Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-14
Correspondence of the Troy Times.l

Turner-Vulture Hopkfns-LOrd
Hardwike-LOrd EIdOn-JOhn Lit
tie, and other Famous Niggards.
Correspondence of the Troy Times.l
In "Our Mutual Friend, one Of Charles
Dickens romances, an amiable and un-
educated person, named Nlcodemus
Boffin, unexpectedly drops into a great
inheritance, and takes, as a permanent
visitor to himself and wife, handsome,
ambitious, self-willed, charming and pro-
voking young lady, Miss Bella Wilfer, to
whom, in short time, he finds it neces-
sary to give lesson. Finding her to
place too high value upon money, he
persuades her that he has become a
miser, with the worst points of such
character. The Golden Dustman, as
Boffin is called, because. his fortune was
made in that line, does this in. an odd
way. Though he cannot read, he pays
man for reading to him; and, when
ever he walks oul with Miss Bella Wilfer,
insists on her going with him 10 old book
shops, where he looks out for books
about misers, and highly eulogizes such
illustrious personages as John ELVES and
Daniel Dancer, Jenny Taylor and Jem-
nv Wood "Vulture Hopkins, Blew
berry" Jones, "Plum Turner, and
other unworthies. Is5FF cLfirE ID :
John ELVES was nephew of Sir Her
vey ELVES, Bar0net, who died in l764, and
was himself miser, having maintained
his household on $3.50 year. at time
when his fortune was 81 ,250, 900, besides
landed estate. Sir Hervey, though he
disliked sociability, was a member OF a
club which occasionally met in his own
village of Stoke, in Suffolk To this also
belonged two other Baronets, named Sir
Cardwell Firebras and Sir John Barnerd-
iston. TO these three-all of them rich
and miserly-the amount of reckoning
was matter of anxiety. One evening,
while they were discussing the items pro
portioning the respective amounts OF
payment, they were SO loud that a mem
ber in the street called out to another:
For heavens sake, step up stairs and
assist the poor Here are three Baron
cts. worth million sterling, quarrelllng
about half-penny" Elves mother
actually starved herself to death, al
though her fortune was one hundred
Thousand pounds. John Elves inherited
the property of his mother and uncle,
large estates, with $l,750,000 in cash,
and, partly to curry favor with his uncle,
and also because avarice was hereditary
in the family, used to dress badly, and
walk on cold days up and down the great
hall, to save the expense OF lire. once
possessed of the mopey, he plunged into
extravaganeel and meanness - playing
cards all night for thousands, and going
to Smithfeld market early in the morn
ing, to meet a drove Of his cattle
from the country, and, 10 the cold or
rain. haggle with a butcher for a shilling.
He, too, was member of the House OF
Commons, and used to ride on horseback
from Berkshire to London, living on
hard-boiled eggs and crusts of hard bread
to save inn expenses, taking the roads
ON which turnpikes were fewest, and
feeding his horse on grass from the road
side hedges. He knew nothing OF ac-
counts, trusted everything to his mem
.ory, was a prey to sharpers, who baited
him with promises Of highinterest, and
lent freely to Peers and members of Par
lament, losing $4,000 by them alone.
But he would walk FIVE miles in the rain
rather than pay shilling for ride IN a
hackney coach, and would then sit in his
wet clothes rather than light a fire to dry
them. In those days every gentleman
wore a wig. Elves used one that had
been thrown into the street as worn out,
and, after some years, when 1t was COM
pletely dilapidated, wore his own hair to
save the purchase of new or even sec
ond-hand one, His shoes he never suf-
fered to be cleaned lest they should be
worn out the sooner In London, where
he had a great many houses, he would
live in one which was unlet-his furni-
ture consisting of couple of beds, two
chairs, a table, aud an old woman (she
died OF starvafion) who cooked for him.
He died in 1889, sged H. leaving S4,OOO,-
900.
ID" Blewberry Jones, who was a curate
of Blewberry for forty-three years, never
had a domestic servant, and wore the
same coat ell the time, helping himself,
when occasion requifed, to an old nat
from a scarecrow in the cornfields. He
had a single shirt, constantly in wear,
washed by his own hands every three
months, and taken off every night to
prevent its being too soon worn out. His
housekeeping cost him half a crown a
week, and, though his income was only
$3.50 per annum, he contrived toaccumu-
late a large sum, 'r.-.,. =. ........sr Il
Plum Turner and Vulture Hop
kins have beer immortalized in Pope S
Moral. Essays. Turner was . turkey
merchant In London, who. when worth
81 500, 600, laid down bis coach because
the rate Of interest was reduced one per
cent. and. on losing q large sum Of
money. took1to his chamber, which Ne
never Quilted in life. John Hopkins,
called "Vulture," from his rapacity, also
was a merchant in London. He aecumu-
lated 81 500. 900, which he bequeathed so
as not TO be inherited until after the sec
az generation. Having called upon
Thouas fluy fgbg subsequently founded
and endowed Guy 5 HSissialh that weg- |
Thy, on his entrance, lighted a tarthing
candle, and soon extinguished II, saying,
% = Won have not enrne on business, we ]