USA > New York > The aristocracy of New York : they are and what they were : being a social and business history of the city for many years > Part 6
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Although there can be no doubt but that Mr. S.'s disposition and business tact, combined while in trade with a close obervance of the principles of economy, were, as before stated, the preliminary steps to his final acquirement of his present wealth, yet any person at all acquainted with the growth of the city within the last twenty years, cannot help seeing that its present amount is owing to the increase in value of the property which he has held. He enjoys the highest respect and esteem of all who are acquainted with him, and is a character most worthy to be imitated. He is at this time reputed to be worth $200,000, which amount, we sincerely be- lieve, there is no one who knows him would wish to be reduced a single farthing.
STILWELL, REV. WILLIAM. a brother of John and Silas M., before alluded to, joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, and finally became a preacher, in which capacity he served in that sect, and, by his associations while in that connection, was enabled to marry a lady of considerable property. Subsequently, owing, it is said, to some arbitrary construction of the power vested in the Bishopric, he became discontented, and, with a number of adherents, entered a protest, and were either finally turned out or separated themselves from that establishment; whereupon arose a new sect, or division, under his direction, and now pretty extensive, known as the Stillwell Methodists. We believe that the only new features in Mr. Still- well's church constitution is the abolition of the office of Bishop, which he found so extremely burdensome in the government of the church from which his order have seceded, and a practice of locating their ministers.
Like his brother, he is endowed with a prominent development of the organ of getalongativeness, and may or may not have been moved in his undertaking by an overweaning ambition for a minister of the gospel to possess. Be that as it may, he is now with us, and is highly respected, by those who are acquainted with him, for many virtues which they find. in him; and far be it from us to wish to excite prejudice against any. He is also considered well to do in this world's goods, which, in the minds of some, we have no doubt, is not a reason why he should be the less esteemed for piety and benevolence.
STILLWELL, SILAS M., a brother of John, above alluded to. has been for a number of years conspicuous in the whig party, from whom he has received various substantial marks of favor. He has also acquired considerable notoriety by the framing of an act, which was passed by the Legislature of this State some years since, and which has been called, in honor of him, the Stilwell Act. He has been before the people for the office of Lieutenant Governor, has been for a long time United States Marshal for this district, and was the bearer of some governmental communication to the French government. While oa this expedition he came in contact with and married his present wife, whose maiden name was Nosworthy, a daughter of the late Samuel, who left a large estate in this city. Some say, he paid considerable attention to the lady before they met in Paris, and that the marriage was objected to by her relatives, and that thereupon she became very ill from the effects of the disappointment ; and it being deeined necessary for her to seek change of scene and climate, she repaired to Europe almost simultaneously with Mr. S., which was the cause of their meeting at Paris; and that the first intelligence the relatives received of her conveyed to them the news of the consummation of the forbidden baas. The gentleman, by this operation, got a life estate of considerable amount, and has charge of some portion of his father-in-law's estate. He has not of late years appeared much in public, content, we presume, to recline upon the lau- rels he has won. He is much respected for his talent and gentlemanly bearing.
The father of the three gentlemen last named. kept a small shoe store in the 6th Avenue, about 25 years since.
TAPPAN, LEWIS. One of the most remarkable men in the city, and one of a remarkable family of brothers. They originated in Newburyport, Mass. The eldest brother, Benjamin, was by trade & watebmaker, and afterwards taught school in Surfeld, Conn., sixty years ago. Among his pupils were the late Thaddeus Phelps, of this city, and Francis Granger, of Conandaigna. Subsequently, he stu- died law, removed to Ohio, and was for many years a Judge. He was an active politician, and within a few years. has been Senator in Congress from that State. He is now a very old man, and resides at Steubenville. He has always been a strenu- ous Democra, t yet is said to be at heart an Abolitionist, equally as much as his broth- ers; but, when in the Senate, the force of party ties has restrained him frora
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manifesting his sentiments openly, and even compelled him to vote for the annexa- tion of Texas, although he was previously keown to have been opposed to it.
John Tappan, of Boston, served as a clerk with Sewell & Salisbury, Merchants' Row, married a daughter of Deacon Salisbury, of the old South, and was admitted as a partner of the firm. After the peace of 1815, he went into the French trade in silks, in connection with S. V. S. Wilder, of New York, the unfortunate agent · of Hottinguer & Co., Paris. John's great caution and sagacity saved his fortune through many perils. He is sedately orthodox. Arthur Tappan came to this city about thirty years ago, and established himself as a silk dealer. Lewis soon fol- lowed, from Boston, and the twain conducted for many years the largest silk job- bing house in America. Their store, with its valuable contents, was destroyed by the great conflagration of '35, but being insured at the Hartford and other insurance offices, their loss was inconsiderable. They sustained themselves through the try- ing period of '36 and -'7, amid the general wreck of fortunes around them, but in 1841-'2 became bankrupt. Arthur availed himself of the bankrupt act, and holds a subordinate place in the store of Alfred Edwards & Co., who succeeded the Tap- pans in business. It is said that Arthur Tappan settled a hundred thousand upon his wife in the days of his prosperity. All concur in according him the character of an amiable, benevolent, unostentatious, upright and honest man. The two broth- ers, Arthur and Lewis, have always been conspicuous in the religious movements of the day, the former contributing largely to the support of the Bible, Tract, and Missionary Societies, making repeated donations of an hundred and a thousand dollars at a time. They were members of Dr. Cox's church, corner of Haight and Varick streets, at the time it was assaulted by the mob in 1837, in consequence of the Doctor's avowal of abolition sentiments. That eminent divine, however, has since, from some undefinable reason, waxed cold in his zeal for emancipation, while the Tappans have faithfully maintained their position in the front ranks of the Aboli- tion army. Arthur's experience in this unpopular cause has taught him, though probably without diminishing his regard for real religion, to estimate men rather by deeds than professions, as is illustrated by the following anecdote. When Bell, the infidel Abolitionist, was in New York, procuring subscribers for Cassius M. Clay's paper, being curious to see Mr. Tappan, he called on him to solicit his sub- scription, which was readily procured. While engaged in conversation, one of the young men in the store wrote on a slip of paper, which he handed to Mr. Tappan : " This is Bell. the noted infidel." He glanced at it. and replied hastily-" I dont' care if it is : I like him better than some Christians."
