John Jacob Astor.docx

John Jacob Astor.docx

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JohnJacobAstor

JohnJacobAstorbyElbertHubbardLITTLEJOURNEYSTOTHEHOMESOF

GREATBUSINESSMEN

BYELBERTHUBBARD

JOHNJ.ASTOR

Themanwhomakesitthehabitofhislifetogotobedatnineo'clock,usuallygetsrichandisalwaysreliable.Ofcourse,goingtobeddoesnotmakehimrich--Imerelymeanthatsuchamanwillinallprobabilitybeupearlyinthemorninganddoabigday'swork,sohiswearybonesputhimtobedearly.Roguesdotheirworkatnight.Honestmenworkbyday.It'sallamatterofhabit,andgoodhabitsinAmericamakeanymanrich.

Wealthisaresultofhabit.

--JOHNJACOBASTOR

LITTLEJOURNEYS

VictorHugosays,``Whenyouopenaschool,youcloseaprison.''

Thisseemstorequirealittleexplanation.VictorHugodidnothaveinmindatheologicalschool,noryetayoungladies'

seminary,noranEnglishboarding-school,noramilitaryacademy,andleastofallaparochialinstitute.Whathewasthinkingofwasaschoolwherepeople--youngandold--weretaughttobeself-respecting,self-reliantandefficient--tocareforthemselves,tohelpbeartheburdensoftheworld,toassistthemselvesbyaddingtothehappinessofothers.

VictorHugofullyrealizedthattheonlyeducationthatservesistheonethatincreaseshumanefficiency,nottheonethatretardsit.Aneducationforhonors,ease,medals,degrees,titles,position--immunity--maytendtoexalttheindividualego,butitweakenstheraceanditsgainonthewholeisnil.

Menarerichonlyastheygive.Hewhogivesgreatservice,getsgreatreturns.Actionandreactionareequal,andtheradiatorypoweroftheplanetsbalancestheirattraction.Theloveyoukeepistheloveyougiveaway.

Abumptiouscoloredpersonwearingaderbytippedoveroneeye,andacigarinhismouthpointingtothenorthwest,walkedintoahardwarestoreandremarked,``Lemmeseeyourrazors.''

Theclerksmiledpleasantlyandasked,``Doyouwantarazortoshavewith?

''

``Naw,''saidthecoloredperson,``--forsocialpurposes.''

Aneducationforsocialpurposesisn'tofanymoreusethanarazorpurchasedforalikeuse.Aneducationwhichmerelyfitsapersontopreyonsociety,andoccasionallyslashitup,isapredatorypreparationforalifeofuselessness,andclosesnoprison.Ratheritopensaprisonandtakescaptiveatleastoneman.Theonlyeducationthatmakesfreeistheonethattendstohumanefficiency.Teachchildrentowork,play,laugh,fletcherize,study,think,andyetagain--work,andwewillrazeeveryprison.

Thereisonlyoneprison,anditsnameisInefficiency.AmidthebastionsofthisbastileofthebraintheguardsarePride,Pretense,Greed,Gluttony,Selfishness.

Increasehumanefficiencyandyousetthecaptivesfree.

``TheTeutonictribeshavecapturedtheworldbecauseoftheirefficiency,''saysLeckythehistorian.

HethenaddsthathehimselfisaCelt.

ThetwostatementstakentogetherrevealLeckytobeamanwithoutprejudice.WhentheIrishtellthetruthabouttheDutchthemillenniumapproaches.

ShouldthequibblerariseandsaythattheDutcharenotGermans,Iwillreply,true,buttheGermansareDutch--atleasttheyareofDutchdescent.

TheGermansaregreatsimplybecausetheyhavethehomelyandindispensablevirtuesofprudence,patienceandindustry.

Thereisnocopyrightonthesequalities.Godcandomanythings,butsofar,Hehasneverbeenabletomakeastrongraceofpeopleandleavetheseingredientsoutoftheformula.

Asanation,Hollandfirstdevelopedthemsothattheybecamethecharacteristicofthewholepeople.

Itwastheslow,steadystreamofHollanderspushingsouthwardthatcivilizedGermany.

MusicasasciencewasborninHolland.ThegrandfatherofBeethovenwasaDutchman.

Gutenberg'sforebearswerefromHolland.

AndwhentheHollandershadgoneclearthroughGermany,andthentraversedItaly,andcamebackhomebywayofVenice,theystrucktherockofspiritualresourcesandthewatersgushedforth.

SinceRembrandtcarriedportraituretothepointofperfection,twohundredandfiftyyearsago,Hollandhasbeenalandofartists--anditissoevenuntothisday.

JohnJacobAstorwasbornofaDutchfamilythathadmigrateddowntoHeidelbergfromAntwerp.Throughsomestrangefreakofatavismthefatheroftheboybredback,andwasmoreorlessofastone-agecave-dweller.Hewasabutcherbytrade,inthelittletownofWaldorf,afewmilesfromHeidelberg.Abutcher'sbusinessthenwastotravelaroundandkillthepetpig,orsheep,orcowthatthetender-heartedownersdarenotharm.Thebutcherwasapariah,asortofunofficial,industrialhangman.

Atthesametimehewasmoreorlessofagenius,forheclimbedsteeples,dugwells,anddidallkindsofdisagreeablejobsthatneededtobedone,andfromwhichsoberandcautiousmenshranklikeunwashedwool.

