so much. He was a hard and faithful
student, allowing nothing to draw him from his books when he
meant to devote himself to them. He read not only law, but
history, poetry, biography, romance, in short, every thing that
could store his mind with useful knowledge or add to its natural
graces. He slept at the office, and often sat up the entire night
engaged in study. Abbott speaks as follows of the early studies
of Napoleon II., and it requires no straining of language or




JAMES T. BRADY.                 437,
ideas to apply his remarks to this portion of the life of James
T. Brady: "So great was his ardor for intellectual improvement that he considered every day as lost in which he had not
made perceptible progress in knowledge. By this rigid mental
discipline he acquired that wonderful power of concentration by
which he was ever enabled to simplify subjects the most diffi.
cult and complicated."  Mr. Brady, senior, was very proud of
the energy and talent displayed by his son, and when the latter
was nineteen years old the father said to a friend who had been
speaking to him of the promise of the boy: "Yes, sir; he is
a boy of great promise, a boy of splendid intellect and noble
character. Young as he is, I regard him as a walking encyclopoedia; his mind seems to gild every subject it touches."
In the year 1835, when but twenty years old, Mir. Brady
was admitted to the bar. "There were giants in those days"
at the New York bar, and the young man was now entering an arena in which his powers were to be tested to the
utmost. His native eloquence was well known to his friends,
and naturally he was not ignorant of it; but he did not, like so
many young men in his calling, trust entirely to his powers of
pleading. He had long since recognized the truth of Lord
Erskine's declaration that "no man can be a great advocate'who is no lawyer," and had stored his mind with a knowledge
of the theories of his profession which few men in coming to
the bar have ever equaled.
In his first important case he was opposed to Charles
O'Conor, and was unsuccessful. He was engaged in a suit to
recover a certain sum of money from an insurance company,
which his client claimed was due him for certain goods which
had been destroyed by fire. As Brady himself saw, he had a
very weak case, and Mr. O'Conor had no trouble in demolishing it; yet the young counsel conducted it with a skill and an




438                GREAT FORTUNES.
eloquence which made him from that hour a marked man in his
profession. Yet he had to contend against that obstacle which
meets most public men at the outset of their careers-the feeling which actors call "stage fright."  He said that on this
occasion every thing around him grew suddenly black, and he
could not even see the jury. By steadying himself against his
table, and keeping his eyes in the direction of the jury, he continued to speak until he had recovered his self-control.
The case which brought him most prominently before the
public, and which may be said to have established his fame as
a lawyer, was a peculiar one. Some newsboys had been arrested
for selling the "Sunday Morning News" on the morning of the
Sabbath day. It was claimed that the selling of the paper on
the streets on Sunday was contrary to law, and that the boys
disturbed the congregations' in the churches by their cries.
One of these boys had been arrested at the instance of Mr.
Gerard, and this brought on a suit to determine the rights of
the lads, in which Mr. Brady appeared for the newsboys. Considerable feeling was manifested on the subject, and when the
trial came on the court-room was crowded. The verdict of the
jury was against him, but Mr. Brady won a remarkable triumph by his management of the case, and the whole city rang
with his eloquence. So great was the effect of his speech upon
the audience, that many of them who were total strangers to
him crowded around him as he left the court-house to congratulate him. Though defeated in the verdict of the jury, this
case was a great triumph for Mr. Brady. It established his
fame as an advocate, and advanced him at once to a foremost
place at the bar. Business flowed in upon him more rapidly
than he could attend to it, and from this time to the close of
his labors he was always in the possession of a large and lucrative practice.




JAMES T. BRADY.                 439
Mr. McKeon has said of him: "We may refer to the period
of his introduction to the bar of this city as an epoch in its
history. In looking back at the past, we see rising before us
George Wood, treading with no uncertain step through the
labyrinth of the law of real property; Daniel Lord, following,
with his legal eye, commerce over the long and dreary waste
of waters; David Graham, the younger, and Ogden Hoffman,
standing in full panoply of intellectual power before our criminal tribunals. Into the lists where stood these proud knights
young Brady sprang, ready to contend with the mightiest of
them. How well he contended many of you well remember,
and the honors paid to his memory are justified by the triumphs he has won."
He grew rapidly in popularity, and in the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens, and was intrusted with numerous
cases of a class which had rarely until then been seen in the
hands of a young lawyer. His practice soon extended into the
Supreme Court of the State, which at that time met quarterly,
at New York, Albany, Utica, and Rochester. The practice of
this court was entirely in the hands of men of high standing in
their profession,-the great lawyers of the State,-and it was
no slight honor to our young lawyer to hold a place, and a
proud place, too, among them.
He won additional honors in the famous India-rubber suits,
which have been mentioned elsewhere in this volume, acting as
one of the counsel of Charles Goodyear, and being associated
with Daniel Webster. Brady applied himself with intense
energy to master the case, and when the trial came off at Trenton, in the United States Circuit Court, before Justices Grier
and Dickerson, he opened the case in a speech which lasted two
days, and which Daniel Webster said in the beginning of his
remarks had so exhausted it as to leave him nothing to say.




440                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Turning to Mr. Brady, Mr. Webster said, "You have cut a
highway through this case, and if it is won, it will be because
of the manner in which you have brought it before the court."
The suit was won by Goodyear.
"In connection with the India-rubber cases is a fact which
testifies to his character.  A salary of twenty-five thousand
dollars a year for life was offered to be settled on him by the
rubber company, if he would advise a certain course; but not
deeming it right, he rejected theoffer. When in France, in
1851, the rubber cases coming in controversy there, Mr. Brady
substantially gave in French, to Etienne Blanc, the French a lvocate, the materials for his brief."
Mr. Brady practiced law for thirty-four years, and during
the major part of that time there was scarcely a case of great
importance, in either the civil or criminal courts, in which he
did not figure. He was compelled to refuse case after case
from lack of time to give to it; and yet he frequently found
time to respond to the appeals of the courts to defend men
indicted for capital offenses who were unable to procure counsel. In some of these cases he had scarcely any chance of
preparation, but he always managed to secure the acquittal of
his client, in spite of this drawback. The spirit of kindliness
which had so endeared him to his boyhood's friends pervaded
every action -of his maturer life, and he never displayed more
energy, more unceasing vigilance, more irresistible eloquence,
than when pleading the cause of some poor wretch who could
only reward him with his thanks.
His readiness in mastering a case was remarkable, and was
greatly assisted by his profound knowledge of the law. As a
rule, in the ordinary run of' cases, it was merely necessary for
him  to comprehend the particular case under consideration,
since he was already familiar with the law bearing upon it.




JAMES T. BRADY.                 441
This readiness is admirably illustrated in the following reminiscence related of him by the Hon. Luther R. Marsh. Mr.
Marsh was engaged in a case of great importance, in which he
desired Mr. Brady's assistance in the trial. Marsh had thoroughly and patiently studied the case, but Brady was totally
ignorant of it. Nevertheless, he told Mr. Marsh he would do
his best, and that he (Marsh) must open the case as fully and
exhaustively as he could, without reference to him. Mr. Marsh
did so, and says that when he sat down he thought he had
exhausted the case, and was wondering what Brady could find
to say in addition to it. To his astonishment and delight,
Brady rose, and in his argument presented seven new and
telling points.
In the examination of a witness, he could be severe and
decisive when he had occasion to suspect that the person
was trying to evade the truth; but in general his manner
was kind and considerate, and he succeeded in eliciting evidence by his forbearance which others could not have extorted
by bullying. Upon one occasion, he was convinced that a
witness was about to relate a "made-up" story, and he at
once fixed upon the man a look so piercing that the fellow
was overwhelmed with confusion and could not go on with
his evidence.  Brady promptly changed his tactics, sent for
a glass of water for the witness, and soothed him so effectually that the heart of the man was won, and, abandoning
his false tale, he made a simple statement of the truth.
The independence of character exhibited by Mr. Brady has
already been adverted to. Having once traced out the line of
duty, nothing could make him swerve from it, and he was as
bold in the defense of the rights of his clients as of his own.
Mr.: Edwards Clarke, from whose excellent memoir is gleaned
much of the information upon which this sketch is based, re



442                 GREAT FORTUNES.
lates the following incidents in illustration of this quality of
the man:
"The trial of Baker for the murder of Poole furnished a
notable instance of Mr. Brady's intrepidity in behalf of a client.
It was at the height of the'Know-Nothing' excitement, and
Poole, after receiving'the fatal bullet, having exclaimed,' I die
an American,' succeeded in causing himself to be regarded as a
martyr to the cause. Lingering for days with-as the postmortem proved-a bullet deeply imbedded in his heart, the interest and excitement became intense; and on the day of his
funeral twenty thousand men walked in solemn procession behind the coffin of the martyred'rough.' In such a state of
public feeling, Baker was put on trial for his life. At the
opening of the charge by the judge, aroused by its tenor, Mr.
Brady seized a pen and commenced writing rapidly, indignation showing itself in his set lips and frowning brow. The
moment the judge ceased he was on his feet, and began:'You
have charged the jury thus and thus. I protest against your
so stating it.' The judge said he would listen to the objections
after the jury had retired.'No!' exclaimed the indignant
orator,'I choose that the jury should hear those objections;'
and, defying.interference, he poured forth impetuously fortyfive separate and formal objections, couching them  all emphatically in words of personal protest to the judge. The force
of the judge's charge on that jury was pretty effectually broken.
The indignation of the advocate at this time was real, not simulated; and he, at least, of the New York bar dared to defy
and to denounce injustice, even when clad in ermine.
"Another instance of his intrepidity before a judge was in
the Busteed case. The judge had threatened to convict him
for contempt. Busteed had apologized, and Brady also, with
his matchless grace and courtesy, had tendered Busteed's




JAMES T. BRADY.                 443
apology; but the judge still said that he should send him to
prison.'You will, will you?' said Brady;'I say you will
not.' And, citing authority after authority against his power
to:do so, he dared him to thus stretch his prerogative. The
judge thought best to excuse Mr. Busteed."
Perhaps one of the best instances of his moral courage to
be found was his conduct with reference to the late Edwin M.
Stanton. He was associated with Mr. Stanton in the Sickles trial,
and conceived a warm personal attachment to him. Mr. Brady
remained a Democrat to the last, and was an active member
of Tammany Hall. Upon one occasion, during a meeting of
the Tammany Committee, when the name of Stanton was received with hisses and yells of objurgation, Brady rose, and
facing the crowd told them "that he knew they hated Edwin
M. Stanton, but he, a Democrat, knew him, and held him in
his heart of hearts."  It was a bold declaration, considering the
time and place, even for one so highly esteemed as James
T. Brady.
As before remarked, Mr. Brady never relied upon his eloquence alone for success at the bar. He had a profound respect for his profession, and scorned its trickeries. He worked
faithfully over the cases intrusted to him, studied them carefully, and never brought them  to trial till he was thorough
master of the law bearing upon them. This enabled him frequently to present issues which a less learned man would not
have dreamed of. When he was retained as counsel for Huntington the forger, he conceived the idea that the man was
morally unaccountable for his deed, and his theory of moral insanity, as developed by him in this case, is one of the most
powerful arguments upon the subject to be found in any language.  He read every thing he could find on the subject
of insanity, and when he went into court there was not a physi



444                 GREAT FORTUNES.
cian in the land better informed with respect to it than he.
The cases in which he was frequently engaged required an
unusual acquaintance with medical jurisprudence, and he was
regarded as one of the best authorities on the subject in the
country.
His power over a jury: was remarkable. He never lost sight
of the "twelve peers," and: by his dexterous management soon
had them so thoroughly under the' influence of his. magnetic
mind that they hung upon his words, followed. his every act,
laughed or cried as he willed, and seemed capable of thinking
only as he permitted them. He defended fifty-one men fir
their lives in the course of his practice, and brought them aMll
off in safety.
Mr. Clarke, from whose memoir I have already quoted, relates the following incidents in his career:
" The case of a young man charged with murder, in what
was claimed to be an accidental fracas, attracted a good deal of
interest. He was a Mason, and that society applied to Mr. Brady
to defend him, tendering twenty-five hundred dollars as a fee;
but for some- cause -he declined the case. Not long after, one
afternoon, a neatly-dressed, modest young girl came to the office
and asked for Mr. Brady. Told to walk: into his private office,
she timidly approached his desk,'and saying,'Mr. Brady,
they are going to hang my' brother, and you can save him.
I've brought you this money; please do n't let my brother die,'
she burst into tears. It was a roll of two hundred and fifty
dollars, which the poor girl had begged in sums of five and ten
dollars. The kind-hearted man heard her story.'They shall
not hang your brother, my child,' said he, and putting the roll
Of bills in an- envelope, told her to take it to her mother, and
he would ask for it when he wanted it. The boy was cleared.
In Mr. Brady's parlor hangs an exquisite picture, by Durand,




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JAMES T. BUADY.                 445
with a letter on the back asking him to accept it as a mark of
appreciation for his generous kindness in defending this poor
boy. Mr. Brady prized that picture.
"Once when, in the height of his appeal to the jury, a dog
began barking vigorously, he whirled around, shook his finger
at the dog and said, gravely, with the quickness of thought,'I am Sir Oracle, and when I ope my lips let no dog bark!'
"An Irishman once came to his office:'And are yez Misther
Brady?''I am; come in, Patrick. What is it you wish?''I
ax yer pardon; I ought n't to intrude upon yez.''But what is
it, Patrick?''Well, yer honor, it is n't for the likes o' me to
be comin' troublin' yer honor.''But tell me what you want,
Pat.''Well, yer honor, I came to see ye about a friend of
mine as met wid an accident.''An accident?' said Mr. Brady;'then why don't you go for a doctor?''Arrah, sure, you're
the docther for my friend; he had an accident which wants yer
honor.''Well, what was it?''Well, yer honor, he was
arristed for a thrifle of a burglary, shure.' Quick as Mr. Brady
was, with the readiness of his race, for repartee, he sometimes
met his match among his own countrymen. He was once examining an unwilling witness who persistently called him Mr.
O'Brady. At length, even his proverbial good nature being a
little ruffled, he said to the witness:'You need not call me
Mr. O'Brady. I've mended my name since I came here and
dropped the 0.''Have ye, now?'Pon my sowl it's a pity ye
did n't mend yer manners at the same time."'
In politics Mr. Brady was a Democrat of the States-Rights
school, yet he always maintained that it was the duty of Ahe
citizen to render the promptest obedience to the General Government. At the outset of the late war he gave his support to
the Government in its war measures, though he did not separate himself from the Democratic party. He was frequently




446                 GREAT FORTUNES.
solicited by his friends to accept political honors, but he steadily
refused, saying that he wanted no honors outside of his profession.
In person Mr. Brady was slender and delicate in appearance.
WVhat attracted the gazer at once was his massive head-a head
which measured in its circumference twenty-four and threeeighths inches. Age seemed to have no effect upon his face.
Severe mental labor in the course of years took away some of
the rosy hues of youth, but otherwise it continued as fresh and
as winning as when a boy.
Mr. Brady never married, but no one was more widely removed from the typical old bachelor than he. If he had no
family of his own, he was the head of a family of devoted relatives, who gave him ample scope for the exercise of the domestic affections which were so strong in him. Very soon after
entering upon the practice of his profession his parents died,
leaving his brother and five sisters, all much younger than
himself, helpless. The young lawyer at once declared that the
care of these dear ones should be his first thought, and he devoted himself to his practice with redoubled energy, in order to
provide for them. He brought his personal expenses down to
a low figure, and resolutely kept them there, yet all the while
he was lavish in his generosity to those whom he loved. He
once said to a friend who asked him why he had never married:
"When my father died he left five daughters, who looked to
me for support. All the affection which I could have had for
a wife went out to those sisters, and I have never desired to
recall it.".. He transferred a share of this affection to the children of those sisters and of his brother, and was never so happy
as when in their company. In his will he mentions oneof his
nieces as his "dearly beloved Toot."
He was very fond of literature, especially of poetry, and




JAMES T. BRADY.                  447
devoted a considerable portion of his time to literary efforts of
his own. His great fame as a lawyer so overshadowed the
success he won in literature that few besides himself knew how
much pleasure the popularity of his writings gave him.
In the exercise of his profession Mr. Brady won a large fortune. His income was princely during the greater part of his
life, but he saved comparatively little. He delighted in giving
to others. His relatives were the constant recipients of substantial evidences of his affection for them, and his charities to the
poor were in keeping with his generous nature. He could not
look upon suffering unmoved, and " never turned his face from
any poor man."
His last appearance in public was at the Gerard dinner,
where he was as brilliant and genial as ever. He seemed to
have a foreboding of his approaching end, however, for the
next day he said to one of his family: "I feel that it is the last
time I shall ever appear on a like public occasion." His fears
were prophetic. He was seized with an attack of paralysis on
the morning of the 9th of February, 1869, and breathed his
last at five o'clock in the afternoon of the same day. He died
in the communion of the Catholic Church, and was buried from
St. Patrick's Cathedral, in the city of New York. His death
drew forth expressions of sympathy and respect from all parts
of the Union and from men of all shades of opinion. All felt
that a good and useful man, a great advocate, and an incorruptible citizen had been taken away.
His was a happy fate. He died in the fullness of his fame,
before age had weakened his faculties or chilled his heart,
and dying thus, it may be said of him, as he once said of
another, that he was "a man who had no guile in his nature, and who died leaving no living creature to rejoice at his
death."








VII.
ARTISTS.
CHAPTEIR XXVII.
BElNJAMIN WEST.
T a time when America was regarded in Europe
as a savage region, and when Americans were
looked upon as little better than barbarians by
the people of the mother country, it was no slight
achievement for an American artist to rise by the
force of his genius to the proud position of President of the
Royal Academy of Great Britain.
The man who won this triumph was BENJAMIN eWEST. He
was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, on the 10th of October,
1738. His parents were Quakers, plain, simple people, who
feared God, lived a just life, and desired above all other things
that their children should become pious and useful men and
women.  The old mansion-house where the future artist was
born was situated in Chester County, and is still standing. It is,
not far from Philadelphia, and the place is now called Westdale.
His father's family emigrated from England to America with
William Penn, at his second visit, in 1699. John West mar;
ried the daughter of Thomas Pearson, by whom  he had ten
children.  Of these, Benjamin was the youngest son.  His
29                                 449




450                 GREAT FORTUNES.
mother was a woman of great piety, and, being once in attendance upon a memorable religious revival, at which she was terribly agitated by the preaching of one Edward Peckover, an
itinerant Quaker minister, was taken with premature labor, of
which Benjamin West was born.
It was predicted that a child who had been brought into the
world under such circumstances would be a man of more than
ordinary fame, and the good mother treasured these prophecies
in her heart, and watched the career of her boy with the keenest interest.
When he was but seven years old, he was left one dav to
watch beside the cradle of the infant child of his eldest sister,
wwho, though married, was still living at home. Being unusu-:ally silent for a long time, his mother concluded that she
\would go and see what he was doing. Upon entering the room
wvhere he had been left with his charge, she saw him kneeling,by a chair which he had placed close up to the cradle, gazing,at the infant, and making what she supposed to be marks on.a paper which lay on the chair. Stealing up behind him softly,
*she saw to her astonishment that this boy, only seven years old,,had executed, with black and red ink and a pen, an accurate,though trude likeness of the sleeping babe. This was the first,evidence he had ever given of his predilection for art, and was,indeed a most surprising performance for so young a child.
The next summer a party of Indians came to Springfield to
pay their annual visit, and to please them little Benjamin
showed them some sketches of birds and flowers which he had
executed with pen and ink. The savages were delighted with
them, and presented him with the red and yellow pigments
with wlheh ithey colored their ornaments. In addition to this
gift, they taught him how to prepare these colors, to which he
added another, inamely, indigo, which his mother gave him








QW&| / //| I




BENJAMIN WEST.                   451
from her laundry. His colors were rude enough, but his pencils were ruder. They were made of the hairs which he had
pulled from a cat's back and fastened in the end of a goosequill. Soon after this, a relative from Philadelphia, chancing
to visit the old homestead, was struck with the' talent of the
little fellow, and upon his return to the city sent him a box of
colors, with pencils and canvas and a few prints. He was only
nine years old, but he was a born artist. He had never seen
any: painting of merit, and the few prints which his relative
gave him were the most finished productions he had ever seen.
The box of colors was his most precious possession, and it
opened to him new fields of enjoyment. The day of its arrival
he gave himself up entirely to the pleasure of examining it.
" Even after going to sleep," says his biographer, "he awoke
more than once during the night, and anxiously put out his
hand to the box, which he had placed by his bedside, half
afraid that he might find his riches only a dream. Next morning he rose at break of day, and, carrying his colors and canvas to the garret,, proceeded to work. Every thing else was
now unheeded; even his attendance at school was given up.
As soon as he got out of the sight of his father and mother,
he stole to his garret, and there passed the hours in a world
of his own. At last, after he had been absent from  school
some days, the master called at his father's house to inquire
what had become of him. This led to the discovery of his
secret occupation. His mother, proceeding to the garret, found
the truant; but so much was she astonished and delighted by
the creation of his pencil, which also met her view when she
entered the apartment, that, instead of rebuking him, she
could only take him in her arms and kiss him with transports
of affection. He made a new composition of his own out of
two of the engravings, which he had colored from his own




452                 GREAT FORTUNES.
feeling of the proper tints; and so perfect did the appearance
already appear to his mother, that, although half the canvas
yet remained uncovered, she would not suffer him to add
another touch to what he had done. Mr. Galt, West's biographer, saw the picture in the state in which it had thus been
left sixty-seven years afterward; and the artist himself used to
acknowledge that in none of his subsequent efforts had he been
able to excel some of the touches of invention in this his first
essay."
His next effort was i landscape, which comprehended a view
of a river, with vessels in the stream and cattle browsing on
the banks. He could not have been much over ten years of
age at this time, and the picture, though insignificant in itself,
is remarkable as the work of a child. He subsequently presented it to his friend, Mr. William Henry, of Lancaster,
whose family still retain possession of it. He visited Philadelphia soon after, and received a few simple instructions in the
practical portion of his art, after which he went about through
the towns of the vicinity of his home, painting portraits of his
friends. At length he was sent for by Mrs. Ross, of Lancaster,
a lady famed for her great beauty, to paint the portraits of herself and her family —a great honor for a lad of twelve.
It was in Lancaster, in the year 1750, that he made the.acquaintance of Mr. William Henry. That gentleman became
deeply interested in the precocious boy, and frequently came to
watch him at his portrait-painting. One day he said to Benjamin, that if he (Henry) could paint equally well he would
not waste his time upon portraits, but would devote himself to
historical subjects. In the course of the conversation to which
this remark gave rise, Mr. Henry proposed to him to make an
attempt in this direction, and suggested to him " The Death of
Socrates" as his first subject. The little artist frankly avowed




BENJAMIN WEST.                  453
that he had never heard of the great philosopher, and Mr. Henry
at once -went to his library and brought out a volume of Plutarch, from which he read to the boy the beautiful story of the
wise man's death. West listened with the deepest interest, and
expressed his perfect readiness to undertake the task, but
feared he would have difficulty in painting the figure of the
slave who presented the poison, and which he thought ought to
be naked, since he had hitherto painted only men with their
clothes on. Mr. Henry had in his employ a young man of fine
appearance, and upon hearing West's objection at once sent for
him. As the workman entered the room Henry pointed to
him, and said to West, " There's your model."  West took the
hint, painted the picture, which was purchased by Mr. Henry,
and thenceforth determined that in his art he would look only
into nature for his models.
At the age of sixteen he returned to Springfield. He was
anxious to continue his career as an artist, and as his parents
were satisfied that he was now old enough to enter upon some
permanent occupation, they agreed that his wishes should be
submitted to a public meeting of the Society of Friends. The
meeting was called, and the matter was laid before them, the
boy himself being present. His relatives and friends were all
very proud of his talents, but as the profession of an artist was
so entirely at variance with all Quaker habits and ideas, they
felt that the subject was one which ought not to be rashly decided. Silence prevailed for a long time after the opening of
the meeting, but at length John Williamson, moved by the
Spirit, rose and addressed the assemblage, declaring his belief
that as the youth had not derived his fondness for art from any
of his associations or surroundings, and since it was so manifestly a special gift from the Creator, it was their plain duty to
bid him go forward in the path that had been marked out for




454                GREAT FORTUNES.
him, and to wish him God-speed in his efforts. At the close of
his remarks silence again fell upon the assembly. Then the
women rose, and approaching the lad, one by one, kissed him
on the cheek, and the men, laying their hands on his head,
prayed that the Lord might verify in his life the value of the
gift which had induced them, in spite of their religious tenets
on the subject, to allow him to enter upon the permanent exercises of the profession so dear to his heart.
Thus was he dedicated to his art, and at the same time separated to a certain degree from  his Quaker brethren. Not
long after this he violated every principle of the Quaker dispensation by volunteering under Major Sir Peter Halket to go
in search of the remains of Braddock's army.
In 1756, at the age of eighteen, he established himself in
Philadelphia as a portrait painter, and soon after removed to
New York, where he painted portraits at five guineas a head,
occasionally attempting an historical piece.  When he was
twenty years old he made a visit to Europe —a visit which decided his destiny. A famine in the south of Europe induced a
Philadelphia merchant to dispatch a vessel laden with flour to
Leghorn, and his son, who was to take passage in the ship, proposed to West to accompany him, and thus secure an opportunity of seeing the art-treasures of the Old World. West
promptly accepted the invitation, and some of his friends in
New York provided him with an outfit for the voyage. Upon
arriving at Gibraltar, the vessel was boarded by a British
officer, who proved to be a kinsman of the son of the owner
of the ship, and he not only passed them without molestation,
but enabled them to secure unusual facilities in the voyage up
the Mediterranean. West arrived in Rome in July, 1759,
and was kindly received by the English Lord Grantham, to
whom he bore letters of introduction.




BENJAMIN WEST.                   455
"Among the distinguished persons whom Mr. West found
in Rome, was the celebrated Cardinal Albani. At an evening party, the Cardinal became curious to witness the effect
which the works of art in the Belvidere and, Vatican
would produce on the young artist. The whole company,
which consisted of the principal Roman nobility and strangers
of distinction then in Rome, were'interested in the event, and
it was arranged, in the course of the evening, that, on the following morning, they should accompany West to the palaces. At
the hour appointed, the company assembled, and a procession
consisting of upwards of thirty of the most magnificent equipages in the capital of Christendom, and filled with some of the
most erudite characters in Europe, conducted the young Quaker
td view the masterpieces of art. It was agreed that the'Apollo' should be first submitted to his view, because it was the
most perfect work among all the ornaments of Rome, and, consequently, the best calculated to produce that effect which the
company were anxious to witness. The statue then stood in a
case, inclosed with doors, which could be so opened as to disclose it at once to full view. West was placed in the situation
where it was seen to the most advantage, and the spectators arranged themselves on each side. When the keeper threw open
the doors, the artist felt himself surprised with a sudden recollection altogether different from the gratification which he had
expected, and without being aware of the force of what he said,
exclaimed,'My God! how like it is to a young Mohawk- warrior.' The Italians, observing his surprise and hearing the exclamation, were- excessively mortified to find that the god of
their idolatry was compared to a savage. They mentioned
their chagrin, and asked West to give some more distinct explanation, by informing them what sort of people the Mohawk
Indians were. He described to them their education, their dex



456                GREAT FORTUNES.
terity with the bow and arrow, the admirable elasticity of their
limbs, and how much their active life expands the chest, while
the quick breathing of their speed in the chase dilates the nostrils with that apparent consciousness of vigor which is so
nobly depicted in the'Apollo.''I have seen them  often,'
added he,'standing in that very attitude, and pursuing with an
intense eye the arrow which they had just discharged from the
bow.' The Italians were delighted with this descriptive explanation, and allowed that a better criticism had never been
pronounced on the merits of the statue."
Soon after his arrival in Rome, W~est painted a portrait of
Lord Grantham, which won him considerable reputation. It
was at first attributed to Raphael Meugs, but when the true
artist was announced, and the circumstances of his history became known, West found himself suddenly famous, with orders
enough to place him at once in comfortable circumstances. Cardinal Albani and Lord Grantham were very kind to him during his stay in Rome, and Raphael Meugs advised him to make
a careful tour of study through the Italian art capitals. While
in Rome he painted two pictures, "Cimon and Iphigenia," and
"'Angelica and Medora," which were well received, and during
this period he was elected a member by the Academies of Florence, Bologna, and Parma. He made the tour advised by
Meugs, remaining in Italy several years. Thence he proceeded
to France, where he passed a short time in studying the French
masters, after which he went to England, intending to sail
from that country for America, where he had left his heart
behind him' in the keeping of a young Quakeress of Philadelphia.
He reached London in 1763, and while continuing his studies here, whither his reputation had preceded him from Italy,
undertook some commissions for Archbishop Drummond and




BENJAMIN WEST.                   457
several other church dignitaries. These attracted general admiration, and his countrymen residing in London were prompt
to recognize and proclaim his genius. He had relatives living
in Ellgland, so that he was not an entire stranger there. His
success was marked from the first, and his friends urged him to
profit by so favorable a beginning, give up his idea of returning
to America, and make his permanent home in England. This
he at length decided to do, and devoted himself with increased
ardor to his labors. In two years he considered himself sufficiently well established to send to Philadelphia for his betrothed.
This lady, Miss Elizabeth Shewell, came out to England under
the care of his father, and in the same year, 1765, West was
married to her in London. She was a lady of great amiability
of character, and by the English was often spoken of as the
Philadelphia beauty.
Soon after his arrival in England he produced a large painting on a subject from Tacitus, "Agrippina Landing with the
Ashes of Germanicus." It was a decided success. George the
Third was deeply impressed with it, and congratulated West
warmly upon its merits. At the same time the king gave him
a commission for a painting, —the subject to be "The Death of
Regulus,"-and thus began the friendship between the monarch
and the artist, which lasted for nearly forty years. He was a
hard worker, and during his long life his pictures followed each
other in rapid succession. They are estimated by a writer in
Blackwood's Magazine at three thousand in number. Mr.
Dunlap says that they would cover a wall ten feet high and a
quarter of a mile long if arranged side by side on a flat surface.
The most famous are his "Death of Wolfe;" "Regulus, a
Prisoner to the Carthaginians;" "The Battle of La Hogue;"
"The Death of Bayard;" "Hamilcar Swearing the Infant
Hannibal at the Altar;" "The Departure of Regulus;"




'458                GREAT FORTUNES.
"Agrippina Landing with the Ashes of Germanicus;" "Christ
Healing the Sick;" "Death on the Pale Horse;" "The Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Saviour in the Jordan;" "The
Crucifixion;" and "Christ Rejected."
The picture which brought him most prominently before the
public, and which placed his popularity beyond dispute, was
" The Death of Wolfe at Quebec."  It was fashionable at this
time to treat nothing but subjects from ancient history, and
when West announced his intention of painting a picture of
contemporary history his friends warned him that he was incurring a serious risk. Nevertheless he finished his "Death of'Wolfe," and it was exhibited in the Nlational Gallery. The
public'"acknowledged its excellence at once, but the lovers of
old art-called classical-complained of the barbarism of boots,
buttons, and blunderbusses, and cried out for naked warriors,
with bows, bucklers, and battering rams."  Lord Grosvenor
was much pleased with the picture, and finally purchased it,
though he did so with hesitation, daunted to some extent by
the fierce storm of opposition with which the critics received it.
Sir Joshua Reynolds, then the President of the Royal Academy,
and the Archbishop of York, called on West and protested
against his barbarous innovation, but he declared to them that
"the event to be commemorated happened in the year 1759, in,a region of the world unknown to Greeks and Romans, and at
a period of the world when no warrior who wore classic costume existed. The same rule which gives law to the historian
should rule the painter."  When the king saw the picture he
was delighted both with it and West's originality, and declared
that he was sorry Lord Grosvenor had been before him in purchasing it. This was the inauguration of a new era in British
art, and Sir Joshua Reynolds was obliged to declare,e "West
has conquered. I foresee that this picture will not only become




BENJAMIN WEST.                   459
one of the most popular, but will occasion a revolution in art."
This frank avowal was as honorable to Sir Joshua as to West.
West painted for George the Third a number of subjects
taken from the early history of England, and received from the
same monarch a commission for a series of paintings illustrating the progress of revealed religion, with which the king
designed to ornament the chapel at Windsor Castle. Of these
twenty-eight were finished when the Prince of Wales, afterward
George the Fourth, came into power as Prince Regent, and the
commission was withdrawn. The artist then began a series of
grand religious subjects, upon which he was still engaged when
death called him to rest from all his labors. Of those which
were completed, "Death on the Pale Horse" and "Christ
Healing the Sick" are the best known in this country.
In 1792, upon the death of Sir Joshua Reynolds, West was
made President of the Royal Academy. The king wished to
confer upon him the honor of knighthood, but he declined it,
alleging that he was not wealthy enough to support the dignity
of the position. In consequence of dissensions in the Academy,
West resigned his presidency in 1802. The post was filled for
a year by James Wyatt, the architect, and at the close of that'
time West was re-elected by every ballot but one-that of
Fuseli, who voted for Mrs. Lloyd, a member of the Academy,
declaring that he considered "one old woman as good as another."  West continued in this office until his death.
The close of his life was blessed with ample means, and, as he
was in the full possession of all his faculties and covered with
art's supremest honors, it may be regarded as the happiest portion of his career. His house was always open to Americans
visiting England, and few things pleased him more than to
listen to news from his native village. He was a kind and
judicious friend to young artists, especially to those of his




460                GREAT FORTUNES.
own country studying in England, and took a lively pleasure
in their success. Leigh Hunt, whose mother was a relative
of West, has left us the following description of him:
"The appearance of West was so gentlemanly that the moment he changed his gown for a coat he seemed to be full
dressed. The simplicity and self-possession of the young Quaker, not having time enough to grow stiff-for he went early
to Rome-took up, I suppose, with more ease than most would
have done, the urbanities of his new position. Yet this man,
so well bred, and so indisputably clever in his art, whatever
might be the amount of his genius, had received a homely or
careless education, and pronounced some of his words with a
puritanical barbarism; he would talk of his art all day. There
were strong suspicions of his leaning to his native side in politics, and he could not restrain his enthusiasm for Bonaparte.
How he managed these matters with the higher powers in
England I can not say."
Possessed originally of a sound and vigorous constitution,
which he had not weakened by any species of dissipation, West
lived to a good old age, and died in London on the 11th of
March, 1820, in his eighty-second year. He was buried in
St. Paul's Cathedral, by the side of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and
under the same great dome which covers the tombs of Nelson
and Wellington.




