The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-11-14
MEMOIRS OF REMARKABLE
MISERS.

MEMOIRS OF REMARKABLE
MISERS.
Sir Harvey Elves had succeeded to an
estate encountered by the prodigality of his
father. He prudently resolved to liquidate
! all the mortgages, and the habit of self de-
NAL ultimately degenerated into avarice
/ His annual expenditure did not exceed
/ fI1O. He lived a bachelor for above
eighty years: cleared all his estates from
liability, and left his nephew about E250,
! 600, so that John Ewles Inherited from his
father, mother, and uncle half a million.
He was then forty years of age. He had
been deep gambler at the West End clubs
in his early life, and it is said that on one
occasion she played two days and night
without cessation, until the party were up to
their knees in cards. He lost and paid
many thousands, but did not receive what
he won, and his pride or delicacy of feeling
would not allow him to ask for what was
due to him. His creditors belonged to the
high aristocracy, in whom the sense of
honor was dead. ELVES, Disguised, aban-
doned the card table forever. He was a
man OF mild gentlemanly manners, and
with firmness and equauimity of temper
that nothing could disturb. AS an excel
lent horseman, he was fond of racing, and
lent Lord Abingdon, only slightly known
10 him, seven thousand pounds, to complete
bet He was not hard man to his ten
ants As a member of Parliament, hA was
incorruptble, always voting as his con
science directed, aud frequently against his
own interest. Attached to Fox in politics,
he admired Pitt, saying of him, 'He is the
minister for the property of the country;
there are pounds, shillings, and pence in
all be utters." 1t was just eulogium on
the great inancier, who had the good sense
to perceive that property was most secure
and most productive when labor was best
ramunerated.
But with all his good qualities and gen.
erous impulses, Elves was confirmed mi
ser-his better feelings being perverted by
sordid influences which seemed rooted IN
his nature. Even in his gay days, when
gambling propensities were strong, he would
quit the clubs of fashion and prohigacy at
four o'clock in the morning, and walk to
Smithfeld to meet his own cattle, which he
knew would arrive in the market, and
there haggle with butcher for the differ
ence of shilling. In his journeys between
London and his farms, he never entered an
y
hard boiled eggs in his pocket. Whenever
he could, be evaded turnpike-gates, to save
tie toll, and fed his horse on the grass that
grew by the roadside. When he came to
greensward, he would take off the animals
shoes, saying that it refreshed the feet.
lie would dine off a pancake that he had
carried about on his person for two months.
insisting that it was as good as new. Med
zeal advice he spurned, dreading the cost.
When one of his sons, having injured him
self by fall from a ladder, paid a shilling
to be bled, his father reproyed him for his
extravaganza, saying, you are blockhead /;
never part with your blood" Strange TO
say, though Ewles had received good edu-
cation, he knew nothing of accounts, and
trusted to his memory, not to figures, with
the use of which he was unacquainted; and
his ignorance made him tie dupe of many
cunning spectators. This shrewd man
was frequently gulled. A wine merchant
made him present of some fine wine, and
then wheedled him out of seven hundred
pounds, as pretended loan, vi ich be new
er intended to repay. at was fine wine, +"
said ELVES, ''for it cost me twenty pounds
bottle.'' He would walk in London du-
ring heavy rain, rather than pay for a coach;
eat putrid meat, rather than order a fresh
joint; sit in wet clothes, rather than pay
for fire to dry them; and wear cast of
wig which he had picked up out of ditch.
But he could do generous acts. He once
rode sixty miles to London, with couple
of hard boiled eggs In his pocket, to rescue
two old maids from the penalties of the Ec-
clesiastical Court. They had, through ig-
norance, failed to put in an appearance.
and he made submition for them In person
just in time to save them from the fangs oil
the law. AS a country magistrate. he was
always impartial,
Elves was a great builder. He had
property about the Haymarket aud Portman'
square, and was his own insurer against
FIRE. When he visited London, he slept in
any Of the houses that happened to be va
cant AS furniture, he allowed himself 3
chair or two, one table, and couple of beds
for himtelf and an old woman, who moved
from house to house as required, she taking
the furniture. In one of these dwelling