New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-06-01
The Curse Of Millions.

1t IL very hard for mankind 10 believe that
wealth, unlmproved, brings misery but that
such is the fact is occasionally made manifest
in the most fearful manner. We have few
rich men who are happy as money can make
them, and the reason Of this is simply that they
are sharing that wealth with objects Of beneyo-
ience. These men are William f.. Dodge, A.
X. WetmOre, James LenOx, Peter Cooper, and
others, who have learned that this is the only
way in which they can eliminate from wealth
ITS otherwise inevitable curse. With these
exceptions, the richest men in this city are
intensely miserable. This can be proved by
those who are in greatest intimacy with them.
For instance, the writer knows from the best
authority that John Jacob Aston was haunted
by fears of poverty during the latter part of
his life to q painful degree, and he also knows
that this Is very common curse endured by
our rich men. See Aston, with an estate OF
thirty millions, industriousy scraping to
gether his loose change and thus trying 10
provide against rainy day.
A few years ago one Of the founders Of the
ban king house of Prime, Ward King com.
mitted suicide at his country seat at Astoria.
He was a retired man of large wealth, and had
every means of making life desirable but the
misery of unemployed money and abilities
which should have been devoted to philan-
thrOpy, drove him to self destruction. The
same statement applies TO the late Charles NJ
Leuep. lie had made great fortune in the
leather business and lived up town in sumptu-
GUS style, possessing among ether distinctions.
one of the finest picture galleries in the city.
Yet this man finished his course with suicide
while In the fullnsss of manhood and possessed
OF ability which should have given him a dis
tinction higher than that of mere wealth
Previous TO this one of the heaviest bust
ness men in Exchange Place suddenly arrested
the course Of O lucrative business by "a similar
use of his razor. Another capitalist threw
himself beneath the wheels of locomotive
while Van Auken, the butter merchant, anu
David Rea, both used the razor Scarcely had
the latter been buried, when similar instance
occurs In the suburbs of Brooklyn. Here al
opulent gardener and land speculator named
Ditmars Duryea has Just committed suicide
by taking lsudanum, leaving an estate worth
$l15,000. of course he had u reason for doing
this His wife had died sometime previously
and had bequeathed her estate, whose value
was $1,000. 10 other parties than himself
Being thus neglected, he had no resort but
death, ia which he buried his troubles.
Seven thousand dollars would not be cener-
ally considered an induaemsnt to commit sui.
eide and Yet l have known a rich man of this
city 10 be 50 distressed by the loss Of 500,
that he finished the matter by hanging himself
But at any rate, seven thousand was fatal sum
TO Ditmsrs Duryea. Its loss was so great a
cloud that it obscured the glory of those pos
sessions which We're twenty times as great
and the result Is a bottle OF laIdanum aud d
coroners inquest. lt may be inferred tina,
these examples Indicate that wide spread dis.
position toward suicide exists among rich men,
Tor where one commits the fatal act there
must De many who are tempted but refrain.
IL weliknown that many Of this class carry
poison IN Their pockets, and are ready, al any
moment when the temptation becomes triumph.
ant 70 swallow the fatal dose. | know seye.
an, ,Isss, business men who have given
friends are obliged TO watch them Far e. ' ,1
tney may end III just such tragedy V S,,''
York Cor. Rochester Democrat. -'e"