JOHN ROGERS.                   461
CHAPTER XXVIII.
JOHN ROGERS.
HERE is scarcely a family of means and taste
in the country but is the possessor of one or
more of Rogers's groups in plaster. You see
them  in every art or book-store window, and
they are constantly finding new admirers, and
rendering the name of the talented sculptor more and more a
household -word.
JOHN ROGERS, to whom the world is indebted for this new
branch of art, was born at Salem, Massachusetts, on the 30th
of October, 1829. His ancestors were among the original settlers of the colony, and have resided in Salem for generations.
His father, a merchant of moderate means and good reputation,
was anxious to train his son to some regular and profitable
business. As the basis of this, he gave the boy a good education in the common schools of the town, and in 1845, when he
was sixteen years old, placed him in a dry-goods store in Boston to learn the business. He remained there for two years.
He gave early evidence of his artistic genius, and when a
mere child had shown a taste and talent for drawing vwhich
increased with his years, and made him eager to become an
artist. His parents, however, were desirous of seeing him rich
rather than famous, and did all in their power to discourage




462                 GREAT FORTUNES.
him from making choice of a vocation which they considered
but little better than vagabondage. They magnified the difficulties and trials of an artist's career, and so far succeeded in
their efforts that he entirely abandoned his wish to make art a
means of livelihood. He was not willing to forsake it altogether, however-he was too true an artist at heart for thatbut contented himself for the time with continuing his efforts,
merely as a means of personal enjoyment.
In 1847, feeling satisfied that he was not suited to a mercantile life, Mr. Rogers gave up his clerkship in Boston, and
obtained a place in the corps of engineers engaged in the construction of the Cochituate Water Works. Here he had a fine,
opportunity for cultivating his talent for drawing, but the constant labor which he underwent so injured his eyes that he was
compelled to give up his position. His physician advised him
to make an ocean voyage for the purpose of re-establishing his
health. Acting upon this advice, he made a short visit to
Spain, and returned home very much improved by the voyage
and the rest his'eyes had enjoyed.
In 1848, soon after his return to this country, he entered a
machine shop in Manchester, New Hampshire, to learn the
trade of a machinist. He worked at this trade for a period
of seven years, applying himself to it with great diligence and
determination, and acquiring much mechanical skill and a
thorough knowledge of the trade. He rose steadily through
the various grades of his new calling-from the bench of the
apprentice to the post of draughtsman in the designing department.
During this period he devoted himself enthusiastically to his
art. Soon after his return from Spain, he had observed a
young man modeling a figure in clay, and by closely observing him had learned the process, which until then was unknown




JOHN ROGERS.                   463
to him. The labor of the youth pleased him very much, and
the more because he saw in it a new means of artistic expression. He at once procured some clay, and, taking it to his
room, commenced to practice upon the lesson which he had
just received. From this time forward he continued his art
labors, giving to them all the leisure time he could spare from
his duties in the shop, where he was compelled to work from
five A. M. until seven r. at. He would go to his room after
supper, and by the light of a tallow candle work late into the
night, modeling figures in clay, and bringing new fancies into
shape. He says that frequently, although exhausted by his
severe labor at the shop, he would be unable to sleep until
he had molded into clay the idea which possessed his mind.
These night studies, superadded to his daily duties, proved
very trying to him. Yet he persevered, encouraged by his
success with Lis figures. He endeavored to persuade some of
his relatives to aid him in securing a better education as an
artist, such as would have enabled him  to abandon the machine shop; but they turned a deaf ear to him, and he was
thus compelled to continue his daily task, which, under these
circumstances, naturally grew more and more irksome.
In 1856, he was enabled to better his condition for a short
time.  He was offered the place of manager of a railroad
machine-shop at Hannibal, Missouri, and promptly accepted it.
In six months, however, he was out of employment, the panic
of 1857 having caused the machine-shop to suspend operations.
I-aving a little money in hand, which he had saved from his
wages, he resolved to visit Europe, and study the works of the
great masters in his art, and, if he could, to take lessons in
sculpture from some competent teacher in the Old World. He
went to Paris and Rome, remaining in those cities for a period
of eight months, and endeavoring to share the enthusiasm for




464                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the great works around him which the artist world manifested.
At the end of that time he came home convinced that classic
art had no attractions for him, and was almost ready to declare
that he had none of the true inspiration of an artist.
He did not stop long in the East upon his return. Going
West at once, he obtained a situation in the office of the Surveyor
of the city of Chicago. In this position. he worked'hard and
faithfully, and his employers soon found that in him they had
obtained a prize.
Meantime, although so much disheartened by his failure to
accomplish any thing in Europe, he did not abandon his art
studies, but continued to model figures in clay, and shortly after
his arrival in Chicago, gave one of his groups to some ladies
of that city, to be sold at a fair in behalf of some benevolent
purpose. This was the "Checker Players," and was the first
of his efforts ever submitted to the public. Its success was inmediate. It proved one of the most attractive features of the
fair, and the newspapers pronounced it one of the most satisfactory evidences of native genius ever seen in Chicago. Mr.
Rogers was much pleased with its success, and soon followed
it with "The Town Pump," one of his most popular compositions.
The popularity which these efforts attained, opened John
Rogers's eyes to a correct perception of his true mission in life.
He was not capable of accomplishing any thing in classic art,
but here was a field in which a renown, unique and brilliant,
might be won, and in which he might endear himself to thousands of hearts in the great world in which he lived. Both
fame and wealth seemed opening up before him. He did not
hesitate long, but resolved to follow the leadings of his genius.
Having heard that a new process of flexible molds had been
invented, by which the most intricate designs could be cast with




JOHN ROGERS.                   465
ease, he came to New York in 1859, bringing with him his
"Checker Players" and "Town Pump," and the model of a
new group on which he was then engaged. Seeking an Italian
familiar with the-new process, he engaged him to cast his figures in plaster by means of it, and from him he learned how
to practice the new method himself.
He now put forth his "Slave Auction," which he. had modeled in Chicago and brought to New York with him.  The
antislavery excitement was then at its height, and this effort
aroused the sympathy and won Mr. Rogers the support of the
greater part of the people of the Northern States. There was a
large demand for the group, and Mr. Rogers soon found himself obliged to employ assistance to fill the orders which kept
crowding in upon him. By selecting a subject which was of
the deepest interest to the people of the country, he had thus
attracted attention to his merits, and he felt sure that by keeping the people supplied with works illustrative of the topics.of the day, he would win the success to which he aspired.
He now ventured to establish himself permanently in New
York, and, renting the garret of a Broadway building, set up
his studio in it, and.issued this modest card: "John Rogers,
Artist, Designs and Executes Groups of Figures in Composition at his Studio, 599 Broadway." The success of his worlks
had been so marked as to induce him to believe that he would
have no difficulty in establishing a permanent business, and heset to work with enthusiasm. In quick succession he produced
his "Fairy's Whisper" and "Air Castles," the latter of which
is the only commission he has ever executed. The war began
soon after, and supplied him with an abundance of popular
subjects. These war subjects attracted universal attention, and
sold as rapidly as he could supply them. A New York journal
thus describes the " sensation " which they created in that city:
30




466                 GREAT FORTUNES.
"All day, and every day, week in and week out, there is an
ever-changing crowd of men, women, and children standing
stationary amid the ever-surging tides of Broadway, before the
windows of Williams & Stevens, gazing with eager interest
upon the statuettes and groups of John Rogers, the sculptor.
These works appeal to a deep popular sentiment. They are not
pretentious displays of gods, goddesses, ideal characters, or stupendous, world-compelling heroes.  They are illustrations of
American domestic and especially of American military lifemot of our great generals or our bold admirals, or the men,whose praises fill all the newspapers, but of the common sol-.dier of the Union; not of the common soldier, either, in what
might be called his high heroic moods and moments, when, with,waviing sword and flaming eye, he dashes upon the enemy's
Vworks, but of the soldier in the ordinary moments and usual
occupations of every-day camp life. For the last year or more
Mr. Rogers has been at work mainly on groups of this latter
(class and character. Thus he has given us'The Returned Volrunteer, or How the Fort was Taken,' being a group of three,gathered in:a blacksmith's shop, the characters consisting of the
bllacksmith h!limself, standing with his right foot on the anvil
"block, and lis ibig hammer in his hands, listening eagerly, with
ihis little giirl, fto:a soldier who sits close by on his haunches,
inarrating'lhow the fort was taken.' We have also another:group of three,' The Picket Guard,' spiritedly sketched, as in
eager, close, and nervous search for the enemy; the' Sharpshooters,' another group of three, or rather of two men and a
scarecrow, illustrating a curious practice in our army of deceiving the enemy; the " Town Pump,' a scene in which a soldier,
uniformed and accoutered, is slaking his thirst and holding
blessed converse beside fhe pump with a pretty girl who has
come for a pail of,'water;; the'Union Refilgees,' a pathetic




JOHN ROGERS.                   467
and noble group, consisting of a stalwart and sad-faced East
Tennesseean or Virginian, who, accompanied by his wife, who
leans her head upon his bosom, and by his little boy, who looks
up eagerly into his face, has started off from home with only
his gun upon his shoulder and his powder-horn by his side, to
escape the tyranny of the rebels;' The Camp Fire, or Making
Friends with the Cook,' in which a hungry soldier, seated upon
an inverted basket, is reading a newspaper to an'intelligent
contraband,' who is stirring the contents of a huge and ebullient pot hung over the fire;'W ounded to the Rear, or One
More Shot,' in which a soldier is represented as dressing his
wounded leg, while his companion, with his left arm in a sling,
is trying to load his gun to take another shot at the enemy, at
whom he looks defiantly;'Mail Day,' which tells its own story
of a speculative soldier, seated on a stone and racking his poor
brains to find some ideas to transcribe upon the paper which
he holds upon his knee, to be sent perchance to her he loves;'The Country Postmaster, or News from the Army,' which,
though a scene from civil life, tells of the anxiety of the soldier's wife or sweetheart to get tidings from the brave volunteer who is periling his life on the battle-field;'The Wounded
Scout, or a Friend in the Swamp,' representing a soldier, torn,
and bleeding, and far gone, rescued and raised up by a faithful
and kind-hearted negro-which we think is one of the best, if
not the very best, of Mr. Rogers's works; and lastly, a group
called'The Home Guard, or Midnight on the Border,' in
which a heroic woman, accompanied by a, little girl, is represented as stepping out, pistol in hand, to confront the assailants of her humble home."
In 1862 Mr. Rogers removed his studio to the corner of
Fifth Avenue and Twenty-sixth Street, where he still remains.
He has followed up the earlier productions named above with




468                 GREAT FORTUNES.
"The Bushwhacker,"' a scene representing a Tennessee loyalist
dogging the footsteps of the Southern army; "Taking the Oath
and Drawing Rations,"' the best and certainly the most popular of
his works, —a group of four, representing a Southern lady with
her little boy, compelled to take the oath of allegiance in order
to obtain rations for her family. A negro boy, bearing a basket for his mistress, leans on the barrel watching the proceeding with the most intense interest. The woman's face is wonderful, and it expresses eloquently the struggle in her breast
between her devotion to the South and her love for the boy
before her, and the officer tendering the oath almost speaks the
sympathy which her suffering has awakened in him. The
other works of our artist are "Uncle Ned's School," "The
Charity Patient," " The School Examination,'"   The Councii
of War," "The Courtship in Sleepy Hollow," "The Fugitive's
Story," "Challenging the Union Vote," and "Rip  Van
Winkle."
The process by which these exquisite groups are produced is
exceedingly simple, but is one requiring considerable skill and
delicacy of manipulation, and although the casting could readily
be done by competent assistants, Mr. Rogers conscientiously
gives his personal attention to every detail of the process. The
artist takes a mass of wet clay of the desired consistency and
size, and fashions it roughly with his hands to something like
the proper shape. "It is sometimes necessary to make a little
frame of wire upon which to. lay the clay, to hold it in its
proper place, the wire being easily made to take any form.
The rough figure is then finished with the molding stick, which
is simply a stick of pine with a little spoon of box-wood attached to each end, one spoon being more delicate than the
other. With this instrument the artist works upon the clay
with surprising ease. The way in which the works are repro



JOHN ROGERS.                    469
duced is as follows: When the clay model is complete, a single
plaster cast is taken for a pattern, and is finished with the
most scrupulous care by Mr. Rogers himself. This cast is
used as a pattern for making whatever number of molds may
be needed to supply the demand for any particular group or
statue. The molds are made of glue softened with water, so as
to be about as limber as India-rubber.  This is poured over
the pattern while in a warm and liquid condition; it is, therefore, necessary to surround the pattern with a stiff case to hold
the glue in place. This case is made of plaster, and is built up
by hand around the pattern. When the glue has become sufficiently hard, it is cut by a thin sharp knife and pulled off the
pattern. The parts are put together and bound by cord, making a perfect glue mold. The plaster of Paris is then poured
into the mold inverted. A number of crooked pieces of wire
are also placed in the mold to strengthen the figure. In about
twenty minutes the plaster sets so as to allow the case to be
opened, and the glue mold to be pulled off. To his proficiency
in the mechanical part of his art Mr. Rogers attributes a considerable measure of his success, as it enables him to execute
with facility every suggestion of his imagination, and to secure
the perfect reproduction of his works by those to whom he intrusts that labor."
By placing his works at popular prices, ranging from $10 to
$25 each, Mr. Rogers has insured the largest sale and greatest
popularity for them, and has thus become a national benefactor.
It is now within the power of every person of moderate means
to possess one or more of his exquisite groups, and in this way
the artist has not only secured to himself a sure means of
wealth, but has done much to encourage and foster a popular
love for, and appreciation of, the art of which he is so bright
an ornament.




470                  GREAT FORTUNES.
It was a bold venture to depart so entirely from all the precedents of art, but the result has vindicated both the artist's
genius and his quick appreciation of the intelligence of his
countrymen.  "We can not enter into the feelings of ancient
Greece," says a poptilar journal, in summing up his efforts,
"and our artists who spend their time in attempting to reproduce that ancient art are only imitators.  Their works interest
only a small class of connoisseurs, and that interest is an antiquarian interest. It is not a vital, living interest, such as a
Greek felt in his own work. It is not the natural, healthful,
artistic feeling, the feeling for the beauty of realities, except in
so far as it represents the feeling for the eternal attributes of
beautiful form.  It is an effort on the part of our artists to
impose the forms and features of another age upon this one,-a
task as impossible in art as in society, religion, and national
politics."
Mr. Rogers is now in his forty-first year, and of all our
American artists is, perhaps, the one best known to the niasses,
and the most popular. He is of medium height, carries himself
erectly, and is quick and energetic in his movements. His face
is frank, manly, and open, and the expression, though firm and
resolute, —as that of a man who has fought so hard for success
must be,-is winning and genial.  He is a gentleman of great
cultivation of mind, and is said by his friends to be one of the
most entertaining of companions.  In 1865 he married a
daughter of Mr. C. S. Francis, of New York, and his fondness
for domestic life leads him to pass his leisure hours chiefly by
his own fireside.








..........
~ ~ ~       i~      ~::1.............
1  i?-''''":::..   ~:i-......... i
HIRAM POWERS.




HIRAM POWERS.                   471
CHAPTERI XXIX.
HIRAM POWERS.
IRAM  POWERS was born in Woodstock, Vermont, on the 29th of July, 1805. He'was the
A  eighth in a family of nine children, and was the
son of a farmer who found it hard to provide his
little household with the necessaries of life.
He grew up as most New England boys do, sound and vigorous in health, passing the winters in attendance upon the district schools, and the summers in working on the farm. "The
only distinctive trait exhibited by the child was mechanical ingenuity; he excelled in caricature, was an adept in constructiveness, having made countless wagons, windmills, and weapons
for his comrades, attaining the height of juvenile reputation as
the inventor of what he called a'patent fuse."'
The Powers family lived just over the river, opposite the
village, and all joined heartily in the effort to keep the wolf
from the doors. Mr. Powers, Sen., was induced to become
security for one of his-friends, and, as frequently happens, lost
all he had in consequence. Following close upon this disaster came a dreadful famine in the State, caused by an almost
total failure of the crops. "I recollect," says Mr. Powers, "we
cut down the trees, and fed our few cows on the browse. We
lived so long wholly on milk and potatoes, that we got almost




472                 GREAT FORTUNES.
to loathe them. There were seven of us children, five at home,
and it was hard work to feed us."
One of the sons had managed to secure an education at Dartmouth College, and had removed to Cincinnati, where he was
at this time editing a newspaper. Thither his father, discouraged by the famine, determined to follow him. Accordingly,
placing his household goods and his family in three wagons,
and being joined by another family, he set out on the long
journey to the West. This was in 1819, when young Hiram
was fourteen years old. It cost him a sharp struggle to leave
his old home, and as they'climbed the hills beyond Woodstock
he lingered behind with his mother to take a last view of the
place. They crossed the State, and passing through western
New York came to the vicinity of Niagara Falls. They were
near enough to the great cataract to hear its solemn roar sounding high above the silent woods. The boy was eager to visit
it, but the distance was too great to the falls, and he was forced
to relinquish this pleasure. Continuing their journey westward, they reached the Ohio River, down which stream they
floated on a flatboat until they came to Cincinnati, then a city
of fourteen thousand inhabitants.
Through the assistance of his eldest son, the editor, Mr.
Powers was enabled to secure a farm not far from Cincinnati,
and removing his family to it, began the task of clearing and
cultivating it. Unfortunately for the new-comers, the farm was
located on the edge of a pestilential marsh, the poisonous exhalations of which soon brought the whole family down with
the ague. Mr. Powers the elder died from this disease, and
Hiram was ill and disabled from it for a whole year. The
family was broken up and scattered, and our hero, incapable of
performing hard work so soon after his sickness, obtained a
place in a produce store in Cincinnati, his duty being to watch




HrIRAM POWERS.                  473
the principal road by which the farmers' wagons, laden with
grain and corn whisky, came into the city, and to inform the
men in charge of them that they could obtain better prices for
their produce from his employers than from any other merchants in the city. It was also a part of his duty to help to
roll the barrels from the wagons to the store. He made a very
good "drummer," and gave satisfaction to his employers, but
as the concern soon broke up, he was again without employment.
His brother, the editor, now came to his assistance, and made
a bargain with the landlord of a hotel in the city to establish
a reading-room at his hotel. The landlord was to provide the
room and obtain a few paying subscribers; the editor was to
stock it with his exchange newspapers, and Hiram was to be
put in charge of it and receive what could be made by it. The
reading-room was established, but as the landlord failed to comply with his agreement, Powers was forced to abandon the
undertaking.
"About that time," said he, in relating his early life to the
Rev. Dr. Bellows, some years ago, "looking around anxiously
for the means of living, I fell in with a worthy man, a clockmaker and organ-builder, who was willing to employ me to collect bad debts in the country. He put me on an old horse
which had one very bad fault. He was afflicted with what the
Western people called the'swaleys,' and could not go downhill. I frequently had to dismount and back him down, as
the only way of getting along. The road often lay through
forests and clearings, in mire, and among the roots of the
beeches, with which my poor beast was constantly struggling.
I would sometimes emerge from a dark wood, five miles
through, perhaps, and find myself near a clearing where the
farmer's house I was seeking lay, half a mile off the road.




474                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Picking up a stout club to defend myself against the inevitable
dog, which, in the absence of men-folks, guarded every loghouse, I plodded across the plowed field, soon to be met by the
ferocious beast, who, not seeing a stranger more thamn once a
month, was always furious and dangerous. Out would come,
at length, the poor woman, too curious to see who it was that
broke up her monotonous solitude, to call off the dog, who generally grew fiercer as he felt his backer near him, and it was
commonly with a feeling as of a bare escape of my life that I
finally got into the house. It was sad enough, too, often to
find sickness and death in those fever-stricken:abodes-a wan
mother nursing one dying child, with perhaps another dead
in the house. My business, too, was not the most welcome.
I came to dun a delinquent debtor, who had perhaps been inveigled by some peddler of our goods into an imprudent purchase, for a payment which it was inconvenient or impossible
to make. There, in the corner, hung the wooden clock, the
payment for which I was after, ticking off the last minutes of
the sick child-the only ornament of the poor cabin. It was
very painful to urge my business under such circumstances.
However, I succeeded, by kindness, in getting more money than
I expected from our debtors, who would always pay when they
could. I recollect, one night, almost bewailing my success. I
had reached the entrance of a forest, at least nine miles through,
and finding a little tavern there, concluded it was prudent to
put up and wait till morning. There were two rough-looking
fellows around, hunters,. with rifles in their hands, whose appearance did not please me, and I fancied they looked at each
other significantly when the landlord took off my saddle-bags
and weighted them, feeling the hundred dollars of silver I had
collected. I was put into the attic, reached by a ladder, and,
barricading the trap-door as well as I could, went to sleep with




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HIRAM POWERS.                   475
one eye open. Nothing, however, occurred, and in the morning I found my wild-looking men up as early as I, and was not
a little disturbed when they proposed to keep me company
across the forest.- Afraid to show any suspicion, I consented,
and then went and looked at the little flint-pistol I carried,
formidable only to sparrows, but which was my only defense.
"About two miles into the wood, my fierce-looking friends,
after some exchange of understanding as to their respective
ways and meeting-point, started off on different sides of the
road in search of game, as they said, but, as I feared, with the
purpose of robbing and perhaps murdering me at some darker
spot in the forest. I had gone perhaps two miles farther, when
I heard the breaking of a twig, and, looking on one side, saw a
hand signaling me to stop. Presently an eye came out behind
the tree, and then an arm, and I verily thought my hour had
come. But, keeping straight on, I perceived, almost instantly,
to my great relief, two fine deer, who appeared not at all disturbed by a man on horseback, though ready enough to fly
from a gun, and began to suspect that the robber I was
dreading was, after all, only a hunter in the honest pursuit
of his living. The crack of the rifle soon proved that the
deer, and not my saddle-bags, were the game aimed at, and I
found my imagination had for twelve hours been converting
very harmless huntsmen into highwaymen of a most malicious
aspect."
His employer was so well pleased with the success of his
young collector that he offered to give him a place in the factory, saying there would always be plenty of rough work at
which an inexperienced hand could employ himself. "I could
refuse no proposition that promised me bread and clothes,"
said he, "for I was often walking the streets hungry, with my
arms pressed close to my sides to conceal the holes in my coat




476                GREAT FORTUNES.
sleeves."  His first task was to thin down with a file some
brass plates which were to be used as parts of the stops of an
organ. Powers was expected to do merely the rough work,
after which the plates were to pass into the hands of the regular finisher. His employer, knowing that the task was one
which would require time, told him he would look in in a few
days, ana see how he had succeeded. The young man's mechanical talent, on which he had prided himself when a boy in
Vermont, now did him good service, and he applied himself
to his task with skill and determination. When his employer
asked for the plates, he was astonished to find that Powers
had not only done the rough work, but had finished them
much better than the regular finisher had ever done, and this
merely by his greater nicety of eye and his undaunted energy.  He had blistered his hands terribly, but had done
his work well. His employer was delighted, and, finding
him so valuable an assistant, soon gave him the superintendence of all his machinery, and took him to live in his own
family.
As has been stated, his employer's business was the manufacture of organs and clocks.- Powers displayed great skill in
the management of the mechanical department of the business,
and this, added to the favor shown him by the "boss," drew
upon him the jealousy of the other workmen. There hung in
the shop at this time an old silver bull's-eye watch, a good
time-piece, but very clumsy and ungainly in appearance.
Powers was anxious to become its owner. Being too poor to
buy it, he hit upon the following expedient for obtaining it.
He had carefully studied the machine used in the shop for
cutting out wooden clock wheels, and had suggested to his
employer several improvements in it. The workmen, however, had ridiculed his suggestions, and had denounced as the




HIRAM POWERS.                   477
most barefaced presumption his belief that he could improve a
machine which had come all the way from Connecticut, where,
they said, people were supposed to know something about
clocks. Nevertheless, he maintained his opinions, and told his
employer that if he would give him the silver watch, he would
invent a much better machine. His offer was accepted, and in
ten days he produced a machine, not only much simpler than
the old one, but capable of performing twice as much and
better work. The workmen promptly acknowledged his success, and his employer gave him the watch. "The old watch,"
said he, a few years ago, "has ticked all my children into existence, and three of them out of this world. It still hangs at
the head of my bed."
About this time, in a chance visit to the Museum in Cincinnati, he saw a plaster cast of Houdon's "Washington." It
was the first bust he had ever seen, and he says it moved him
strangely. He had an intense desire to know how it was done,
and a vague consciousness that he could do work of the same
kind if he could find an instructor. The instructor he soon
found in a German living in thecity, who made plaster casts
and busts, and from him he learned the secret of the art. He
proved an apt pupil, and surprised his teacher by his proficiency.
His first effort at modeling from life was the bust of a little
daughter of Mr. John P. Foote. She sat to him during the
hours he could spare from his regular work. His model was
made of beeswax, as he was afraid that clay would freeze or
stiffen. His success encouraged him very greatly. "I found I
had a correct eye," said he, "and a hand which steadily improved in its obedience to my eye. I saw the likeness, and
knew it depended on the features, and that, if I could copy the
features exactly, the likeness would follow just as surely as the
blood follows the knife. I found early that all the talk about




478                 GREAT FORTUNES.
catching the expression was mere twaddle; the expression would
take care of itself if I copied the features exactly."
The true principles of his art seemed to come to him naturally, and having the genius to comprehend them so readily, he
had the courage to hold on to them often in the face of adverse
criticism. While conscious of having a perfectly correct eye,
however, he did not scorn the humbler method of obtaining
exactness by mathematical measurement. The following incident, which he related to Dr. Bellows, illustrates this:
"One of the first busts I ever made was of an artist, a
Frenchman, who came over with Mrs. Trollope. He proposed
to paint my picture, while I was to make his bust. He was
older, and considered himself much my superior, and, indeed,
undertook to be my instructor. I was to begin. His first
canon was that I was to use no measurements, and he quoted
Michael Angelo's saying-'A sculptor should carry his compasses in his eyes, not in his fingers.' I humbly submitted to
his authority, and finished the bust without a single measurement. He was very triumphant at what he called the success
of his method. I begged permission of him, now that the bust
was completed, to verify my work by the dividers. He graciously consented, and I was pleased to find how nearly I had
hit the mark. A few imperfections, however, appeared, and
these, in spite of his objections, I corrected without his knowledge, for I was determined to have the bust as near right as
I could make it. It had taken me, however, at least five times
as long to measure the distances with my eyes as it would have
done to measure them with the calipers, and I saw no advantage in the longer and more painful effort. The measurements
are mere preparations for the artist's true work, and are,
like the surveyor's lines, preparatory to the architect's labor.
When my subject, in his turn, undertook my portrait, he was




HIRAM POWERS.                   479
true to his own principles, and finished it without measurements.  I then, though with some horror at my temerity,
asked permission to verify his work with the dividers, and
found at the first stroke a difference of at least half an inch in
the distance between the eyes. He looked very much mortified, but said that it was done to'give the effect.' I have
had no misgivings since about the economy and wisdom of
using the calipers freely. To be useful, they must be applied with the greatest precision so small are the differences
upon which all the infinite variety in human countenances depends. With the aid of my careful measurements, I do in one
day what it would cost me a week or two's work to accomplish
without, and I am then able to give my exclusive attention to
the modeling."
He did not regularly devote himself to his art, however, but
remained in the employment of the organ and clock maker for
some time longer, giving his leisure hours to constant practice.
When he was about twenty-three years old, a Frenchman
named Herview opened in Cincinnati a museum of natural
history and wax figures. The latter had been very much
broken and disfigured in transportation, and their owner, in
despair, begged Powers to undertake the task of restoring them.
The figures were representations of distinguished men and
women, and as Powers readily saw that it would be impossible
to repair them without having proper likenesses as his guides,
he proposed to the Frenchman to make an entirely new couposition of the old materials, and one which should attract
attention by its oddity. This was agreed to, and the result was
a hideous and ungainly figure, which Powers proposed should
be called the "King of the Cannibal Islands," but to his amazement the Frenchman advertised it as the embalmed body of a
South Sea man-eater, "secured at immense expense."' Powers




480                 GREAT FORTUNES.
declared to his employer that the audience would discover the
cheat and tear down the museum; but the "man-eaters" drew
immense crowds, and was regarded as the most wonderful
natural curiosity ever seen in the West. The Frenchman was
so well pleased with it that he employed the artist permanently
as "inventor, wax-figure maker, and general mechanical contriver in the museum.
Powers remained in the Frenchman's employ for seven years,
hoping all the while to earn money enough to devote himself
entirely to art, which had now become his great ambition.
His experience was not a pleasant one. Some of it was so
singular, not to say ludicrous, that he shall. relate one portion
of it in his own language:
"One of the first things I undertook, in company with
Herview, was a representation of the infernal regions after
Dante's description. Behind a grating I made certain dark
grottoes, full of stalactites and stalagmites, with shadowy ghosts
and pitchforked figures, all calculated to work on the easilyexcited imaginations of a Western audience, as the West then
was. I found {it very popular and attractive, but occasionally
some countryman would suggest to his fellow-spectator that a
little motion in the figures would add much to the reality of
the show. After much reflection I concluded to go in among
the figures dressed like the Evil One, in a dark robe, with a
death's-head and cross-bones wrought upon it, and with a lobster's claw for a nose. I had bought and fixed up an old electrical machine, and connected it with a wire, so that, from a
wand in my hand, I could discharge quite a serious shock
upon any body venturing too near the grating. The plan
worked admirably, and excited great interest; but I found acting the part of wax-figure two hours every evening in the cold
no sinecure, and was put to my wits to devise a figure that




HIRAM POWERS.                  481could be moved by strings, and which would fill my place. I
succeeded so well that it ended in my inventing a whole series
of automata, for which the old wax-figures furnished the materials, in part, and which became so popular and so rewarding,
that I was kept seven years at the business, my employer promising me, from time to time, an interest in the business, which
he quite forgot to fulfill. When, at last, I found out the vanity
of my expectations, I left him. He knew I kept no accounts,
but he did not know that I reported all the money he gave me
to my wife, who did keep our accounts. He tried to cheat me,
but I was able to baffle him through her prudence and method.
For I had married in this interval, and had a wife and children to support."
Powers was now thirty years old, and had acquired considerable reputation in Cincinnati as an artist. His abilities coming
to the notice of Mr. Nicholas Longworth, of that city, that good
genius of young men of talent called on him and offered to
buy out the museum and establish him in the business. The
offer was declined with thanks. Mr. Longworth then proposed
to send him to Italy to study his profession, but this, too, being
declined, Mr. Longworth urged him to go to Washington and
try his fortune with the public men of the country. To this
Powers consented, and, aided by his generous friend, he repaired to the national capital in 1835, and spent two years
there. During this period he modeled'busts of Andrew Jackson, J. Q. Adams, Calhoun, Chief Justice Marshall, Woodbury,
Van Buren, and others. Being unable to secure a- model of'
Webster in Washington, the statesman invited him to go with
him to Marshfield for that purpose. Powers accepted the invitation, and declares that he looks back upon his sojourn there
as one of the most delightful portions of his life.
General Jackson was very kind to him, and, won his lasting
31




482                 GREAT FORTUNES.
esteem and gratitude. Upon being asked if he would sit for his
bust, the old hero: hesitated, and, looking at the artist nervously, asked: " Do you daub any thing over the face? Because,"
he added, " I recollect poor Mr. Jefferson got nearly smothered
when they tried to take his bust. The plaster hardened before
they got ready to release him, and they pounded it with mallets till they nearly stunned him, and then almost tore off a
piece of his ear in their haste to pull off a sticking fragment of
the mold. I should not like that."  Powers assured him that
such a terrible process would not be necessary, but that he only
wished to look at him for an hour a day, sitting in his chair.
The General brightened up at once, and cordially told him it
would give him pleasure to sit for him. He at once installed
the artist in a room in the White House, and gave him a sitting
of an hour every morning until the model was done.
Mr. Powers regards the bust of Jackson as one of his best
efforts, and the President himself was very much pleased with
it. After he had completed his model, Mr. Edward Everett
brought Baron Krudener, the Prussian Minister to Washington, to see it. The Baron was a famous art critic, and poor
Powers was terribly nervous as he showed him the bust. The
Baron examined it closely, and then said to the artist, "You
have got the General completely: his head, his face, his courage, his firmness, his identical self; and yet it will not do!
You have also got all his wrinkles, all his age and decay. You
forget that he is President of the United States and the idol
of the people. You should have given him a dignity and elegance he does not possess. You should have employed your
art, sir, and aot merely your nature."  The artist listened in
silence, ani Mr. Everett stood by without saying a word,
"conscious, as.:he afterward confessed, "of a very poor right
to speak t'on;uRlh,a.subject," after listening to so famous a




HIRAM POWERS.                   483
critic. "I did not dare," says Powers, " in my humility and
reverence for these two great men, to say what I wanted to in
reply; to tell the Baron that my'art' consisted in concealing
art, and that my'nature' was the highest art I knew or could
conceive of. I was content that the' truth' of my work had
been so fully acknowledged, and the Baron only confirmed my
resolution to make truth my only model and guide in all my
future undertakings."
One - of his sitters in Washington was Senator Prest6n, of
South Carolina, who conceived such an interest in him that he
wrote to his brother, General Preston, of Columbia, South Carolina, a gentleman of great wealth, urging him to come to the
artist's assistance, and send him to Italy. General Preston at
once responded to this appeal, of which Powers was ignorant,
and wrote to the artist to draw on him for a thousand dollars,
and go to Italy at once, and to draw  on him annually for
a similar sum  for several years.  Powers was profoundly
touched by this noble offer, and accepted it as frankly as it
had been made. He sent his models to Italy, and took his
departure for the Old World in 1837. Speaking of Mr. Preston's generosity, he said, two years ago: "I have endeavored
to requite his kindness by sending him works of mine, equal
in money value to his gifts; but I can never extinguish my
great obligations. I fear he do n't like me since the war, —for
I could not suppress my strong national feelings for any man's
friendship,-but I like and honor him; I would do any thing
in my power to show him my inextinguishable gratitude."
He reached Florence in advance of his. models, and while
waiting for them made two busts, one of a professor in Harvard
College, and the other of an American lady. A severe domestic
affliction, however, which came upon him soon after his arrival
in Italy, affected him so greatly that he was not -able to return




484                GREAT FORTUNES.
to his work for a long time. Then he applied himself to his
busts, which were warmly praised by the artists in Florence
and by his countrymen traveling abroad. Thorwaldsen visited
him in his studio, and pronounced his bust of Webster the best
work of its kind in modern times, and praises from other distinguished artists were equally as warm. Orders came in rapidly from English and Italians, and from Americans in Europe,
and the sculptor soon had as much business as he could attend
to. He gave his leisure time to work on an ideal figure, which,
when completed, was purchased by an English gentleman of
wealth. This was c" The Greek Slave," the most popular of all
his works. Duplicates of it were exhibited in America and at
the Crystal Palace in England, and won him praise from all
quarters. This single work established his fame as an artist,
and brought him orders from all parts of the civilized world.
His statue of " Eve," which had preceded "The Greek Slave "
by a year, had been pronounced by Thorwaldsen fit to be any
man's master-piece, but it had not created such a furore as
" Tle Gredk Slave."  Subsequently he made an exquisite bust
of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, with which the Grand Duke
was so pleased that he called on Powers, and asked him as a
favor to himself to apply to him whenever he could do him a
service. Powers asked permission to take a cast of the Venus,
and this much-coveted boon, which had been denied to other
artists for years, was at once granted to him.
Since then his works have been numerous. Among these
are "'The Fisher Boy," of which three duplicates in marble
have been made; "I1 Penseroso;" "Proserpine," a bust;
"California;" "America," modeled for the Crystal Palace at
Sydenham, England; " Washington" and " Calhoun," portrait
statues, the former for the State of Louisiana, and the latter for
the State of South Carolina; and ":Benjamin Franklin" and




HIRAM  POWERS.                      485
"Thomas Jefferson," in the Capitol at Washington. His works
are all marked by beauty and vigor of conception as well as by
exquisite finish. Beautiful as his ideal figures are, he yet excels
in his busts and statues of the great men of his native land.
His " Jefferson" and " Franklin " are wonderful works, and his
s" Calhoun " is said to be almost life-like. This last was wrecked
on the coast of Long Island on its voyage to America, and
remained in the sea for some time, but being wvell packed was
found, when raised, to be only slightly damaged by the water.
Mr. Powers has now resided in Italy for thirty-three years.
Motives of economy have controlled his action, for he would
gladly return to his own land did he feel justified in doing so.
He has thus stated the reasons which have influenced his long
residence abroad:
Sculpture is universal. The human form is of no country, and may be
studied with equal advantage at home and abroad. The opportunities
of studying it abroad are so immeasurably greater than at home, that I
do not see how it is possible, without great loss, to neglect them.
1. It is impossible to model successfully without living models; and in
America, in my time, it was almost at the peril of reputation, both for
model and sculptor, that an artist employed the living model, even if he
could procure it. Now, I understand, a few models may be obtained in
New York; but they are so rare and so expensive, that it is almost ruinous to employ them. It costs two or three dollars there to secure a
model which here may be had for half a day for forty cents. There is
no want of models here; but their history is a sad one, and makes
one often seriously lament the necessity for employing them. Young
women, especially, are driven to this employment by the want of bread.
I have numerous offers of their services made by parents who are in
great distress. I make it a point to discourage all who come to me from
entering the business, and am only conquered when I feel sure that, if
I decline, they will be driven to other studios. I prefer only professional
models, already thoroughly committed to the calling, as I shrink from
the responsibility of leading any into so perilous a vocation. They are




'486                   GREAT FORTUNES.
usually accompanied by their mothers, and I strive to treat them in a
way to save their self-respect and delicacy-a very hard task, which too
often breaks down in less scrupulous hands.
2. The opportunities of anatomical studies are here nearly perfect, and
free from all expense. The miedical schools not only illustrate anatomy
by surgery on the cadaver, but standing by the side of the dead body
is a living one, in which the action of the muscles dissected before the
student may be studied in life.' These colleges are open to all artists,
and furnish the best possible schooling in anatomy, a thorough acquaintance with which is indispensable to the sculptor, and can only be
obtained in America at great cost.
3. Marble is no cheaper here than in New York, the long sea-carriage
costing no more to America than the short land-carriage does from the
quarries to Florence or Rome. But good workmen, who can not be dispensed with, are so abundant and so cheap here, so rare and so dear at
home, that that alone is a decisive reason for coming abroad. Even here
it is a heavy expense to procure sufficient and competent workmen; at
home it is almost at ruinous cost and with nearly insuperable difficulty.
I have two workmen-as good, certainly, as the best in America-to the
finest of whom I pay only four dollars a day. He could make twice
that cutting weeping-willows on American tomb-stones. What could he
not justly demand in wages from a New York sculptor?  I employ a
dozen workmen in my studios; the poorest, at work on pedestals and
rough work, earn about half a dollar a day; the moderately skilled, a
little over a dollar. The whole cost me about fifteen dollars per day,
which is wonderfully low. Then, my rent-which could not, for my ex-'tensive accommodations, be less than two thousand five hundred dollars
a year in any eligible position which the public would visit-reaches
only about four hundred and fifty dollars annually.
But, 4. The general expenses of maintaining a family are so much
less here than at home, that a man without capital, possesssing a profession so slow in reaching its pecuniary returns as an artist's, finds an
immense inducement to live abroad. It is true that, music and accomplishment in languages apart, the opportunities of a substantial education for one's children are not as good here as at home. There are, however, less temptations to vice, and less exposures to the American habit
of hard drinking among young men; but, no doubt, the general in



HIRAM  POWERS.                     487
fluences here, in the way of developing a manly, energetic, and self-relying character, are less favorable than at home. There is a softness, a
disposition to take life easy, and a want of moral earnestness in Italy,
which are not favorable to youthful ambition and independence. On
the other hand, the money-getting propensities and social rivalries of
America tend to harden human character, and to bring out a severe
selfishness which is offensive. On the whole, the balance is on our side,
and, other things apart, American youth are better brought up in
America. But the artist must make this sacrifice to his art.
Mr. Powers is sixty-five years old, but is in full possession
of his mental and physical strength.  He is a genuine American, notwithstanding his long residence abroad, and has always
a warm welcome for his countrymen visiting his studio.  He is
a favorite with the younger artists, who find in him a kind and
judicious friend. Scorning servile imitation, he still exhibits
in his works the freshness of his youth and the genuine originality which was the basis of his fame.




