The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-20

lOuS, MT. LenON exercises close ul9cfim-
ination, and for this purpose he has for
years refused personal applications This
measure, indeed, was NECESSARY, in order
TO escape perpetual SIEGE which would
soon have driven any man distracted.
He has been in the habit of considering
written applications, and of selecting
such IS seemed worthy of his patronage.
Mr. LenOX annually disbuTses an enor-
nous sum in most useful as we'll as
most quiet manner. Indeed, his mansion
is one Of the benevolent institutions of
the day, and 20 ell intents and purposes,
its occupant is but an actuary driven by
perpetual duties, and working with ASST
duty TO fulfil an important trust~ He is
thoroughly practical man. posted ON all
the details Of business, and inheriting
the peculiar abilities and energy Of his
father puts them to the best of use
We may say that the whole purpose Of
his life is bcnevolence 10 all classes Mr..
Lenox viii pardon us if we alude to his
munidcent gifts toward educational en-
terprise, and especially to those which
enrich the institutions of Princeton. He
has long been trustee of Nassau Hall,
in whose behalf he has expended large
sums, and whose gallery is enriched with
his portrait. The Theological Seminary
is also an object of his ailectionate care.
A few years ago, he observed that it
needed increased accommodation for its
growing library. Carrying out a scheme
which had its inception in this circum-
stance, he quietly employed an agchitect
TO draft plans, while at the same time a
suitable range of grounds was obtained,
the materials hauled from New York,
and the present noble edilice, known as
the Lenox Library, erected. That lib
! raTy has been of vast assistance to the
| institution, and not a student visits its
! alcOyes, who does not gratefully remem-
| ber its founder with "a sentiment like that
uttered by Gray in reference to Eton:
Where grateful science still aIores
| Her Heury's sacred shade7
We understand that il has been recent
ly decided to change this structure into
an oratory, and to buil9 another library,
aud we presume that in this also Mr.
Lenox takes the initiative. We have re-
lerred to the fact that Mr. LenoX only
considers written applications, but lest
this statement should lead to their in
crease we would add word of eXplana-
tion. Their number has already become
so large as TO create a great burden, and
the daily task of reading these begging
letters is very annoying. Mr.. Lenox is
greatly OVerladen, and we advise any one
who may think of his name aa a de1pey'
resort TO refrain from adding TO the
labOrs of an overworked philanthrOpist.
Rest assured, dear reader, that Mr.. Lenox
will do all possible good with his money,
and if it fails to reach you, il may flow
to more deserving object.
Mr.. LenoX is deeply Interested in the
Free Church of Scotland, and was one of
its most efficient helpers at the time of its
exodus. A correspondence between him
and DIR. Chalmers conveyed his benefac-
tiOns through the nOblest of instrument
talities and portrait of the great Scot
tsh theOlOgian graces the mansion Of his
American friend. II was painted by
Henry Inman, during his sojourn abroad
and is the finest picture OF Chalmers we
have ever seen. Mr. LenoX is q man Of
fine taste, and finds recreation in ga
thering rare books, Of which he has q
valuable collection, and he possesses, ir
addition, splendid gallery Of pictures
Among them are two Of Turner'S land
scapes, and we know of no others il
America We might say more of this
estimable man, but will not TOO soon an,
ticipatc the voice of fame. Our state
ments are made mainly to correct som,
false Impressions about one who, will
all his reticence, is one of the public
men of his day, and who fullils the idei
of the poet
DO good 10y stealth and blush 10 mud ii Guut.
Such a man was George Douglas, on
Of the same circle of wealthy citizens 0
Scotch descent, who, though in a pecun
ary view, hardly in the same rank will
Mr.. LenOX, was still very rich. Mr.
Douglas preserved studied retirement
and passed much of his time on his no
BILE farm, but was still active in philan
thropy. His estate can not be far iror
a half million, yet il was used humbl,
in the service of his race,
sruOr "a uurscd tu srcltn IS and o. Ilche- born.
Yet IA CA tua hrrsl huwcr he saw tho thorn
Beneath the finest hurn sIckcuth felt,
Ana bound DIS purple With Iu iron belt,
, LIvrd Nray0n'a trustee. aud lent and gave away,
ToGnd's own b irs who ueyor could repay
And died a rare example ca the great.
1 | uf lowiy yirtue Ia high estate
But among all American capitalists III
name of AstOr looms up in unapproacha
BILE solitude, aud stands as il has stOO
|. for nearly forty years.
We may get the better idea OF the As
|, tor estate by comparative view. Thu
a man worth one hundred Thousand dol
! lars is rich man. a man worth five hun
dred thousand dollars is a very rich maj
, a millionaire is still more the ideal
' wealth Mr., AstOr then, is if right
estimated, equal TO twenty five million
, aires, or two hundred and fifty rich me
= of the class first mentioned. In Il
seven hundred thousand inhabitants
= New York, there are not more than tW
!, hundred men worth one hundred thut
!, sand dollars; not more than twenty-ii'
- of the second; not more than ten Of Il
y, last Approaching the assessment no
we may estimate the Astor estate at ol
thirtieth of the entire city Thus
e stands one seven hundred thOusandth
=. the proportion Of population, and o.
thirtieth in that OF wealth; or ia 9th
I, words, he owns what would be q il
n proportion for twenty-five thousand
:, his fellow citizens. The Commenceme
~ of this estate was as is well known,
~ small beginnings.
y Among the emigrants who landed
y, New York about the close Of the Fren
Revolution, was a rude German, ir
40 Baden Baden, whose life in the n
'E World was commenced aa a labor
~ lie aiterward became a peddler Of far
bat
ud sUaIung uu Church lately. We found him 6uisi
by hH tolopAA, .oE No LvuuX. Price, aiH thousand
lars