Chapter XIX

There are few merchants in this city who retain the same firm or style of doing business for half or even quarter of a century.

About one of the oldest, wealthiest and most extensive commercial houses, is that of Boorman, Johnston & Co. When that house commenced is beyond my personal knowledge, but I believe it to have been before the war of 1812. Originally the firm was Boorman & Johnston. Both of the partners were Scotchmen, and must have come over to this country when they had just reached manhood, as agents for some old established Scotch house. This was the case with many other Scotch youths who made a successful start in the great city, and we presume it was the case with James Boorman and John Johnston.

Their business at first was selling Scotch goods, bagging from Dundee &c.

The firm did a very large business with Virginia, and at one time sold nearly all the tobacco that came to this market from Richmond.

They also did a large iron business, and received cargoes from England and Sweden. They always had Swedish vessels coming in loaded with cargoes of iron to their consignment.

The store of Boorman & Johnston was in South street a long time. They then removed about thirty years ago to Greenwich street directly opposite Albany street. It was an immense store, with a very large yard. Here were erected sheds and iron bins.

In 1835 Boorman, Johnston & Co. received a consignment of immense iron pillars. I believe they came from Stockholm. They did their best to sell what nobody wanted. Finally, they set a mason to work, took out the under front wall of their great store in Greenwich street and placed the pillars underneath. There they remain to this day to be seen by any curious person, and I fancy those were the first iron pillars ever made use of in this city.

In 1828 Adam Norrie came out from Scotland, and was taken in as a partner of B. & J., and the firm had Company attached to it.

Adam Norrie, when he arrived, was not remarkable for his beauty, and has not grown more handsome since; but New York has never seen a more energetic and intelligent merchant. Scotch to the back bone—that is, filled with ideas of stern honesty, sagacity, prudence and rapid determination, Mr. Norrie has never been beat. He probably was remarked for these great mercantile qualities before he left Scotland, for with them he also brought to the firm he joined in this city a most splendid connection and correspondence in the old country, and greatly added to the business of Boorman, Johnston & Co.

The business of this mammoth concern became so large about twenty-five years ago, that they had to give up portions of it. They were the largest Madeira merchants, and received immense quantities of that wine every year. From Italian ports they received large consignments.

Mr. John Johnston had a brother who was doing a large dry goods business in Richmond, Va., under the firm of Triplett & Johnston. Mr. Johnston retired from that firm, came on to New York, and formed with Silas Wood and Francis Burritt the firm of Wood, Johnston & Burritt. The new house took all the dry goods business formerly done by Boorman, Johnston & Co. for some years, and did the largest business in the city.

That house was dissolved long ago. Silas Wood and Mr. Johnston, of that firm, both died. Mr. Burritt is still living, and the business is carried on at No. 69 Broad street, by Francis Burritt & Co.

Probably there are more merchants in this city, who were once clerks with Boorman, Johnston & Co., than with any other house. It would be a curious matter to see the list. Among others were two young men, one of whom was named William Wilson, and the other Francis Brown.

Wilson was the son of a Scotch friend of James Boorman, but had been unfortunate, failed and died. He left his children to the guardianship of James Boorman. The latter never had any children of his own, but he adopted a daughter of his friend Wilson. The son he took in his counting room, and in 1838 started him in business with another clerk of his, Mr. Brown, under the firm of Wilson & Brown. To the new house he gave up all the wine and Italian business of Boorman Johnston & Co.

Mr. Wilson married Susan Ripley, a daughter of Frederick A. Tracy, a very extensive broker in Wall street, forty-five years ago. Mr. Brown married Eliza, another daughter. Mr. Tracy left several sons and daughters when he died. A son of Mr. Tracy, Frederick Jr., married Miss Wilson, the adopted daughter of Mr. Boorman. He is now, although a young man, the head of the immense dry goods house of Tracy, Irwin, & Co. in Broadway. Young Tracy was for many years a clerk in the great silk house of Nelson, Carleton & Co. Their store was in Pearl street, about three doors from Wall, and where Beaver now enters Pearl. It was among the first stores burned on the night of the great fire in December, 1835.

John G. Nelson was one of the best silk merchants of this city. He was superior to Stewart in his knowledge of silk. He had married Miss Eunice Ripley, a sister of Mrs. Frederick A. Tracy, and was so far connected with the younger Tracy.