488                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTE R XXX.
EMMANUEL LEUTZE.
MMANUEL LEUTZE, by adoption an American, was born in the village of Emingen, near
the city of Reutlingen, in Wnrtemberg, on the
24th of May, 1816. His father emigrated to
America during the infancy of his son, and the
future artist spent his youth in the city of Philadelphia and
the town of Fredericksburg, Virginia. He received a good
common school education, and passed his time in comparative
seclusion from society, reading and studying, but showing no
especial fondness for art. At length, during his father's last
illness, in which he nursed him with great devotion, he took
up drawing to beguile the weary hours of the sick-room, and
succeeded so well in his attempts that after his father's death he
continued his efforts under the instruction of a competent drawing master. He improved rapidly, and was so well satisfied
with his success that he determined to adopt the profession of
an artist as the one best suited to his talents and inclination.
Having acquired considerable skill in drawing, he attempted
rude portraits of men and beasts, and at length undertook to
copy from  memory a colored print after WVestall. He completed it, and resolved to show it to some of his friends. In his
impatience for the colors to dry, he placed the painting before




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EMMANUEL LEUTZE.                  489
the fire and went to summon his friends, but found, to his dismay, upon returning with them, that the heat had blistered the
canvas so that the picture was hardly recognizable. Yet, in
spite of this, his critics saw such evidences of genius in the
painting that they urged the young artist to continue his
labors, and predicted a great success for him.
Leutze, however, was not willing to venture upon another
composition, either partly or wholly original, but applied himself with zeal to learn the rudiments of his art, and with such
success that when his portraits appeared at the Artist's Fund
Exhibition, a year or two later, they received high praise,
both from critics and the public. An enterprising publisher,
attracted by these portraits, engaged him to go to Washington
and paint the portraits of the leading statesmen of the country,
to be engraved for a "national work."  Leutze at once proceeded to the capital, full of hope and enthusiasm, but soon
found that the schemes of the politicians whose faces he was to
transmit to canvas engrossed them so much that they would
not give him the sittings he desired. After waiting impatiently
for a considerable time he threw up the engagement in disgust,
and went into the woods of Virginia to console himself by
communing with nature. For some time he wandered about,
making desultory sketches, and abandoning himself to a melancholy which was closely akin to despair. When this feeling
was at its height, a friend, before unknown, came to his aid.
"A gentleman, whose rich domain he chanced to approach in
his wayward rovings, perceived his abilities, understood his
unhappiness, and aroused him from inaction by a call upon his
professional skill. The artist obeyed, but he could not subdue
the mood which possessed him. No brilliant scene arose to his
fancy, no humorous incident took form and color from his pencil, and the fair landscape around appeared to mock rather than




490                 GREAT FORTUNES.
cheer his destiny. He could not bring himself into relation
with subjects thus breathing of hope and gayety, but found inspiration only in the records of human sorrow. As the royal
mourner bade her companions sit upon the ground and'tell
sad stories of the death of kings,' the pensive artist found something analogous to his own fate in the story of Hagar and
Ishmael. He painted them as having followed up a spent
water-course, in hopes of finding wherewith to quench their
thirst, and sinking under the-disappointment. He neither
saw nor painted the angel of God who showed the fountain in
the wilderness, and yet the angel was there, for now the sufferer
acknowledges that early vicissitudes nerved him for high endeavor, rendered his vision piercing, his patience strong, and
his confidence firm, and that this incidental effort to triumph
over difficulties was the first of a series which inspired his subsequent career."
In 1840 he produced a painting which he called "An Indian
Contemplating the Setting Sun."  It was exhibited in Philadelphia, and won general praise for the artist. Better than this,
it secured him the friendship of the late Edward L. Carey, of
that city, who, recognizing his genius, determined to help him
on in his labors. Mr. Carey was successful in inducing his
friends to give Leutze a number of commissions, and these
enabled him to carry out his wish to visit Europe and complete his studies. Instead of going to Italy, as was then the
almost universal practice, he determined to study in Germany,
and accordingly sailed for that country. He went by way of
Holland, and after a long and trying voyage reached Amsterdam in January, 1841. Pausing here for awhile to familiarize
himself with the master-pieces of the Dutch school, he repaired
to Dusseldorf, where he became a pupil of the celebrated painter
Lessing, under whom he made marked progress. His recep



EMMANUEL LEUTZE.                  491
tion by the artists of Dusseldorf was at once hearty and encouraging, and won for that school and its members his enthusiastic
devotion. He became Lessing's pupil at the personal request
of the master, and these two gifted men were soon bound to
each other by the ties of an undying friendship.
Leutze devoted himself to historical subjects from the first,
and soon after his arrival in Dusseldorf began his picture of
"Columbus Before the Council of Salamanca."  When it was
finished, it was visited by Director V. Schadow, who praised it
warmly, and requested the artist to offer it to the Art Union
of Dusseldorf, which at once purchased it. This high compliment to a beginner and a stranger proved an additional'stimulus to Leutze, and he soon after produced a companion
-picture to his first, " Columbus in Chains," which procured him
the gold medal of the Brussels Art Exhibition, and was subsequently purchased by the Art Union of New York.
Remaining- two years in Dusseldorf, Leutze went to Munich
to study the works of Cornelius and Kaulbach, and while there
painted another scene in the life of the Great Discoverer, "Columbus before the Queen."  Upon completing this picture he
went to Venice, Rome, and the other Italian cities, making
careful studies of the masters of that school. He gave two
years to his travels, visiting the Tyrol, and reveling in the
magnificent scenery through which he journeyed. He went
into Switzerland, sketching the glorious beauties of its Alps,
and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg. Then, sailing down that
beautiful river, he set foot once more in Dusseldorf, glad, as he
declared, to end his wanderings in the midst of his friends.
Here he determined to locate himself permanently, and soon
after his return he married.
He lived in Dusseldorf for fourteen years, devoting himself
assiduously to his art. His labors were incessant. Historic




492                GREAT FORTUNES.
subjects make up the vast bulk of his productions during this
period, and in his treatment of them he adhered closely to the
style of the Dusseldorf school. The best known of his works
during this portion of his career are "The Landing of the
Norsemen in America;" "Cromwell and his Daughter;" "The
Court of Queen Elizabeth;" "Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn;'" "The Iconoclast," and his famous and brilliant series
of pictures illustrative of the events of the American War of
Independence. The most prominent of these were, " Washington Crossing the Delaware; " " Washington at Monmouth;"
"Washington at the Battle of Monongahela;;" "News from
Lexington;" " Sergeant Jasper," and "Washington at Princeton." These are fine paintings, possessing striking characteristics, and are all more or less popular. "Washington Crossing the Delaware" is perhaps the best known, since it has been
engraved, and sold in allparts of the country in that form.
During his absence in Germany, Leutze did not forget the
country of his choice, as his devotion to American subjects
amply.testifies. When he. had won a proud name in his art
by his labors in Dusseldorf, and had laid by money enough to
justify him in returning to a land where art was in its infancy,
and not over-remunerative, he came back to the United States,
after an absence of eighteen years, and opened a studio in New
York. He found a vast improvement in the public taste and
in the demand for works of art since his departure for the Old
World, and, better still, found that his peculiar field, the historic, was the one most suited to the tastes of the American
public.
It was his intention, in coming back to this country, to devote the time during which he supposed he would be compelled
to wait for orders, to looking around him and familiarizing
himself with the changes that had taken place in the Union




EMMANUEL LETUTZE.                 493during his absence; but he was never able to carry out this design, as he had no leisure time. His European reputation had
preceded him hither, and he had scarcely opened his doors in
New York before he was obliged to refuse orders, for lack of
time to execute them. His hands were full from the first, and
he at once took rank as the most thoroughly popular and! accomplished artist in the country.
Early in 1860 he received from  the Government of the
United States a commission to decorate one of the marble stairways in the Capitol at Washington with a mural painting.
The painting was to be executed in fresco, and he chose as his
subject, " Westward the Star of Empire Takes its Way." He
entered upon the undertaking with the keenest delight, and in
order to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the true
character of frontier scenery and life, performed what was then
the long and difficult journey to the Rocky Mountains, where
he made numerous sketches. Returning to the States, he sailed
for Europe, and went to Munich to learn from Kaulbach the
new stereochromatic process which has now superseded the
fresco-painting of the middle ages. Returning to Washington, he applied himself to his task, and in a couple of years
completed it.
The picture is the largest and finest mural painting in
America, and adorns the magnificent stairway at the north end
of the west corridor of the House of Representatives. It is
lighted from a sky-light in the roof, and is seen to the best
advantage from the upper corridor. The coloring is softer
and more life-like than is often seen in such paintings. The
surface of the wall is rough, but the work has been done
by such a master hand that one seems to- be gazing upon real
life. It is a wonderful picture-one that will repay weeks of
study.




494                 GREAT FORTUNES.
The scene represents a train of emigrants crossing the Rocky
Mountains. They have reached the summit of the range, from
which a glorious view stretches out before them to the westward. The adventurers consist of the usual class of emigrants,
men, women, and children. There are several wagons and a
number of horses in the train. The faces of the emigrants
express the various emotions which fill their hearts as-they gaze
upon the glorious scene before them. Some are full of life and
vigor, and hope beams in every feature, while others are struggling with sickness and despair. The advance of the train has
been momentarily checked by a huge tree which has fallen
across the trail, and two stout men, under the direction of the
leader of the party, who is sitting on his horse, are engaged in
hewing it away with axes. Two others have climbed to the
summit of the neighboring rocky crag, on which they have
planted the banner of the Republic, which is seen flapping
proudly from its lofty perch. In the foreground stands a manly
youth, clasping his father's long rifle firmly, and gazing toward
the promised land with a countenance glowing with hope and
energy.  His sister, as hopeful as himself, is seated by her
mother's side, on a buffalo-robe which has been thrown over a
rock. The mother's face is sad, but patient. She knows well
the privations, toils, and hardships which await them in the
new home-land, but she tries to share the enthusiasm and hope
of her children. She clasps her nursing infant to her breast,
and listens to her husband, who stands by and points her to
the new country where they will have a home of their own.
Her face is inexpressibly beautiful. The rich, warm light of
the rising sun streams brightly over the whole scene, and gives
to it a magical glow.  The legend, "Westward the Star of
Empire Takes its Way," is inscribed over the painting, in letters of gold.




EMMANUEL LEUTZE.                   495
An elaborate illuminated border, illustrative of the adTance of civilization in the West, surrounds the painting,
and is in itself one of the most perfect works of art in the
Capitol.
Leutze received the sum of $20,000 for this painting. After
completing it, some matters connected with his family required
him to make a visit to Dusseldorf, and upon reaching that
place he was warmly welcomed by the artists, on the 10th of
June, 1863, at their club. "About one hundred and fifty lords
of art," says a letter from Dusseldorf, " assembled at the'IMahlkasten,' just outside of the Hof-Garten. This is the club-house
of the painters, and, with its gardens, is their property. Leutze
was received with music, and when he came within reach of the
assembled company, there was a general rush to shake his
hands, kiss his cheeks, and hug him. The old fellows were
much affected at the scene, and were heartily glad to see their
old companion once more. The guest made a short and feeling
address, whereupon all went in to supper. Here two of the
artists had arrayed themselves, one as a negro, the other as an
Indian; and these brought in the first dishes and handed them
to Leutze.  Andreas Achenbach sat at Leutze's right, and
his old friend Tryst at his left. After dinner, the calumet cf
peace was passed around; there was speaking and drinking of
healths, with songs afterward in the illuminated garden. The
occasion appears to have been a very pleasant and right merry
one, and is said to have been the happiest festival ever given by
the Society of Artists."
Returning to the United States a fewv months later, Leutze
repaired to Washington, where he had permanently settled. He
was given several commissions by the Government, and at once
began to design his subjects. They were only in the cartoon,
however, at the time of his death. One of these, "Civilization,"




496                 GREAT'FORTUNES.
was to have been placed in the Senate Chamber, and was partly
finished. It is said to have given promise of being his finest
production.  He also left a sketch of an immense picture,
"The Emancipation."  He was alvays a hard worker, and this
doubtless contributed to bring about his death, which took place
on the 18th of July, 1868. The immediate cause was apoplexy,
superinduced by the intense heat.
" Mr. Leutze," says a writer in the Annual Cyclopedia, "was
altogether the best educated artist in America, possessed of vast
technical learning, of great genius, and fine powers of conception. His weakest point was in his coloring, but even here he
was superior to most others."
"Leutze," says Mr. Tuckerman, "delights in representing
adventure. He ardently sympathizes with chivalric action and
spirit-stirring events; not the abstractly beautiful or the simply
true, but the heroic, the progressive, the individual, and earnest
phases of life, warm his fancy and attract his pencil. His forte
is the dramatic.... If Leutze were not a painter, he would
certainly join some expedition to the Rocky Mountains, thrust
himself into a fiery political controversy, or seek to wrest a
new truth from the arcana of science.... WVe remember hearing a brother artist describe him in his studio at Rome, engaged for hours upon a picture, deftly shifting palette, cigar,
and maul-stick from hand to hand, as occasion required; absorbed, rapid, intent, and then suddenly breaking from his
quiet task to vent his constrained spirits in a jovial song, or a
romp with his great dog, whose vociferous barking he thoroughly enjoyed; and often abandoning his quiet studies for
some wild, elaborate frolic, as if a row was essential to his
happiness. His very jokes partook of this bold heartiness of
disposition.  He scorned all ultra refinement, and found his




EMMANUEL LEUTZE,                 497
impulse to art not so much in delicate perception as in vivid
sensation.  There was ever a reaction from the meditative.
His temperament is Teutonic  hardy, cordial, and brave.
Such men hold' the conventional in little reverence, and their
natures gush like mountain streams, with wild freedom and
unchastened enthusiasma"








VIII.
DIVIINE S.
CHAPTER XXXI.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
ENRY WARD BEECHER'was born in Litch4  field, Connecticut, on the 24th of June, 1813, and
was the eighth child of Dr. Lyman Beecher, the
famous Presbyterian divine of New England.
Dr. Beecher was regarded as one of the most
powerful champions of orthodox Christianity in the land of the
pilgrims, and had the good fortune to be the father of a family
whose members have become celebrated for their intellectual
gifts.
The most of these gave early promise of their future distinction, but the subject of this memoir was regarded as the dunce
of the family. He grew up as the children of most New England clergymen of that day climbed the road to manhood.
His father's family was large, and the salary paid by the congregation never exceeded eight hundred dollars, and was not
always promptly paid at that. The good people of the land of
steady habits well knew how to drive hard bargains with the
Lord's messengers, and were adepts in the art of securing the
"best talent" at the lowest price. The stern, hard struggle for
499




500                 GREAT' FORTUNES.
a livelihood in which the father was engaged prevented him
from giving much personal attention to his children, and the
mother of young Henry dying when he was but three years old,
the boy was left very much to himself. Like most ministers'
children, he was obliged to " set an example to the village," and
this boy was dosed with Catechism and his father's stern and
gloomy theological tenets until he was sick of them.
"In those days," says Mrs. Stowe, "none of the attentions
were paid to children that are now usual. The community did
not recognize them. There was no child's literature; there
were no children's books. The Sunday-school was yet an experiment in a fluctuating, uncertain state of trial. There were
no children's days of presents and fetes, no Christmas or New
Year's festivals. The annual thanksgiving was only associated with one day's unlimited range of pies of every sort-too
much for one day-and too soon things of the past. The
childhood of Henry WNard was unmarked by the possession of
a single child's toy as a gift from any older person, or a single
fete. Very early, too, strict duties devolved upon him. A daily
portion of the work of the establishment, the care of the domestic animals, the cutting and piling of wood, or tasks in the
garden, strengthened his muscles and gave vigor and tone to
his nerves. From his father and mother be inherited a perfectly solid, healthy organization of brain, muscle, and nerves,
and- the uncaressing, let-alone system under which he was
brought up gave him early habits of vigor and self-reliance."
When but three or four years old he was sent to the Widow
Kilbourn's school, where he said his letters twice a day, and
passed the rest of his time in hemming a brown towel or a
checked apron. It was not expected that he would learn very
much from Marm Kilbourn, but the school kept him out of
the way of the "home folks" for the greater part of the day.




HENRPY WARD BEECHER.                501
He was a winning, sweet-faced child, with long golden curls,
of which he was very proud. Some of his female playfellows
at school, thinking it a shame that a boy should look so much
like a girl, cut off one or two of his curls with a pair of shears
made of scraps of tin, and when the little fellow complained of
his loss at home it was decided that the best way to protect
him from such attacks in future was to cut his hair close to
his head, which was done at once. Little Henry was commonly thought a dull child. His memory was lamentably
deficient, and his utterance was thick and indistinct, so much
so that he could scarcely be understood ill reading or speaking.
This was caused partly by an enlargement of the tonsils of his
throat, and partly by timidity. The policy of repression worked
badly in his case, and had there not been so much real good at
the basis of his character it might have led this gentle, yearning boy far from the useful channel along which his life has
flown.
His stepmother was a lady of fine mental culture, of elegant
breeding and high character, but she was an invalid, and withal
thoroughly imbued with the gloomy sternness of her husband's
faith. One day little Henry, who was barely able to manage
the steady-going old family horse, was driving her in the
chaise. They passed a church on their way, and the bell was
tolling for a death. "Henry," said Mrs. Beecher, solemnly,
"what do you think of when you hear a bell tolling like
that?" The boy colored and hung his head in silence, and the
good lady went on. "I think, was that soul prepared? It has
gone into eternity." The little fellow shuddered, in spite of
himself, and thought, no doubt, what a dreadful thing it was to
be a Christian.
So it was with the religion that was crammed into him.
There was no effort made to draw him to religion by its beauty




502                 GREAT FORTUNES.
and tenderness. He rarely heard of the Saviour as the loving
one who took little children in His arms and blessed them, but
was taught to regard Him as a stern and merciless judge, as
one who, instead of being "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," makes those infirmities the means of wringirg fresh
sufferings from us. Sunday was a day of terror to him, for on
that day the Catechism was administered to him until he was
more than sick of it. "I think," said he to his congregation,
not long since, referring to this part of his life, "'that to force
childhood to associate religion with such dry morsels is to violate the spirit, not only of the New Testament, but of common
sense as well. I know one thing, that if I am'lax and latitudinarian,' the Sunday Catechism is to blame for a part of it.
The dinners that I have lost because I could not go through'sanctification,' and'justification,' and'adoption,' and all such
questions, lie heavily on my memory!  I do not know that
they have brought forth any blossoms. I have a kind of
grudge against many of those truths that I was taught in my
childhood, and I am not conscious that they have waked up a
particle of faith in me. My good old aunt in heaven-I wonder what she is doing. I take it that she now sits beauteous,
clothed in white, that round about her sit chanting cherub
children, and that she is opening to them from her larger
range sweet stories, every one fraught with thought, and taste,
and feeling, and lifting them up to a higher plane. One Sunday afternoon with my aunt Esther did me more good than
forty Sundays in church with my father. He thundered over
my head, and she sweetly instructed me down in my heart.
The promise that she would read Joseph's history to me on
Sunday was enough to draw a silver thread of obedience
through the entire week; and if I was tempted to break my
promise, I said,'No; Aunt Esther is going to read on Sun



HENRY WARD BEECHEI.                 503
day;' and I: would do, or I would not do, all through the
week, for the sake of getting that sweet instruction on Sunday.
"And to parents I say, Truth is graded. Some parts of
God's truth are for childhood, some parts are for the nascent
intellectual period, and some parts are for later spiritual developments.,Do not take the last things first. Do not take the
latest processes of philosophy and bring them prematurely to
the understanding. In teaching truth to your children, you are
to avoid tiring them."
"The greatest trial of those days," says Mrs. Stowe, "was
the Catechism. Sunday lessons were considered by the mother-.in-law as inflexible duty, and the Catechism as the sine qua non.
The other children memorized readily, and were brilliant reciters, but Henry, blushing, stammering, confused, and hopelessly miserable, stuck fast on some sand-bank of what is required or forbidden by this or that commandment, his mouth
choking up with the long words which he hopelessly miscalled,
was sure to be accused of idleness or inattention, and to be
solemnly talked to, which made him look more stolid and miserable than ever, but appeared to have no effect in quickening
his dormant faculties."
At the age of ten he was a well-grown, stout, stocky boy,
strong and hearty, trained to hard work, and to patient
obedience of his elders. He was tolerably well drilled in Calvinism, and had his head pretty well filled with snatches of
doctrine which he caught from his father's constant discussions;
but he was very backward in his education. He was placed at
the school of the Rev. Mr. Langdon, at Bethlehem, Connecticut, and it was hoped that the labors of this excellent tutor
would result in making something of him. He spent a winter
at this school, and boarded at a neighboring farm-house, whose




504                GREAT FORTUNES.
kind-hearted mistress soon became so much attached to him
that she indulged him to an extent which he had never known
at home. With his gun on his shoulder, he passed the greater
part of his hours out of school in tramping over the pretty
Connecticut hills in search of game, or, lying down on the soft
grass, would pass hours in gazing on the beautifll landscape,
listening to the dull whirr of the partridges in the stubble-field
or the dropping of the ripe apples in the orchard. The love
of nature was strong in the boy, and his wonderful mistress
taught him many of the profoundest lessons of his life. He
made poor progress at the school, however, and his father was
almost in despair. The whole family shook their heads in
solemn forebodings over the failure of this child of ten to become a mental prodigy.
Miss Catharine Beecher, his eldest sister, was then teaching
a young ladies' school in Hartford, and she proposed to take
the boy and see what could be done with him. There were
thirty or forty girls in the school, and but this one boy, and the
reader may imagine the amount of studying he did. The girls
were full of spirits, and in their society the fun-loving feature
of his disposition burst out and grew with amazing rapidity.
He was always in mischief of some kind, to the great delight
of the girls, with whom he was extremely popular, and to the
despair of his sister, who began to fear that he was hopelessly
stupid.
The school was divided into two divisions in grammar recitations, each of which had its leader. The leaders chose their
"sides" with great care, as these contests in grammar were esteemed the most important part of the daily exercises. Henry's
name was generally called last, for no one chose him except as a
matter of necessity. He was sure to be a dead weight to his
leader.




HENRY WARD BEECHER.'505
"The fair leader of one of these divisions took the boy
aside to a private apartment, to put into him with female tact
and insinuation those definitions and distinctions on which the
honor of the class depended.
"' Now, Henry, A is the indefinite article, you see, and must
be used only with the singular noun. You can say a man, but
you can't say a men, can you?'' Yes, I can say Amen, too,'
was the ready rejoinder.'Father says it always at the end of
his prayers.'
"'Come, Henry, now do n't be joking. Now, decline He.''Nominative he, possessive his, objective him.''You see, his
is possessive. Now, you can say his book, but you can't say
him book.''Yes, I do say hymn book, too,' said the impracticable scholar, with a quizzical twinkle. Each one of these
sallies made his young teacher laugh, which was the victory he
wanted.
"'But now, Henry, seriously, just attend to the active and
passive voice. Now, I strike, is active, you see, because if
you strike you do something. But, I am struck, is passive,
because if you are struck you do n't do any thing, do you?'
" Yes, I do; I strike' back again.'
"Sometimes his views of philosophical subjects were offered
gratuitously. Being held rather of a frisky nature, his sister
appointed his seat at her elbow when she heard her classes. A
class in natural philosophy, not very well prepared, was stumbling through the theory of the tides.'I can explain that,'
said Henry.'Well, you see, the sun, he catches hold of the
moon and pulls her, and she catches hold of the sea and pulls
that, and this makes the spring tides.'
"' But what makes the neap tides?'
"'Oh, that's when the sun stops to spit on his hands."'
It will hardly surprise the reader to be told that Master




5-06                GREAWT FORTUNES.
Henry remained with his sister only six months, and was returned at the end of that time to his father as an indifferent
scholar and a most inveterate joker.
A change now occurred in his life. When he was twelve
years old his father removed to Boston to assume the charge of
the Hanover-Street Church. Here the boy had a chance to see
something more than nature, and to employ his powers of observation in receiving impressions from the daily life and aspect
of a large and crowded city. His father entered him at the
Boston Latin School, and appealed to him not to disgrace his
name any longer by his stupidity. The appeal roused the little
fellow's pride, and he set to work to show to his family that he
was not the dunce they had thought him. He went at his
studies manfully, mastering the tedious puzzle of the Latin
verbs and nouns, and acquiring a respectable acquaintance with
the grammar of that language. It was a terrible task to him,
for he had no liking for the language, and did his work merely
to please his father and escape disgrace. His success cost him
a share of his health, and his vigorous constitution began to
show the effects of such intense application. His father noticed
this, and as a diversion to his mind aftvised him to enter upon
a course of biographical reading. He read the lives of.Captain Cook, Nelson, and the great naval commanders of the
world, and at once became possessed of the desire to go to sea.
This feeling made him  restless and discontented, and he resolved to leave home and ship on board some vessel sailing from
the harbor. He hovered about the wharves, conversing with
the sailors and captains, and sometimes carrying his little bundle with him. But the thoughts of home were too strong for
him, and he could never quite summon up resolution enough to
run away. In a fit of desperation he wrote a letter to his
brother, telling him of his wish to go to sea, and informing




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                 507
him that he should first ask his father's permission, and if that
were not granted he should go without it. This letter he
dropped where his father would be sure to find it. The old
gentleman soon discovered it, and, reading it, put it into his
pocket without comment. The next day he asked the boy if
he had ever thought of any definite avocation for his future life.
"Yes," said Henry, "I want to go to sea. I want to enter
the navy, be a midshipman, and rise to be a commander."
"Oh, I see," said the Doctor, cheerfully; "but in order to
prepare for that you must study mathematics and navigation."' I am ready, sir."
"Very well. I'll send you up to Amherst next week, to
Mount Pleasant, and then you'll begin your preparatory studies
at once. As soon as you are well prepared, I presume I can
make interest to get you an appointment."
The boy was delighted, and the next week started for Amherst. The Doctor felt sure that the sailor scheme would never
come to any thing, and exclaimed, exultantly, as he bade his
son good-by, (' I shall have that boy in the ministry yet."
At the Mount Pleasant Institute he roomed with his teacher
in mathematics, a young man named Fitzgerald, and a warm
friendship sprung up between them.  Fitzgerald saw that his
pupil had no natural talent or taste for mathematics; but instead
of despairing in consequence of this discovery, he redoubled ihis
efforts. Appealing to his pupil's pride and ambition, he kept
him well to his task, and succeeded in implanting in him a fair
knowledge of the science. Young Beecher also took lessons in
elocution from Professor John E. Lovell. Under the instructions of this able teacher, he learned to manage his voice, and
to overcome the thickness and indistinctness of utterance which
previous to this had troubled him so much. He continued at
this school for three years, devoting himself to study with de



508                 GREAT FORTUNES.
termination and success, and taking rank as one of the most
promising pupils of the school.
During his first year at Mount Pleasant, he became deeply
impressed with a sense of his religious responsibility at a
famous revival which was held in the place, and from  that
time resolved to devote himself entirely to preparing for his
entrance into the ministry when he should attain the proper
age. Henceforth he applied himself with characteristic energy
to his studies and to his religious duties, and rose steadily in
the esteem of his teachers and friends. He entered Amhersl
College upon the completion of his preparatory course, and
graduated from that institution in 1834.
In 1832, Dr. Beecher removed from Boston to Cincinnati,
to enter upon the Presidency of Lane Seminary, to which he
had been elected. Henry followed him to the West after his
graduation at Amherst, and completed his theological studies
at the seminary, under the tuition of his father and Professor
Stowe, the latter of whom married Henry's sister Harriet, in
1836. Having finished his course, he was ordained.
"As the time drew near in which Mr. Beecher was to assume
the work of the ministry," says Mrs. Stowe, "' he was oppressed
by a deep melancholy. He had the most exalted ideas of what
ought to be done by a Christian minister. He had transferred
to that profession all those ideals of courage, enterprise, zeal,
and knightly daring which were the dreams of his boyhood,
and which he first hoped to realize in the naval profession.
He felt that the holy calling stood high above all others; that
to enter it from any unholy motive, or to enter and not do a
worthy work in it, was a treason to all honor.
"His view of the great object of the ministry was sincerely
and heartily the same with that of his father, to secure the
regeneration of the individual heart by the Divine Spirit, and




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                 509
thereby to effect the regeneration of human society. The problem that oppressed him was, how to do this. His father had
used certain moral and intellectual weapons, and used them
strongly and effectively, because employing them with undoubting faith. So many other considerations had come into his
mind to qualify and limit that faith, so many new modes of
thought and inquiry, that were partially inconsistent with the
received statements of his party, that he felt he could never
grasp and wield them with the force which could make them
efficient. It was no comfort to him that he could wield the
weapons of his theological party so as to dazzle and confound
objectors, while all the time conscious in his own soul of objections more profound and perplexities more bewildering. Like
the shepherd boy of old, he saw the giant of sin stalking through
the world, defying the armies of the living God, and longed to
attack him, but the armor in which he had been equipped for
the battle was no help, but only an incumbrance!
" His brother, who studied with him, had already become an
unbeliever and thrown up the design of preaching, and he could
not bear to think of adding to his father's trials by deserting
the standard. Yet his distress and perplexity were so great
that at times he seriously contemplated going into some other
profession......
"In his last theological term he took a Bible class in the
city of Cincinnati, and began studying and teaching the Evangelists. With the course of this study and teaching came a
period of spiritual clairvoyance. His mental perplexities were
relieved, and the great question of" what to preach' was solved.
The shepherd boy laid aside his cumbrous armor, and found in
a clear brook a simple stone that smote down the giant; and so,
from the clear waters of the Gospel narrative Mr. Beecher drew
forth that'white stone with a new name,' which was to be the




510                 GREAT FORTUNES.
talisman of his ministry. To present Jesus Christ personally
as the Friend and Helper of humanity, Christ as God impersonate, eternally and by a necessity of His nature helpful, and
remedial, and restorative; the Friend of each individual soul, and
thus the Friend of all society,-this was the one thing which his
soul rested on as a worthy object in entering the ministry. He
afterward said, in speaking of his feelings at this time,' I was
like the man in the story to whom a fairy gave a purse with a
single piece of money in it, which he found always came again
as soon as he had spent it. I thought I knew at least one
thing to preach. I found it included every thing."'
Upon being ordained, Mr. Beecher married, and accepted a
call to Lawrenceburg, Indiana, a little town on the Ohio River,
about twenty miles below Cincinnati. His salary was small
and the work was hard. He was not only pastor, but sexton
as well, and in this capacity he swept out the church, made the
fires, filled and trimmed the lamps, and rang the bell. Says
he, " I did all but come to hear myself preach —that they had
to do."
He did not remain here long, however, but soon accepted a
call to Indianapolis, the capital of the State, where he lived
for eight years. He occupied a tasteful cottage on the outskirts of the town, and gathered about him his household treasures, which consisted of his family, his library, his horse, cow,
pigs, and chickens. He was an enthusiast in matters of agriculture and horticulture, and besides importing from the East
the best varieties of fruit-trees, roses, etc., he edited a horticultural paper, which had a fair circulation.
The eight years of his ministry in Indianapolis make up a
period of hard and useful work. He held two services on Sunday, and five meetings during the week in various parts of the
city, and with the consent of his people gave three months




