Smyrna times., 1877-01-24
Three Rich Mems Wills.

\ writer in the New York Ois,rr,r thus
writes:
Probably more remarkable concurrence.
OF deaths cannot be named: the three
richest men Of New York died within
fourteen months. Mr. William r. Aston
died in November. $50, Mr.. A. r. $trwarI
IN Ai.rh, i>iG, and Nh. Cornelius Nan,ieI-
hi.t ~ .].uuaty, 1877.
All these men We're cOnspcu0uSly rich
richer than any other men vino have livru
IN tins country, richer than the most o.
rich men in Older countries. Great land.
owners, holuug cntailcd estates, may have
property valued at higher ii lures tuan tn,
retlnttc OF these mems wealth, tut tnry
were the three rich men Of the age, and
nave all dcd i'll this city within l,w
months Of each other.
! have lived in the midst Of the coma.
nunty where these three men died. and
have heard and read numerous criticisms
on their wills. 1t j, curious to observe
how easy II is TO make u will for another
man To tini fault with his will when he /,
dead, and To say what he ought To have
done with his great wealth. No one makes
Il will that satisfies the public and very few
wills satisfy the hers. We all have great
talents for dlsrosinG OF other peoples
money. Oar ju ignent is so much hrtter
! than that OF tIe man vino has Just de.
| parted, tuat we make VIII as he ought to
! nave made II, and charge upon him u great
| lack OF good sense together with large
amount OF folly. 1t Is often so with Us m
our criticisms OF living men. When money
is to he raised for good cause we see at Il
| glnce that old Mr.. Jones might give a
| Thousand dollars and not feel it, hut as to
our giving fifty, We do not see it at all
| nave often noticed that IA church debt is
| paid OIL on paper, 10y this process Of gIvin.
for other people. But as they did not
| come to the mark we had set for them, the
debt was not paid.
These three wills (of Astor, Stewart and
Vandrrblt) have not met the appreciation
of those who get nothing hy them. And as
they are dielntere,ted parties, having ex-
ppcted no more than thy got, perhaps
their judgment ought to be taken as worth
something. Two points in some or all of
these wills strike me as unequal and
unwsc, tut others will not think so. There
l. an evident intention on the part OF ali
three men to keep their great properties in
hulk after they arc gone. No one of them
made provision for scattering it largely.
How we would spread il all abrOd, IT it
had been ours TO give And now it is qui
likely that any one of US with the sdmp
experience, would have done very nearly
the same thing, had we been making our
| will. | say again, we must not judge
except as we are willing to Toe judged.
All thps, men saw the results in bIsines,
OF the On"-man power. The hest form ot
government in the world is an unlimited
drspotisn, If the deSpot he right The best
managed business is under one mans mind.
These. sucrpsslul men saw this, and reasoned
INTO the future that after they were dead
and gone, it would be better for the ac.
cumuntiOn of property, and the prosperity
of the business they had ursued, TO mass
their forces, putting the great portion, the
lions share, INTO the hands of one man, so
that it may 90 on from year to year grow
ing, and thus perpetuating the name OF him
who laid the foundation of this mighty
pile.
But one cannot help Wishing that these
great fortunes, so lar beyond the ,cdntS of
heirs, might have been made sudden and
great heneiactiuns to the city and world.
No good comes to any one ly the vast
surplus Of money poured into tie lap Mt
once. What is the good OF it tut TO do
good with it? TO keep il does not pay.
You cannot eat it, or wear il, and the
enjoyment Of having it is so purely selfish
that there is no pleasure in it.
Money is good. The love Of it, greed
avarice, is the most sordid of all vices.
Because money is good only as it helps us
to do good and get good, it Is right to labor
, for it, and pray Tor il, and enjoy it. Money
> saith the hest of hooks, anSwereth all
things. only fool despises it. And h
wants it when he is hungry. But there IS
? glory in giving it with free hand guided
~ gnod sense. Aud wouldn't ! like to
t have fifty millions or so to give away ly
? will? IRENRUs.
| ID al, ,rtnAIceE Illl