The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-12-11
AverItaBle NIiser.
rrom the New York sun. Augast q.


Mitchell Hart, the millionaire pawnbroker of
Chatham street, was buried yesterday in the
Jewish burial ground, by the side Of his father
and mother. The funeral was strictly private
There we're few who accompanied the hearse to
the grave, and those few we're relatives.
Mitchell Hart, although he was worth S3,0OO-
600, lived alone and died alone. His brother
Henry was the only one whom he associated with
in life and the only one who stayed with him in
sickness and death. They were inseparable. Nit
chell Hart had money enough to buy some grand
mansion on the Fifth avenue, and to spend his
Summers in some beautiful country seat on the
Hudson, but he preferred to live with his brother
in the queer old house in Chatham street. No.
| 81 Chatham street, where Mr.. Hart lived all his
life, has been called the Miser's rest" II is
dingy old building, that looks as though it might
tumble any moment and crunble to dust. There
the brothers were born and there they spent their
lives in amassing fortune.
This was Mitchell Hart's sole ambition in life.
he loved money, wealth, and the power that it
corners. He wanted to become the Rothschild of
America. He was happy as long as he felt that
he was making money, that he was growing rich
er; and be loved the old dingy house where he
had enjoyed the first fruits of his industry and OF
his untiring perseverance. His father Polish
Jew, carried on the business of pawnbroker be-
fore him. He left the two sons respectable in
heritance. Mitchell and Henry increased it a
hundred fold. They sacrificed everythIng-plea-
sure, comfort, sleep eyen-to that one absorbing
business of making money. Mitchell, in particu-
lar, lived the life Of hermit. In all his life he
was not inside a theatre, did not attend a party
or ball, and never had holiday. He died with
out having seen BrOoklyn-although he was born
in this city-or Hoboken or Staten Island He
never saw an engine, and could not think of going
out of the city for single day. His house in
Chatham street was his world, and his brother
was company enough for him. They ate and drank
and slept together as long as Mitchell lived.
Where Mitchell was there was Henry, and if
Henry was at a place Mitchell was sure to be
there also. Some of the neighbors were wont to
call them the Siamese twins. Ladies' society he |
never coured, and be died bachelor. He used |
to say, aughingy: Henry is my wife, sister,
and daughter, all at the same time"
The brothers had singular genius for making |
money. They never failed in an undertaking, |
but grew richer every day. When the Third
low-S2O or S25. The brothers bought $4,000 |
shares out Of the 10000, at this price, and these /
shares are woth now Sl9O and 5000. They
bought real estate at Chatham street, Lispenard .
street and Twenty-eighth street and in other
parts of the city, at very low prices and the value
of this property has probably increased tenfoid.
In this will Mitchell left every cent of his money
to his brother Henry. 1t is impossible to give
an acute estimate of Mitcheil's wealth, but the
joint estate of the brothers has been estimated
at S6,OOOOOO.
Mitchell did not die in the old house in Cha
than street. A year ago he was prostrated by
over exertion of the brain. and it was found ne
cessary TO remove him to a more quiet place. 1t
was with difficulty that he could be persuaded to
rent modest little house in Nineteenth street,
near Third Avenue, which he occupied with his
married niece. There he died day before yester-
day, of softenng of the brain, in the arms of his
brother, who had not left his bedside for forty
eight hours. Mitchell had worked too hard and
lived too stern life, and his health had broken
down under the constant application to business.
He never left his house in Chatham street for an
hour, but took his meals at Leggett's and French's
hotels, so to be able to return quickly to his
place of business. He used to say himself that
he was hermit, but many called him miser,
and told queer stories about his house in Chatham
street, which some even now believe to be
haunted.