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                 511
of each year to missionary work in other parts of the State.
While engaged in this latter duty he traveled about the State
on horseback and preached daily.
His'experience in the ministry, as well as his study of the
lives of the apostles, convinced him  that success in his profession-by which I mean the successful winning of souls to
God —was not to be won by preaching controversial or dry
doctrinal sermons. He must seize upon some vital truth, admitted by all parties, and bring that home to men's minds. He
must preach to them of their daily, hourly trials and temptations, joys and comforts, and he resolved that this should be the
character of his preaching. Then came the question, how shall
one man know that which is uppermost in the thoughts of the
many? He went into the places of public resort, where men
were accustomed to lounge and to gather to hear the news,
and made it his practice to listen to their conversations. In
this way he began to know the people to whom he preached as
few pastors know their flocks, and he was enabled by this
knowledge to apply his teachings to their daily lives, and to
send them  forth to their duties warned by his reproofs or
cheered by his intelligent counsel and sympathy. This practice, modified at times as circumstances have required, he: has
steadfastly continued, and in it lies the secret of his success as
a preacher. Said a gentleman, not long since, himself a member of a different denomination, "Beecher's sermons do me
more good than any I hear elsewhere. They never fail to touch
upon some topic of importance that has engaged my thoughts
during the week. Dropping all doctrinal technicalities, and
steering clear of the vexed questions of theology, he talks to me
in such a way that I am able to carry Christ into the most
trifling of my daily affairs, and to carry Him there as my Sympathizer and Helper, as well as my Judge." He soon became




512                GREAT FORTUNES.
the most popular preacher in the city, and, thanks to the genuineness of his gifts and the earnestness of his zeal, he was
enabled to add many to the kingdom of Christ who had been
drawn to hear him merely by their curiosity. Among these
was his brother Charles, whose skepticism has been spoken of
elsewhere in this chapter.  Becoming deeply impressed at a
revival in Indianapolis, Charles Beecher, by his brother's advice, took a Bible class, and began to teach the story of Christ.
The plan worked most happily. Charles solved all the questions which had perplexed his mind, reentered upon his religious life with increased fervor, and soon afterward entered the
ministry.
In August, 1847, Mr. Beecher received a call to Plymouth
Church, Brooklyn, which had just been founded. He promptly
accepted it. Breaking up his home in Indiana, he removed to
Brooklyn, and was publicly installed pastor of Plymouth
Church on the 11th of November, 1847. He at once "announced in Plymouth pulpit the same principles that he had in
Indianapolis, namely, his determination to preach Christ among
them not as an absolute system of doctrines, not as a bygone
historical personage, but as the living Lord and God, and to
bring all the ways and usages of society to the test of His standards. He announced to all whom it might concern, that he
considered temperance and antislavery as a part of the Gospel of Christ, and should preach them to the people accordingly."
It is no part of my purpose to consider Mr. Beecher as a
politician. I deal with him here not as the partisan of a political organization, but as a minister of the Gospel. In politics
he has always been a Republican of the Radical type, but has
generally inclined to a conservative construction of that creed.
Many of his warmest friends take issue with him in his political




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                 513
views, and he has not always been able to lead his congregation with him in this respect.
Soon after assuming the charge of Plymouth Church Mr.
Beecher became a regular contributor to "The Independent," a
paper which he had helped to establish. His articles were
marked with an asterisk, and were widely read. They dealt
with every topic of interest, principally with slavery, and were
vigorous and full of thought. A number of them were afterward collected and published in book form as the "Star Papers." Since then he has acted as editor of " The Independent,"
and is at present the editor of "The Christian Union."  He
has written a novel of New England life, called "Norwood,"
for "The New York Ledger," and still writes a weekly paper
for that journal. He is at present engaged upon a "Life of
Christ," which is to be the crowning labor of his life. Besides
these labors, he has been until recently almost constantly in the
lecture field, and has spoken frequently before popular assemblies on the political questions of the day.
These labors have filled up the leisure time left him after
discharging his duties as pastor of his church, which have never
been neglected upon any occasion. In this field his work has
been -faithful and constant. He has labored in it for nearly
twenty-three years, and his work has not been without its
reward. Such sermons as his could not fail of doing good even
if spoken to half a dozen people. How great, then, must be
their effect when addressed to the vast audiences to which he
speaks! His congregation averages over twenty-five hundred
at every service, being the largest regular congregation in, existence. His sermons are reported by a stenographer, and are
printed each week in pamphlet f~orm, and in this manner find
their way into thousands of hands. Thie "Plymouth Pulpit,"
in which they are published, has a regular weekly circulation
83




514                 GREAT FORTUNES.
of six thousand copies, and it is estimated that each copy is
read by at least five persons, which gives the preacher, in addition to his own congregation, an audience of more than thirty
thousand persons per week.
When Plymouth Church was organized, the wise heads predicted a failure for it; but it has grown and prospered, until it
is now the most compact and the best organized congregation in
America. It is dependent upon no synod or other religious
body, but manages its affairs entirely as it pleases. The control is vested in a board of trustees, of which Mr. Beecher is
ezx-offlcio a member. He has no superiority in this board unless called by its members to preside over its meetings. His
influence is of course all-powerful; but as the trustees are
shrewd business men, they sometimes carry out their own views
in preference to his. The church is supported by the sale of
its pews. This yields it an annual income of between forty and
fifty thousand dollars. The pastor receives a handsome salary
-said to be the largest in the United States-and the rest goes
into the treasury of the church. As the period of the annual
sale of pews approaches, Mr. Beecher makes it his practice to
preach a sermon in which he reviews the questions of the day,
and as far as possible marks out his course with regard to them
during the ensuing year. This he does in order that every one
purchasing a seat in Plymouth Church may know just what is
in store for him from the pulpit. The surplus revenue, after
the pastor's salary and the current expenses are paid, has until
recently been devoted to extinguishing the debt upon the
church. That burden now being off the shoulders of the congregation, the money is applied to missionary work in Brooklyn. "Two missions have been largely supported by the funds
derived from  Plymouth Church, and the time and personal
labor of its members. A mechanics' reading-room is connected




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                 515
with one of these. No church in the country furnishes a
larger body of lay teachers, exhorters, and missionaries in every
department of human and Christian labor."
Plymouth Church is located in Orange Street, between Hicks
and Henry Streets, in Brooklyn, and not far from the Fulton
Ferry. Many strangers, whose expectations are based upon the
fame of the pastor, are disappointed in the plain and simple exterior of red brick, as they come prepared to see a magnificent
Gothic temple. The interior, however, rarely fails to please all
comers. It is plain and simple, but elegant and comfortable.
It is a vast hall, around the four sides of which sweeps an immense gallery.; The interior is painted white, with a tinge of
pink, and the carpets and cushions of the seats are of a rich,
warm red. The rows of seats in the body of the church are
semicircular, and those in the gallery rise as in an amphitheater, from the front to the wall. At the far end of the church
is a raised platform containing merely a chair and a table. The
table is a pretty ornament, and is the "Plymouth Pulpit." It
is made of wood brought from the Garden of Gethsemane. In
the gallery behind the pulpit is the great organ-one of the
largest and finest in the Union. The church will seat over
twenty-five hundred people, but in order to do this, chairs are
placed in the aisles. These chairs are sold as well as the pews.
Every Sunday morning the streets are filled with persons on
their way to attend the services at Plymouth Church. They
come not only from Brooklyn, but from New York, and even
from Jersey City and Hoboken. The yard and street in front
of the church are quickly filled with the throng, but the doors
are guarded by policemen, and none but pew-holders are permitted to enter the church until ten minutes before the hour
for service. Without this precaution the regular congregation
would be crowded out of their seats every Sunday by strangers.




516                 GREAT FORTUNES.
At ten minutes before the hour for service the doors are thrownopen, and very soon there is not even standing room in the
vast interior, and generally the vestibules are full.
Near the pulpit is placed a basket of exquisite flowers, and
sometimes the entire platform is decorated in the same way.
Most commonly some little child perches itself up among the
flowers, and this pretty sight never fails to bring a smile of
pleasure to the pastor's face as he enters the church.  He
comes in through a little door under the gallery, behind the
pulpit. He is dressed in a plain suit of black, with a Byron
collar and a black stock.  His movements are quiet and
graceful, although quick and energetic. His manner in opening the services is quiet and earnest, and at once impresses
his hearers with the solemnity of the occasion. He reads the
Bible in an easy, unconstrained manner, as if he enjoyed the
task, and in his prayers, which are extempore, he carries the
hearts of all his hearers with him to the Throne of Grace.
He joins heartily in the singing, which is congregational. It
was feared that the organ would prove a great temptation to
do away with this style of singing, but this has not been the
case. The magnificent instrument is used only to accompany
the congregation, and there swells up such a volume of harmony from this vast throng as is never listened to outside of
Plymouth Church. The singing is wonderful.
The gem of the whole service, however, is the sermon; and
these sermons are characteristic of the man. They come warm
and fresh from his heart, and they go home to the hearer,
giving him food for thought for days afterward. To attempt
to describe his manner would be to paint the sunbeam. Eloquence can be felt, but it can not be described. He enchains
the attention of his auditors from the first, and they hang upon
his utterances with rapt eagerness until the close of the sermon.




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                  51.7
He knows human nature thoroughly, and he talks to his people
of what they have been thinking of during the week, of trials
that have perplexed them, and of joys which have blessed.them. He takes the clerk and the merchant to task for their
conduct in the walks of business, and warns them of the snares
and pitfalls which lie along their paths. He strips the thin
guise of honesty from the questionable transactions of Wall
Street, and holds them up to public scorn. He startles many
a one by his sudden penetration and denunciation of what that
one supposes to be the secrets of his heart.  His dramatic
power is extraordinary. He can hardly be responsible for it,
since it breaks forth almost without his will.  It is simply
unavoidable with him. He moves his audience to tears, or
brings a mirthful smile to their lips, with a power that is irresistible. His illustrations and figures are drawn chiefly from
nature, and are fresh and striking. They please the subtlest
philosopher who hears him, and' illuminate the mind of the
average listener with a flood of light. He can startle his people
with the terrors of the law, but he prefers to preach the Gospel
of Love. "God's love for those who are scattered and lost,"
he says, "is intenser and deeper than the love even of a
mother....  God longs to bring you home more than
you long to get there. He has been calling, calling, calling,
and listening for your answer. And when you are found, and
you lay your head on the bosom of Jesus, and you are at rest,
you will not be so glad as He will be who declared that, like a
shepherd,- he had joy over one sinner that repented more than
over ninety and nine just persons that needed no repentance."
Religion is to him an abiding joy; it is perfect love, and
casteth out fear. It has no gloom, no terror in it, and he says
to his people: "-If God gave you gayety and cheer of spirits,
lift up the careworn by it. Wherever you go, shine and sing.




518                 GREAT FORTUNES.
In every household there is drudgery; in every household
there is sorrow; in every household there is low-thoughted
evil. If you come as a prince, with a cheerful, buoyant nature,
in the name of God, do not lav aside those royal robes of yours.
Let humor bedew duty; let it flash across care. Let gayety
take charge of dullness. So employ these qualities that they
shall be to life what carbonic acid is to wine, making it foam
and sparkle."
The sum and substance, the burden of all his preaching is
Christ: "' Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin
of the world!' I present Jesus to you as the atoning Saviour;
as God's sacrifice for sin; as that new and living way by which
alone a sinful creature can ascend and meet a pure and just
God.  I bring this question home to you as a sinner. O
man! full of transgressions, habitual in iniquities, tainted and
tarnished, utterly undone before God, what will you do with
this Jesus that comes as God's appointed sacrifice for sin, your
only hope and your only Saviour?  Will you accept him?
Will you, by personal and living faith, accept him as your
Saviour from sin? I ask not that you should go with me into
a discourse upon the relations of Christ's life, of his sufferings,
of his death;  to the law of God, or to the government of
God. Whatever may be the philosophy of those relations,
the matter in hand is one of faith rather than of philosophy;
and the question is, Will you take Christ to be your soul's
Saviour? 
Having selected his theme, and formed a general plan of
treatment, Mr. Beecher trusts a great deal to the inspiration
of the moment for his language and illustrations. Some time
ago, in reply to a friend who asked how he prepared his sermons, he said he generally has an idea during the week as to
what he will preach about on Sunday, but does not attempt




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                  519
any thing like systematic preparation until an hour or two before going into the pulpit. Sometimes it is easy to block out
a sermon; but again it is hard work, and he does not fairly
get into it until the first bell rings.  He writes out the headings of his subject, and marks the proper places for illustration.
He does not confine himself to this written outline, however,
but, once in the pulpit, changes it according to the impulse of
the moment.  He never preaches the same sermon twice,
though he may use the same text several times, treating it in
a different way each time. He endeavors to preach his best
sermons on stormy days, in order that the desire to hear his
best efforts may keep his congregation from degenerating into' fair-weather Christians."  "Once," he said, laughing, "it
snowed or rained every Sabbath in a certain winter, and the
effort I had to make to remain faithful to this rule came near
killing me."  When asked if he studied his prayers, he answered promptly: "Never. I carry a feeling with me such as
a mother would have for her children were they lost in a great
forest.  I feel that on every side my people are in danger, and
that many of them  are like babes, weak and helpless.  My
heart goes out in sorrow and in anxiety toward them, and at
times I seem to carry all their burdens. I find that when one's
heart is wrapped and twined around the hearts of others, it is
not difficult to pray."
The church is provided with a large lecture-room, a study for
the pastor, and an elegant parlor. Mr. Beecher does not pay
pastoral visits to his people, unless he is sent for to visit the
sick and dying, or persons seeking help in their religious struggles. His parishioners are scattered over so wide a territory
that a systematic course of visiting would consume all his time
In place of these visits, he meets his congregation at stated
times in social gatherings in the church parlor, and these even;




520                   GREAT FORTUNES.
ings are looked forward to with eagerness by both pastor and
people.
The most characteristic meeting of this congregation, however, even more so than the Sunday services, is the Friday
evening meeting, which is held in the lecture-room. This room
is plain and simple. It is provided with comfortable seats and
a grand piano.  There is no pulpit in it, but a small table and
a chair are placed for the pastor on a low platform covered with
green baize.  The object is to banish every thing like formalism, and to make the meeting as free and unconstrained as a
social gathering. As at the Sunday services, the house is full,
but now the persons present are almost entirely members of the
church. Strangers rarely come to these meetings, and in staying away from them miss the chance of seeing the true inner
life of Plymouth Church. A gentleman who was present at one
of them, a few years ago, wrote the following account of it for
the " Atlantic MonthJy:"
Mr. Beecher took his seat on the platform, and, after a short pause,
began the exercises by saying, in a low tone, these words: "Six twentytwo."
A rustling of the leaves of hymn-books interpreted the meaning of
this mystical utterance, which otherwise might have been taken as announcing a discourse upon the prophetic numbers. The piano confirmed
the interpretation; and then the company burst into one of those joyous
and unanimous singings which are so enchanting a feature of the services
of this church. Loud rose the beautiful harmony of voices, constraining
every one to join in the song, even those most unused to sing. When it
was ended, the pastor, in the same low tone, pronounced a name, upon
which one of the brethren rose to his feet, and the rest slightly inclined
their heads... The prayers were all brief, perfectly quiet and simple, and
free from the routine or regulation expressions. There were but two or
three of them, alternating with singing; and when that part of the exercises was concluded, Mr. Beecher had scarcely spoken. The meeting ran
alone, in the most spontaneous and pleasant -manner...  There was a




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                      521
pause after the last hymn died away, and then Mr. Beecher, still seated,
began, in the tone of conversation, to speak somewhat after this manner:
"When," said he, "I first began to walk as a Christian, in my youthful
zeal I made many resolutions that were well meant, but indiscreet.
Among others, I remember I resolved to pray, at least once, in some way,
every hour that I was awake. I tried faithfully to keep this resolution,
but never having succeeded a single day, I suffered the pangs of selfreproach, until reflection satisfied me that the only wisdom possible, with
regard to such a resolve, was to break it. I remember, too, that I made
a resolution to speak upon religion to every person with whom I conversed,-on steamboats, in the streets, anywhere. In this, also, I failed,
as I ought; and I soon learned that, in the sowing of such seed, as in other
sowings, times, and seasons, and methods must be considered and selected,
or a man may defeat his own object, and make religion loathsome."
In language like this he introduced the topic of the evening's conversation, which was, How far, and on what occasions, and in what manner, one person may invade, so to speak, the personality of another, and
speak to him upon his moral condition. The pastor expressed his own
opinion, always in the conversational tone, in a talk of ten minutes' duration, in the course of which he applauded, not censured, the delicacy
which causes most people to shrink from doing it., He said that a man's
personality was not a macadamized road for every vehicle to drive upon
at will, but rather a sacred inclosure, to be entered, if at all, with the
consent of the owner, and with deference to his feelings and tastes. He
maintained, however, that there were times and modes in which this
might properly be done, and that every one had a duty to perform of this
nature. When he had finished his observations, he said the subject was
olpen to the remarks of others; whereupon a brother instantly rose and
made a very honest confession.
He said that he had never attempted to perform the duty in question without having a palpitation of the heart, and a complete turning
over of his inner man. He had often reflected upon this curious fact,
but was not able to account for it. He had not allowed this repugnance
to prevent his doing the duty; but he always had to rush at it and perform it by a sort of coup de main, for if he allowed himself to think about
the matter, he could not do it at all. He concluded by saying that he
should be very much obliged to any one if he could explain this mystery,




522                   GREAT FORTUNES.
The pastor said: " May it not be the natural delicacy we feel, and
ought to feel, in approaching the interior consciousness of another
person? "
Another brother rose.  There was no hanging back at this meeting; there were no awkward pauses; every one seemed full of matter.
The new speaker was not inclined to admit the explanation suggested
by the pastor. " Suppose," said he, " we were to see a man in imminent
danger of immediate destruction, and there was one way of escape,
and but one, which we saw, and he did not, should we feel any delicacy
in running up to him and urging him to fly for his life? Is it not
a want of faith on our part that causes the reluctance and hesitation we
all feel in urging others to avoid a peril so much more momentous?"
Mr. Beecher said the cases were not parallel. Irreligious persons, he
remarked, were not in imminent danger of immediate death; they might
die to-morrow; but in all probability they would not, and an ill-timed
or injudicious admonition might forever repel them. We must accept
the doctrine of probabilities, and act in accordance with it in this particular, as in all others.
Another brother had a puzzle to present for solution. He said
that he too had experienced the repugnance to which allusion had
been made; but what surprised him most was, that the more he loved a
person, and the -nearer he was related to him, the more difficult he found
it to converse with him upon his spiritual state. Why is this? "I
should like to have this question answered," said he, "if there is an
answer to it."
Mr. Beecher observed that this was the universal experience, and he
was conscious himself of a peculiar reluctance and embarrassment in
approaching one of his own household on the subject in question. He
thought it was due to the fact that we respect more the personal rights
of those near to us than we do those of others, and it was more difficult
to break in upon the routine of our ordinary familiarity with them.
We are accustomed to a certain tone which it is highly embarrassing to
jar upon.
Captain Duncan related two amusing anecdotes to illustrate the right
way and the wrong way of introducing religious conversation. In his
office there was sitting one day a sort of lay preacher, who was noted
for lugging in his favorite topic in the most forbidding and abrupt




HENRY WARD BEECHER.                      523
manner. A sea captain came in, who was introduced to this individual.
"Captain Porter," said he, with awful solemnity, "are you a captain
in Israel?"
The honest sailor was so abashed and confounded at this novel salutation, that he could only stammer out an incoherent reply; and he was
evidently disposed to give the tactless zealot a piece of his mind, expressed in the language of the quarter-deck. When the solemn man
took his leave, the disgusted captain said, " If ever I should be coming
to your office again, and that man should be here, I wish you would send
me word, and I'll stay away."
A few days after another clergyman chanced to be in the office, no
other than Mr. Beecher himself, and another captain came in, a roistering, swearing, good-hearted fellow. The conversation fell upon sea-sickness, a malady to which Mr. Beecher is peculiarly liable. The captain
also was one of the few sailors who are always sea-sick in going to sea,
and gave a moving account of his sufferings from that cause. Mr.
Beecher, after listening attentively to his tale, said, " Captain Duncan,
if I was a preacher to such sailors as your friend here, I should represent
hell as an eternal voyage, with every man on board in the agonies of
sea-sickness, the crisis always imminent, but never coming."
This ludicrous and most unprofessional picture amused the old salt
exceedingly, and won his entire good will toward the author of it; so
that after Mr. Beecher left, he said, "That's a good fellow, Captain
Duncan. I like him, and I'd like to hear him talk more."
Captain Duncan contended that this free and easy way of address was
just the thing for such characters. Mr. Beecher had shown him, to his
great surprise, that a man could be a decent and comfortable human
being although he was a minister, and had so gained his confidence
and good will that he could say any thing to him at their next
interview. Captain Duncan finished his remarks by a decided expression of his disapproval of the canting regulation phrases so frequently
employed by religious people, which are perfectly nauseous to men
of the world.
This interesting conversation lasted about three-quarters of an hour,
and ended, not because the theme seemed exhausted, but because the
time was up. We have 6nly given enough of it to convey some little




524                 GREAT FORTUNES.
idea of its spirit. The company again broke into one of their cheerful
hymns, and the meeting was dismissed.in the usual manner.
During the late war Mr. Beecher took an active and energetic part in support of the cause of the Union. His labors
were so severe that his health was considerably impaired, and
his voice began to fail him. His physicians ordered him  to
seek rest and recreation in a tour through Europe, and he reluctantly obeyed them. He was much benefited by his visit to
the Continent, but on his return to England, on his way home,
being solicited to speak in that country in behalf of the Union,
he delivered a series of powerful appeals, which exhausted the
greater part of the strength he had gained on the Continent, and
caused him  to return home almost as ill as when he went
abroad.
Soon after his return the war closed, and he went to Charles'
ton to deliver the address at Fort Sumter upon the occasion of
the rehoisting of the flag of the United States over that work.
The news of the assassination of Mr. Lincoln met him upon
his return to Brooklyn, and drew from him  one of his most
memorable sermons. At the close of hostilities, he preached
a sermon to his'congregation, urging forgiveness and conciliation
toward the South as the policy of the hour, saying truly that
that crisis was a rare opportunity which would never come
again, if spurned. The sermon was unpopular, and caused him
some trouble even in his own congregation.
Mr. Beecher is now fifty-seven years old, but is still in the
flush of his intellectual vigor. -His eye is as bright, his step as
firm and elastic, and his voice as clear and ringing as when he
preached his first sermon.' HIis powers have grown with his
work, and every year he seems to rise higher in his intellectual
supremacy. As a pulpit orator, he has no superior, and certainly there is no man ill all this round earth whose eloquence




HENRY WARD. BEECHER.                  525
has been productive of greater good to the cause he serves. He
is a stout, stocky man in appearance, with a large square face
and heavy features.  It is the face of a great orator and a
genial, warm-hearted man. He is careful and temperate in all
his habits-except that he will work too hard-and enjoys
robust health. He lives plainly and dresses simply. He impresses one at once with his immense energy, and you would
recognize him immediately as a man of unusual power in his
community. Said a friend not long since, " I was standing by
Beecher in a book-store to-day. He was perfectly still, as he
was waiting for a parcel to be done up, but he reminded me of
a big locomotive full of steam and fire, and ready to display its
immense force at any moment."
Mr. Beecher is not only a preacher, but a capital farmer. He
has a model farm at Peekskill, on the Hudson, and is brimful
of agricultural and horticultural theories, which he carries into
practice successfully. His love for flowers is a perfect passion,
and dates from his boyhood. He is an excellent mechanic, and
makes the repairs on his own premises, as far as he can, with a
keen relish, which he has doubtless inherited from his father.
He is thoroughly read in history, and as an art critic has no
superior. His house is filled with art gems, which are his pride.
He has not lost the love of reverie which marked his boyhood,
but he is eminently a practical man, and prefers the practical
questions of theology to those merely theoretical. He is as little
like the typical parson as one can imagine, and yet he is one
whose place will be hard to fill when he is gone, and whose
works will live in thie grateful memory of those whom his counsel has saved from sin, and his sympathy encouraged to continue
in the path of duty.




526                GREAT FORTUN'ES
CHAPTER XXXII.
PETER CARTWRIGHT.
NE of the most remarkable men in the American
ministry is PETER CARTWRIGHT, the "Backwoods
Preacher." Sixty-seven years of ministerial labors
have passed over his head, and yet he still continues in the field in which he has done such good
service, and retains all the popularity and much of the fire of
his younger days.
He was born in Amherst County, Virginia, on the 1st of
September, 1785. His father had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and his mother was an orphan. Shortly after
the close of the war, the Cartwrights removed from Virginia
to Kentucky, which was then an almost unbroken wilderness.
The journey was accompanied with considerable danger, as the
Indians were not yet driven west of the Ohio, but the family
reached their destination in safety. For two years they lived
on a rented farm in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and at the end
of that time removed to what was called the Green River
Country, and settled in Logan County, nine miles south of
Russellville, the county seat, and within one mile of the State
line of Tennessee.
The portion of Logan County in which young Cartwright's
childhood and youth were passed was the very last place one




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                  527
would have cared to bring up a candidate for the ministry. It
was called "Rogue's Harbor," and was thickly settled with
fugitives from justice from all parts of the Union. They actually constituted a majority of the inhabitants of the district, and
when the respectable citizens sought to bring them to justice
they readily "swore each other clear," and thus set the law at
defiance. They carried on such a course of outrage and violence that the respectable citizens were at length compelled to
combine for defence against them  by means of an organization known as the Regulators. Several fierce encounters took
place between the desperadoes and the Regulators, in which
many lives were lost, before the supremacy of the law was
established.
"When my father settled in Logan County," says Mr. Cartwright, " there was not a newspaper. printed South of Green
River, no mill short of forty miles, and no schools worth the
name. Sunday was a day set apart for hunting, fishing, horseracing, card-playing, balls, dances, and all kinds of jollity and'
mirth. We killed our meat out in the woods, wild, and beat
our meal and hominy with a pestle and mortar. WVe stretched
a deer-skin over a hoop, burned holes in it with the prongs of
a fork, sifted our meal, baked our bread, eat it, and it was firstrate eating, too. W5e raised, or gathered out of the woods, our
own tea. We had sage, bohea, cross-vine, spice, and sassafras
teas in abundance. As for coffee, I am not sure that I ever
smelled it for ten years. We made our sugar out of the water
of the maple-tree, and our molasses, too. These were great
luxuries in those days. We raised our own cotton and flax.
We water-rotted our flax, broke it by hand, scutched it, picked
the seed out of the cotton with our fingers; our mothers and
sisters carded, spun, and wove it into cloth, and they cut and
made our garments and bed-clothes, etc. And when we got on




528                GREAT FORTUNES.
a new suit thus manufactured, and sallied out into company, we
thought ourselves as big as any body."
Young Peter grew up in this rough country with a constitution of iron, and a fair share of Western courage, independence,
and energy. He was sent by his father to a neighboring
school, but the teacher was an indifferent one, and he learned
merely to read and write and cipher imperfectly.
He was a "wild, wicked boy," he tells us, and grew up to
delight in horse-racing, card-playing, and dancing. His father
seems to have enjoyed having so dashing a son, but his mother,
who was a pious woman, took his course seriously to heart,
and wept and prayed over her boy as only a Christian mother
can. She often talked to him, and moved him so deeply that
he frequently vowed to lead a better life; but his pleasures
were too tempting, and he fell back again into his old habits.
His father presented him with a race-horse and a pack of
cards, and he became known among his youthful companions
as one of the most fearless riders and the luckiest fellow at
cards in the county. The good mother wept and prayed all
the more, and the boy hid his cards from her to keep her from
burning them.
In 1801, when he was sixteen years old, a change came over
him. He had been out with his father and brother to attend
a wedding in the neighborhood. The affair was conducted
with all the uproarious merriment incident to those days, and
when Peter returned home and began to think over it, he felt
condemned at having passed his time in such a manner. "My
mother was in bed," says he. "It seemed to me, all of a sudden, my blood rushed to my head, my heart palpitated, in a
few minutes I turned blind, an awful impression rested on my
mind that death had come to me and I was unprepared to die.
I fell on my knees and began to ask God to have mercy on




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                529
me. My mother sprang from her bed, and was soon on her
knees by my side, praying for me, and exhorting me to look
to Christ for mercy, and then and there I promised the Lord
if he would spare me I would seek and serve Him, and I never
fully broke that promise. My mother prayed for me a long
time. At length we lay down, but there was little sleep for
me. Next morning I rose, feeling wretched beyond expression.
I tried to read in the Testament, and retired many times to
secret prayer through the day, but found no relief. I gave up
my race-horse to my father and requested him to sell him. I
went and brought my pack of cards and gave them to mother,
who- threw them into the fire, and they were consumed. I
fasted, watched, and prayed, and engaged in regular reading
of the Testament. I was so distressed and miserable that I
was incapable of any regular business."
Several months passed away, during which time Peter had
seasons of comfort and hopes of forgiveness, but during the
greater portion he was wretched and miserable, filled with such
a fear of the devil that he was almost convinced that Satan
was really present with him to keep him from God. A campmeeting, held in the vicinity of his father's house, in the spring
of 1801, completed his conversion and gave him peace.
"To this meeting," says he, "I repaired a guilty, wretched
sinner. On the Saturday evening of said meeting I went, with
weeping multitudes, and bowed before the stand, and earnestly
prayed for mercy. In the midst of a solemn struggle of soul,
an impression was made on my mind as though a voice said
to me:'Thy sins are all forgiven thee.' Divine light flashed
all around me, unspeakable joy sprang up in my soul. I rose
to my feet, opened my eyes, and it really seemed to me as if'
I was in heaven; the trees, the leaves on them, and every
thing seemed, and I really thought were, praising God. My
34




530                GREAT FORTUNES.
mother raised the shout, my Christian friends crowded around
me and joined me in praising God..  I have never doubted
that the Lord did, then and there forgive my sins and give me
religion." He went on his way rejoicing, and in June, 1801,
was formally received into the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In May, 1802, he was appointed an exhorter. He shrank
from accepting the position, as he distrusted his own abilities,
but finally yielded to his presiding elder's wishes and entered
upon his work. In the fall of that year his parents removed
to Lewiston County, toward the mouth of the Cumberland
River.
Although he was but eighteen years old, his presiding elder
had detected in him signs of unusual promise, and had resolved
to bring him  into active labor for the Church at once, and
accordingly, upon his departure for his new home, Peter was
given authority to lay out and organize a new circuit, the plan
of which he was to submit to the presiding elder for approval.
The boy hesitated, frightened by the magnitude of the task, but
being encouraged by his superiors, accepted the trust, and thus
began his labors as a preacher of the Word. Upon reaching his
new home, he attended a tolerably good school in the vicinity,
hoping to acquire a better education, but the pupils and teacher
persecuted him so sorely that lie was obliged to withdraw. Determining to lose no time in waiting for an education, he at
once began the swork of preaching. Being possessed of strong
natural sense, a Teady wit, and being thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of froriier life, he was just the man to carry the Gospel home to the hearts of the rude pioneers of the great West.
His manner was that of a backwoodsman, and he had no city
airs and graces to offend the plain, rough people to whom he
preached. He was emphatically one of them. He offered them
the plain Gospel, and gave ltheological theories a wide berth.




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 531
His plan of operations was adapted to the rudest intellect. It
was to thunder the terrors of the law into the ears of his converts, or, in his own words, to "shake them over hell until they
smelt brimstone right strong," and make them see the fearful
condition in which they lay by reason of their sin. Man was
to him a wretched, degraded creature, and the only way to bring
him to God was to drive him there by the terrors of the law.
Our preacher had very little faith in the quieter, more persuasive means of grace. His first effort was to give the souls of his
hearers a good shaking up, bring them face to face with hell and
its torments, and then, having forced them to flee from the wrath
to come, to trust to their future Christian experience for the
means of acquiring a knowledge of the tender mercies of the
Saviour. It must be confessed that this was the only plan open
to him in the field in which he labored. The people to whom
he preached were a rude, rough set, mainly ignorant and superstitious, and many of them sunk in the depths of drunkenness
and viciousness. The Western country was almost a wilderness. Vast forests and boundless prairies lay on every hand,
with but here and there a clearing with a solitary log cabin in
it, or, but two or three at the most. The people lived in the
most perfect solitude, rarely seeing any but the members of their
own households. Solitude and danger made them superstitious,
and the absence of schools kept them in ignorance. They drank
to keep off the blues, and when they came together for amusement they made the most of their opportunities, and plunged
into the most violent sports, which were not always kept within
the bounds of propriety. Churches were as scarce as schools,
and until the Methodist circuit riders made their appearance in
the West, the people were little better than heathen. The law
had scarcely any hold upon these frontiersmen.  They were,
wild and untamed, and personal freedom was kept in restraint




532.-GREAT FORTUNES.
mainly by the law of personal accountability. They were generous and improvident,, frank, fearless, easy-going, and filled
with an intense scorn for every thing that smacked of Eastern
refinement or city life. They were proud of their buckskin
and linsey-woolsey clothes, their squirrel caps, and their horny
hands and rough faces. They would have been miserable in a
city mansion, but they were lords and kings in their log-cabins.
To have sent a preacher bred in the learned schools of New
England to such a people would have been folly. The smooth
cadences, the polished gestures, and, above all, the manuscript
sermon of a Boston divine, would have disgusted the men and
women of the frontier. What cared they for predestination or
free-will, or for any of the dogmas of the schools? They wanted
to hear the simple, fundamental truths of the Gospel, and they
wanted to hear them from a man of their own stamp. They
wanted a "fire and brimstone" preacher, one whose fiery eloquence could stir the very depths of their souls, and set their
simple imaginations all ablaze; one who could shout and sing
with true Western abandon; who could preach in his shirtsleeves, sleep with them on the bare ground, brave all the dangers of a frontier life, and, if necessary, thrash any one who
dared to insult him.  Such was the man for these sturdy,
simple Western folk, and such a man they found in Peter
Cartwright.
- Peter went at the task before him with a will. The country
being sparsely settled, people had to travel a long way to get to
church, and it became a matter of expediency for the clergy to
hold religious gatherings at stated points, and to continue them
for several days, so that those who desired to attend might be
able to avoid the necessity of going home every evening and..-,jing back next day.  Church edifices being scarce, these
meetings were held in the woods, and a large encampment was




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 533
formed by the people in attendance. This was the origin of
the camp-meeting system, which for many years was the only
effective way of spreading the Gospel in the West. It was at
a camp-meeting that Peter obtained religion, and he has ever
since been a zealous advocate of, and a hard worker at,
them. From the first he was successful. The fame of the "boy
preacher" went abroad into all the land, and people came in
to the camp from a hundred miles around to hear him. He
had little education, but he knew his Bible thoroughly, and
was a ready speaker, and, above all, he knew how to deal with
the people to whom he preached. He made many converts,
and from the first took rank as the most popular preacher in
the West.
Peter not only believed in the overruling power of God, but
he was firmly convinced of the active and personal agency of
the devil in human affairs. Many of the follies and faults of
the people around him took place, he averred, because they
were possessed of devils. Each camp-meeting was to him a
campaign against Satan, and in his opinion Satan never failed
to make a good fight for his kingdom.  Certainly some very
singular things did occur at the meetings at which he was present, and, naturally, perhaps, some persons began to believe that
Peter Cartwright possessed supernatural powers. The following incident, related by him, not only explains some of the
phenomena to which I allude, but also the manner in which he
was regarded by some of the unconverted:
"A new exercise broke out among us, called the'jerks,' which
was overwhelming in its effects upon the bodies and minds of
the people. No matter whether they were saints or sinners,
they would be taken under a warm song or sermon, and seized
with a convulsive jerking all over, which they could not by any
possibility avoid, and the more they resisted, the more they




534                GREAT FORTUNES.
jerked. If they would not strive against it, and pray in good
earnest, the jerking would usually abate. I have seen more
than five hundred persons jerking at one time in my large congregations. Most usually persons taken with the jerks, to obtain relief, as they said, would rise up and dance. Some would
run, but could not get away. Some would resist; on such the
jerks were very severe.
"To see those proud young gentlemen and young ladies,
dressed in their silks, jewelry, and prunella, from top to toe,
take the jerks, would often excite my risibilities. The first
jerk or so you would see their fine bonnets, caps, and combs fly,
and so sudden would be the jerking of the head that their long,
loose hair would crack almost as loud as a wagoner's whip.
"At one of my appointments, in 1804, there was a very large
congregation turned out to hear the'Kentucky boy,' as they
called me. Among the rest there were two very finely dressed,
fashionable young ladies, attended by two brothers with loaded
horsewhips. Although the house was large, it was crowded.
The two young ladies, coming in late, took their seats near
where I stood, and their two brothers stood in the door. I
was a little unwell, and I had a phial of peppermint in my
pocket. Before I commenced preaching I took out my phial
and swallowed a little of the peppermint. While I was preaching the congregation was melted into tears. The two young
gentlemen moved off to the yard fence, and both the young
ladies took the jerks, and they were greatly mortified about
it...
"As I dismissed the assembly, a man stepped up to me and
warned me to be on my guard, for he had heard the two
brothers swear they would horsewhip me when meeting was
out for giving their sisters the jerks.'Well,' said I,'I'll see
to that.'




