Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-12-04
From Four Hundred Dollars to a Uni.
Tersity.


From Four Hundred Dollars to a Uni.
Tersity.
So many munifcent private charities
distinguish this age that it seems as il
Providence had chosen certain men oi
mOney-making aptitude TO carry out
His benefcent designs.
They toll for years, raking gold from
thousand streams. Then they trans
fer their accUmulations into some phil
anthropic or educational channel, and,
for centuries, minister to mind and
body.
These gOld-rakers may be conscious
or unconscious of the divinity which
shapes their ends. That matters not,
save to themselves, but they, neverthe-
less, execute the divine purpose.
One of these chosen ones was John
Hopkins, of Baltimore. His contribu-
ton to the catalogue of munifcent
charities was the university and the
hospital which bear his name.
He was brought up on a Maryland
farm, associated with a rare deed of
philanthropy. On it, Johns grand
father had, before the Revolution,
emancipated one hundred slaves. After
seven years of hard labor in grocery
store, John began his business career
at twenty-four, with capital Of four
hundred dollars.
He had, however, in addition to this
sum, that which Young men sometimes
neglect to consider ready assets, but
which old merchants view as substantial
capital-experience gained by hard
service and an aptitude for business.
When he died, fitty-four years after he
opened his little store, he was worth
several millions of dollars; and every
cent of it was made honestly.
One of the peculiarities of the young
grocer is worthy of the consideration
of those beginning business life. He
was willing to start in a small way.
Keeping within the limits of his capital
and credit, he opened a small store,
put in it small stock, and spread out
on the counter many samples.
If a customer desired two bags of
coffee, instead of the one which John
had in stock, he hurried off to the
importers and in few minutes the bag
was in the store.
What he bought was always paid for
on the day the bill was due. He gained
a reputation for promptness, and for
that square dealing which never eVades
the plain sense of bargain.
Anotherpeculiarity, one which caused
him to be misunderstood, was that he
habitually declined to sign subscription
papers for charitable objects. His
friends, even, did not know that he was
saving his money for special pur-
pose, then incubating in his mind.
"My money is not intended for you"
was his answer, when asked to give
money to advance other peoples plans.
50 1t is not mine. Idid not make 1t. 1t
merely rolled up in my hands, and l
know what for. / must keep to my own
work"
Yet John Hopkins gave away good
deal of money to those whom he thought
would use it wisely. He frequently
forgave a debt, or advanced capital, or
pointed out good investment to de-
serving men:
A poor widow was trying to make a
living. John Hopkins was one of five
persons who loaned her one hundred
dollars each to stock a small shop. Two
years after the loan was returned with
interest, and four of the lenders ac-
cepted their shares. John Hopkins re-
fused his, saying, 81 don't want it.
Keep it and lend it again in the same
way"
After his death an engraved likeness
of the rich man was found hung in
many counting-rOoms. In each case
it hung there because John Hopkins
had done the firm some signal service.
Shortly before his death he divided
eight hundred thousand dollars equally
among sixteen nephews and nieces.
Whatsoever is more than this cometh
of evil" he said. His beginning life
with a capital of four hundred dollars
the apothegm.
With the rest of his fortune he full
filed the destiny under whose shadow
he had toiled.
That destiny was to found uniVer-
sity, hospital, and colored orphan
asylum. The university provides free
scholarships for young men from Mary
land, Virginia, and North Carolina.
The hospital, connected with which is
a training school for nurses, cares for
The bodies of the wealthy and the poor,
Of the black and the white. The asylum
is for destitute or orphan colored chill
iren, who will be provided for until
they reach self-supporting age, when
ihey are to be apprenticed to some
trade.