THE ANCESTORS OF THE " n WERE ALIVE TO GO TO Tb NEW YORK'S NOW AMERICAN DEMOCRA¬ LEADERS SPRUNG CY IS ILLUSTRATED FROM VERT BY AMERICAf* STURDY ARISTOC¬ STOCK. RACY There Is nothing- for the leaders of the 400 to be ashamed of in the show¬ ing on this page to-daj'. If the be¬ ginnings of some of the families now great In New York society were hum¬ ble, Just so much more credit is due to those families for what they have done.for the way they have risen. It Is a striking illustration of exactly what American democracy means. 1806 that democracy which creates out of 1896 itself an aristocracy ever changing because merit is Its foundation. Butchers, tinkers. Junk dealer, clam dig¬ gers, tallow chandlers and tailors are rep¬ descendants in the front resented by their RrRKE-ROCHE.-YhiB name Is COOPER-HEW ITT.Tlie fortnnes of this York society of the pres¬ properly milks of the New ^ old Ir,sh name. but were founded by old Peter Cooper, of the boxes at the K°0d family ent day. The occupants vihenMiss Fannie of this mar- their wen 1th Work, city, whom many residents of New York remem¬ opera have nearly all Inherited lied the brother of Lord she amassed It in humblo Fermov, hy¬ ber to have seen riding about the city in a from those who phenated the name and called herself Mi's If. Indeed, they did not accumulate old buggy, wearing big steel spec¬ trades. of Burke-Roche, though there Is no such name queer It themselves by the and sale n the his chin, and purchase peerage. Her husband's name is J. tacles and whiskers under ordinary commodities. B. B. Roche. Her sister is Mrs. Cooper- In the lender- liavifag an air of great benevolence. Iu No family that is prominent Wh° a'"° her name to have hyPhe«ated early life he went into tlie clue business, ship of New York society appears withoutwlthm* apparent cause. Their father is Mr a member of one of the he founded is still carried been founded by luank M ork, as genial a gentleman as ever and the industry learned professions. Upon the contrary, St0°k Ho is now the Exchfln<?e. began on, although its odoriferous product tiie yardstick and the tape measure, lit 111t this th,ec,fy as a clerk, and the dry goods described as "gelatine." Abram S. Hewitt scales of the merchant and the tools of bej was a good one, too. His love of horse- foundation stone of became tutor In the family, and married artisan appear as the Hes.i lea to an acquaintance with Commo¬ all of our first families. The "an¬ dore A who took a to he and Edward Cooper, nearly anderbllt, fancy him, Miss Cooper. Both cestors" of the 400 only one or two genera¬ him to Into Wall .and have been Mayor of persuaded go Street, son of Peter Cooper, tions back, seem all to have been hustling promised to give him his brokerage busi- Peter however, wasi New \ork. Cooper, shopkeepers, as the following list will show: " ''' ^0lk so' and became a of the fam¬ mm the most distinguished member MORTON..Governor Levi P. Morton be¬ m..,.onalre banker and one of the most benefactions will make ily. and his public gan liis commercial life as a tailor at popular men In Wall Street, from which him long remembered. where he manu¬ Vanderbilt, Hanover, New Hampshire, he retired from active business years ago. VANDEItBILT.Commodore factured clothes for the Dartmouth Col¬ KI.VG._The were prominent In the life as a Kiags three generations back, began students. Hanover is but a small commercial life of New York a century Island. He was lege small farmer on Staten town,, not having even a railroad station, ago. Francis King, in 1785, was an inn¬ also a ferryman and a clam digger. At Dartmouth it the only at No. 10 Front street, where he at New and College gives keeper one time he was an innkeeper social life it possesses. Governor Morton rurn H,ld Si" and musty ale, and gave ancestors were truck Brunswick, N. J. His was the merchant of the place. accommodation to man and beast. His farmers about New leading gardeners and small There are in New York to-day who Inn, which in these days would be called their are to be people Dorp. S. I., where graves claim to clothes made by him dur¬ a was a resort for over¬ possess gin mill, popular sailors, seen in the old Moravian Cemetery, these early days. He soon left Han¬ who there found relaxalion and the crea¬ the mausoleum built, ing looked by magnificent over, and went into the dry goods busi¬ ture comforts. John King at the same time by his descendants. The