Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-04-09
THE MIsERIES OF MIsERs

THE MISERlES OF MISERS.
The following interesting account of
these curious s'fessils" will interest rea-
ders of LIFE, and show them one of the
worst phases of poor, warped, or peryer-.
ted human nature. -....
There died at Paris in the year 1899,
literally of want, the well known banker,
Osteryald. A few days previous to his
death he resisted the opportunities of his
attendant to purchase some meat for the
purpose Of making a r1ttro soup, for him.
'sTrue, I should like the soup" he said
"but have no apetite for the meat;
what is to become of that? It will be
sad waste, This poor wretch died
worth 9125, 600 sterling. Another des-
perate case was Elves, whose diet and
dress were like of the revolving kind,
and whose property was estimated at
$500, ,000.. Daniel Dancer 'smiscrly pro-
pensities were indulged to such degree,
that on one occasion, when, at the urgent
solicitation of friend, he ventured to
tgive ashilling to Jew for an old hat
better as new-to the astonishment of
his friends, the next, day he actually re-
tailed it foreighteenpence. He perform
ed his ablutions at a neighboring pool,
drying himself in the sun to save the ex-
travagant Indulgence of towel; yet this
poor mendicant had property to the ex-
tent of upward of 93, 900 per annum.
The we'll known Nat Bentley, alias
Dirty Dick of London, was the victim
not only to craving for gold, but for
old iron. .--- @0-.-@---.7-
Another deplorable case might be
cited-that of Tom Pitt, of Warwick
shire. It is reported that some weeks
prior to the sickness which terminated
his despicable career, he went to sever
al undertakers in quest of cheap coffin.
He left behind him 92,475 in public
funds. -'.. ..-.
Another instance is that of the noto-
rious Thomas Cook. On his physician i'm
itating the possibility of his not existing
more than five or six days, he protested
against the usless expense of sending
him medicine, and charged the doctor
never to show his face to him again.
His property was estimated at about
G130,000.
Sir William Smith, of Bedfordshiro,
was immensely rich, but most parsim-
onions and -naiserly his habits. At
seventy years of age he was entirely de-
his boarded heaps of gold. He was per-
sued by Taylor the celebrated oculist, to
be couched-who was, by agreement, to
have sixty guineas if he restored his pa
tient to any degree of sight. Taylor
succeeded in his operation, and Sir VIII
liam was enabled to read and write with
out the aid of spectecles during the rest
of his life.
But no sooner was his sight restored
than the baronet began to regretthat his
agreement had been for so large sum.
His thoughts were now how to cheat the
oeulist He pretended that he had only
glimmering, and could see nothing dis
tinctly; for which reason the bandage on
his eyes was continued month longer
than the usual time. Taylorwas deceiv-
ed by these representations, and
agreed to compound the bargain, and
accepted twenty guineas instead of sixty.
At the time Taylor attended him he
had a large estate, an immense sum of
money in the stocks, and six thousand
pounds in the house.
A miser of the name of Fosuce, who
had amassed enormous wealth by the
most sordid parsimony and discreditable
extortion, applied his ingenuity to dis
cover some etfectual way of hiding his
gold. With great care and secrecy he
dug cave in his cellar. To this re-
ceptable for his treasure he decended
by ladder, and to the trap door he at
tached spring lock, so that on shutting
it, it would fasten of itself. By-and-by
the miser disappcared; inquiries were
made; the house was searched, woods were
explored, and the ponds dragged; but
no Foscue could they find. Some time
passed on The house in which he had
lived was sold, and workmen were bust
ly employed in its repair. In the pro-
gress of their work they met with the
door of the secret cave, with the key in
the outside-They threw back the door,
and decended with light The first
object upon which the lamp reflected
was the CHASTITY body of Foscue, the mi
ser, and scattered around him were heavy
bags of gold, and ponderous sheets of
unfoldcd treasure; candlestick lay be-
side him on the floor. This worshipcr
of Mammon had gone into the cave to
pay his dcvoirs to his golden god, and
became a sacrifice to his devotion.
MoRAL.-On the principle that it is
more blessed to give than to receive"
is mans happiness augmented, by US
ing for the benefit of the living any prop
erty-aU property which he may ac-
quire-,chne living. We can not take
property with us to the other world, and
enough laid up to meet our common
wants, or to provide for rainy day, ac-
cidents, ect., is all we need.-He is the
happiest man who distributes his money
and other property, through his beneV-
olencc and judgment chite he hccS.
na-W Which causes a woman the most
trouble, to have a servant or be without
one? In other words, which is the worst
to do your own work or rectify the
errors of green horn. We throw out