9,2                       THE OLD  .MERCHAjXTS
 

CilAP'TER IIL

One of the old merchants of whom I have vir'AU'W
t\,nsiderably, died on Wednesday evening, the 7th Oct-
toher, at his country seat at Whitestone, L. I. I allude
"zo John Idaggertv. He was born in September, 1773,
befiire the war of the Revolution, and his age lacked
one month of being ninety years.

I have written several pages about Mr. Haggerty.
He was for more than half a century one of the most
noted merchants in this city, and his house of Haggerty
& Austen did the largest auction business in the city or
m the United States. Tlie rivals were John Heme !i
Sons, in 1830. That year Haggerty & Austen paid
auction duties to the extent of $56,199 92. John Hone
& S(m paid $54,162 63. The nearest approach of any
other auction houses to these sums was Pearsall, who
paid about $27,000, and Hoffman who paid 120,000.

The house of Haggerty, Austen & Co., dissolved in
1836, and Mr. Haggerty formed the house of John
Haggertv & Sons.

Mr. Haggerty went into business on his own account
at 82 William street, in 1797. He resided in the house
for some years. He was succeeded in it by Haggerty
& Tuttle, who kept there as late as 1812. John Hag¬
gerty   removed   his dry   goods   business to  160 Pearl