The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-12-08
Miscellaneous.
Dragging on the OIdcn Time.

Some one having been telling of "Mr.
Lodex," in London, who died lately,
leaving fortune of 5000, 900, and of
the marble monument of the Rhode
Island Sprsgues, which is to cost $780,
COO, and of the wondrous wealth and
profusion of Tweed and Stewart, and
other shoddy magnates and million
aires, the Richmond Enquirer tells us
how people had big fortunes, and built
fine houses, and gave fine dinners, and
drank fine wine and spent money in
other fine ways, in the old times. ere
Lodex was, or Stewart named. Thus
it is that the Enquirer takes the shine
out of the Nineteenth century:
Why, what is Tweed, or Stewart, or
Mr.. Todex, or Belmont, or the Roths-
childs, or the Marquis of Westminster
to Ptolemy Philadelphus, of Egypt,
who amassed little property of $3.50,
900, 900? And which of our extrava-
CANT young ladies, in these boosted
times, ever gave her lover, as Cleopatra
| did, pearl, dissolved in vinegar Tor
undissolved,l worth 100000? That's
| half the expense of Miss Tweed's wed.
ding at dash, and would dress one of
our Washington or Baltimore bellies for
forty years. Then there was Paulina,
one of the ton in Rome, who used to
wear jewels when she returned her Wis.
its, worth 100000. Well, they boast
of Mr.. Stewards "marble palace up on
l OF Ir
not suppose this house, which is about
the best they have in New York, cost
more than halfa.million Of dollars.
Well, Cicero, who was a poor man, gave
$150,000 for his house, and Clodius paid
s6j0,OO0 for his establishment ON the
Palatine while Messala gave 81 900, 600
for the house of Antony. Seneca-who
was just a plain philosopher like Mr..
Greeley-was worth $4,000, 900 or 3d.
100000. Tiberius left a property of
nearly s120,00000O. Why, they talk
about mans failing in New York for
a million as if it was big thing. Caesar,
before he entered on any oflice-when
he was young gentleman in private
Iife-owed $li 100000, and he purcha5'
ed the friendship of Qumsar for 81 800,
600. Mark Antony owed a million and
a-half on the Ides of March-and he
paid it before the Kalends of April
!, This was nothing squandered $72O,
100000 of the public money-Majol
Hodges detalcation being for the con
tcmptible sum of $4j0,00O.
And these fellows lived well. Esopus
who was play paid 100000 fol
q single dish. Caligula spent SiOO,OO(
on supper. Their wines were offer
, kept for two ages, and some of them
sold for $50 an ounce. They roasted
hogs whole at their banquets. They
were fond Of rams head pie, and pastry
stuffed with raisins and nuts. Dishe
were made with gold and silver, Sc
e with precious stones. The beds Of He
!, liogababus were of solid silver, his ia
BILE and plates, covered with carpets
cloth of gold, were stuffed with dowI
from under the wing of the partridge.
1t took $50, 600 year to keep up tn
g dignitMof Roman Senator-and som
= of them spent S5,0O0,0OO year.
e Cicero and Pompey "dropped In" on
D day at Lucullus' nobody at home bu
. the family-and that family Dime
cost 81 coo.
= But we talk about population. W
boast of London and New York. Rom
" had population of between three an
l a NNnn1nn thnntra
d Scaurus contained eighty thousan
W seats; the Colosseum, built OF ston'
20 would seat 81 900, and afforded standin
7, space for %, 900 more, The Circus MAJ
s. linus (think of it, Old John Robinson
would hold 1000 spectators. The
(. were in the city 5000 public baths
a, those of Diocletian alone accommoda
TIsl ing 5000 bathers. Even the sixth Gel
tury, after Rome had been sacked an
plundered by the Cloths and Nandal
Zachariah, a traveller, asserts that the
were three hundred aud eighty.io
nj spacious streets eighty golden statu
" Of the gods forty.siX thousand al
e. three hundred houses seventeen thol
and aud ninety.seven palaces; thirte
thousand and filty-two fountains thr
- thousand seven hundred and eight
five bronze statues of the emperors Al
en- generals twenty-five great horses
li Iir, bronze; two colossi two spiral c
,PS; umns thirty one theatres eleven a
he pitheatres; nine thousand and twen'
" baths; two thausand three hundr
!. shops of perfumers two thousand a
nlnety-one prisons.
AS a set. off to Mr.. Sprague's "mor
mental tombstone" we may mere
mention the Mausoleum OF Angus
in the northern part OF the CAM
Martius, consisting of large tumu
of earth, raised on lofty basement
white marble, and covered on the su
NIT with eyerpreens In the manner {