Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-21
About A Miser.

A correspondent sends us the following
item cut from newspaper, and comments
as follows "Samuel Miller a Virginia
miser, who used to live in a house where
there was less than three hundred dollars
worth of furniture, left eight hundred and
fifty thousand dollars, Or half his fortune, to
endow manual labor school for children"
Says our correspondent al think that
this life is the time for such individuals to
carry out their desires, at least in some de-
gree. Thousands Of men who are innuen-
tial in their towns and counties are living
in houses with furniture of similar valua-
ton to that of this man, stigmatized as a
'miser'
"It is evident that man worth near a
million of money, and able to manage it
carefully, so carefully as to be called miser,
could have set in operation a manual labor
school for children, on an economical aud
practical basis. In thus considering the
needs Of children, this Virginian has over
thrown, in great degree the slur cast upon
his memory. He showed love for human
ity. He had in mind project that might
start thousands of skilful workers in employ
ments that otherwise they would have pur-
sued, if at all, in an unskilful manner
clumsily-bringing no enjoym ent to them
selves and no pleasure to their patrons.
"There are but few pleasures superior to
the creative art of the laborer, if he can
look upon the results and declare them
good as did our maker when he looked
upon this world as it rolled into space from
his creative hand Many are deferred from
all sorts of work because they know they are
unskilful
"But while we see, in fancy, thousands,
during a long lifetime, reapng blessings from
this fortune, so carefully gathered will the
reality in truth carry out our imaginings
Will not this large sum be managed by trus-
tees who have no heart in the purpose of
the testator, no love for the poor laboring
children who might be so much aided in
life by such an education as he desired to
provide them with Will they not build
costly buildings that will remain empty, or
nearly so, because those in charge of them
do not know, or do not care, to reach, with
the bounty under their hands, the objects
for which it was bequeathed Or will the
fund be turned over to some college, and
thus wholly fail of its design?
al can only hope that kind Providence
will direct in this, yet must feel that Samuel
Miller would have served the world better
if he had devoted several of his last years
to the work he has left for other hands,
Our correspondent writes sensibly. He is
evidently, however, not aware of all the facts
in the case, but takes the death of Mr.. Miller
to be a recent one, when in fact he left this
world seven or eight years ago, and the
"costly building" of which he fears the
erection, is already completed at cost of
SS7 1000, and was recently " dedicated with
great ceremonial, and addresses by Governor
Holiday, Congressman j. Randolph Tucker,
and other state dignitaries. The endow-
ment fund, however, of SS50,000 is invested
in the bonds of the state which party in
Virginia is endeavoring to repudiate. Under
dren enjoying much benefit from Mr. Miller's
painfully saved fortune is not so fiattering
as it could be wished it might be. The
view our correspondent takes of the desra-
bility of men of wealth carrying out at least
in some degree, their charitable intentions
before death, is a just one. But the desire
to "eat the cake and have it," is generally
very strong in such men. The love of
money is very intense passion and so is
the fear of future retrbution for the meth.
DDS by which it may have been acquired. 1t
is rare that man like Peter Cooper appears,
who devotes his gains, while living, to the
good of mankind 1t is too often the case
that the administration of such posthumous
gifts falls to men as selfish, at heart, as the
giver, without his fears, or hopes, or, per-
chance, his real good will, real, even when
not strong enough to overcome the passion
of accumulation to the extent of parting
with money, SO long as it could be seen, or
felt and counted.
The boarding of large sums of money
sums far beyond the possibility of personal
needs or use-is a wickedness in itself and
a man must be foolish indeed who thinks
as many unquestionably do think-that the
pardon of God can be bought by transferring
such wealth at death to any charitable pur,
pose. The money may do good, but it will
not buy the coveted salvation which was the
motive of the gift. Yet perhaps an ignorant
and besotted soul may be excused, by his
fellowmen, having seen what money will do
in this world to win favor, for such a super
stition. The all-searching eye sees not as
man sees. The God who was cable of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham u
does not forget the children of the poor
and as fast as it is possible-as fast as the
need and desire is developed-the means
will be provided, whether it be from the
dying miser's store, or, far better, from the
open hands of Gods people on earth who
believe, not with dead belief but with .
1tripn hat % l., I'll