In those days most of our merchants and prominent business men were men of piety, and were religiously useful. They were attached to some church—were usually engaged in the process of Sunday school teaching. Business and money-making were not the only objects of life. Not a person have we named in this article as yet, who was not devotedly pious. Old Frederick A. Tracy, though a Wall street broker, was a pure, devoted, sincere Christian, if ever there lived such a man. He was a member of Dr. Milnor's church—St. George's, in Beekman street (now Dr. Tyng's, up town). Great credit is paid to Dr. Tyng for his knowledge of Sunday schools. Dr. Milnor forgot more in five minutes about Sunday schools than Docter Tyng ever knew, or ever will know, if he lives to be as old in years as the antique Methusaleh.

Frederick S. Winston, once a merchant, now I believe president of an insurance company, was superintendent of the main Sunday school at St. George's in Beekman street. He was able, energetic and devotedly pious. Dr. Milnor had a sort of branch Sunday school up in Duane street, between Church and West Broadway—about 133 and 135—where the public school recently stood, but where new stores are just now finished.

There were two schools in that building. One was a negro Sunday school below, and a white school above. It was a hard old neighborhood, and ranked in sin next to the Five Points. West Broadway was then called Chapel street.

Jeremiah H. Taylor, an energetic Christian, though a hardware merchant near Pearl street, was the superintendent of the colored part, and Mr. Tracy of the white school. Nearly all the teachers belonged to Dr. Milnor's church, and after the Sunday school hour was over, adjourned to Beekman street.

Dr. Potts at that time preached in Duane street, and I believe John G. Nelson and old James Boorman both belonged to that church.

Dr. Milnor was an extraordinary man, as well as clergyman. He truly was "as wise as a serpent, and as harmless as a dove." He had once been in Congress—a member of the House of Representatives from Philadelphia, in the same Congress with Clay, Calhoun and Randolph. He evidently made a great impression upon Randolph, for in one of his letters, published in his life, he makes the following allusion to him:

JOHN RANDOLPH TO DR. JOHN BROCKENBROUGH.

Roanoke, Va., June 2d, 1813.

"What you tell me of Milnor is quite unexpected. He was one of the last men I should have expected to take orders; not so much on account of his quitting a lucrative profession, as from his fondness for a gay life. I am not sure but that it is the safest path. The responsibility is awful-it is tremendous."

The attachment to him formed by those who came in contact with Dr. Milnor, was very remarkable. He was a true shepherd to his flock. Among his congregation he numbered some of the most wealthy merchants of the city. There was Hubert Van Waggenen, Wm. S. Johnson, Wm. Whitlock, R. B. Minturn, and others. James Boorman has a history worth reading, if it is ever written. A more remarkable man never lived. By commerce he became rich, and has never abandoned the pursuit by which he thrived, and probably never will.

The firm is still Boorman, Johnston & Co., and is composed of James Boorman, a son of Mr. Johnston, (for the old John Johnston died in 1849), and Mr. Adam Norrie. They occupy a counting room over the Bank of the Republic.

Probably no merchant now alive has been more active in schemes of benevolence than Mr. Boorman. He has been honored with being made chief of every corporation with which he would connect himself, and at this moment is the principal man, as he was the originator, of the Hudson River Railroad.

Adam Norrie, one of the great firm above, lived for a long time in Chambers street, opposite the Park, and only a few doors from where Stewart's great store stands. At that time it was regarded as one of the most desirable streets for private residences. John Haggerty lived on that range, and few thought commerce would ever trouble Chambers street.

Mr. John G. Nelson is now one of the largest wire manufacturers in the United States; under the firm of Nelson & Richmond. Their wire mill is in Twenty-fifth street, and their warehouse at 81 John street.

The firm of Tracy, Irwin & Co., has been very nearly a quarter of a century in existence and without a change until quite recently. It is said that matrimony is a lottery, or if it was, a man's chance of securing a partner would be better than by actual acquaintance. So it would seem in mercantile partnership, for it has been said that when young Tracy wished to go into business on his account after leaving the house of Nelson, Carleton & Co., he drew up an advertisement and inserted in the daily newspapers. It was replied to by Mr. Irwin, neither of them had ever been previously acquainted with the other. It led to a partnership, and the new dry goods firm commenced business in Hanover Square.

Booraem—another name, has been frequently mixed up with Boorman. It was another house altogether. Henry Booraem was the head of a great silk house many years ago. He was a very elegant man in his manners, and died rich. The store of H. Booraem & Co., was in Pearl street near Wall. His partner was Jacob Rathbun, at one time considered the handsomest man in New York, save one. That one was handsome Harry Hone. When Henry Booraem died, his wife put in the concern $60,000, and the business was carried on for some time. Mr. Booraem left sons and daughters. One of the sons married a daughter of old parson Lyle, who preached for so many years in Christ Church, Anthony street, opposite the hospital grounds. A sister married Mr. Leni, and one of the sons is with the latter person.