Onesuchman--aGerman,too--livesinEastAurora.Ijoinedhim,accidentally,inwalkingalongacountryroadtheotherday.Hecarriedabigbasketonhisarm,andwaspeacefullysmokingabigDutchpipe.WetalkedofmusicandhewasregrettingthedeclineofatasteforBach,whenheshiftedthebaskettotheotherarm.

``Whathaveyouinthebasket?

''Iasked.

Andhereistheanswer,``Noddings--butdynamite.Ivasgoinguponderhill,already,toblowmeoudsomestumpsoud.''AndIsuddenlybethoughtmeofanengagementIhadatthevillage.

JohnJacobAstorwastheyoungestoffoursons,andasmanydaughters.Thebrothersranawayearlyinlife,andwenttoseaorjoinedthearmy.OneoftheseboyscametoAmerica,andfollowedhisfather'stradeofbutcher.

JacobAstor,thehappyfatherofJohnJacob,usedtotaketheboywithhimonhispig-killingexpeditions.Thisfortworeasons--one,sotheladwouldlearnatrade,andtheothertomakesurethattheboydidnotrunaway.

Parentswhoholdtheirchildrenbyforcehaveaveryslenderclaimuponthem.ThepastorofthelocalLutheranChurchtookpityonthisboy,whohadsuchdisgustforhisfather'stradeandhiredhimtoworkinhisgardenandrunerrands.

Theintelligenceandalertnessoftheladmadehimlooklikegoodtimberforaminister.

Helearnedtoreadandwasdulyconfirmedasamemberofthechurch.

UnderthekindlycareofthevillageparsonJohnJacobgrewinmindandbody--hisestatewastocomelater.Whenhewasseventeen,hisfathercameandmadeaformaldemandforhisservices.Theyoungmanmusttakeuphisfather'sworkofbutchering.

ThatnightJohnJacobwalkedoutofWaldorfbythewanlightofthemoon,headedforAntwerp.Hecarriedabigredhandkerchiefinwhichhisworldlygoodswereknotted,andinhishearthehadtheblessingsoftheLutheranclergyman,whowalkedwithhimforhalfamile,andsaidaprayeratparting.

Tohaveyouth,highhope,rightintent,healthandabigredhandkerchiefistobegreatlyblessed.

JohnJacobgotajobnextdayasoarsmanonalumberraft.

HereachedAntwerpinaweek.Therehegotajobonthedocksasalaborer.Thenextdayhewaspromotedtochecker-off.ThecaptainofashipaskedhimtogotoLondonandfigureupthemanifestsontheway.Hewent.

ThecaptainoftheshiprecommendedhimtothecompanyinLondon,andtheboywassoonpilingupwealthattherateofaguineaamonth.

InSeptember,SeventeenHundredandEighty-three,camethenewstoLondonthatGeorgeWashingtonhadsurrendered.Inanyevent,peacehadbeendeclared--Cornwallishadforcedtheissue,sotheAmericanshadstoppedfighting.

AlittlelateritwasgivenoutthatEnglandhadgivenupherAmericanColonies,andtheywerefree.

IntuitivelyJohnJacobAstorfeltthatthe``NewWorld''wastheplaceforhim.HeboughtpassageonasailingshipboundforBaltimore,atacostoffivepounds.Hethenfastenedfivepoundsinabeltaroundhiswaist,andwiththerestofhismoney--aftersendingtwopoundshometohisfather,withaletteroflove--boughtadozenGermanflutes.

Hehadlearnedtoplayonthisinstrumentwithproficiency,andinAmericahethoughttherewouldbeanopeningformusiciansandmusicalinstruments.

JohnJacobwasthennearlytwentyyearsofage.

TheshipsailedinNovember,butdidnotreachBaltimoreuntilthemiddleofMarch,havingtoputbacktoseaonaccountofstormswhenwithinsightoftheChesapeake.ThenamonthwasspentlaterhuntingfortheChesapeake.Therewasplentyoftimeforflute-playingandmakingofplans.

OnboardshiphemetaGerman,twentyyearsolderthanhimself,whowasafurtraderandhadbeenhomeonavisit.

JohnJacobplayedthefluteandtheGermanfriendtoldstoriesoffurtradingamongtheIndians.

YoungAstor'scuriositywasexcited.TheWaldorf-Astoriaplanofflute-playingwasforgotten.Hefedonfurtrading.

Thehabitsoftheanimals,thevalueoftheirpelts,thecuringofthefurs,theirfinalmarket,wasallgoneoveragainandagain.Thetwoextramonthsatseagavehimaninsightintoagreatbusinessandhehadthetimetofletcherizehisideas.Hethoughtaboutit--wroteaboutitinhisdiary,forhewasatthejournal-age.Wolves,bearsbadgers,minks,andmuskrats,filledhisdreams.

ArrivinginBaltimorehewasdisappointedtolearnthattherewerenofurtradersthere.HestartedforNewYork.

HerehefoundworkwithacertainRobertBowne,aQuaker,whoboughtandsoldfurs.

YoungAstorsethimselftolearnthebusiness--everypartofit.Hewasalwayssittingonthecurbatthedoorbeforetheownergotaroundinthemorning,carryingabigkeytoopenthewarehouse.Hewasthelasttoleaveatnight.Hepoundedfurswithastick,saltedthem,sortedthem,tookthemtothetanners,broughtthemhome.

Heworked,andasheworked,learned.

Tosecuretheabsoluteconfidenceofaman,obeyhim.Onlythusdoyougethimtolayasidehisweapons,behe