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 535
"I went out and said to the young men that I understood
they intended to horsewhip me for giving their sisters the
jerks. One replied that he did. I undertook to expostulate
with him on the absurdity of the charge against me, but he
swore I need not deny it, for he had seen me take out a phial
in which I carried some truck that gave his sisters the jerks.
As quick as thought came into my mind how I would get clear
of my whipping, and, jerking out the peppermint phial, said I,'Yes; if I gave your sisters the jerks I'll give them to you.'
In a moment I saw he was scared. I moved toward him, he
backed, I advanced, and he wheeled and ran, warning me not
to come near him or he would kill me. It raised the laugh on
him, and I escaped my whipping.
"I always looked upon the jerks as a judgment sent from
God, first, to bring sinners to repentance, and, secondly, that
God could work with or without means, and that he could
work over and above means and do whatsoever seemeth him
good to the glory of his grace and the salvation of the world.
There is no doubt in my mind that, with weak-minded, ignorant,
and superstitious persons, there was a great deal of sympathetic
feeling with many that claimed to be under the influence of
this jerking exercise, and yet with many it was perfectly involuntary. It was on all occasions my practice to recommend
fervent prayer as a remedy, and it almost universally proved an
effectual antidote."
The excitement of the religious revivals plunged many of the
people into excesses. They prophesied, dreamed dreams, and
saw visions, and troubled the young preacher exceedingly, but
he set his face sternly against all such disorders, and pronounced
their visions and messages to be from the devil. One of these
dreamers came to him one day and told him he had a message
from heaven for him.




536                GREAT FORTUNES.
"'Well," said Cartwright, "what is it?"
"It has been revealed to me," said the fellow, "that you are
never to die, but are to live forever."
"Who revealed that to you?"
"An angel."
"Did you see him?" asked Cartwright, dryly.
"0, yes; he was a beautiful, white, shining being."
"Did you smell him?" asked Peter, bluntly.
The man looked at him in amazement, and the preacher continued, sternly, " Well, did the angel you saw smell of brimstone? He must have smelled of brimstone, for he was from a
region that burns with fire and brimstone, and consequently
from hell, for he revealed a great lie to you if he told you I
was- to live forever."
The dreamer turned off abruptly, and disappeared amidst the
jeers of the crowd that had listened to the conversation.
On the 16th of September, 1806, Mr. Cartwright was ordained a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop
Asbury, and on the 4th of October, 1808, Bishop McKendree
ordained him an elder. Upon receiving deacon's orders he
was assigned to the Marietta Circuit. His appointment dismayed him. Says he: " It was a poor, hard circuit at that time.
Marietta and the country round were settled at an early day by
a colony of Yankees. At the time of my appointment I had
never seen a Yankee, and I had heard dismal stories about
them. It was said they lived almost entirely on pumpkins,
molasses, fat meat, and bohea tea; moreover, that they could
not bear loud and zealous sermons, and they had brought on
their learned preachers with them, and they read their sermons
and were always criticising us poor backwoods preachers. When
my appointment was read out it distressed me greatly. I went
to Bishop Asbury and begged him to supply my place and let




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 537
me go home. The old father took me in his arms and said:' O, no, my son; go in the name of the Lord. It will make a
man of you.'
"Ah, thought I, if this is the way to make men, I do not
want to be a man. I cried over it bitterly, and prayed, too.
But on I started, cheered by my presiding elder, Brother J.
Sale. If I ever saw hard times, surely it was this year; yet
many of the people were kind and treated me friendly. I had
hard work to keep soul and body together. The first Methodist house I came to the brother was a Universalist. I crossed
over the Muskingum River to Marietta. The first Methodist
family I stopped with there, the lady was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, but a thorough Universalist.
She was a thin-faced, Roman-nosed, loquacious Yankee, glib
on the tongue, and you' may depend upon it I had a hard
race to keep up with her, though I found it a good school, for
it set me to reading my Bible. And here permit me to say,
of all the isms I ever heard of, they were here. These descendants of the Puritans were generally educated, but their
ancestors were rigid predestinarians, and as they were sometimes favored with a little light on their moral powers, and
could just' see men as trees walking,' they jumped into Deism,
Universalism, Unitarianism, etc., etc. I verily believe it was
the best school I ever entered. They waked me up on all
sides; Methodism was feeble, and I had to battle or run, and
I resolved on the former."
Just before he was made an elder, MIr. Cartwright left his
circuit, and went home on a visit to recruit. He had made a
good fight with poverty during his labors, and at the time of
his departure for home he was in a condition sufficiently hard
to test any man's fortitude. "I had been from my father's
house for-three years," says he; "was five hundred miles from




'38                 GREAT FORTUNES,
home, my horse had gone blind, my saddle was worn out, my
bridle reins had been eaten up and replaced (after a sort) at
least a dozen times, and my clothes had been patched till it
was difficult to detect the original. I had concluded to make
my way home and get another outfit. I was in Marietta, and
had just seventy-five cents in my pocket. How I would get
home and pay my way I could not tell."
He did reach home, however, after many characteristic adventures, and obtained another outfit, and while there he took
an important step-he married. "After a mature deliberation
and prayer, " he says, "I thought it was my duty to marry, and
was joined in marriage to Frances Gaines, on the 18th of August, 1808, which was her nineteenth birthday."  Peter and
his bride knew that a hard life was in store for them, but they
felt strong in the love they bore each other. They were simple
backwoods folk, and their wants were few. "When I started
as a traveling preacher," he said fifty-three years afterward, "a
single preacher was allowed to receive eighty dollars per annum if his circuit would give it to him; but single preachers in
those days seldom received over thirty or forty dollars, and
often much less; and had it not been for a few presents made
us by the benevolent friends of the church, and a few dollars
we made as marriage fees, we must have suffered much more
than we did. But the Lord provided, and, strange as it may
appear to the present generation, we got along without starving
or going naked." There is something awe-inspiring in the
simple trust in God which this good man displayed in every
stage of his life. Once satisfied that he was in the path of
duty, he never allowed the filture to trouble him. He provided for it as far as he could, and left the rest to the Master
whose work he was doing. Poverty and hardship had no terrors for this brave young couple, and it was very far from




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 539
their thoughts to wait until a better day to marry. They would
go out hand in hand into the world and meet their trials
together. Children would come, they knew, and those little
mouths would have to be fed, but they would be industrious,
saving, and patient, and "God would provide."
Peter Cartwright's mission was to plant the Methodist Episcopal Church in the West as well as to preach the Gospel. For
that end he worked and prayed. The Methodist Episcopal
Church was his haven of safety. Without, all was storm and
darkness; within its fold all was peace and light. He believed
his church to be the best door to heaven, if indeed it was not
in his estimation the only one. He was a fanatic, pure and
simple, as regarded his own -denomination, but a fanatic full of
high and noble purposes, and one whose zeal was productive
only of good. This fanaticism was necessary to the success of
his labors. It was his perfect belief that his was the only
church in which sinners could find perfect peace that carried
him through the difficulties which encompassed him. Men
were dying all around him, and they must come into his
church. They had other denominations close at hand, but
they, in his estimation, would not do. The Methodist Episcopal Church was a necessity for sinners, therefore it must be
planted in all parts of the land. No sacrifice was too great
for the accomplishment of this object. He has lived to see
those sacrifices rewarded, to see his church one of the most
numerous and powerful religious bodies in the country.
Being so zealous in behalf of his own church, it is not
strange that he should have clashed frequently with other de.
nominations. He got along very well with the majority, but
with the Baptists and Universalists he was always on the war
path:. The latter especially excited his uncompromising hostility, and he never failed to attack their doctrines with all his




540                GREAT FORTUNES.
forces wherever he encountered them. "I have thought," says
he, "and do still think, if I were to set out to form a plan to
contravene the laws of God, to encourage wickedness of all
kinds, to corrupt the morals and encourage vice, and crowd
hell with the lost and the wailings of the damned, the Universalist plan should be the plan, the very plan that I would
adopt.
"A few years ago," he continues, "I had a neighbor who
professed to be a confirmed Universalist. He contended with
me that there was no devil but the evil disposition in man, and
that there was no hell but the bad feelings that men had when
they did wrong: that this was all the punishment any body
would suffer. When this neighbor's father lay on his dying
bed (a confirmed Universalist, professedly) there was a faithful
minister of Christ who believed it his duty to visit this old
Universalist, warn him of his danger, and try to awaken his conscience, if not seared, to a just view of his real situation. The
minister, however, failed in his faithful attempt and well-meant
endeavors, for the old man, then on his dying pillow, was
greatly offended at the preacher, and told him that he did not
thank him for trying to shake his faith in his dying moments.
This neighbor of mine, and son of this old, hardened sinner,
was greatly enraged at the preacher, and cursed and abused
him in a violent manner. A few days after the demise of the
old man, he, in a furious rage, began to abuse and curse the
preacher in my presence, and said:
"' D-  him; I wish he was in hell and the devil had him.'
"I stopped him short by saying,'Pooh, pooh, man, what
are you talking about? There is no hell but the bad feelings
that a man has when he does wrong, and no devil but the evil
disposition that is in man.' Thus answering a fool according
to his folly.




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                  541
"' Well,' said he,' if there is no hell there ought to be, to put
such preachers in.'
"' Now, sir,' said I,'you see the utter untenableness of your
creed, for a man even in trying to do good honestly draws
down your wrath, and, in a moment, you want a hell to put
him into and a devil to torment him for giving you an offense,
and for doing what no good man ought to be offended about.
But God must be insulted, his name blasphemed, his laws
trampled under foot, yet he must have no hell to put such a
wretch in, no devil to torment him. Now I would be ashamed
of myself if I were in your place, and let the seal of truth close
my lips forever hereafter.'
"Although he was confounded, he still clave to his God-dis.
honoring doctrine, waxing worse and worse, till it was generally
believed he was guilty of a most heinous crime."
Argumentative battles were not the only troubles Cartwright
had to encounter from Universalists. They came to his revivals,
he says, to hoot and create disturbance. At one of these meetings two sisters, Universalists in belief, were present. They
came to " make fun," but one of them was overcome by Cartwright's preaching, and went up to the mourner's bench to be
prayed for. When her sister heard of it, she commenced to
make her way to the altar, with the angry determination to
force the penitent from it. " I rose and met her in the crowded
aisle," says MIr. Cartwright, "and told her to be calm and
desist. She made neither better nor worse of it than to draw
back her arm and give me a severe slap in the face with her
open hand. I confess this rather took me by surprise, and, as
the common saying is, made the fire fly out of my eyes in tremendous sparkling brilliancy, but, collecting my best judgment,
I caught her by the arms near her shoulders and wheeled her
to the right about, moved her forward to the door, and said,




542                GREAT FORTUNES.'Gentlemen, please open the door; the devil in this Universalist
lady has got fighting hot, and I want to set her outside to
cool.' The door was opened, and I landed her out."
Concerning his tilts with the Baptists, he has given a mass
of curious reminiscences, from which we take the following:
"We preached in new settlements, and the Lord poured out
his Spirit, and we had many convictions and many conversions.
It was the order of the day, (though I am sorry to say it,) that
we were constantly followed by a certain set of proselyting Baptist preachers. These new and wicked settlements were seldom
visited by these Baptist preachers until the Methodist preachers
entered them; then, when a revival was gotten up, or the vork
of the Lord revived, these Baptist preachers came rushing in,
and they generally sung their sermons; and when they struck
the long roll, or their sing-song mode of preaching, in substance
it was:' Water! water!  You must follow your blessed Lord
down into the water!' I had preached several times in a large,
populous, and wicked settlement, and there was serious attention, deep convictions, and a good many conversions; but, between my occasional appointments these preachers would rush
in and try to take off our converts into the water; and indeed
they made so much ado about baptism by immersion that the
uninformed would suppose that heaven was an island, and there
was no way to get there but by diving or swimming."
He once preached a sermon on the true nature of baptism, at
which were present the daughters of a Baptist minister, one of
whom was converted.  That night it rained violently, and all
the neighboring streams overflowed their banks. Riding along
the next day, he met the Baptist minister on the road.
"We've had a tremendous rain," said Cartwright.
"Yes, sir," said the Baptist brother, "the Lord sent this rain
to convince, you of your error."




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 543
"Ah! what error?"
" Why, about baptism. The Lord sent this flood to convince
you that much water was necessary."
"Very good, sir," said Cartwright, "and in like manner he
sent this flood to convince you of your error."
"What error?" asked the Baptist brother.
"Why," replied Cartwright, triumphantly, "to show you
that water comes by pouring, and not by immersion."
I5ree and easy as he was in his manner, our preacher had a
deep sense of the dignity of his mission, and he was resolved
that others should share the feeling, and accord him, in his ministerial capacity, the respect and deference that were his due.
His manner of accomplishing this was characteristic, as the following incident will show: Traveling on his circuit in 1805, he
put up on one occasion at the house of an old man known as
Father Teel, a whimsical old fellow, and supposed to be Cartwright's match in oddity. He had been warned that the old
man, though a good Methodist, showed little deference to preachers. -It was his custom to rise early, and, as soon as dressed, to
give out his hymn, sing it himself, and then go to prayers, without waiting for his family to get up.  He served preachers in
the same way. Cartwright resolved to beat him at his own
game, but the old man was too wary for him.
"Just as day broke," says Cartwright, " I awoke, rose up,
and began to dress, but had not nigh accomplished it when I
heard Teel give out his hymn and commence singing, and about
the time I had got dressed, I heard him commence praying.
He gave thanks to God that they had been spared during the
night, and were all permitted to see the light of a new day, while
at the same time I suppose every one of his family was fast
asleep. I deliberately opened the door and walked out to the
well, washed myself, and then walked back to my cabin. Just




544                GREAT FORTUNES.
as I got to the door, the old brother opened his door, and,
seeing me, said,'Good morning, sir. Why, I didn't know
you were up.'
"'Yes, said I,'I have been up some time.'
"'Well, brother,' said he,'why did you not come in to
prayers?'
"'Because,' said I,'it is wrong to pray of a morning in the
family before we wash.'
"The old brother passed on, and no more was said at that
time. That evening, just before we were about to retire to rest,
the old brother set out the book and said to me:'Brother,
hold prayers with us.'
"'No, sir,' said I.
"Said he,'Come, brother, take the book and pray with us.'
"'No, sir,' said I;'you love to pray so well, you may do
it yourself.'
"He insisted, but I persistently refused, saying:'You are
so fond of praying yourself, that you even thanked God this
morning that he had spared you all to see the light of a new
day, when your family had not yet opened their eyes, but were
all fast asleep. And you have such an absurd way of holding
prayers in your family, that I do not wish to have any thing
to do with it.'
"He then took the book, read, and said prayers, but you
may rely on it, the next morning things were much changed.
He waited for me, and had all his family up in order. He
acknowledged his error, and told me it was one of the best
reproofs he ever got. I then prayed with the family, and after
that all went well."
Among his clerical brethren was a poor hen-pecked husband,
whose wife was possessed of a temper that made her the terror
of the neighborhood. Cartwright had often been invited by the




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                  i45
poor man to go home with him; " but," he says, "I frankly
confess I was afraid to trust myself," but at length, yielding to
his importunities, he went home with his oppressed brother,
intending to spend the night with him.  His visit roused the
fury of the wife, and "I saw in a minute," says our preacher,
"that the devil was in her —as big as an alligator, and I determined on my course." The woman held her tongue until after
supper, when her husband asked her kindly to join them in
prayers. She flew into a rage, and swore there should be no
praying in her house that night. Cartwright tried to reason
with her, but she cursed him roundly. Then, facing her sternly,
he said, " Madam, if you were my wife, I would break you of
your bad ways, or I would break your neck."
"The devil you would," said she. "Yes, you are a pretty
Christian, aint you?"
She continued cursing him, but Cartwright sternly bade her
hold her peace, and let them pray.  She declared she would not.
"Now," said he to her, " if you do not be still, and behave
yourself, I'11 put you out of doors."
"At this," says he, "she elenched her fist and swore she was
one-half alligator and the other half snapping-turtle, and that
it would take a better man than I was to put her out. It was
a small cabin we were in, and we were not far from the door,
which was then standing open. I caught her by the arm, and
swinging her round in a circle, brought her right up to the
door, and shoved her out. She jumped up, tore her hair,
foamed, and such swearing as she uttered was seldomn equalled,
and never surpassed. The door, or shutter of the dbor,. -as
very strongly made, to keep out hostile Indians; 1 shut it tight,
barred- it, and went to prayer, and I prayed as best I could; but
I have no language at my command to describe my feelings.
At the same time, I was determined to, conquer,. or die'ils th&e




546                 GREAT FORTUNES.
attempt. While she was raging and foaming in the yard and
around the cabin, I started a spiritual song, and sung loud, to
drown her voice as much as possible. The five or six little
children ran and squatted about and crawled under the beds.
Poor. things, they were scared almost to death.
"I sang on, and she roared and thundered on outside, till
she became perfectly exhausted, and panted for breath. At
length, when she had spent her force, she became perfectly calm
and still, and then knocked at the door, saying,' Mr. Cartwright, please let me in.'
" Will you behave yourself if I let you in?' said I.
"'O yes,' said she,'I will;' and throwing myself on my
guard, and perfectly self-possessed, I opened the door, took her
by the hand, led her in, and seated her near the fire-place. She
had roared and foamed until she was in a high perspiration, and
looked pale as death. After she took her seat,'0,' said she,'what a fool I am.'
"' Yes,' said I,' about one of the biggest fools I ever saw in
all my life.'.... Brother C. and I kneeled down, and
both prayed. She was as quiet as a lamb."
Six months later, our preacher tells us, this woman was converted, and became " as bold in the cause of God as she had
been in the cause of.the wicked one."
In 1823, Mr. Cartwright resolved to move across the Ohio,
and selected Illinois as his new home. The reasons which influenced his actions are thus:stated by him:
"I had seen with painful emotions the increase of a disposition to justify slavery....   and the legislatures in the
slave States made the laws more and more stringent, with a
design to prevent emancipation. Moreover, rabid abolitionism
spread and dreadfully excited the South. I had a young and
growing family of children, two sons and four daughters; was




PETER CARTWRIGHT,                547
poor, owned a little farm of about one hundred and fifty acres;
lands around me were high and rising in value. My daughters
would soon be grown up. I did not see any probable means
by which I could settle them around or near us. Moreover, I
had no right to expect our children to marry into wealthy families, and I did not desire it, if it could be so; and by chance
they might marry into slave families. This I did not desire.
Besides, I saw there was a marked distinction made among the
people generally between young people raised without work
and those that had to work for their living.... I
thought I saw clear indications of Providence that I should
leave my comfortable little home, and move into a free State or
territory, for the following reasons: First, I would get entirely
clear of the evil of slavery. Second, I could raise my children
to work where work was not considered a degradation. Third,
I believed I could better my temporal circumstances, and procure lands for my children as they grew up. And fourth, I
could carry the Gospel to destitute souls that had, by removal
into some new country, been deprived of the means of grace."
It was the last reason, no doubt, that decided our preacher.
Men of his stamp were needed west of the Ohio.  Kentucky
was becoming too old a State for him, and he felt that his true
field of labor was still on the frontier, and thither he turned his
steps. Setting out first on horseback to seek an eligible location, he reached Sangamon County, Illinois, where he bouight a
claim on Richland Creek. IHe then returned to Kentucky and
wound up his affairs there, obtained a regular transfer from
the Kentucky Conference to the Indiana Conference, which
then controlled Illinois, and in October, 1824, set out for his
new home in Sangamon County. A great affliction overtook
him on the way, in the death of his third daughter, who was
killed by the falling of a tree upon their camp. The affliction




548                 GREAT FORTUNES.
was made more grievous by the heartless refusal of the people
in the vicinity to render them any aid. "We were in great
distress," he says, "and no one even to pity our condition.
I discovered that the tree had sprung up, and did
not press the child; and we drew her out from under it, and
carefully laid her in our feed trough, and moved on about twenty
miles to an acquaintance's in Hamilton County, Illinois, where
we buried her."
Leaving that lonely little grave behind them, they hurried on
to their new home. Springfield, the capital of the State, was
but a small collection of shanties and log huts, and Sangamon
County was the extreme frontier. It was the most northern
county of Illinois, and just beyond it lay the unbroken Indian
country. Numbers of Indians roamed through the Sangamon
River bottom, and spent their winters there.  It was as wild
and unsettled a region as our preacher could have desired, and
one which gave him a fine field for the exercise of his peculiar
abilities. Mr. Cartwright was promptly received into the, Indiana Conference, and he lost no time in looking about him.
He at once established his family in their new home, and then
set about his work. The work was hard, and money was scarce.
The first year he traveled the Sangamon Circuit he received
forty dollars, and the next year sixty dollars, which he says was
a great improvement in his financial affairs. He was successful
from the first, and in the two years referred to added one
hundred and sixty persons to the Methodist Church in this
thinly-settled district. For forty-six years he has labored in
this region, adding many souls to the kingdom of God.
Arduous as his labors had been in the Kentucky Conference, they now increased very greatly. He had a larger amount
of territory to (travel over, people were more scattered, and the
dangers *to be encountered were greater. In 1827, he was




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                  549
made presiding elder, and given the Illinois District, then a
very extensive region, and in 1828 Galena charge was added
to this district. The district thus enlarged extended from the
mouth of the Ohio River to Galena, the entire length of the
present State of Illinois, and over this immense distance our
preacher was obliged to travel four times in the year. The
journeys were made either on horseback or in an old-fashioned
sulky or one-seat gig. There were miles of lonely prairie and
many rapid streams to cross, and roads, bridges, or ferry-boats
were almost unknown. Yet Peter Cartwright was not the man
to be deterred by obstacles. When he set out on his official
journeys, he allowed nothing that it was possible to overcome
to prevent him from keeping his appointments. In crossing
the prairies, he would guide himself by the points of timber,
for there were no roads over these vast plains. Oftentimes the
streams to be crossed were swollen, and then he would swiml
his horse across them, or ride along the shore until he found a
tree fallen over the current. Stripping himself, he would carry
his clothes and riding equipments to the opposite bank, and
then, returning, mount his horse and swim him across the river.
Dressing again, he would continue his journey, and perhaps
repeat the proceeding several times during the day. When
overtaken by night, he would seek a place in some grove, and,
lighting a fire with his tinder-box and steel, tie up his horse,
and, throwing himself on the ground, sleep as peacefully as on a
bed of down. Sometimes night would come on before he had
crossed the prairie or made his way to the timber point he was
aiming for, and then he would sit down on the ground, in the
darkness and alone, and, holding his horse by the bridle, await
the return of light to enable him to see his landmark. Somletimes he would find a little log-hut with a settler's family in it,
and he says it was "a great treat" to come upon one of these




550                 GREAT FORTUNES.
lonely cabins and enjoy the privilege of a night's lodging. If
the family were Methodists, there was sure to be preaching that
night; and if they were strangers to that church, our preacher
set to work at once to convert them. He labored faithfully,
faring hard, and braving dangers from which his city brethren
would have shrunk appalled. He carried the Gospel and the
Methodist Episcopal Church into all parts of the great State of
Illinois, and even into Iowa and the Indian country.
In 1832, the first Illinois Conference met in the town of
Jacksonville, and Mr. Cartwright attended it. He had now
been a traveling preacher for twenty-eight years, and, as he
felt himself sorely in need of rest, he asked and obtained a
superannuated relation for one year. On the same day, Bishop
Soule, who presided at the Conference, came to him to ask his
advice with reference to the Quincy District. It was very important, but the bishop could not find a presiding elder willing
to take charge of it, as it was an almost unbroken wilderness.
The bishop was in sore distress, as he feared that he would be
obliged to merge it into another district. The spirit of the
backwoods preacher at once took fire, and, declaring that so
important a field ought not to be neglected, he expressed his
willingness to relinquish his superannuated relation and accept
the charge. The bishop took him at his word and appointed
him to the district, which he served faithfully. His adventures
in traveling from place to' place to fill his appointments are
intensely interesting, and I would gladly reproduce them here
did the limits of this chapter permit.
It required no small amount of courage to perform the various duties of a backwoods preacher, and in this quality our
preacher was not deficient. He was frequently called upon to
exercise it in his camp meetings. These assemblies never failed
to gather large crowds from all parts of the surrounding country,




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                551
and among others came numerous rowdies, whose delight it was'
to annoy the preachers and worshipers in every conceivable
way. Cartwright put up with the annoyance as long as he
could, and then determined to put a stop to it. He believed
in fighting the devil with fire, and put down many a disturbance. The following is the way he went about it:
"Our last quarterly meeting was a camp meeting. We had
a great many tents and a large turnout for a new country, and,
perhaps, there never was a greater collection of rabble and rowdies. They came drunk and armed with dirks, clubs, knives,
and horsewhips, and swore they would break up the meeting.
After interrupting us very much on Saturday night, they collected on Sunday morning, determined on a general riot. At
eight o'clock I was appointed to preach. About the time I
was half through my discourse, two very fine-dressed young
men marched into the congregation with loaded horsewhips,
and hats on, and rose up and stood in the midst of the ladies,
and began to laugh and talk. They were near the stand, and I
requested them to desist and get off the seats; but they cursed
me and told me to mind my own business, and said they would
not get down. I stopped trying to preach, and called for a
magistrate. There were two at hand, but I saw they were both
afraid. I ordered them to take these two men into custody,
but they said they could not do it. I told them as I left the
stand to command me to take them, and I would do it at the
risk of my life. I advanced toward them. They ordered me
to stand off, but I advanced. One of them made a pass at my
head, but I closed in with him and jerked him off the seat. A
regular scuffle ensued. The congregation by this time were all
in commotion. I heard the magistrates giving general orders,
commanding all friends of order to aid in suppressing the riot.
In the scuffle I threw my prisoner down, and held him fast;




552                GREAT FORTUNES.
he tried his best to get loose. I told him to be quiet, or I
would pound- his chest well. The mob rose and rushed to the
rescue of the two prisoners, for they had taken the other young
man also. An old, drunken magistrate came up to me, and
ordered me to let my prisoner go. I told him I should not.
He swore if I did not he would knock me down. I told him
to crack away. Then one of my friends, at my request, took
hold of my prisoner, and the drunken justice made a pass at
me; but I parried the stroke, and, seizing him by the collar
and the hair of the head, and fetching him a sudden jerk forward, brought him to the ground and jumped on him. I told
him to be quiet, or I would pound him well. The mob then
rushed to the scene; they knocked down seven magistrates,
several preachers, and others. I gave up my drunken prisoner
to another, and threw myself in front of the friends of order.
Just at this moment, the ringleader of the mob and I met; he
made three passes at me, intending to knock me down. The last
time he struck at me, by the force of his own effort he threw
the side of his face toward me. It seemed at that moment I
had not power to resist temptation, and I struck a sudden
blow in the burr of the ear and dropped him to the earth.
Just at this moment, the friends of order rushed by hundreds
on the mob, knocking them down in every direction."
Once, while crossing a river on a ferry-boat, he overheard a
man cursing Peter Cartwright and threatening dire vengeance
against him, and boasting that he could "whip any preacher
the Lord ever made."  This roused our preacher's ire, and
accosting the man, he told him he was Peter Cartwright, and
that if he wanted to whip him  he must do so then. The
fellow became confused, and said he did not believe him.
"I tell you," said Cartwright, sternly, "I am the man.
Now, sir, you have to whip me, as you threatened, or quit




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 553
cursing-me, or I will put you in the river and baptize you in
the name of the devil, for you surely belong to him." "This,'
says Cartwright, "settled him."
Once, having gone into the woods with a young man who
had sworn he would whip him, he sprained his foot slightly
in getting over a fence, and involuntarily placed his hand to
his side. "My redoubtable antagonist," says he, "had got on
the fence, and, looking down at me, said,'D    you, you
are feeling for a dirk, are you?'
"As quick as thought it occurred to me how to get clear of
a whipping.
"'Yes,' said I,'and I will give you the benefit of all the
dirks I have,' and advanced rapidly toward him.
"He sprang back on the other side of the fence from me; I
jumped over after him, and a regular foot race followed."
"It may be asked," says the old man, naively, "what I
would have done if this fellow had gone with me to the woods.
This is hard to answer, for it was a part of my creed to
love every body, but to fear no one, and I did not permit myself to believe that any man could whip me until it was tried,
and I did not permit myself to premeditate expedients in such
cases. I should no doubt have proposed to him to have prayer
first, and then followed the openings of Providence."
Mr. Cartwright was from the: beginning of his ministry an
ardent advocate of temperance, and, long before the first temperance society was organized in the country, he waged a fierce
war against dram-drinking. This fearless advocate of temperance came very near getting drunk once. He had stopped
with a fellow preacher at a tavern kept by an Otterbein
Methodist, who, thinking to play them a trick, put whisky
into the new cider which he offered them. Cartwright drank
sparingly of the beverage, though he considered it harmless, but,




554                 GREAT FORTUNES.
"with all my forbearance," he says, "presently I began to feel
light-headed. I instantly ordered our horses, fearing we were
snapped for once... When we had rode about a mile,
being in the rear, I saw Brother Walker was nodding at a
mighty rate. I suddenly rode up to Brother Walker and
cried out,'Wake up! wake up!' He roused up, his eyes
watering freely.'I believe,' said I,'we are both drunk. Let
us turn out of the road and lie down and take a nap till we
get sober.' But we rode on without stopping. We were not
drunk, but we both evidently felt it flying to our heads."
In 1826 Mr. Cartwright was elected'to the Legislature of
the State, and at the expiration of his first term was reelected
from Sangamon County. He was induced to accept this position because of his desire to aid in preventing the introduction
of slavery into the State. He had no liking for political strife,
however, and was disgusted with the dishonesty which he saw
around him. "I say," he declares, "without any desire to
speak evil of the rulers of the people, I found a great deal of
corruption in our Legislature, and I found that almost every
measure had to be carried by a corrupt bargain and sale which
should cause every honest man to blush for his country."
He was full of a quaint humor, which seemed to burst out
from every line of his features, and twinkle merrily in his bright
eyes. Often in the midst of his most exciting revivals he could
not resist the desire to fasten his dry jokes upon one of his converts. No man loved a joke better, or was quicker to make a
good use of it. He was traveling one day on his circuit, and
stopped for the night at a cabin in which he found a man and
woman. Suspecting that all was not right, he questioned the
woman, and drew from her the confession that the man was her
lover. Her husband, she said, was away, and would not return
for two days, and she had received this man in his absence.