Lewis Tappan, after the failure of the firm, applied himself to the establishment of a commercial agency, the object of which is, to ascertain, by means of agents throughout the country, the character and standing of the merchants in the different towns, so that when the New York dealers receive applications for goods from traders at a distance, they have only to 'refer to Mr. Tappan to ascertain their de- grec of trustworthiness. The scheme has proved a successful one, although it has excited much hostility and animadversion from the country dealers. Lewis Tap- pan is a man of excitable temperament and of'a belligerent spirit, and, consequently, is often engaged in contention of some kind, and has at divers thnes found vent for his feelings in the publication of sundry pamphlets. When in Boston, he was a. zealous Unitarian, but finding cecasien to change his sentiments, he embraced a dif- ferent creel with equal ardor. The Tappaas were interested in establishing the Journal of Commerce in New York, a paper which was intended to exert a correct moral and religious tendency, and inculcate the strict observance of the Sabbath. It is said, $20.000 were sunk in the enterprise before it succeeded.
The enterprise in which Lewis Tappan is now engaged, is said to be worth $10,- 000 per annum. We shall therefore put him down as being already worth at least $50,000.
TAYLOR. .SES, was a clerk with G. G. & S. Howland, but fifteen yearsago, He has gr ... . ch very fast, principally in commission business in coffee, sugar, &c. from Cuba. He is worth about $400,000.
WOODHULL & MINTURN are owners and agents of a line of Liverpool packets, to which the Queen of the West and The Liverpool belong. They have a large commission and shipping business, and are worth about $200,000.
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WILLIS, N. P. A native of Portland, Me., where his father conducted the "Eastern Argus," subsequently conducted by Seba Smith, now of this city, and also, at a later date, by F. O. J. Smith, now of the Magnetic Telegraph Co. Mr. Nathaniel Willis, Sen., having become converted, joined the church, and decming his employment inconsistent with the Christian character, he disposed of his share in the paper and went to Boston, where he commenced the publication of the " Bos- ton Recorder," (which is at this time the oldest religious journal in the world) in which office the subject of this sketch used to make himself useful by setting type. He subsequently entered Yale College, and while there published some of his best pieces. He travelled in Europe, and married the daughter of a gentleman of con- siderable standing, who held some estate for life, but which enabled him to leave nothing to his children. Mr. W. returned to this country, and settled upon an estate on the Susquehannah, near Binghampton, which, he obtained from his college : chum, Mr. Pumpelly, a resident of B., and whose father is a large landholder in that region. After residing there for some half dozen years, he came to this city to earn his living with the pen, soon after which his wife died, He has since married an adopted daughter of the Hon. Mr. Grinnel, of New Bedford, and is now engaged in the publication of the Home Journal, in connection with George P. Morris. Mr. W. enjoys high literary reputation, and is well known to the community more on that account than for any pecuniary consideration, and none would more gladly than we be able to say with truth that he is worth $100,000. Mr. Willis has a brother who has been many years in Germany, engaged in the study of music, and gives great promise. One of his sisters married a younger brother of Arthur and Lewis Tappan.
WALKER, EDWARD. The son of a bookbinder, in London, whom he succeed- ed in business. Failing in this, he came out to America, and worked in Boston at his trade, as a journeyman. At length, not satisfied with his situation, he attempt- ed the business of selling dry goods. The plan he pursued was, to procure samples of the auctioneers, and set out on foot, travelling through the country, to trade with the retail dealers. The project, however, was unsuccessful, and he left Boston for Philadelphia, where, after remaining a short time, he came to New York. He now pursued his trade with Mr. Camp, until he was fortunate enough to secure the favor of Appleton & Co., who assisted him to set up the bookbinding for himself in a , small shop in the rear of his store. He next became a publisher, and was connect- ed with Sears in publishing his pictorial works, and has since issued many import- ant and valuable books. He has now a bookstore in Fulton street, and one of the most extensive binderies in the United States, and is supposed to be worth about $39,000.
WHITE, JOSEPH LITTLE, son of Dr. Delos White, a celebrated physician of of Cherry Valley. His 'mother was a daughter of Dr. Little, of Springfield, by whom his father obtained a considerable estate. Mr. White, after completing his legal studies, emigrated to Indiana, where. he soon rose to distinction, and was chosen as a Representative to Congress. He has since removed to this city and pur- sued the practice of the law. He is a strenuous Whig, a'good lawyer, and honorable, highminded gentleman. We hope he will I ve until he is worth at least $50,000. "WETMORE, R. C., as his early career is strongly identified with that of his brother, which we have heretofore related, we shall content ourselves with giving an account of his present situation. He is now engaged in the Crockery business, trading principally to the South, has for some time filled the office which his broth- er, P. M. W., now holds, in fact like two buckets in a well, one or the other has been up continually. One holding fast by the fate of the Whigs, and the other having equally as tenacious a hold by the trust of their opponents. The subject of the present sketch, is reputed to be a Whig, and is as conspicuous in that party as his brother is in the other. Like P. M. W., he is a very gentlemanly man, and is reputed to be worth $100,000,
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ERRATUM .- On page 11, the paragraph should be read as at the top of page 12 ; and vice versa.
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