The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-09-06
MICHAEL REESE.
How this Rich Man Lived and did
World M Good

How this Rich Man Lived and did the
World no Good.
Michael Reese died at Wallenstein,
Germany, last week. He was a Ger
man who came to this country about
1885, when % years old For while
he was Virginia slave dealer and &C
quired wealth, but subsequently some of
his speculatiOnS were unsuccessful, and
he sold out and followed the Argonauts
of 40 to California. How successful he
was there may be coniectured from the
fact that he died worth ten millions, be-
ing, it is said. the richest Jew in Ameri-
ca, and, next to Senator Sharon, the larg-
est real estate owner in California He
had the shrewdness to foresee the growth
of large city where San Francisco
| stands, and the money that he made as a
money broker, he invested in land For
tune smiled on his efforts from the first.
Whether as money broker, mining stock
Spectator, or real estate dealer, every
thing that he touched prospered. He
was man of great intelligence and of
liberal views outside of his money get
| ting. But here he was misery and
| mean, even to a smallness that was ri
diculOus. The devices he would adopt
to save few pennies were well known
| throughout the city. He was an enor-
nous eater and would patronize a cheap
table d'hOte,' where he would devOur
three or four times more than the price
of the dinner would cover. One restau-
rant keeper begged him to go elsewhere,
for said he, if you go on you will
bust or SHALL The only time he was
| ever known to treat was-as was dis
covered afterward-when he had obtain
ed a judgment for debt against restau-
rant keeper, and was Obliged to take it
| out in trade. On this occasion he as
tOnished- party of his friends by invit-
ing them out and ordering the most ex-
i tensive dishes and the cOstliest wines.
AS he was not seen to pay the bill curl
osity was excited, and the truth was as
certained. This millionaire would wait
on the corner of a street ten minutes be-
| fore taking horse car looking for some
acquaintance who would pay his fare.
He appeared to know his failing, for
when twitted by a friend of his mean
ness, he answered that he couldn't help
tit was disease. Personally he was
OF striking appearance, standing six feet
two inches with good figure. He was
one OF rich class who became so alb
sorbed in the mere getting of money that
1t becomes their pleasure and passion.
They are men who have lost all concep.
ton OF the use of money as a means OF
| bringing comfort and endowment, or of
doing good. They will toll all their
lifetimes, making accunulations which
they never enjoy, as though the piling
up of wealth were the great end of life
And when they go away where there are
no safe deposit vaults or burglar-proot
safes, and where thieves find no induce
ment to break through and steal, what
| good have they done? In this particu-
lar instance it is reported that some half
a million dollars has been left to worthy
charities-and Jewish charities are es-
pecially worthy since they breed neither
tramps nor paupers-but some nine mil
lions go to relatives who already have
more than they need We are not find
ing fault with the late Mr.. Reese. He
had right to make his millions and to
dispose of them as he saw fit. He was
at liberty to lead small, groveling life,
homeless and despised; but did it pay
When one thinks of the incalculable
| good that a man blessed with such for
tune might have done; the sorrow and
suffering he might have relieved; the
ignorance and vice he might have pre-
vented; it is impossible not to think
how much of the sweetness and light OF
life he missed--and never knew it.-Hart
| ford COurant