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PETER CARTWRIGHT.                655
Cartwright then began to remonstrate with the guilty pair upon
their conduct, and while he was speaking to them the husband's voice was heard in the yard. In an agony of terror the
woman implored Cartwright to assist her in getting her lover
out of the way, and our preacher, upon receiving from each a
solemn promise of reformation, agreed to do so. There was
standing by the chimney a large barrel of raw cotton, and as
there was no time to get the man out of the house, Cartwright
put him into the barrel and piled the cotton over him.
The husband entered, and Cartwright soon engaged him in
conversation. The man said he had often heard of Peter Cartwright, and that it was the common opinion in that part of the
country that among his other wonderful gifts our preacher had
the power to call up the devil.
"That's the easiest thing in the world to do," said Cartwright. "Would you like to see it?"
The man hesitated for awhile, and then expressed his readiness to witness the performance.
"Very well," said Cartwright; "take your stand by your
wife, and do n't move or speak. I'11 let the door open to give
him a chance to get out, or he may carry the roof away."
So saying, he opened the door, and, taking a handful of cotton, held it in the fire and lighted it. Then plunging it into
the barrel of raw cotton, he shouted lustily, " Devil, rise!' In
an instant the barrel was wrapped in flames, and the lover, in
utter dismay, leaped out and rushed from the house. The husband was greatly terrified, and ever afterward avowed himself
a believer in Cartwright's intimacy with "Old Scratch," for
had he not had ocular proof of it?
Riding out of Springfield one day, he sawr a wagon some distance ahead of him containing a young lady and two young
men. As he came near them they recognized him, though he




556                GREAT FORTUNES.
was totally unacquainted with them, and began to sing campmeeting hymns with great animation. In a little while the
young lady began to shout, and said, " Glory to God! Glory
to God!" and the driver cried out, "Amen! Glory to God!"
"My first impressions," says Mr. Cartwright, "were, that
they had been across the Sangamon River to a camp meeting
that I knew was in progress there, and had obtained religion,
and were happy. As I drew a little nearer, the young lady
began to sing and shout again. The young man who was not
driving fell down, and cried aloud for mercy; the other two,
-shouting at the top of their voices, cried out,'Glory to God!
another sinner down.' Then. they fell to exhorting the young
man that was down, saying,' Pray on, brother; pray on,
brother; you'll soon get religion.' Presently up jumped the
young man that was down, and shouted aloud, saying,' God has
blessed my soul. Halleluiah! halleluiah! Glory to God! "'
Thinking that these were genuine penitents, Cartwright rode
rapidly toward them, intending to join in their rejoicings; but
as he drew near them, he detected certain unmistakable evildences that they were shamming religious fervor merely for the
purpose of annoying him. He then endeavored to get rid of
-them, but as they were all going- the same direction, the party
in the wagon managed to remain near him by driving fast when
he tried to pass them, and falling back when he drew up to let
them go ahead. "I thought," says our preacher, "I would
ride up and horsewhip both of these young men; and if the
woman had not been in company, I think I should have done
so; but I forebore."
In a little while the road plunged into a troublesome morass.
Around the worst part of this swamp wound a bridle path, by
which Mr. Cartwright determined to escape his tormentors, who
would be compelled to take the road straight through the




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                557
swamp. The party in the wagon saw his object, and forgetting
prudence in their eagerness to keep up with him, whipped their
horses violently. The horses bounded off at full speed, and the
wagon was whirled through the swamp at a furious rate.
When nearly across, one of the wheels struck a large stump, and
over went the wagon. "Fearing it would turn entirely over
and catch them under," says Mr. Cartwright, "the two young
men took a leap into the mud, and when they lighted they sunk
up to the middle. The young lady was dressed in white, and
as the wagon went over, she sprang as far as she could, and
lighted on all fours; her hands sunk into the mud up to her
arm-pits, her mouth and the whole of her face immersed in the
muddy water, and she certainly would have strangled if the
young men had not relieved her. As they helped her up and
out, I had wheeled my horse to see the fun. I rode up to the
edge of the mud, stopped my horse, reared in my stirrups, and
shouted, at the top of my voice,' Glory to God! Glory to God!
Hialleluiah! another sinner down! Glory to God! Halleluiah!
Glory! Halleluiah!'
"If ever mortals felt mean, these youngsters did; and well
they might, for they had carried on all this sport to make light
of religion, and to insult a minister, a total stranger to them.
When I became tired of shouting over them, I said to them:
"'Now, you poor, dirty, mean sinners, take this as a just
judgment of God upon you for your meanness, and repent of
your dreadful wickedness; and let this be the last time that you
attempt to insult a preacher; for if you repeat your abominable
sport and persecutions, the next time God will serve you worse,
and the devil will get you.'
"They felt so badly that they never uttered one word of
reply."
Our preacher was determined that his work should be recog



558                 GREAT FORTUNES.
nized, and as he and his fellow traveling ministers had done a
good work on the frontier, he was in no humor to relish the
accounts of the religious condition of the West, which the missionaries from the East spread through the older States in their
letters home. "They would come," says he, "with a tolerable
education, and a smattering knowledge of the old Calvinistic
system of theology. They were generally tolerably well furnished with old manuscript sermons, that had been preached, or
written, perhaps a hundred years before. Some of these sermons they had memorized, but in -general they read them to
the people. This way of reading sermons was out of fashion
altogether in this Western world, and of course they produced
no effect among the people. The great mass of our Western
people wanted a preacher that could mount a stump or a block,
or stand in the bed of a wagon, and, without note or manuscript,
quote, expound, and apply the word of God to the hearts and
consciences of the people. The result of the efforts of these
Eastern missionaries was not very flattering; and although the
Methodist preachers were in reality the pioneer heralds of the
cross through the entire West, and although they had raised
up numerous societies every five miles, and notwithstanding we
had hundreds of traveling and local preachers, accredited and
useful ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet these newlyfledged missionaries would write back to the old States hardly
any thing else but wailings and lamentations over the moral
wastes and destitute condition of the West."
The indignation of our preacher was fully shared by the people of the West, who considered themselves as good Christiansg
as their New England brethren, and the people of Quincy
called a meeting, irrespective of denomination, and pledged
themselves to give Peter Cartwright one thousand dollars per
annum, and pay his traveling expenses, if he would "go as a




PETER CARTWRIGHT.                 559
missionary to the New England States, and enlighten them on
this and other subjects, of which they were profoundly ignorant."  Circumstances beyond his control prevented his acceptance of this offer. "How gladly and willingly would I have
undertaken this labor of love," says he, "and gloried in enlightening them  down East, that they might keep their homemanufactured clergy at home, or give them  some honorable
employ, better suited to their genius than that of reading old
musty and worm-eaten sermons."
Our preacher did visit New England in 1852, not as a miseionary, however, but as a delegate to the General Conference
which met that year in Boston. His famle had preceded him,
and he was one of the marked men of that body. Every, one
had heard some quaint story of his devotion to his cause, his
fearlessness, or his eccentricities, and crowds came out to hear
him preach. But our backwoods preacher was ill at ease. The
magnificence of the city, and the prim decorum of the Boston
churches, subdued him, and he could not preach with the fire
and freedom of the frontier log chapel. The crowds that came
to hear him were disappointed, and more than once they told
him so.
"Is this Peter Cartwright, from Illinois, the old Western
pioneer? " they asked him once.
He answered them, "I am the very man."
"Well," said several of them, "brother, we are much disappointed; you have fallen very much under our expectations,
we expected to hear a much greater sermon than that you
preached to-day."
It was a regular Bostonian greeting, and it not only mortified
and disheartened the old pioneer, but it irritated him. "I
tell you," says he, "they roused me, and provoked what little
religious patience I had.... I left them abruptly, and in very




560                 GREAT FORTUNES.
gloomy mood retreated to my lodgings, but took very little rest
in sleep that night. I constantly asked myself this question:
Is it so, that I can not preach? or what is the matter? I underwent a tremendous crucifixion in feeling."
The result was that he came to the conclusion that he could
preach, and that the people of Boston had not " sense enough
to know a good sermon when they heard it." A little later old
Father Taylor, that good genius of the Boston Bethel, a man
after Cartwright's own heart, came to him and asked him to
preach for him, and this, after hesitating, our preacher agreed
to do, upon the condition that he should be allowed to conduct
the services in regular Western style.
"In the meantime," says he, " I had learned from different
sources that the grand reason of my falling under the expectations of the congregations I had addressed was substantially
this: almost all those curious incidents that had gained currency throughout the country concerning Methodist preachers
had been located on me, and that when the congregations came
to hear me, they expected little else but a bundle of eccentricities and singularities, and when they did not realize according
to their anticipations, they were disappointed, and that this was
the reason they were disappointed. So on the Sabbath, when
I came to the Bethel, we had a good congregation, and after
telling them that Brother Taylor had given me the liberty
to preach to them  after the Western fashion, I took my
text, and after a few common-place remarks, I commenced
giving them some Western anecdotes, which had a thrilling
effect on the congregation, and excited them immoderatelyI can not say religiously; but I thought if ever I saw animal
excitement, it was then and there.  This broke the charm.
During my stay, after this, I could pass anywhere for Peter
Cartwright, the old pioneer of the West.  I am not sure that




PETER CARTWRIGHT,.561
after this I fell under the expectations of my congregations
among them.'"
Sixty-seven years have: passed away since the old pioneer
began his preaching, and still he labors inl the cause of his
Master. Age has not subdued his zeal or dimmed his eye.
His labors make up the history of the West. Where he first
reared his humble log-hut, smiling farms and tasteful mansions
cover the fertile prairies of the West; cities and towns mark
the spot where his backwoods camp-meetings drew thousands
into the kingdom of God; the iron horse dashes with the speed
of the wind over the boundless prairies which he first crossed
with only the points of timber for his guides; the floating palaces of the West plow the streams over which he swam  his
horse or was ferried in a bark canoe; and stately churches stand
where the little log chapels of the infant West were built by
him. It is a long and a noble life upon which he looks back,
the only survivor of the heroic band who started with him
to carry Christ into the Western wilds. He has outlived all
his father's family, every member of the class he joined in 1800,
every member of the Western Conference of 1804, save perhaps
one or two, every member of the General Conference of 1816,.
the first to which he was elected, all his early bishops, every'
presiding elder under whom he ever ministered, and thousaaids
of those whom he brought into the Church. "I have lived
too long," he said, in a recent lecture; but we take issue with
him. He has not lived too long whose declining age is cheered
by the glorious fruition of the seed sown in his youtih, and
prime. Few, indeed, are given so great a privilege-;I and! fewF
having lived so long and worked so hard, can say with him,
that during such a long and exposed career, " I have never beeit,
overtaken in any scandalous sin, though my shortcomings andi
imperfections have been without number"' A~ man who, can4
36




562                GREAT FORTUNES.
boast such a record, though he be- as poor in purse -as this
simple-hearted backwoods preacher, has earned a Great Fortune indeed, for his treasure is one that can not be taken from
him, since it is laid up in Heaven, "where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through
nor steal."




Ix.
AUTHTORS.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
HEREVER the English language is spoken, the
name of HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW has'become a household word, and there is scarcely a
library, however humble, but can boast a wellworn volume of his tender songs, —songs that
"' Have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer."
He was born in the city of Portland, Maine, on the 27th of
February, 1807, and was the son of the Hon. Stephen Longfellow, a distinguished lawyer of that city. The house in
which he was born was a square wooden structure, built many
years before, and large and roomy. It stood upon the outskirts of the town, on the edge of the sea, and was separated
from the water only by a wide street. From its windows the
dreamy boy, who grew up within its walls, could look out upon
563




564                GREAT FORTUNES.
the dark, mysterious ocean, and, lying awake in his little bed
in the long winter nights, he could listen to its sorrowful roar as
it broke heavily upon the shore. That he was keenly alive to
the fascination of such close intimacy with the ocean, we have
abundant proof in his writings.
He was carefully educated in the best schools of the city, and
at the age of fourteen entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick,
where he graduated in his nineteenth year. He was an industrious student, and stood high in his classes. He gave brilliant
promise of his future eminence as a poet in several productions
written during his college days, which were published in a
Boston journal called the "United States Literary Gazette."
Among these were the "Hymn of the Moravian Nuns," "The
Spirit of Poetry," "Woods in Winter," and "Sunrise on the
Hills."
Upon leaving college he entered his father's office, in Portland, with the half-formed design of studying law, which he
never carried into execution, as more congenial employment
soon presented itself to him. In 1826 he was appointed Professor of Modern Languages and Literature at Bowdoin College,
with the privilege of passing several years abroad for observation and study. He accepted the appointment with unaffected
delight, and promptly went abroad. He pased his first year
in France, studying the language and literature of that country,
and the next in Spain, engaged in similar pursuits. Italy
claimed his third year, and Germany his fourth. He traveled
extensively, and made many pleasant acquaintances among the
most gifted men and women of the Old World. Returning
home toward the close of 1829, he entered upon the active
duties of his professorship, and for five years held this position,
winning considerable distinction by his academic labors.
During his professorship our poet married, and the years




HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.               565
that followed were very happy and very quiet. The life he led
at Bowdoin was peaceful, and in a measure retired, giving him
ample opportunity for study and fdr laying the sure foundation
of his future fame. During this period of his life he contributed articles to the "North American Review," and extended
his acquaintance gradually among the literary men of New
England. He was fond of recalling the experiences of his life
abroad, and being unwilling that they should be lost from his
memory, determined to transmit them to paper before they
faded quite away. These sketches he finally concluded to give
to the public, under the title of "Outre Mer; or, Sketches from
Beyond Sea."  They appeared originally in numbers, and were
published by Samuel Colman, of Portland. They were well
received, and brought Professor Longfellow into notice in New
England. Soon afterward he published a translation of the ode
upon "Coplas de Manrique," by his son, Don Jose Manrique,
which won him additional credit. His fugitive poems had
become very popular, and had made his name familiar to his
countrymen, but as yet he had not collected them in book form.
In 1835, on the resignation of Mr. George Ticknor, he was
appointed Professor of Modern Languages and Belles Lettres
in Harvard College, and accepted the position. Before entering upon his duties, however, he resolved to devote two years
more to foreign travel and improvement, and accordingly sailed
for Europe the second time. Before leaving America, however, he committed the publication of "Outre Mer" to the
Harpers, of New York, who issued it complete in two volumes in 1835. Its popularity was very decided. Soon after
reaching Europe, Mr. Longfellow was visited with a sad bereavement in the loss of his wife, who died at Rotterdam. He
devoted this European visit to the northern part of the continent, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Holland, and to Eng



566                GREAT FORTUNES.
land, and spent some time in Paris. Returning in the autumn
of 1836, he entered upon his duties at Harvard, and made his
home in Cambridge. He continued his contributions to the
"North American Review," and a number of fugitive pieces
flowed from his pen into print.
In the summer of 1837 he went to live in the house which
has ever since been his home. This is the old Craigie House,
in Cambridge, famous in our history as having been the headquarters of Washington during the siege of Boston. It had
been built by Colonel John Vassal about the middle of thlj
last century, and had finally passed into the hands of Andreiw
Craigie, "Apothecary General to the Northern Provinci;tl
Army" of the infant Republic. Craigie -had ruined himself
by his lavish hospitality, and his widow, a stately old lady,
and worthy in every respect of a better fate, had been reduced
to the necessity of letting rooms and parting with the greater
portion of the lands which had belonged to the mansion. Mr.
Longfellow had been attracted to the house not only by its
winning and home-like appearance, but by its historical associations. Mrs. Craigie had decided at the time to let no more
rooms, but the young professor's gentle, winning manner conquered her determination, and she not only received him into
the old mansion, but installed him in the south-east corner
room in the second story, which had been used by Washington as his bed-chamber.
It was just the home for our poet. Its windows looked out
upon one of the loveliest landscapes in New England, with the
bright river winding through the broad meadow beyond the
house, and the blue Milton Hills dotting the distant background. The bright verdure of New England sparkled on
every side, and the stately old elms that stood guard by the
house screened it from the prying eyes of the passers on the




HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.                567
public road. The whole place was hallowed to its new inmate
by the memories of the brave soldiers, wise statesmen, and brilliant ladies who had graced its heroic age, and: of which the
stately hostess was the last and worthy representative. The old
house was as serene and still as thedearest lover of quiet could
wish. The mistress lived quite apart from her lodger, and left
him to follow the bent of his own fancies; and rare fancies they
were, for it was of them that some of his best works were born
in this upper chamber. Here he wrote " Hyperion," in 1838
and 1839. Its publication, which was undertaken by John
Owen, the University publisher in Cambridge, marked an
era in American literature. Every body read the book, and
every body talked of it.  It was a poem in prose, and none
the less the work of a poet because professedly "a romance
of travel." The young read it with enthusiasm, and it sent
hundreds to follow Paul Flemming's footsteps in the distant
Fatherland, where the " romance of travel " became their guidebook. The merchant and the lawyer, the journalist and the
mechanic, reading its pages, found that the stern realities of
life had not withered up all the ronmance of their natures, and
under its fascinations they became boys again. Even Horace
Greeley, that most practical and unimaginative of men, became
rapturous over it. It was a great success, and established the
poet's fame beyond all question, and since then its popularity
has never waned.
In 1840, he published the "Voices of the Night," which he
had heard sounding to him in his haunted chamber. This was
his first volume, and its popularity was even greater than that
of " Hyperion," although some of the poems had appeared
before, in the " Knickerbocker Magazine."  In 1841, he published his volume of " Ballads, and Other Poems," which but
added to his fame, and the next year bade the old house under




568                GREAT FORTUNES.
the elms a temporary adieu, and sailed for Europe, where he
passed the summer on the Rhine.  On the voyage home, he
composed his "Poems on Slavery," and soon after his return
wrote "The Spanish Student," a drama, "which smells of the
utmost South, and was a strange blossoming for the garden of
Thomas Tracy."
In 1843 the stately mistress of the old house died, and Professor Longfellow bought the homestead of Andrew Craigie,
with eight acres of land, including the meadow, which sloped
down to the pretty river. There have been very few prouder
or happier moments in his life than that in which he first felt
that the old house under the elms was his. Yet he must have
missed the stately old lady who first had admitted him to a
place in it, and whom he had grown to love as a dear friend.
She seemed so thoroughly a part and parcel of the place, that he
must have missed the rustle of her heavy silks along the wide
and echoing halls, and have listened some time for the' sound
of her old-fashioned spinet in the huge drawing-room below,
and, entering the room where she was wont to receive her
guests, he must have missed her from the old window where
she was accustomed to sit, with the open book in her lap, and
her eyes fixed on the far-off sky, thinking, no doubt, of the
days when in her royal beauty she moved a queen through
the brilliant home of Andrew Craigie.  A part of the veneration which he felt for the old house had settled upon its
ancient mistress, and the poet doubtless felt that the completeness of the quaint old establishment was broken up when she
passed away.
In 1846, Mr. Longfellow published "The Belfry of Bruges,
and Other Poems;" in 1847, "Evangeline" (by many considered his greatest work); in 1850, "Seaside and Fireside;" in
1851, "The Golden Legend; " in 1855, " The Song of Hia



HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.                569
watha;" in 1858, "The Courtship of Miles Standish;" in
1863, "The Wayside Inn;" in 1866, "The Flower de Luce;"
in 1867, his translation of the "Divina Commedia," in three
volumes; and in 1868, " The New England Tragedies."  Besides these, he published, in 1845, a work on the "Poets and
Poetry of Europe," and in 1849, " Kavanagh," a novel.
Mr. Longfellow continued to discharge his duties in the
University for seventeen years, winning fresh laurels every
year, and in 1854 resigned his position, and was succeeded in
it by Mr. James Russell Lowell. He now devoted himself exclusively to his profession, the income from his writings affording him a handsome maintenance. In 1855, "The Song of
Hiawatha" was given to the public, and its appearance may be
styled an event in the literary history of the world. It was
not only original in the story it told, and in the method of
treatment, but the rhythm was new. It was emphatically an
American poem, and was received by the people with delight.
It met with an immense sale, and greatly increased its author's
popularity with his countrymen.
In 1861 a terrible affliction befell the poet in his family.
He had married, some years after the death of his first wife, a
lady whose many virtues had endeared her to all who knew her.
She was standing by the open Are in the sitting-room, one day
in the winter of 1861, when her clothing took fire, and before
her husband, summoned by her cries, could extinguish the
flames, she was terribly burned. Her injuries were internal,
and she soon afterwards died.
In 1868, Mr. Longfellow again visited Europe, and remained
abroad more than a year. His reception by all classes of the
people of the Old World was eminently gratifying to his countrymen.  This welcome, so genuine and heartfelt, was due,
however, to the genius of the man, and not to his nationality.




570                  GREAT FORTUNES.
He had overstepped the bounds of country, and had made
himself the poet of the English-speaking race. A man of vast
learning and varied acquiirements, thoroughly versed in the ways
of the world, he is still as simple and unaffected in thought and
ways as when he listened to and wondered at the dashing of the
wild waves on the shore in his boyhood's home. A most gifted
and accomplished artist, he has been faithful to nature in all
things. Earnest and aspiring himself, he has given to his poems
the ring of a true manhood. There is nothing bitter, nothing
sarcastic in his writings.  He views all things with a loving
eye, and it is the exquisite tenderness of his sympathy with his
fellow-men that has enabled him to find his way so readily to
their hearts. Without seeking to represent the intensity of
passion, he deals with the fresh, simple emotions of the human
soul, and in his simplicity lies his power. He touches a chord
that finds an echo in every heart, and his poems have a humanity in, them that is irresistible.  We admire the "grand old
masters," but shrink abashed from  their sublime measures.
Longfellow is so human, he understands us so well, that we turn
instinctively to his simple, tender songs for comfort in sorrow,
or for the greater perfection of our happiness.
Perhaps I can not better illustrate the power of his simplicity than by the following quotations:
There is no flock, however watched and tended,
But one dead lamb is there!
There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended,
But has one vacant chair!
The air is full of farewell to the dying,
And mournings for the dead;
The heart of Rachel, for her children crying,
Will not be comforted.




HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.                     571
Let us be patient! These severe afflictions
Not from the ground arise,
But oftentimes celestial benedictions
Assume this dark disguise.
We see but dimly through the mists and vapors,
Amid these earthly damps;
What seem to us but sad funereal tapers,
May be heaven's distant lamps.
There is no death! What seems so is transition;
This life of mortal breath
Is but a suburb of the life elysian,
Whose portal we call Death.
She is not dead-the child of our affectionBut gone unto that school
Where she no longer needs our poor protection,
And Christ himself doth rule.
In that great cloister's stillness and seclusion,
By guardian angels led,
Safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution,
She lives, whom we call dead.
Day after day we think what she is doing
In those bright realms of air;
Year after year, her tender steps pursuing,
Behold her grow more fair.
Thus do we walk with her, and keep unbroken
The bond which nature gives,
Thinking that our remembrance, though unspoken,
May reach her where she lives.
Not as a child shall we again behold her;
For when with raptures wild




572                  GREAT FORTUNES.
In our embraces we again enfold her,
She will not be a childBut a fair maiden, in her Father's mansion,
Clothed with celestial grace,
And beautiful with all the soul's expansion
Shall we behold her face.
And though at times impetuous with emotion,
And anguish long suppressed,
The swelling heart heaves, moaning like the oceai%
That can not be at res —
We will be patient, and assuage the feeling
We can not wholly stay;
By silence sanctifying, not concealing,
The grief that must have way.
FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND.
SCENE.-The Chamber of GOTTLIEB and URSULA.-Midnight. —ELsIE
standing by their bedside weeping.
GOTTLIEB. The wind is roaring; the rushing rain
Is loud upon the roof and window-pane,
As if the wild Huntsman of Rodenstein,
Boding evil to me and mine,
Were abroad to-night with his ghostly train!
In the brief lulls of the tempest wild,
The dogs howl in the yard; and hark!
Some one is sobbing in the dark,
Here in the chamber.
ELSIE.                          It is I.
URSULA.   Elsie! TWhat ails thee, my poor child?




HENRIY W. LONGFELLOW.
ELSIE.     I am disturbed and much distressed,
In thinking our dear Prince must die;
I can not close my eyes, nor rest.
GOTTLIEB. What wouldst thou? In the Power Divine
His healing lies, not in our own;
It is in the hand of God alone.
ELSIE.     Nay, He has put it into mine,
And into my heart.
GOTTLIEB.                     Thy words are wild.
URSULA.   What dost thou mean? my child  my child!
ELSIE.     That for our dear Prince Henry's sake
I will myself the offering make,
And give my life to purchase his.
URSULA,    Am I still dreaming, or awake?
Thou speakest carelessly of death,
And yet thou knowest not what it is,
ELSIE.'T is the cessation of our breath.
Silent and motionless we lie;
And no one knoweth more than this.
I saw our little Gertrude die;
She left off breathing, and no more
I smoothed the pillow beneath her head.
She was more beautiful than before.
Like violets faded were her eyes;
By this we knew that she was dead.
Through the open window looked the skies
Into the chamber where she lay,
And the wind was like the sound of wings,
As if angels came to bear her away.
Ah! when I saw and felt these things,
I found it difficult to stay;
I longed to die, as she had died,
And go forth with her, side by side.
The saints are dead, the martyrs dead,
And Mary, and our Lord; and I
Would follow in humility
The way by them illumined.




574                  GREAT FORTUNES.
URSULA.   My child! my child! thou must not die.
ELSIE.     Why should I live? Do I not know
The life of woman is full of woe?
Toiling on, and on, and on,
With breaking heart, and tearful eyes,
And silent lips, and in the soul
The secret longings that arise,
Which this world never satisfies I!
Some more, some less, but of the whole
Not one quite happy; no, not one I
URSULA.   It is the malediction of Eve I
ELSIE.     In place of it, let me receive
The benediction of Mary, then.
GOTrLIEB. Ah, woe is me  Ah, woe is me!
Most wretched am I among men.
URSULA.   Alasl that I should live to see
Thy death, beloved, and to stand
Above thy gravel Ah, woe the day 
ELSIE.     Thou wilt not see it. I shall lie
Beneath the flowers of another land;
For at Salerno, far away
Over the mountains, over the sea,
It is appointed me to die!
And it will seem no more to thee
Than if at the village on market day
-  should a little longer stay
Than I am used.
URSULA.                    Even as thou sayest. 
And how my heart beats when thou stayest!
I can not rest until my sight
Is satisfied with seeing thee.
What, then, if thou wert dead?
GOTTLIEB.                               Ah me,
Of our old eyes thou art the light!
The joy of our old hearts art thou!
And wilt thou die?
URSULA.                       Not now! not now!




HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.                    575
ELSIE.     Christ died for me, and shall not I
Be willing for my Prince to die?
You both are silent; you can not speak.
This said I, at our Saviour's feast,
After confession, to the priest,
And even he made no reply.
Does he not warn us all to seek
The happier, better land on high,
Where flowers immortal never wither;
And could he forbid me to go thither?
GOTTLIEB. In God's own time, my heart's delight!
When He shall call thee, not before!
ELSIE.     I heard Him call. When Christ ascended
Triumphantly, from star to star,
He left the gates of heaven ajar.
I had a vision in the night,
And saw Him standing at the door
Of His Father's mansion, vast and splendid,
And beckoning to me from afar.
I can not stay!
GOTTLIEB.                She speaks almost
As if it were the Holy Ghost
Spake through her lips and in her stead!
What if this were of God?
TTRSULA.                          Ah, then
Gainsay it dare we not.
GOTTLIEB.                        Amenl
The old house under the elms is still the poet's home, and
dear, as such, to every lover of poetry. It is a stately building,
of the style of more than one hundred years ago, and is a very
home-like place in its general appearance. Entering by the
main door-way, which is in the center of the house, the visitor
finds himself in a wide, old-fashioned hall, with doors opening
upon it on either hand.
"The library of the poet is the long north-eastern room




676                  GREAT FORTU:NES.
upon the lower floor," said a writer seventeen years ago. "It
opens upon the garden, which retains still the quaint devices of
an antique design, harmonious with the house. The room is
surrounded with handsome book-cases, and one stands also
between two Corinthian columns at one end, which imparts
dignity and. richness to the apartment. A little table by the
northern window, looking upon the garden, is the usual seat of
the poet.  A bust or two, the rich carvings of the cases, the
spaciousness of -the room, a leopard-skin lying upon the floor,
and a few shelves of strictly literary curiosities, reveal not only
the haunt of the elegant scholar and poet, but the favorite
resort of the family circle. But the northern gloom of a New
England winter is intolerant of this serene delight, this beautiful
domesticity, and urges the inmates to the smaller room in front
of the house, communicating with the library, and the study
of General Washington.  This is still distinctively' the study,'
as the rear room is'the library.' Books are here, and all the
graceful detail of an elegant household, and upon the walls hang
crayon portraits of Emerson, Sumner, and Hawthorne.
"Emerging into the hall, the eyes of the enamored visitor
fall upon the massive old staircase, with the clock upon the
landing. Directly he hears a singing in his mind:
"'Somewhat back from the village street,
Stands the old-fashioned country-seat;
Across its antique portico
Tall poplar trees their shadows throw,
And from its station in the hall
An ancient time-piece says to all,
"Forever-never!
Never-forever "'
But he does not see the particular clock of the poem, which
stood upon another staircase, in another quaint old mansion —




HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.                 577
although the verse belongs truly to all old clocks in all old
country-seats, just as the' Village Blacksmith' and his smithy
are not alone the stalwart man and dingy shop under the'spreading chestnut-tree' which the Professor daily passes on
his way to his college duties, but belong wherever a smithy
stands. Through the meadows in front flows the placid
Charles."
So calmly flows the poet's life. The old house has other
charms for him now besides those with which his fancy invested
it when he first set foot within its walls, for here have come to
him the joys and sorrows of his maturer life, and here,:" when
the evening lamps are lighted," come to him the memories of
the loved and lost, who but wait for him in the better land.
Here, too, cluster the memories of those noble achievements in
his glorious career which have made him now and for all times
the people's poet. Others, as the years go by, will woo us with
their lays, but none so winningly and tenderly as this our
greatest master. There was but one David in Israel, and when
he passed away no other filled his place.
87




578                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
HERE came to the old town of Salem, in the
Province of Massachusetts, in the early part of the
seventeenth century, an English' family named
Hawthorne-Puritans, like all the other inhabitants of that growing town. They proved their
fidelity to Puritan principles by entering readily into all the superstitions of the day, and became noted for the zeal with'which they
persecuted the Quakers and hung the witches. The head of the
family was a sea captain, and for many generations the men of
the family followed the same avocation, "a gray-haired shipmaster, in each generation, retiring from the quarter-deck to the
homestead, while a boy of fourteen took the hereditary place
before the mast, confronting the salt spray and the gale, which
had blustered against-his sire and grandsire."'
Of such a race came NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, who was
born at Salem, on the 4th, of July, 1804. His father was a sea
captain, and died of the yellow fever at Havana, in 1810. His
mother was a woman of great beauty and extreme sensibility,
and it was from her that Nathaniel derived the peculiarities
of character which distinguished him through life. The death
of her husband filled her with the profoundest grief, and
though the violence of her sorrow subsided with time, she




NATHNIELHAWTORNE








NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.                 579
passed the remainder of her life in strict seclusion, constantly
grieving in her quiet way for her departed lord. Her son
grew up to the age of ten in this sad and lonely house, passing
four of the most susceptible years of his life in the society of his
sorrowful mother. He became a shy boy, and avoided the company of other children. His health began to suffer from the
effects of such an unnatural state of affairs, and at the age of ten
he was sent to live on a farm belonging to the family, on the
shore of Sebago Lake, in Maine. The active out-door life which
he led here entirely restored his health, which was naturally
strong and vigorous; here, also, he acquired that fondness for
boating which was his chief amusement in after years. Returning to Salem, he completed his studies in the preparatory
schools, after which he entered Bowdoin College, where he
graduated in 1825, at the age of twenty-one. He was a classmate of Longfellow and George B. Cheever, with whom he was
only slightly acquainted; and he formed a warm and lasting
friendship with Franklin Pierce, who was in the class next
before him. Longfellow has preserved a recollection of him in
his student days as "a sty youth in a bright-buttoned coat, flitting across the college grounds."
After graduating, he went back to his home in Salem, where
he resided for many years, leading a life of seclusion, which
he passed in meditation and study. His strong literary inclination now vented itself in efforts which were in every way
characteristic of the man. He wrote numerous wild tales, the
most of which he burned, but a few, of which found their way
into the newspapers and magazines of the country. They were
full of a wild gloominess, and were told with a power which
proved that their author was no ordinary man. Few, however,
dreamed that they were the work of the pale recluse of Salem,
for he led a life of such strict seclusion that not even the mem



580                GREAT FORTUNES.
bers of his own family could tell with certainty what he did.
His days were passed in his chamber, and at night he took long
walks alone on the sea-shore or into the woods. He shunned
all society, and seemed to find companionship only in nature,
and in the creations of his fancy. Yet he-was not a morose or
unhappy man. On the contrary, he seems to have been a very
happy one, full of generous and kindly feelings, and finding
only a strange pleasure where others would have found bitterness and cynicism. Like the melancholy Jacques, he might
have said of his pensive shyness, " It is a melancholy of mine
own, compounded of many simples, extracted from  many
objects;... which, by often rumination, wraps me in a
most humorous sadness."
In 1837 he collected his published tales, which, while they
had charmed a few cultivated readers, had scarcely been noticed
by the masses, and published them in a volume to which he
gave the name of "Twice-Told Tales."  The book was well
received by the public, but its circulation was limited, although
Mr. Longfellow warmly welcomed it in the "North American
Review," and pronounced it the "workl of a man of genius and
a true poet."  Still it was neglected by the masses, and Hawthorne says himself that he was at that time "tbhe most unknown author in America."  There was more truth in this
assertion than lies on its face, for the people who read the book
supposed that the name of Nathaniel Hawthorne was merely a
pseudonyme, and declared that as Nathaniel was evidently
selected by the author because of the fondness of the old-time
Puritans for Scripture names, so Hawthorne was chosen by him
as expressive of one of the most beautiful features of the New
England landscape. The merits of the book were too genuine,
however, for it to lack admirers, and the small class which
greeted its first appearance with delight gradually increased,




NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.                581
and finally the demand for the book became so great that in
1842 Hawthorne ventured to issue a second series of "TwiceTold Tales4 the most of which had appeared in the "Democratic Review," then edited by his friend O'Sullivan. Of these
volumes, Mr. George William Curtis says: "'They are full of
glancing wit, of tender satire, of exquisite natural description,
of subtle and strange analysis of human life, darkly passionate
and weird."
In 1838 George Bancroft was Collector of the Port of Boston, and, having been deeply impressed with the genius displayed in the first volume of " Twice-Told Tales," sought out
Hawthorne and offered him a place in the Boston CustomHouse as weigher and gauger. Hawthorne accepted the position, and at once entered upon his duties. Leaving his solitude and the weird phantoms that had been his companions
for so long, he passed immediately into the busy bustle of the
great New England port., It was a new world to him, and
one which interested him keenly. His duties kept him constantly on the wharf, and threw him daily into contact with
captains and sailors from all parts of the world. He became a
great favorite with these, and they told him many a strange
story of their adventures and of the sights they had seen in
distant lands, and these, as they were listened to by him, took
each a distinctive form in his imagination. Not less interesting to him: were the men among whom his duties threw him.
They were more to him than the ordinary beings that thronged
the streets of the great city, for they had been victorious in
many a battle with the mighty deep, and they had looked
on the wondrous sights of the far-off lands of the Old
World. Queer people they were, too, each a Captain Cuttle
or a Dirk Hatteraick in himself, and many an hour did the
dreamy writer spend with them, apparently listening  to




582                 GREAT FORTUNES.
their rude stories, but really making keen studies of the men
themselves.
He discharged his duties faithfully in the Boston CustomHouse, performing each with an exactness thoroughly characteristic of him, until 1841, when the accession of President
Harrison to power obliged him to withdraw to make way for
a Whig.
From the Custom-house he went to live at Brook Farm as
one of that singular community of dreamers and enthusiasts
which was to inaugurate a new era. of men and things in tho
world, but which came at last to a most inglorious termina 
tion. He was thrown into intimate association here with marny
who have since become prominent in our literary history, andi
for some of them conceived a warm attachment. He took his
share of the farm  labors, to which he was very partial, biut
remained at the community less than a year, and then returned to Boston.  In his "Blithedale Romance" he has
given us a picture of the life at Brook Farm, though he denies having sketched his characters from his old associates at
that place.
In 1843 he married Miss Peabody, a member of a family
distinguished for their various achievements in the world of
letters. Besides being an artist of no mean pretensions, she
was herself a writer of considerable promise, though her writings had no other critics than her family and most intimate
friends. "Her husband shrank from seeing her name in the
reviews, and in this, as in all other things, his feelings were
sacredly respected by her." She was a lady of rare strength
of character and great beauty, and was in every respect a fitting wife for such a man. T.he twenty-one years of their
wedded life make up a period of unbroken happiness to both.
Hawthorne was very proud of his wife, and in his quiet way




NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.                583
never failed to show it. Their friends often remarked that the
wedded life of this happy pair seemed like one long courtship.
Hawthorne took his bride on his wedding-day to a new
home. He had rented the old parsonage adjoining the battlefield of Concord, from whose windows the pastor of those
heroic days had watched his congregation fight the British in
his yard. It was a gloomy and partially dilapidated "Old
Manse," and doubtless Hawthorne had chosen it because of its
quaint aspect. He has himself drawn the picture of it, and
given us an exquisite collection of "Mosses" from it. It lay
back from the main road, and was approached by an avenue of
ancient black-ash trees, whose deep shade added much to the
quiet appearance of " the gray front of the old parsonage."  It
was just the home for him, and here passed three of the happiest years of his life. Here he wrote his "Mosses from an Old
Manse," and here his first child was born.
The life he led at Concord was very secluded. He avoided
the society of the village people, who sought in vain to penetrate his retirement and.satisfy their curiosity concerning him.
But they were disappointed. He lived on in his deep seclusion, happy in having his wife and child with him, but caring
for no other society. During the day he remained in his study,
which overlooked the old battle-field, or, passing down the
lawn at the back of the house to the river, spent the afternoon
in rowing on the pretty stream. At night he would take long
walks, or row up the river to the bridge by which the British
crossed the stream, and enjoy his favorite luxury-a bath.
The village people were full of curiosity to know something
about him, for he was absolutely unknown to them; and any
one who understands what the curiosity of a New England
villager is can readily imagine the feelings with which the
people of Concord regarded their mysterious neighbor.: They




584                 GREAT FORTUNES,
were never satisfied, however, for. Hawthorne shrank from prying eyes with indescribable horror. He kept his ways, and
compelled them to let him alone. He. could easily avoid the
town in his walks or his rides upon the river, and he was
rarely seen passing through the streets unless compelled to do
so by matters which needed his attention in Concord.
Yet the "Old Manse" was not without its guests. Hawthorne was a man of many friends, and these came often to see
him. They were men after his own heart, and among them
rere Emerson, Ellery, Channing, Thoreau, Whittier, Longfellow, and George William Curtis. The last-named has left
us this pleasant picture of our author in the midst of his
friends:
"During Hawthorne's first year's residence in Concord, I
had driven up with some friends to an esthetic tea at Mr.
Emerson's. It was in the winter, and a great wood-fire blazed
upon the hospitable hearth. There were various men and
women of note assembled, and I, who listened attentively to all
the fine things that were said, was for some time scarcely aware
of a man who sat upon the edge of the circle, a little withdrawn,
his head slightly thrown forward upon his breast, and his bright
eyes clearly burning under his black brow. As I drifted down
the stream of talk, this person who sat silent as a shadow looked
to me as Webster might have looked had he been a poet-a kind
of poetic Webster. He rose and walked to the window, and
stood quietly there for a long time, watching the dead white
landscape. No appeal was made to him, nobody looked after
him, the conversation.flowed as steadily on as it every one
understood that his silence was to be respected. It was the
same thing at table. In vain the silent man imbibed esthetic
tea. Whatever fancies it inspired did not flower at his lips.
But there was a light in his eye which assured me that nothing




NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.                 585
was lost. So supremewas his silence, that it presently engrossed
me to the exclusioln of every thing else. There was brilliant discourse, but this silence was much more poetic and fascinating.
Fine things were said by the philosophers, but much finer things
were implied by the dumbness of this gentleman with heavy
brows and black hair. When presently he rose and went, Emerson, with the'slow, wise smile' that breaks over his face,
like day over the sky, said:'Hawthorne rides well his horse
of the night."' Later on, after he knew him better, Curtis
added to this picture, "His own sympathy was so broad and
sure, that, although nothing had been said for hours, his coinpanion knew that not a thing had escaped his eye, nor had a
single pulse of beauty in the day, or scene, or society failed to
thrill his heart.  In this way his silence was most social.
Every thing seemed to have been said."
At the close of the third year of his residence at Concord,
Hawthorne was obliged to give up the "Old Manse," as the
owner was coming back to occupy it. The Democrats had now
come into power again under Mr. Polk, and Mr. Bancroft was
in the Cabinet. The Secretary, mindful of his friend, procured him the post of Surveyor of the Port of Salem, and
Hawthorne went with his little family to live in his native
town. The Salem Custom-house was a sleepy sort of a place,
and his duties were merely nominal. He had an abundance
of leisure time, and from that leisure was born his masterpiece,
"The Scarlet Letter "-the most powerful romance which ever
flowed from an American author's pen. It was published in
1850, and in the preface to it the reader will find an excellent
description of the author's life in Salem.  He held his position in that place for three years, and then the election of
General Taylor obliged him to retire.
He withdrew to the Berkshire Hills, and took a house in




586                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the town of Lenox. It was a little red cottage, and was situated on the shore of a diminutive lake called the Stockbridge
Bowl. He was now the most famous novelist in America, and
had thousands of admirers in the Old World. His "Scarlet
Letter" had won him fame, and had brought his earlier works
more prominently before the public than ever.
During his residence at Lenox, he wrote "The House of the
Seven Gables," which was published in Boston in 1851. It
was not less successful than the "Scarlet Letter," though it
was not so finished a piece of workmanship.
Yet, though so famous, he was not freed from  the trials
incident to the first years of an author's life. Mr. Tuckerman
says of him at this time: "He had the fortitude and pride, as
well as the sensitiveness and delicacy, of true and high genius.
Not even his nearest country neighbors knew aught of his
meager larder or brave economies.  He never complained,
even when editors were dilatory in their remuneration and
friends forgetful of their promises. When the poor author
had the money, he would buy a beefsteak for dinner; when he
had not, he would make a meal of chestnuts and potatoes.
He had the self-control and the probity to fulfill that essential
condition of self-respect, alike for those who subsist by brain
work and those who inherit fortunes-he always lived within
his income; and it was only by a kind of pious fraud that a
trio of his oldest friends occasionally managed to pay his rent."
His friend and publisher, Mr. Ticknor, "received and invested
the surplus earnings of the absentee author when American
Consul at Liverpool, and had obtained from Hawthorne a
promise on the eve of his departure for his post,.   that
he would send him all he could spare from his official income,
to be carefillly nursed into a competence for his family. Never
was better advice given or wiser service performed by pub



NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.                587
lisher to author. The investments thus made became the
means of comfort to the returned writer in the maturity of his
years and his fame."
In 1852 he returned to Concord and purchased a small
house which had once been the residence of the philosopher
Alcott. Here he made his permanent home and gathered about
him his household treasures. In the Presidential campaign of
1852, his friend Franklin Pierce was the candidate of the
Democracy, and Hawthorne wrote a short biography of him
which was used by the Democrats as a campaign document.
It was a labor of love, for the friendship that had been begun
between these two men in their college days had never been
broken, and though naturally averse to every thing that savored
of politics, our author made this contribution to the cause of his
friend with all the heartiness of his nature. Pierce was profoundly touched by this unexpected aid, for he knew how
utterly Hawthorne detested political strife, and when seated in
the Presidential chair he showed his appreciation of it by offering his friend the consulship to Liverpool-one of the most
lucrative offices within the gift of the executive. Hawthorne
broke up his home in Concord and sailed for Liverpool in
1853, and remained there until 1857, when he resigned his
consulship and traveled on the continent with his family, residing for some time in Italy for the benefit of his health. His
European residence had the effect of drawing him out of his
shyness and reserve to a certain extent, and during the closing
years of his life he was more social with the persons about
him than he had ever been. After his return he went back to
Concord, where he enlarged and beautified his old home, intending to remain there for the balance of his life. He wrote
the "Marble Faun" and "Our Old Home" just after his
return from Europe. The former was suggested by his resi



588                GREAT FORTUNES.
dence in Italy, and the latter was a collection of English
sketches and reminiscences.
The war between the two sections of the country affected
him very deeply. It seemed to him a terrible tragedy, to
which there could be no end but utter ruin for the country.
He sympathized strongly with the cause of the Union, but at
the same time his heart bled at the sufferings of the people of
the south. It was one long agony to him, and only those who
knew him intimately can understand how much he suffered
during this unhappy period.
Mr.- Moncure D. Conway gives the following reminiscence
of him about this time: "I passed a night under the same
roof with him at the house of Mr. Fields, his publisher. He
seemed much dejected. Mr. Fields had invited a little company, but, after the first arrivals, Hawthorne made his escape
to his room, from which he did not emerge until the next
morning at breakfast time. He then came in with the amusing look of a naughty child, and pleaded that he had become
lost the night before in Defoe's ghost stories until it was too
late to make his appearance in the company. He must, I
should think, have been contemplating some phantasmal production at that time, for I remember his asking me many questions about the ghost-beliefs of the negroes, among whom I hadl
passed my early life."
Besides the works already mentioned, Hawthorne was the
author of "True Stories from History and Biography" and
"The Wonder Book for Boys and Girls," both published in
1851; "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales," published in 1852; and "Tanglewood Tales," published in 1853,
all juveniles. At the time of his death he was engaged upon
a novel which was to have been published in the "Atlantic
Monthly," but it was left incomplete.




NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.               589
In the spring of 1864 his friend and publisher, Mr. W. D.
Ticknor, of Boston, seeing how feeble Hawthorne had become,
asked him to accompany him on an excursion, hoping that a
rapid change of scene and cheerful company would benefit him.
They set out in April, and went direct to Philadelphia. Upon
arriving at the hotel, Mr. Ticknor was suddenly taken very ill,
and died on the 10th of April in his friend's arms. Hawthorne was profoundly shocked by this melancholy occurrence,
and it is said that he never fully recovered from its effects upon
him.  His melancholy seemed to deepen, and though his
friends exerted themselves to cheer him, he seemed to feel that
his end was near. Ex-President Pierce, hoping to rouse him
from his sad thoughts, induced him to accompany him on an
excursion to the White Mountains. Upon reaching Plymouth,
which they took on their route, they stopped at the Pemigewasset House for the night. Mr. Pierce was so filll of anxiety
concerning his friend, who had been quieter and sadder than
usual that day, that he went softly into his room in the middle
of the night to look after him. Hawthorne was lying very
still, and seemed to be sleeping sweetly. Mr. Pierce stole softly
away, fearing to disturb him. In the morning he went back
to rouse his friend, and found him lying lifeless in the position
he had noticed in the night. He had been dead some hours.
The announcement of Hawthorne's death caused a feeling of
deep sadness in all parts of the Union. His body was taken
to Concord for burial, and was accompanied to the grave by the
best and'most gifted of the land, to each of whom he had endeared himself in life.








X4
ACTORS.
CHAPTER XXXVt
EDWIN BOOTH.
[HERE are many persons who remember the elder
Booth, the "Great Booth," as he was called, in
his palmy days, when the bare announcement of
his name was sufficient to cram our old-fashioned
theaters from pit to dome. He was sublime in
the stormy passions which he delineated, and never failed to
draw down from the gods of the gallery the uproarious yells
with which they testify their approval; even the more dignified
occupants of the boxes found themselves breaking into outbursts,of applause which they were powerless to restrain. He was a
favorite with all classes, and a deserved one, and the lovers of
the drama looked forward with genuine regret to the period
when he should be no longer with them. They felt that the
glories of the stage would pass away with him. It was in vain
that they were told that he had sons destined to the same profession. They shook their heads, and said it was impossible that
the mantle of the great tragedian should rest upon any of his
sons, for it was then, as now, a popular belief that great men
591




592                GREAT FORTUNES.
never have great children. How very much these good people
were mistaken we will see in the progress of this chapter.
One of these sons was destined in the course of time to
eclipse the fame won by his father, and to endear himself to the
American people as a more finished, if less stormy, actor. This
was EDWIN BOOTH. He was born on his father's farm near
Baltimore, Maryland, in 1833, and after receiving a good common-school education, began his training for the stage. The
elder Booth was quick to see that his boy had inherited his
genius, and he took great pains to develop the growing powers
of the lad, and to incline them toward those paths which his
experience had taught him were the surest roads to success.
He took him with him on his starring engagements, and kept
him about him so constantly that the boy may be said to have
grown up on the stage from his infancy. He was enthusiastically devoted to his father, and it was his delight to stand at the
wings and watch the great tragedian in his personations, and
the thunders of applause which proclaimed some fresh triumph
were sweeter to the boy, perhaps, than to the man.
In 1849, at the age of sixteen, he made his first appearance
on the stage as Tyrrell, in " Richard III.," and gave great satisfaction by his rendition of the character. From this time he
continued to appear at various places with his father, and in 1851
won his first great success in the city of lNew York. His father
was playing an engagement at the Chatham Theater at the time,
and was announced for Richard III., which was his masterpiece. When the hour for performance came, he was too ill to
appear. The manager was in despair, for the house was filled
with a large audience, who were impatient for the appearance
of the humpbacked king.  In this emergency Edwin Booth
offered to take his father's place, and the manager, pleased with
the novelty of the proposal, accepted it. Young Booth was




EDWIN BOOTH.                   593
but eighteen years old, and had not even studied the part, an[
it was a perilous thing to venture before an audience in a role
in which one of his name had won such great fame. But he
was confident of his own powers, and he had so often hubng
with delight upon his father's rendition of the part, that he
needed but a hasty reference to the book to perfect him in the
text. He won a decided triumph, and the public promptly
acknowledged that he gave promise of being an unusually fine
actor.
In 1852 Mr. Booth went to California, and engaged for the
"utility business."  He spent two years in careful and patient
study in the humbler walks of his profession, learning its details, and doing much of the drudgery essential to a thorough
knowledge of his art.  In 1854, he went to Australia, and
played a successful engagement there, stopping on his way at
several of the Pacific islands. On his return, he played an engagement, with marked success, at the Sandwich Islands, and
then went back to California.
In 1857 he returned to New York, and, on the 4th of May,
appeared at Burton's Theater, in the character of Richard III.
A writer who witnessed his performance on that occasion thus
speaks of him: "The company was not strong in tragedy;
the young actor came without reputation; the season was late.
But he conquered his place.  His Richard was intellectual,
brilliant, rapid, handsome, picturesque, villainous. But the villainy was servant to the ambition-not master of it, as a coarse
player makes it. The action was original; the dress was perfect-the smirched gauntlets and flung-on mantle of the scheming, busy duke, the splendid vestments of the anointed king,
the glittering armor of the monarch in the field. His clear
beauty, his wonderful voice-which he had not learned to usehis grace, his fine artistic sense, made all triumphs seem pos38




594                 GREAT FORTUNES.
sible to this young man. Evidently there was great power'in
the new actor-power untrained, vigor ill directed. But what
was plainest to be seen, was the nervous, impulsive temperament, which would. leave him no rest save in achievement. He
might come back to us a robustious, periwig-pated fellow, the
delight and wonder of the galleries. He might come back the
thorough. artist, great in repose as in action. But it was clear
enough that what heD was then in Richard, in Richelieu, in Sir
Edward Mortimer, he would never be again."'He followed this appearance:: by a general tour through the
country, and returned to New York in 1858, where he won
fresh. laurels. In 1860 he reappeared at Burton's Theater,
then called: the Winter: Garden, and added Hamlet to his role.
HIe had improved greatly during the time that had elapsed
since his'last -appearance at this theater, and'had gained very
much in power and artistic finish. The most critical audiences
in the country received him-with delight, crowded his houses,
and hailed his efforts with thunders of applause.  This season
silenced all the critics, and placed him, among the great actors
of the American stage.  He bore his honors modestly, and
though he was proud of the triumphs he had won, they did not
satisfy him.  There were still greater successes to be achieved
before the highest honors of his profession could be his, and it
was upon these that his eye was fixed from the first. The applause which greeted him in every city in which he appeared
only served to stimulate him to fresh exertions..In the summer of 1861, he visited England, and played an
engagement at the Haymarket Theater in London, where he
was favorably received by the British playgoers. At the close
of this engagement, he spent a year on the continent, in travel
and in the study of his profession.  He also made careful
studies of the scenes of the great historic dramas of the Eng



EDWIN BOOTH.                   595
lish stage, both in England and on the continent, and of the
dresses and other appointments needed for them. By thoroughly familiarizing himself with these details, he has been able
to produce his plays with entire fidelity to history.
Returning once more to New York, he appeared at the
Winter Garden, in the winter of 1863-64, in a series of Shakespearean revivals. He played Hamlet'for over one hundred
nights, and followed it during that season and the next with
"Merchant of Venice" and " Othello" (in the latter playing the
parts of Othello and Iago on alternate nights). During the same
seasons he appeared also in "Richelieu," "Ruy Blas," "The
Fool's Revenge," and "Don Caesar de Bazan." These performances were extended into the season of 1866-67, when they
were suddenly cut short by the total destruction of the Winter
Garden Theater by fire on the night of the 23d of March, 1867.
In this fire Mr. Booth lost his entire wardrobe, including
many relics of his father, Kemble, and Mrs. Siddons.
The destruction of a theater has seldom drawn forth a more
universal expression of regret than that which poured in upon
Mr. Booth from all parts of the country. It was feared that
the loss of his valuable wardrobe would be irremediable, as
indeed it was in. a certain sense. All over the Union a general wish was expressed that the great actor should have a new
theater in some of our large cities, and one which should be
worthy of his genius. Mr. Booth had chosen the city of New
York for his permanent home, and after the destruction of the
Winter Garden Theater began to arrange his plans for the erection of a new building of his own, which he was resolved should
be the most magnificent and the best appointed theater in the
world. The site chosen was the south-eastern corner of the
Sixth Avenue and Twenty-third Street in New York, and in the
summer of 1867 the work of clearing away the old buildings




596                 GREAT FORTUNES.
and digging the foundations of the new theater was begun. It
was carried forward steadily, and the building was completed
and opened to the public in January, 1869.
It is in the Rennaissance style of architecture, and stands
seventy feet high from the sidewalk to the main cornice, crowning which is a Mansard roof of twenty-four feet. "The theater
proper fronts one hundred and forty-nine feet on Twenty-third
Street, and is divided into three parts, so combined as to form
an almost perfect whole, with arched entrances at either extremity on the side, for the admission of the public, and on the
other for another entrance, and the use of the actors and those
employed in the house. On either side of these main entrances
are broad and lofty windows; and above them, forming a part
of the second story, are niches for statues, surrounded by coupled
columns resting on finely sculptured pedestals. The central or
main niche is flanked on either side by quaintly contrived blank
windows; and between the columns, at the depth of the recesses,
are simple pilasters sustaining the elliptic arches, wlich serve
to top and span the niches, the latter to be occupied by statues
of the great creators and interpreters of the drama in every age
and country. The finest Concord granite, from the best quarries in New Hampshire, is the material used in the entire fagade,
as well as in the Sixth Avenue side... The glittering granite
mass, exquisitely poised, adorned with rich and appropriate
carving, statuary, columns, pilasters, and arches, and capped by
the springing French roof, fringed with its shapely balustrades,
offers an imposing and majestic aspect, and forms one of the
architectural jewels of the city."
In its internal arrangements the theater is in keeping witlh
its external magnificence. Entering through a sumptuous vestibule, the visitor passes into the magnificent auditorium, which
is in itself a rare piece of decorative art. The seats are admi



EDWIN BOOTH.                     597
rably arranged, each one commanding a view of the stage.
The floor, is richly carpeted, and the seats are luxuriously
upholstered. Three elegant light galleries rise above the parquet.  The walls and ceiling are exquisitely, frescQed, and ornamented with bas reliefs in plaster. The proscenium is beautifully frescoed and carved, and is adorned with busts of the
elder Booth and the proprietor of the theater;  and in the sides
before the curtain are arranged six sumptuous private boxes.
The curtain is a beautiful landscape. The decoration of the
house is not done in the rough scenic style so common in the
most of the theaters of the country, but is the perfection of frescoe painting, and is capable of bearing the closest examination.
The stage is very large, and slopes gradually from the rear to
the footlights. The orchestra pen is sunk below the level of the
stage, so that the heads of the musicians do not cut off the view
of the audience. The dressing of the stage is novel. The side
scenes or wings, instead of being placed at right angles to the
spectator as in most theaters, are so arranged that the scene appears to extend to the right and left as well as to the rear.  In
this way the spectator is saved the annoyance of often looking
through the wings, a defect which in most theaters completely
dispels the illusion of the play.  The scenery here is not set by
hand, but is moved by machinery, and with such regularity and
precision that these changes have very much the effect of " dissolving views." The scenes themselves are the works of highly
educated artists, and never degenerate into the rough daubs with
which most playgoers are familiar. The building is fire-proof,
and is warmed and ventilated in a peculiar manner. The great
central chandelier and the lights around the cornice of the auditorium are lighted by electricity.
The plays presented here are superbly put on the stage. The
scenery is strictly accurate when meant to represent some his



598                 GREAT FORTUNES.
toric locality, and is the finest to be found in America. Perhaps the grandest stage picture ever given to an audience was the
grave-yard scene in "Hamlet," which "held the boards" for
over one hundred nights last winter. The dresses, equipments,
and general "make up" of the actors are in keeping with the
scenery. Even the minutest detail is carefully attended to.
Nothing is so unimportant as to be overlooked in this establishment.
It is Mr. Booth's custom to open the season with engagements of other distinguished actors, and to follow them himself
about the beginning of the winter, and to continue his performances until the approach of spring, when he again gives
way to others. When he is performing, it is impossible to procure a seat after the rising of the curtain. Every available
place is filled, and thousands come from all parts of the
country to see him. Sometimes it is necessary to secure seats
a week in advance.
Mr. Booth is still a young man, being now thirty-seven years
old. In person -he is over the medium height, and is well built.
His hair is black and is worn long, and his dark eyes are large
and dreamy. His face is that of a poet, strikingly handsome,
with an expression of mingled sweetness and sadness playing
over it. He wears neither beard nor moustache. He dresses
simply and without ornament, and is grave and retiring in his
demeanor. He is exceedingly amiable in disposition, and is
the center of a large circle of devoted friends. He has been
married twice, and has one child, a daughter, by his first wife.
He is a man of irreproachable life, and in every thing a hightoned gentleman, and it is the high character he bears not less
than his genius that has enabled him to do such honor to his
profession. He is very wealthy, and is in a fair way to become
a millionaire.




EDWIN BOOTH.                    599
As an actor Mr. Booth is without an equal. His impersonations are marked by rare genius and by- the most careful study.
His Hamlet is perhaps his most finished part, as his Richelieu
is the most popular with the masses. It has been said that his
Hamlet is not Shakespeare's Hamlet, and this may be true; but
it is so exquisite, so perfect, that whether it be the conception
of Shakespeare or Edwin Booth, it is the most powerful, the
most life-like counterfeit of "the melancholy Dane" ever seen
on any stage, and leaves nothing to be desired. His personation of the grim old cardinal, whose decrepit body is alone sustained by his indomitable will, is masterly, and we see before
us, not Edwin Booth, the actor of to-day, but the crafty, unscrupulous, witty, determined prime minister of France, who bends
kings and princes to his will. It is absolutely life-like, and to
those who have seen the portraits of the old cardinal in the
museums of France, the accuracy with which Booth has counterfeited the personal appearance of Richelieu is positively startling. The plays are so superbly set upon the stage that we
lose sight of the little space they occupy, and seem to be gazing
upon a real world. His Richard has such a strong humanity
in it, that it more than half vindicates the humpbacked tyrant's
memory, and the death scene of this play, as given by Booth,
is simply appalling.
It is in vain, however, that we select special characters or
attempt descriptions of them. No one can truly understand
Edwin Booth's acting without seeing it. He has studied his
heroes so profoundly, analyzed their characters so subtly, and
entered so heartily into sympathy with them, that he has
become able, by the aid of his wonderful genius, to entirely
discard his own personality, and assume theirs at will.
Mr. Booth has steadily risen in power and finish as an actor,
for his labors have been unceasing. Great as his triumphs




600                 GREAT FORTUNES.
have been, he does not regard himself as freed from the necessity of study. His studies have become more intelligent than
in former years, but hot the less faithful. He has the true
artist's aspiration after the rarest perfection in his art, though
to those of us without the charmed circle it is difficult to see
how he can excel his present excellence. Yet that he does
so we have undoubted proof, for we see him rising higher in
the admiration and esteem of the world every year, and each
year we gather fresh laurels to twine around his brows.
He has steadily educated his audiences, and has elevated the
standard of his art among his countrymen. He has shown
them what fine acting really is, and has taught them to enjoy
it. He has kept them true to the legitimate drama, and has
done more than any other man to rescue the American stage
from the insignificance with which it was threatened. It speaks
volumes for him as an actor and a manager, that when New
York seemed wholly given up to ballet, burlesque, and opera
bouffe, he was able to make the almost forgotten masterpieces
of Shakespeare the most popular and most profitable. dramatic
ventures of the year.








hi
JEFFERSON, AS RIP VAN WINKLE.




JOSEPH JEFFERSON.                 601
CHAPTER XXXVI.
JOSEPH JEFFERSON.
HE subject of this sketch is one of a race of
actors.  His great-grandfather was a contemporary of some of. the brightest ornaments of the
English stage, and was himself a famous actor
and the intimate friend of Garrick, Sam Foote,
and Barr. He was a man of amiable and winning disposition,
and was strikingly handsome in person. He occupies a prominent
place in the'history of the English stage, and is said to have
been, socially, one of the most brilliant men of his day. He
died in 1807. In 1795 his son came to America. Of him,
Dunlap, in his "HistoryX of the American Stage," says, referring to him, in February, 1797: "He was then a youth, but
even then an artist. Of a small and light figure, well formed;
with a singular physiognomy, a nose perfectly Grecian,, and
blue eyes full of laughter, he had the faculty of exciting mirth
to as great a degree by power of feature, although handsome,
as- any ugly-featured low comedian ever seen."  F. C. Wemyss
has said- of him at a later day: "Mr. Joseph Jefferson was an
actor formed in Nature's merriest mood-a genuine son of
Momus. There was a vein of rich humor running through
all he did, which forced you to laugh despite of yourself. He
discarded grimace as unworthy of him, although no actor ever




602                 GREAT FORTUNES.
possessed a greater command over the muscles of his own face,
or the faces of his audience, compelling you to laugh or cry at
his pleasure. His excellent personation of old men acquired
for him, before he had reached the meridian of life, the title of'Old Jefferson.' The astonishment of strangers at seeing a
good-looking young man pointed out on the street as Old Jefferson, whom they had seen the night previous at the theater
tottering apparently on the verge of existence, was the greatest
compliment that could be paid to the talent of the actor. His
versatility was astonishing —light comedy, old men, pantomime,
low comedy, and occasionally juvenile tragedy. Educated in
the very best school for acquiring knowledge in his profession,
Jefferson was an adept in all the trickery of the stage,
which, when it suited his purpose, he could turn to excellent
account... In his social relations, he was what a gentle;
man should be-a kind husband, an affectionate father, a warm
friend, and a truly honest man." The second Jefferson enjoyed
a brilliant career of thirty-six years in this country, and died
in 1832, during an engagement at the theater at Harrisburg,
which was then managed by his son. This son, named Joseph,
after his father, was born in Philadelphia in 1804, and died at
the age of thirty-eight.  He was not so famous as an actor as
his father or grandfather, but like them passed his life on the
stage. He had a decided talent for painting, and was partially
educated as an artist, but he never accomplished any thing with
his pencil. He was a man of-most amiable disposition, and was
possessed of scores of warm and devoted friends; but he was a
poor business manager, and was always more or less involved
in pecuniary troubles. He married Mrs. Burke, the famous
vocalist, and mother of Burke, the comedian.
To this couple, in the city of Philadelphia, was born the
JOSEPH JEFFERSON of to-day, on the 20th of February, 1829.




JOSEPH JEFFERSON.                603
This boy was literally brought up on the stage, as he made his
first appearance upon the boards in a combat scene at the Park
Theater in New York, when he was but three years old. He
soon after went with his parents to the West. Olive Logan
says of him, at this period of his life, "While they were both
still children, he and my sister Eliza used to sing little comic
duets together on the stage of various western towns."
He received as good a common-school education as the rapid
manner in which he was moved about from place to place
would permit, and was carefully trained in the profession of an
actor, to which he was destined by his parents, and to which he
was drawn by the bent of his genius. He appeared in public
frequently during his boyhood, but his first appearance as a
man was at Chanfrau's National Theater, in 1849. He met
with fair success, and from that time devoted himself entirely
and carefully to his profession. He began at the bottom of the
ladder of fame, and gradually worked his way up to his present
high position. Playing engagements in various minor theaters
of the United States, he at length secured a position as low comedian at Niblo's Garden in New York, where he won golden
opinions from the critical audiences of the metropolis. In 1857,
he closed a most successful engagement as low comedian at
the theater in Richmond, Virginia, and with that engagement
ended his career as a stock actor. He had by careful and
patient study rendered himself capable of assuming the highest
place in his profession, and these studies, joined to his native
genius, had made him famous throughout the country as the
best low comedian of the day.
Feeling that he had now a right to the honors of a "star" in
his profession, and urged by the public to assume the position
to which his genius entitled him, he began a series of engagements thoughout the Union, in which he more than fulfilled




604                 GREAT FORTUNES.
the expectations of his friends. He was received with delight
wherever he went, and at once became the most popular of
American comedians.
About a year or two later, he left the United States and
made a voyage to Australia, through which country he traveled, playing at the principal towns. He was extremely successful. His genial, sunny character won him hosts of friends
among the people of that far-off land, and his great genius as
an actor made him as famous there as he had been in his own
country. Australia was then a sort of theatrical El Dorado.
The prices paid for admission to the theaters were very high,
and the sums offered to distinguished stars in order to attract
them thither were immense. Mr. Jefferson reaped a fair share
of this golden harvest, and at the close of his Australian engagements found himself the possessor of a handsome sum. It
was this which formed the basis of his large fortune; for,
unlike his father, he is a man of excellent business capacity,
and understands how to care for the rewards of his labors, so
that they shall be a certain protection to him in his old age,
and an assistance to those whom he shall leave behind him.
Returning to the United States, Mr. Jefferson appeared with
increased success in the leading cities of the Northern and
Western States. His principal success at this time was won in
the character of Asa Trenchard, in the play of " Our American
Cousin."  His personation of the rough, eccentric, but truehearted Yankee was regarded as one of the finest pieces of acting ever witnessed on the American stage, and drew crowded
houses wherever he went. His range of characters included
the most refined comedy and the broadest farce, but each delineation bore evidence of close and careful study, and was marked
by great originality and delicacy. There was in his performances a freshness, a distinctiveness, and, above all, an entire free



JOSEPH JEFFERSON.                  605
dom from any thing coarse or offensive, which charmed his
audiences from the first. One of his critics has well said of
him: "As Caleb Plummer he unites in another way the full
appreciation of mingled humor and pathos —the greatest delicacy and affection with rags and homely speech. As Old
Phil Stapleton he is the patriarch of the village and the incarnation of content. As Asa Trenchard he is the diamond in
the rough, combining shrewdness with simplicity, and elevating instead of degrading the Yankee character. As Dr.
Ollapod, and Dr. Pangloss, and Tobias Shortcut, he has won
laurels that would make him  a comedian of the first rank.
His Bob Acres is a picture. There is almost as much to look
at as in his Rip Van Winkle. There is nearly the same
amount of genius, art, experience, and intelligence in its personation.  Hazlitt says that the author' has overdone the part,
and adds that' it calls for a great effort of animal spirits and
a peculiar aptitude of genius to go through with it;' Mlr. Jefferson has so much of the latter that he can-and to a great
extent does —dispense with the former requisite. His quiet
undercurrent of humor subserves the same purpose in the
role of Bob Acres that it does in other characters. It is full
of points, so judiciously chosen, so thoroughly apt, so naturally
made and so characteristically preserved, that the part with
Jefferson is a great one. The man of the'oath referential, or
sentimental swearing,' makes the entire scope of the part an'echo to the sense.' Even in so poor a farce as that of'A
Regular Fix,' Mr. Jefferson makes the eccentricities of Hugh
de Brass immensely funny. The same style is preserved in
every character, but with an application that gives to each a
separate being."
After a season of great success in this country Mr. Jefferson
decided to visit England. He appeared at the Adelphi The



606                  GREAT FORTUNES.
ater, in London, and at once became as popular as he had been
at home.  His Asa Trenchard, in "Our American Cousin,"
was received by the English with delight; but his greatest triumphs were won in Boucicault's version of "Rip Van Winkle,"
which he has since immortalized. This play was first produced
at the Adelphi, where it enjoyed an uninterrupted run of nearly
two hundred nights.
Returning to the United States in the autumn of 1867, Mr.
Jefferson appeared at the Olympic Theater, in New York, in
the play of "'Rip Van Winkle."  Since then he has traveled
extensively throughout the United States, and has devoted
himself exclusively to the character of Rip Van Winkle; so
exclusively, indeed, that many persons are ignorant of his great
merits in other roles. By adopting this as his specialty, he
has rendered himself so perfect in it that he has almost made
the improvident, light-hearted Rip a living creature. A writer
in a popular periodical draws the following graphic sketch of
his performance of this character:
If there is something especially charming in the ideal of Rip Van
Winkle that Irving has drawn, there is something even more human,
sympathetic and attractive in the character reproduced by Jefferson. A
smile that reflects the generous impulses of the man; a face that is the
mirror of character; great, luminous eyes that are rich wells of expression; a grace that is statuesque without being studied; an inherent laziness which commands the respect of no one, but a gentle nature that
wins the affections of all; poor as he is honest, jolly as he is poor, unfortunate as he is jolly, yet possessed of a spontaneity of nature that
springs up and flows along like a rivulet after a rain; the man who can
not forget the faults of the character which Jefferson pictures, nor feel
like taking good-natured young Rip Van Winkle by the hand and offering a support to tottering old Rip Van Winkle, must have become hardened to all natural as well as artistic influences. It is scarcely necessary to enter into the details of Mr. Jefferson's acting of the Dutch Tam




JOSEPH JEFFERSON.                    607
O'Shanter. Notwithstanding the fact that the performance is made up
of admirable points that might be enumerated and described, the picture
is complete as a whole and in its connections. Always before the public; preserving the interest during two acts of the play after a telling
climax; sustaining the realities of his character in a scene of old superstition, and in which no one speaks but himself,-the impersonation
requires a greater evenness of merit and dramatic effect than any other
that could have been chosen. Rip Van Winkle is imbued with the
most marked individuality, and the identity is so conscientiously preserved that nothing is overlooked or neglected. Mr. Jefferson's analysis
penetrates even into the minutiae of the part, but there is a perfect unity
in the conception and its embodiment. Strong and irresistible in its
emotion, and sly and insinuating in its humor, Mr. Jefferson's Rip Van
Winkle is marked by great vigor, as well as by an almost pre-Raphaelite
finish.
The bibulous Rip is always present by the ever-recurring and favorite
toast of "Here's your goot healt' and your family's, and may dey live
long and prosper." The meditative and philosophic Rip is signaled by
the abstract " Ja," which sometimes means yes, and sometimes means no.
The shrewd and clear-sighted Rip is marked by the interview with
Derrick Van Beekman. The thoughtful and kind-hearted Rip makes
his appearance in that sad consciousness of his uselessness and the little
influence he exerts when he says to the children, talking of their future
marriage: "I thought maybe you might want to ask me about it,"
which had never occurred to the children. The improvident Rip is
discovered when Dame Van Winkle throws open the inn window-shutter, which contains the enormous score against her husband, and when
Rip drinks from the bottle over the dame's shoulder as he promises to
reform. The most popular and the most thriftless man in the village;
the most intelligent and the least ambitious; the best-hearted and the
most careless;-the numerous contrasts which the role presents demand
versatility in design and delicacy in execution. They are worked out
with a moderation and a suggestiveness that are much more natural than
if they were presented more decidedly. The sympathy of Mr. Jefferson's
creation is the greatest secret of its popularity. In spite of glaring
faults, and almost a cruel disregard of the family's welfare, Rip Van
Winkle has the audience with him from the very beginning. His inef



