The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-01-16

LAND-ONB WORTH sS0,OO0OOO, THE
OTHER s20,OOO,OOo.
The two wealthiest Englishmen, so
far at least as personal estate goes, who
have ever lived IN England, have died
whinit the last decade, They were Mr..
Morrison and Mr.. Brassey. The per-
sonal property of the first was sworn
under $40, 900, 900, that of the second
under $50, 600, 600; but it is understood
that a great deal of Mr.. Brassey's es-
tate has not been sworn for duty, owing
to difficulties in appraising it, and in
fact it viii prove to be nearly 800, OOO,-
600 when this is done. Both these men,
like those who have made the largest
fortunes, began life poor.
Mr.. Morrison entered the dry goods
warehouse, where he contrived to secure
the affections of his employers daugh-
ter. They were married and he was
taken into the business, to which he I'LL
timately succeeded. One great stroke
he made was buying up all the Grape in
England, in anticipation of the death
of the Princess Charlotte of Wales
This lucky hit is supposed to have put
very large sum of money into his
pocket. He invested a large portion of
his enormous wealth in real estate, and
became one of the greatest landlords in
the United Kingdom.
His principal country residence was
Basildon Park, near Reading, in Berk-
shire. It is a stately mansion, standing
in very pleasant park, and filed with
magnificent collection of works of art.
of which he was a very liberal purchas-
er. The very bookcases, tables, and
chairs were designed by men such as
Sir Charles Eastlake, r. A. In the din
ing-rOom were twocolumns of rare and
beautiful marble purchased from a
church in Italy at a prodigious price.
These pillars were extraordinarily heavy,
and considerable difficulty was expert
enced in bringing them to their sdesti-
nation, the roads being at various points
quite broken into holes by the weight.
Besides his collection at BasiIdon,
Mr.. Morrison had a gallery of choice
pictures at his house in London. He
was not in tire least ostentatious, nor
did he ever evince the tendency so COM
mon to aOUUeGltG riches, of toadying
people of rank, his principal associates
being eminent artists. Towards the
close of his life, he became, as so often.
happens in the case of very rich men,
oppressed with the idea that he was mis-
erably poor, and should die a pauper;
and small sum was paid to him week
ly as a wage to humor his fancies.
Mr.. Morrison left several sons. To
the eldest he bequeathed the interest in
his warehouse, estimated at $25O,OOO a
year (Which that gentleman sold to
joint stock company, and further very
extensive estates. To the second he
left some 100000 year, and to the
others incomes varying from $50, 200 to
$50, 900. All his sons have turned out
steady, respectable men, and one is a
well-known Liberal member of Parlia-
ment. Mr.. Brassey's great fortune was
the result, in the first instance, of sue
cessful railway contracts, and then of
the accunlulations consequent upon the
great sums thus made. Like Mr.. Nor
rison, he was the least ostentatious of
men, and like him, too, was fortunate in
a wife who resembled him in this re-
spect.
Indeed, Mr.. Brassey's expenditure, so
far as his establishment, etc., went, pro-
badly did not exceed $50, 1000 a wear.
when his income was $4,000, 900 year.
Like Mr.. Morrison, he was fortunate in
his children. They bear the highest
character, and now have divided among
them the colossal fortune which their
father and mother only seemed to care
for in so far as it would contribute to
their ehildren's happiness. 1t is re-
markable that these two -England's
wealthiest sons-should all their life
have been Indifferent to what most sue
cessful men in their country aspire to-
a seat in Parliament. Mr.. Morrison,
we believe, did occupy one for a brief
time, but Mr.. Brassey never. Two of
his sons are now very useful members
of Parliament.