farm cultivated and father ness. From this fie realized a fortune, was a tailor doing business at No. 56 Broad by his son. William H. Vanderbilt, then he went into finance, founding the street. He lived at No. 2 William street K. and Cornelius, Is still owned of William banking institution of which he is now the and another of the same name was In part¬ and the family. "William H. operated by head. Besides being Governor of New York, nership with his brother, Abrani, as a "en- a small with was for many years farmer, he has been Minister to France and Vice- eral merchant, at No. 16 William street. an income of less than $1,000 a His year'. President of the United States. lie Kings, taken altogether, did a large widow died quite recently. The only men¬ iu from in the directory of REMSEX..The founders of this old New business, dealing everything dry- tion of the family city goods to wet goods and warmth 1TS3 this: "Oliver Vunderbllt, shoemaker, York family were In the grocery business supplying is for the inside as well as for the outside 4 Water street." a century ago. At No. 7 Whitehall street ASTOR.John Jacob Astor, the founder the Rewsens, W. and J., sold sugar and man. tea, soap, candles, beeswax, molasses, HIGGI.WS..The Higginses were late ar¬ of this famfiSily, emigrated from Waldorf, rivals In New York. This la Germany, to England. There by trading snuff, butter, lard and hard tack. Another distinguished of musical in¬ one of the Remsens, JcShn, was in business fa nny claim relationship to the Almlrante he gathf'red an assortment Wiggins who became illustrious in the his¬ struments, and with these emigrated to at the same time, ITStt, as a general mer¬ business here chant, at No. 29 King street, while Henry tory of South America. Their immediate America. He first began ancestor arrived In accordions, Renisen conducted a general merchandise this country from Ire¬ selling guitars, violins, jews- land without any thirst for but soon that business at No. 8 Hanover square. The military glorv h.irps and whistles, dropped but with a of and went into the fur business. He made family was thus well represented in the practical knowledge weav^ ng, which he at once began to put into as mr north as with commercial life of New York a century trips Albany, trading He started 41 sniaI1 the Indians for beaver skins and these ago. They were at thai, time the most carpet factory. Soon grocers in New York. Id Hlgglns knew carpets from the ground he treated In New York for export. prominent and what he did not know about the he extended his and became the LEAKY..One of the most curious trades "!>' operations business was not worth knowing. His leading furrier in America. He foresaw which has given leaders to New York so¬ business When he died he the of New York and Invested his grew rapidly. growth ciety Is that of hatter. The late Arthur loft a vast estate, estimated at millions savings in land. Wholo blocks in thjs city Leary was the predecessor ef Ward Mc¬ Mrs. Mortimer Brooks Inherited part of he bought for less than $100. He inaugur¬ Allister in being the leader of the 400, this but the share went to which has since been fol¬ wealth, greater ated the policy and liis sister. Miss Leary, is prominent In hugene Higgins, the dashing young mill¬ his descendants to but never Their father lowed by buy, society at the present day. ionaire who is now cruising in his new real estate. He was one of the of to sell city supplied hats to a previous generation yacht In Southern seas. richest men in this country at the time New Yorkers, and had a shop near the of his death. Astor House. SCHIEFFELIN..The Seliieffelins are In- GO LD Jay Gould, father of George OG DEN-MILLS..The founder of this erinarried with the Vanderbilts and with other families iu New York so¬ Gould and of the Countess Castellane, comparatively new family in New York so¬ prominent i he Schieffelln fortune was made first appeared in New York as a seller of ciety, Darius O. Mills, is the present owner ciety. in the line of a iat traps. He did not make a success of of the Mills building, and the father of apothecary business. From and then he turned land surveyor. Mrs. Whitelaw Reid and of Mr. small chemist shop, opened in a downtown tuls, Ogden street the founder of the the He got out a map of Delaware County, Mills. Mr. Mills life house¬ by family, began selling business has which he sold to the farmers.