▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁opened ▁a ▁dry ▁goods ▁and ▁gro c ery ▁store ▁in ▁Ut ica , ▁New ▁York . ▁De vere ux ▁was ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁Alb any ▁shop keeper ▁and ▁entrepr ene ur ▁William ▁James . ▁His ▁goods ▁were ▁of ▁hand some ▁quality . ▁De vere ux ▁"... had ▁energy , ▁sh rew d ness , ▁and ▁industry ; ▁a ▁temper ▁most ▁gener ous , ▁a ▁tongue ▁that ▁was ▁persu as ive ▁and ▁fl uent , ▁and ▁man ners ▁ben ign ant ▁and ▁pol ished ." ▁He ▁quickly ▁became ▁possibly ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁and ▁best ▁known ▁merchant ▁west ▁of ▁Alb any . ▁His ▁brothers ▁Luke , ▁Thomas , ▁and ▁Nicholas ▁em igr ated ▁as ▁well , ▁and ▁joined ▁him . ▁By ▁ 1 8 1 3 , ▁Luke ▁De vere ux ▁had ▁opened ▁his ▁own ▁store . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁successful ▁and ▁became ▁wealth y ; ▁was ▁public ▁spir ited ▁and ▁enter pr ising . ▁Dr . ▁B agg ▁in ▁" The ▁P ione ers ▁of ▁Ut ica " ▁says , ▁" a ▁sett ler ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁and ▁a ▁very ▁prince ▁among ▁his ▁fell ows ▁was ▁John ▁C . ▁De vere ux ▁whose ▁hon ou rable ▁career ▁and ▁many ▁de eds ▁of ▁char ity ▁left ▁behind ▁him ▁a ▁memory ▁as ▁verd ant ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁green ▁is le ▁wh ence ▁he ▁came ". ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁his ▁brother ▁Nicholas , ▁after ▁two ▁years ▁working ▁for ▁William ▁James ▁in ▁Alb