Chapter 10

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 business--Brings 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 Railway--Drew'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 Road--Is 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.