608                   GREAT FORTUN1ES.
fably sad but quiet realization of his desolate condition when his wife
turns him out into the storm, leaves scarcely a dry eye in the theatre.
His living in others and not in himself makes him feel the changes of
his absence all the more keenly. His return after his twenty years'
sleep is painful to witness; and when he asks, with such heart-rending
yet subdued despair, "Are we so soon forgot when we are gone?" it is
no wonder that sobs are heard throughout the house. His pleading
with his child Meenie is not less affecting, and nothing could be more
genuine in feeling. Yet all this emotion is attained in the most quiet
and unobtrusive manner. Jefferson's sly humor crops out at all times,
and sparkles through the veil of sadness that overhangs the later life of
Rip Van Winkle. His wonder that his wife's "clapper" could ever be
stopped is expressed in the same breath with his real sorrow at hearing
of her death. "Then who the devil am I?" he asks with infinite wit
just before he pulls away at the heartstrings of the audience in refusing
the proffered assistance to his tottering steps. He has the rare faculty
of bringing a smile to the lips and a tear to the eye at the same time.
From the first picture, which presents young Rip Van Winkle leaning
carelessly and easily upon the table as he drinks his schnapps, to the
last picture of the decrepit but happy old man, surrounded by his family
and dismissing the audience with his favorite toast, the character, in Mr.
Jefferson's hands, endears itself to all, and adds another to the few real
friendships which one may enjoy in this life.
Mr. Jefferson is a thoroughly American actor. Abandoning
all sensational shams, he devotes himself to pure art. His highest triumphs have been won in the legitimate branches of his profession, and won by the force of his genius, aided only by the most
careful study and an intelligent analysis of the parts assumed
by him.  He has the happy faculty of entering into perfect
sympathy with his characters, and for the time being he is less
the actor than the individual he personates. It is this that
gives the sparkle to his eye, the ring to his laughter, and the
exquisite feeling to his pathos; and feeling thus, he is quick to
establish a sympathy between himself and his audience, so that




JOSEPH -JEFFERSON.                 609
he moves them at will, convulsing them with laughter at the
sallies of the light-hearted Rip, or dissolving them in tears at
the desolations of the lonely old man, so soon forgot after he
has gone.
Mr. Jefferson has inherited from his father the genial, sunny
disposition for which the latter was famous. He is an essentially cheerful man, and trouble glances lightly off from him.
He is generous to a fault, and carries his purse in his hand.
Misfortune never appeals to him in vain, and many are the good
works he has done in the humbler walks of his own calling.
He is enthusiastically devoted to his profession, and enjoys his
acting quite as much as his auditors.  In putting his pieces on
the stage, he is lavish of expense, and whenever he can control
this part of the performance, it leaves -nothing to be desired.
Some years ago he brought out "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
at a Philadelphia theater, in a style of magnificence rarely witnessed on any stage.  lThe scenery was exquisite, and was a
collection of artistic gems. The success of the piece was very
decided in Philadelphia, but'when it was reproduced, with the
same scenery and appointments, in a Western city, the public
would scarcely go to see it, and the theater incurred a heavy
loss in consequence. Jefferson's remark to the manager, when
the failure became apparent, was characteristic: "It is all right,"
said he. "We have done our duty, and have made an artistic
success of the piece. If the people will not come to see it, it
is more their misfortune than ours."
He has inherited also from his father considerable talent as
an artist, and sketches with decided merit, though he makes no
pretensions to artistic skill. In his vacations, which he passes
in the country, his sketch-book is his constant companion. He
is a famous sportsman and fisherman, and in the summer is
rarely to be found without his gun and rod. It is his delight
39




610                 GREAT FORTUNES.
to tramp over miles of country in search of game, or to sit
quietly in some cozy nook, and, dropping his line into the water,
pass the hours in reveries broken only by the exertion necessary
to secure a finny prize.
Not long since his love of art led him to buy a panorama
merely because he admired it. He put it in charge of an agent
in whom he knew he could confide, and started it on a tour
throughout the country.  In a month or two he received a
gloomy letter from the agent, telling him that the exhibition
had failed to draw spectators, and that he despaired of its ever
paying expenses. "Never mind," wrote Jefferson in reply, "(it
will be a gratification for those who do go to see it, and you may
draw on me for what money you need." The losses on the
panorama, however, were so great that Jefferson was compelled
to abandon it.
Several years before the death of John Sefton, Jefferson paid
him a visit at his home in Paradise Valley, during one of his
summer rambles. Upon reaching Sefton's farm, he found the
owner "with his breeches and coat sleeves both rolled up, and
standing in the middle of a clear and shallow stream, where one
could scarcely step without spoiling the sports of the brook
trout, which sparkled through the crystal waters. Sefton stood
in a crouching attitude, watching, with mingled disappointmenet and good humor, a little pig which the stream  was
carrying down its current, and which, pig-like, had slipped
from the hands of its owner in its natural aversion to being
washed. Jefferson, with the true instinct of an artist, dropped
his fishing tackle and took his sketch-book to transfer the ludicrous scene to paper. Sefton appreciated the humor of the situation, and only objected when Jefferson began to fill in the background with a dilapidated old barn, at which the old gentleman
demurred on account of its wretched appearance. The artist




JOSEPH JEFFERSON.                  611
insisted that it was picturesque, however, and proceeded to put
it down. Sefton had to submit; but he had his revenge, by
writing back to New York that'Jefferson is here, drawing the
worst "houses" I ever saw.'
In private life, Mr. Jefferson is a cultivated gentleman, and
is possessed of numbers of warm and devoted friends. He has
been married twice.  The first Mrs. Jefferson was a Miss
Lockyer, of New York, and by her he had two children, a son
and a daughter.  The former is about eighteen years of age,
and is destined to his father's profession, in which he has already
shown unusual promise. The present Mrs. Jefferson was a Miss
Warren, and is a niece of the veteran actor, William Warren,
of Boston. She was married to her husband early in 1868, and
has never been an actress.
Mr. Jefferson is the possessor of a large fortune, acquired in
the exercise of his profession, and being thus comfortably situated, is enabled to enjoy more rest from his labors than falls to
the lot of most American actors. He resides in Orange County,
New Jersey, about an hour's ride from New York, where he has
a handsome country seat, which he has adorned with all the
attractions that wealth and taste can command.








XI.
PH1iY YSICI AI N S.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
BENJAMIN RUSH.
T is not often that a man, however gifted, is capable of rising to eminence in two distinct branches
of public life, especially in two so widely sepa-   ~ ]~   rated from each other as medicine and politics.
The subject of this sketch was one of the few who
have achieved such distinction.
BENJAMIN RUSH was born on Poquestion Creek, near Philadelphia, on the 24th of December, 1745. He was carefully
educated at the best common schools of his native county, and
then entered Princeton College, where he graduated in 1760, at
the age of fifteen. He decided, upon leaving Princeton, to adopt
medicine as his vocation, and began his studies in Philadelphia. He gave nine years to preparing himself for his profession, and after completing his course in Philadelphia, sailed for
Europe, where he continued his studies in Edinburgh, London,
and Paris. He returned home in 1769, and began the practice
of medicine in Philadelphia, and was at once elected Professor
of Chemistry in the medical college of that city. He was suc613




614                 GREAT FORTUNES.
cessful in rapidly acquiring a large and lucrative practice, and
experienced very few of the difficulties and trials which lie in
the way of a young physician.
In 1770 he began his career as an author, and for many
years his writings were numerous. He devoted himself chiefly
to medical subjects, but history, philosophy, and politics, and
even romance, frequently claimed his attention. He adopted
the patriot cause at the outset of his career, and with his pen
and voice constantly advocated resistance to the injustice of
Great Britain. This drew upon him the attention of his fellow-citizens, and he was chosen to a seat in the Provincial
Conference of Pennsylvania. In that body he introduced a
resolution setting forth the necessity of a declaration of independence of the mother country. His resolution was referred
to a committee, of which he was made the chairman, and this
committee having reported affirmatively, the resolution was
unanimously adopted by the Conference, and was communicated to the Continental Congress, then in session in Philadelphia, about the last of June, 1776. When it became evident
that the Congress would declare the independence of the colonies, five members of the Pennsylvania delegation withdrew
from that body. Their places were at once supplied by Rush
and four others, and when the Declaration was finally adopted
Benjamin Rush affixed his signature to it as a delegate from
Pennsylvania.
In 1776 Dr. Rush was married to Miss Julia Stockton,
daughter of Richard Stockton, of New Jersey, also a signer
of the Declaration. In April, 1777, he was made SurgeonGeneral of the Continental army for the Middle Department,
and in July, 1777, was made Physician-General. He devoted
himself to his duties with energy and intelligence, and succeeded in placing the affairs of his department in as satisfac



BENJAMIN RUJSH.                  615
tory a condition as the means at the command of the Congress
would permit. He was not able, however, to arrange every
thing as his judgment assured him  was best, and was subjected to many annoyances and great-inconvenience by the incompetence and mismanagement of other officials,- whom  he
could not control. The management of the hospital supplies
of the army was especially defective, and was the cause of
much suffering to the troops. He made repeated efforts to
effect a reform in this particular, but failing to accomplish any
thing, and indignant at the wrongs inflicted upon the soldiers,
he resigned his commission and retired to private life.
During his connection with the army, he hlad watched the
course of affairs in his native State with the keenest interest,
and in a series of four letters to the people of Pennsylvania,
called their attention to the serious defects of their Constitution of 1776, the chief of which he declared to be the giving
of the legislative power to one house only. His appeals had
the effect of bringing about an entire change in the form of
State government, which was subsequently accomplished by a
general convention of the people. After the close of the war
Dr. Rush was elected a member of the State Convention which
ratified the Constitution of the United States, and distinguished himself in that body by his earnest and brilliant advocacy of that instrument. He was also a member of the convention which adopted a new State Constitution, embodying
the reforms he had advised in the letters referred to, and
labored hard to have incorporated in it his views respecting a
penal code and a public school system, both of which features
he ably advocated..through the public press.
With this closed his public career, which, though brief, was
brilliant, and raised him to a proud place among the fathers of
the Republic.




616                 GREAT FORTUNES.
Returning to Philadelphia after resigning his position in the
army, he resumed the practice of medicine, and with increased
success. His personal popularity and his great skill as a physician brought him all the employment he could desire, and he
soon took his place at the head of the medical faculty of the
country.
In 1785 he planned the Philadelphia Dispensary, the first
institution of the kind in the United: States, and to the close
of his life remained its warm  and energetic supporter. In
1789 he was made Professor of the Theory and Practice oc
Medicine in the Philadelphia Medical College, and when thatt
institution was merged in the. University, in 1791, he w.R3
elected to the chair of the Institute and Clinical Medicine. In
1797 he took the professorship of Clinical Practice also,! as it
was vacant, and was formally elected to it in 1805. These
three professorships he held until the day of his death, discharging the duties of each with characteristic brilliancy and
fidelity.
The great professional triumph of his life occurred in the
year 1793. In that year the yellow fever broke out with great
malignancy in Philadelphia, and raged violently for about one
hundred days, from about the last of July until the first of November. Nothing seemed capable of checking it. The people
fled in dismay from their homes, and the city seemed given
over to desolation. In the terrible " hundred days," during
which the fever prevailed, four thousand persons died, and the
deaths occurred so rapidly that it was frequently impossible to
bury the bodies for several days. The physicians of the city,
though they remained heroically at their posts, and labored
indefatigably in their exertions to stay the plague, were powerless against it, and several of them were taken sick and died.
Few had any hope of checking the fever, and every one looked




BENJAMXIN RUSH.                 617
forward with eagerness to the approach of the season of frosts,
as the only means of saving those that remained in the stricken
city.
At the outset of the disease, Dr. Rush had treated it in the
same manner as that adopted by the medical faculty of the city;
but the ill success which attended this course soon satisfied him
that the treatment was wrong. He therefore undertook to subdue it by purging and- bleeding the patient, and succeeded.
The new practice met with the fiercest opposition from  the
other physicians, but Rush could triumphantly point to the fact
that while their patients were dying his were getting well; and
he continued to carry out his treatment with firmness and success. Dr. Ramsey, of South Carolina, estimates that Rush, by
this treatment, saved not less than six thousand of his patients
from death in the "hundred days."  Nevertheless, the medical
war went on with great bitterness, and the opposition to Rush
became furious when he boldly declared that the fever was not
an importation from abroad, as was popularly believed, but had
been generated by the filthy condition of the city during the
early part of the summer. Some time after the fever had subsided, a paper called "Peter Porcupine's Gazette," edited by
William Cobbett, made a series of outrageous attacks upon Dr.
Rush and his treatment of-the fever. This exhausted the forbearance of the doctor, and he instituted a suit against Cobbett,
in which he was successful, and secured a verdict of $65,000
damages against his defamer.
During the prevalence of the fever, Dr. Rush's labors were
unceasing. He was constantly going his rounds, visiting the
sick, attending sometimes over one hundred patients in a
single day. He was called on at all hours of the day and
night, and it may be said that he scarcely slept or enjoyed
two: hours, uninterrupted rest during the "hundred days."




618                   GREAT FORTUNES.
For weeks he never sat down to his meals without being
surrounded  by dozens of patients, whose complaints he listened to and prescribed for as he ate. These were chiefly the
poor, and at such times his house was literally thronged with
them..He was a kind friend to them; rendering his services
promptly and heartily, without the slightest wish to receive
PRESCRIBING AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE.
pay in return for them; and during all this terrible summer
he was to be seen ministering to these poor creatures in the
foulest, most plague-stricken quarters of the city, shrinking
from  no danger, and deterred from  his work of mercy by no
thought of his own safety.  He has left us the following picture of the city during this terrible summer:
The disease appeared in many parts of the town remote from the spot
where it originated; although in every instance it was easily traced to it.
This set the city in motion. The streets and roads leading from the city
were crowded with families flying in every direction for safety, to the
country. Business began to languish. Water Street, between Market and




BENJAMIN RUSH.                        619
Race Streets, became a desert. The poor were the first victims of the fever.
From the sudden interruption of business, they suffered for a while from
poverty as well as disease. A large and airy house at Bush-hill, about
a mile from the city, was opened for their reception. This house, after
it became the charge of a committee appointed by the citizens on the
14th of September, was regulated and governed with the order and
cleanliness of an old and established hospital. An American and
French physician had the exclusive medical care of it after the 22d of
September.
The contagion, after the second week in September, spared no rank
of citizens. Whole families were confined by it. There was a detciency
of nurses for the sick, and many of those who were employed were unqualified for their business. There was likewise a great deficiency of
physicians, from the desertion of some and the sickness and death of
others. At one time there were only three:physicians able to do business
out of their houses, and at this time there were probably not less than
six thousand persons ill with the fever.
During the first three or four weeks of the prevalence of the disorder,
I seldom went into a house the first time without meeting the parents
or children of the sick in tears. Many wept aloud in my entry or parlor, who came to ask advice for their relations. Grief after a while
descended below weeping, and I was much struck in observing that
many persons submitted to the loss of relations and friends without
shedding a tear, or manifesting any other of the common signs of grief.
A cheerful countenance was scarcely to be seen in the city for six
weeks. I recollect once, on entering the house of a poor man, to have
met a child of two years old, that smiled in my face. I was strangely
affected with this sight (sot discordant to my feelings and the state of
the city), before I recollected the age and ignorance of the child.  I
was confined the next day by an attack of the fever, and was sorry to
hear, upon my recovery, that the father and mother of this little creature
died a few days after my last visit to them.
The streets every-where discovered marks of the distress that pervaded the city. More than one-half the houses were shut up, although not
more than one-third of the inhabitants had fled into the country. In
walking, for many hundred yards, few persons were met, except such as
were in quest of a physician, a nurse, a bleeder, or the men who buried




620                  GREAT FORTUNES.
the dead. The hearse alone kept up the remembrance of the noise of
carriages or carts in the streets. Funeral processions were laid aside,
A black man leading or driving a horse, with a corpse on a pair of chairwheels, with now and then half a dozen relations or friends following at
a distance from it, met the eye in most of the streets of the city, at
every hour of the day, while the noise of the same wheels passing slowly
over the pavements, kept alive anguish and fear in the sick and well,
every hour of the night.
The population of Philadelphia at this time was but sixty
thousand, and the reader will see that a loss of four thousand
was a heavy percentage for so short a period.
Dr. Rush's skill and heroic conduct in his efforts to stay the
ravages of the plague made him famous, not only in his own
country, but throughout Europe, and during the latter part of
his life he received most gratifying evidences of this fact.  In
1805 the King of Prussia sent him a coronation medal, and the
King of Spain tendered him his thanks for his replies to certain
questions addressed to him concerning the causes and proper
treatment of yellow fever.  In 1807 the Queen of Etruria presented him with a gold medal as a mark of respect; and in
1811 the Emperor of Russia sent him a testimonial of his
admiration of his medical character.
In 1799 he was made treasurer of the United States Mint,
which position he held until his death.
Dr. Rush's writings were voluminous, and embraced a variety
of subjects. His medical productions occupy a high place in
the literature of the profession, and his political essays were one
of the features of his day. He was a man of profound learning,
and it is astonishing that one so constantly occupied with the
duties of an engrossing profession should have found the time
for such close and thorough general reading.
He was a sincere and earnest Christian, and held the Bible




BENJAMIN RUSH.                    621
in the highest veneration. He wrote an able defense of the
use of it as a school-book, and for many years was vice-president of the Philadelphia Bible Society, which he helped to
establish, and the constitution of which he drafted. He held
skepticism and atheism in the deepest abhorrence, and in his
own life affords a powerful refutation of the assertion one hears
so often, that -profound. medical knowledge is apt to make men
infidels.
He died in Philadelphia on the 19th of April, 1813, at the
good old age of sixty-eight, leaving a son who was destined to
render additional luster to his name by achieving the highest
distinction as a statesman.




622                GREAT FORTUNES.
CHAPTER XXXV'III.
VALENTINE MOTT.
ALENTINE MOTT was born at Glen Cove, on
Long Island, on the 20th of August, 1785. Hiis?   father, Dr. Henry Mott, was an eminent practitioner in the city of New York, where he died
in 1840, at the age of eighty-three. Valentine
Mott was carefully educated by private tutors until he reached
the age of nineteen, when he entered Columbia College, New
York, as a medical student, and at the same time became a private medical pupil of his kinsman, Dr. Valentine Seaman. At
the age of twenty-one he graduated with the degree of M. D.;
but feeling that he had not acquired as good a medical education as the schools of the Old World could afford, he sailed?or
Europe in 1806, within a few weeks after his graduation at
Columbia College. Proceeding to London, he was for more
than a year a regular attendant upon St. Thomas', Bartholomew's, and Guy's hospitals, where he conducted his clinical
studies under the direction of Abernethy, Sir Charles Bell, and
Sir Astley Cooper. IHe chose Sir Astley Cooper as his private
instructor, and became one of his favorite pupils; and also
attended the lectures of Currie and Haighton. From London
he went to Edinburgh, where he attended the lectures of Hope,
Playfair, and Gregory, as well as the prelections of Dugald




VALENTINE MOTT.                  623
Stewart. From Edinburgh he went to Paris, and completed
his studies in.the great hospitals of that city.
He gave evidence at an early day of his great surgical abilities. He was indeed a born surgeon, possessing in a remarkable degree that peculiar adaptation to this branch of his
profession, without which no amount of study can make a
great operator. While a student in the Old World, he performed leading operations with a skill and natural readiness
which astonished his instructors as much as they delighted
them. He was possessed of a firmness and dexterity of hand,
a calm, cool brain, a quick, unfailing eye, a calmness of nerve,
a strength of will, and a physical endurance which were Nature's gifts to him, and which rendered him a great surgeon
even before he had received his diploma. He did not trust to
these natural gifts alone, however, but applied himself to the
theory of his profession with a determination and eagerness which
nothing could daunt. He was an enthusiast in his studies,
and soon became known as the most profoundly-learned young
physician of his day. As he advanced in life, he maintained
his reputation, keeping up his studies to the last. The great
men under whom he studied abroad were delighted with him,
and Sir Astley Cooper was loud in his praise. He exhibited
so much skill as an operator that he was often called upon to
perform operations which the professors would never have
dreamed of intrusting to any one else, and he went through
each trial of this kind with a readiness and precision which
few even of his instructors excelled.
His reputation was unusually flattering to one who had not
yet entered upon the practice of his profession, and upon his
return to the United States, in 1809, he was met with an offer
of the chair of surgery in Columbia College, his alma mater.
He promptly accepted the position, and held it until 1813,




624                 GREAT FORTUNES.
when the medical department of Columbia:College was merged
in -the College of Physicians and Surgeons.  He was at once
called to the same chair in the new college, and occupied it
until 1826. In that year he resigned his place in the faculty,
in consequence of a misunderstanding between the professors
and the trustees of the college on the principles of college
government. Withdrawing entirely from the school, he united
with Drs. Hosack, Mitchell, Francis, and several others, in
founding the Rutgers Medical College. This.college, after a
short career of four years, was compelled by the Legislature to
discontinue its operations, in consequence of an alleged invalidity in its charter.
In 1830, Dr. Mott returned to the College of Physicians and
Surgeons as Professor of Surgery, and in 1840 he became
President of the Faculty and Professor of Surgery and Relative
Anatomy in the new University Medical School. The science
of Relative Anatomy is of the highest importance to the surgeon, and of this science Dr. Mott is generally regarded as the
author. He held his position in the University for twenty
years, and in 1860, after a period of fifty years spent in the
active duties of his professorship, retired from the immediate
discharge of them, and was made Professor Emeritus, in which
capacity he occasionally lectured to the classes during each of
the remaining years of his life.
As a professor and teacher of surgical science Dr. Mott won
a brilliant reputation, and was considered one of the most thoroughly successful instructors in the Union.  He had the power
of winning the attention of his pupils at the opening of his
lectures and of retaining it until the close. He made even the
-most difficult operations so clear and simple in his lectures that
the dullest intellects could comprehend them; and his system
of practical demonstration of his subjects was vastly superior




VALENTINE MOTT.                  625
to any thing that had ever been seen in America. He was the
first to introduce into this country the system of delivering
clinical lectures, or lectures at the bedside of the patient, whose
ailments were operated upon during the course of his remarks.
This system is naturally the most repugnant to the patient, but
its advantages to the student are so great that they outweigh
all other considerations.  Other professors had shrunk from
subjecting their patients to such an ordeal, but Dr. Mott had
seen enough, during his attendance upon such lectures abroad,
to satisfy him that it was the only method by which a thorough
knowledge of the profession of surgery could be imparted, and
immediately upon establishing himself in this country he introduced it. He met with opposition at first, but he gradually
overcame it, and made the advantages of his system so apparent
to all that at length the opposition entirely ceased.
The greatest difficulty to which American medical schools
have always been subject -has been the almost utter impossibility of procuring dead bodies for dissection. It was this
want that compelled Dr. Mott, as it has compelled so many
others, to seek a practical education in Europe; and when he
came back to the college as professor, he was met by the same
drawback to thorough instruction. The law forbade the taking
of dead bodies for dissection, under severe penalties. If a student was ever found in possession of a limb, he was liable to
fine and imprisonment; and popular sentiment was so strong
against the practice of dissection that those who engaged in it
ran serious risk of incurring violence at the hands of the mob.
Dr. Mott was often driven to desperate expedients in the procuring of subjects. He was fond of relating one of his adventures of this'kind, which will show the reader how he was
enabled to carry on his lectures.
It was in the winter of 1815, and it had been found impos40




626                GREAT FORTUNES.
sible to procure a supply of subjects for the season. They could
not be obtained at any price, and it was evident that if any
were to be had, the doctor and his pupils would have to take
the matter in their own hands. There was a grave-yard just
outside the city, in which a number of interments had recently
been made, and the doctor resolved upon securing these bodies
for his dissecting-room. It was a dangerous undertaking, as
discovery would subject all engaged in it to the direst penalties
of the law, if, indeed, they should be lucky enough to escape
being lynched by the people. In spite of the dangers, however, the students volunteered to assist the doctor in the
attempt, and at an appointed time proceeded to the cemetery,
properly disguised, and began the removal of the bodies from
the graves. The night was intensely dark, and the wind was
high, both of which circumstances favored their undertaking,
but every sound, every snapping of a twig or rustling of a leaf
caused them to start with alarm and gaze anxiously into the
darkness. It was near midnight when they had finished their
task, and, this done, they waited in anxious silence for the
arrival of the means of removing their prey. Their movements had been accurately timed, and they had scarcely completed their labors when a cart, driven by a man dressed in the
rough clothing of a laborer, approached the cemetery at a rapid
pace. Signals were exchanged between the driver and the students, and the latter fell to work to place the bodies, eleven in
number, in the cart. Having accomplished this, they covered
them over in such a manner as to make it appear that the cart
was loaded with country produce, bound for the city markets.
When every thing was properly arranged, the students disappeared in the darkness, each seeking the means by which he
had come out from the city, and the driver, turning his cart
about, drove off rapidly in the direction of New York. It




VALENTINE MOTT.                  627
was a long ride, and to an imaginative man, carrying eleven
dead bodies that had been torn from their quiet graves through
the darkness of that winter night would have been a terrible
undertaking. But this man was not imaginative, and, besides
this, he was keenly alive to the tremendous consequences of
discovery. He knew that he was carrying his life in his hand,
and that he needed all the coolness and decision of which he
was master. Reaching the city long after midnight, he drove
rapidly down Broadway and turned into Barclay Street. The
lights of the college shone out brightly, and they had never
seemed so welcome as then. The cart was driven rapidly to
the college entrance, where the students were in readiness to
receive it. In a few moments the bodies were removed from
the cart and conveyed to the dissecting-room, and the cart
turned over to its owner. The driver accompanied the students to the dissecting-room, and, throwing off his disguise,
revealed the handsome but excited and eager countenance of
Dr. Mott. He had shared the dangers to which his pupils
had subjected themselves, and had even borne the part in the
enterprise attended with the greatest risk. The affair had succeeded admirably, a winter's supply of "subjects" had been
obtained, and after this the lectures went on without interruption.
"A  story is told of his readiness in the lecture-room. A
mother brought into the amphitheater, one morning, an extremely dirty, sickly, miserable-looking child, for the purpose
of having a tumor removed. He exhibited the tumor to the
class, but informed the mother that he could not operate upon
the child without the consent of her husband. One of the
students, in his eagerness to examine the tumor, jumped over
into the little inclosure designed for the operator and his patients. Dr. Mott, observing this intrusion, turned to the stu



628                 GREAT FORTUNES.
dent and asked him, with the most innocent expression of
countenance:'Are you the father of this child?' Thunders of
applause and laughter greeted this ingenious rebuke, during
which the intruder returned to his place crestfallen."
He was equally as successful in his private practice as in his
labors in the medical school. His brilliant reputation preceded
him in his return to his native country, and immediately upon
opening his office in New York he entered upon a large and
lucrative practice. His skill as a surgeon was in constant demand, and it is said that during his long career he tied the
common carotid artery forty-six times, cut for stone one hundred and sixty-five times, and amputated nearly one thousand
limbs. His old preceptor, Sir Astley Cooper, proud of the
distinction won by his favorite pupil, said of him exultingly:
" He has performed more of the great operations than any man
living, or that ever did live."
When he was but thirty-three years old (in 1818) he placed
a ligature around the bracheo-cephalic trunk or arteria innominata, within two inches of the heart, for aneurism of the right
subclavian artery.  This was the first time this wonderful
operation had ever been performed, and the skill and success
with which he accomplished it stamped him as one of the
brightest lights of his profession. "The patient survived the
operation twenty-eight days, and thus demonstrated the feasibility of this hazardous and thus far unparalleled undertaking.
He discovered in this case that, though all supply of blood to the
blood-vessels of the right arm was apparently cut off, the circulation was kept up by the interosculating blood-vessels, the
pulsation at the wrist maintained, and no evidence of loss of
vitality or warmth manifested in the limb. The patient finally
died from secondary hemorrhage."
In 1828 he performed successfully the most difficult and dan



VALENTINE MOTT.                   629
gerous operation known to surgery. A clergyman called upon
him to remove an enormous tumor in the neck, in which were
imbedded and twisted many of the great arteries. In this operation it became necessary to take out entire the right clavicle
or collar bone, to lay bare the membrane which surrounds the
lungs, to search for and dissect around the arteries which ran
through the tumor, to make forty ligatures, and to remove an
immense mass of diseased matter. This terrible operation had
never been attempted before, and was performed by Dr. Mott
without the aid of chloroform; yet it was done so skillfully that
the patient survived it, and in 1865 was still living and discharging his ministerial duties. It was thirty years before it
was attempted again in any part of the world. It was a great
triumph of the genius of the operator, and won him praises from
men of science in all countries.
In 1821 "he performed the first operation for osteo-sarcoma
of the lower jaw. In 1822 he introduced his original operation
for immobility of the lower jaw. He was the first surgeon who
removed the lower jaw for necrosis, and the first to tie successfully the primitive iliac artery for aneurism. Other of his
original operations were cutting out two inches of the deep
jugular vein, inseparably imbedded in a tumor, and tying both
ends of the vein, and closing, with a fine ligature, wounds of
large veins of a longitudinal or transverse kind, even where
an olive-sliced piece had been cut out."
It was invariably his practice before attempting an operation on a living subject to perform it on a dead body, and by
the most minute and patient examination to render himself
absolute master of the anatomy of the parts to be operated upon.
He was a thoroughly conscientious man in the exercise of his
profession, and was always on his guard to resist that greatest
danger of the skillful surgeon-the temptation to use the knife




630                 GREAT FORTUNES.
needlessly. It was his practice to investigate his cases thoroughly, and never to use the knife unless his judgment was
satisfied that an operation was necessary. "That he decided in'favor of operating when some of his associates hesitated, was
due rather to his large experience than to an overweening
fondness for the use of the knife." In his operations he was
firm and decided. Gifted with an unusual steadiness of nerve
and strength of muscle, he never allowed his sympathy for the
patient to cause him to hesitate or inflict one pang less than the
case required. He was prompt and ready in the event of
unforeseen complications, and never permitted any thing to take
him by surprise. His manner toward his patients was tender
and sympathizing to a remarkable degree, and his brother surgeons used to say of him, that he seemed to have the power of
cutting with less pain to the patient than was possessed by most
operators. During forty years of his practice anaesthetics were
unknown, and he had to operate with the full consciousness that
his patient was suffering the keenest agony. Besides attaining
such an exalted position as a surgeon, Dr. AMott won an enviable
reputation as a physician. His practice was confined almost
entirely to the best class of the people of New York, and he
was for many years the favorite accoucheur in a large circle of
families in that city.
He was an eminently progressive man. He fully recognized
the advance of science with the growth of the world, and was
always prompt to welcome any valuable discovery in medicine
or surgery. He was among the first to adopt and advocate the
use of ansesthetics, for no man had had more cause to understand
the necessity of such assistants. He was himself the inventor
of many valuable surgical instruments, but he gladly welcomed
the introduction of others, even though they superseded his
own in use. To the close of his life he wvas a diligent student,




VALENTINE MOTT.                  631
and watched the progress of his science with a keen and intelligent eye. He was the author of several works of merit,
including a volume of travels, and the translator of "Velpau's
Operative Surgery," to which he made extensive and valuable
additions and annotations. He received numerous literary and
scientific honors from colleges, universities, and learned bodies
in the United States and Europe.
In 1835 he visited Europe for the purpose of resting from
his arduous labors, and spent several years in traveling extensively in England, on the continent, and in the East. His
great achievements had made him as famous in the Old World
as at home, and he was received wherever he went with great
distinction. He was cordially welcomed by the most eminent
surgeons of Paris, and Louis Philippe conceived a warm friendship for him. During his visit to Constantinople, he was called
upon to attend professionally the reigning Sultan Abdul Medjid; who was suffering from a tumor in the head. Dr. Mott
successfully removed this tumor, and was afterwards invested
by the Sultan with the order of Knight of 3M3edjidechi, of Constantinople.
During his visit to Paris, a circumstance occurred which he
related upon his return home, and which will serve to show the
extremes to which professional skill and vanity will sometimes
carry men. One of the most eminent surgeons in Paris asked
him if he would like to see him perform his original operation.
Dr. Mott replied that nothing would give him more pleasure.
"Then you shall see it to-morrow," said the Frenchman. "But
stay," he added, "now I think of it, there is no patient in the
hospital who has that malady. No matter, my dear friend,
there is a poor devil in ward No.    who is of no use to
himself or any body else, and if you'll come to-morrow, I'll
operate beautifully on him." Dr. Mott at once declined to




632                 GREAT FORTUNES.
attend the operation or to countenance in any way so horrible
an outrage.
In person Dr. Mlott was a thorough gentleman of the old
school. He was an exceedingly handsome man, and was possessed of an erect and well-developed figure. His hair was as
white as snow, and his dress, which consisted of a simple suit
of spotless black, with linen of matchless purity, was in the
most perfect taste. He was grave and dignified in his deportment, and polished and courteous in every action. Even in
hlis most difficult and trying operations the services of the
assistants were always promptly acknowledged with scrupulous
politeness.  He was possessed of many friends, and was regarded with pride and veneration by his profession throughout
the world.
During the last winter of his life he had lectured once or
twice at the Medical School, and had performed several operations of importance in his private practice. Although nearly
eighty, he was still erect and vigorous, and was- far from considering himself too old for his work.
On the morning of the 15th of April, 1865, he sent for his
barber, as was his custom, and submitted himself to the hands
of the man who had been his attendant in this capacity for
years. He was sitting in his dressing-room, and, being in fine
spirits, began conversing with the barber, who, during the conversation, asked him if he had heard the terrible news of the
day.
"What is the news? " asked the doctor.
"President Lincoln was killed last night at the theater in
Washington," was the reply.
The doctor turned as pale as death, and, trembling violently,
motioned the barber aside, and tottered into the chamber adjoining, in which his wife was dressing.




VALENTINE MOTT.                   633
"My dear," he gasped, scarcely able to speak, "I have received such a shock. President Lincoln has been murdered."
His agitation had now become so great that he could say no
more. He sank down into a chair, pale and trembling, and so
feeble that he could scarcely sit up. He was seized in a short
"PRESIDENT  LINCOLN  HAS BEEN  MURDERED I"
time with acute pains in the back, and at the same time his
vigor seemed to desert him entirely, and he became a weak and
broken old man. He was obliged to seek his bed, from which
he never rose. He grew feebler every day, and died on the
26th of April, 1865.