The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-14
PhilanthrOpic Gifts OF Rich Men.

PhilanthrOpie Gifts OF Rich Men.
Ihad occasion the other day to find
out something about certain rich men,
and so / went to the Congressional
Library. wanted to find out how much
these men had given away in benefac-
tons. i looked up Stephen Girard first.
found that, according to Parton, " al
though he could sometimes act the part
of benefactor to a community, it Is
said he never had a friend. He died
without issue in 1881. leaving property
valued at about 80, 200, 900 and directed
that -, 100000 should be applied to
found a college for orphan boys, which
was commenced in 1888 and opened ia
1S4S.n So Girard did not seem to have
been a happy man. John Jacob Aston
died in 1913, his property being esti-
mated at not less than $50, 100000.
Fitz Green Halleck, the poet, was his
private secretary, and it is thought that
he induced Aston to give 100000 TO
found the AstOr Library. The son,
William b. Astor, subsequently gave
like sum to the library. Mr.. James
Lick, a Pennsylvania who made a big
fortune in California and died there,
left about 100000 in benefactions.
Nearly million was given to erect an
observatory in California and purchase
a telescope, and half a million for the
encouragement of mechanic arts in San
Francisco. He gave also 100000 to
erect a monument over the grave of
Key, the author of the " Star Spangled
Banner" George Peabody gave a mill
ion and a half of dollars for lodging
houses for the working classes in Lon
don: II ,000,0 for an institution of
learning in Baltimore; Sl50,000 for
museum in Harvard College. and So,
100000 for common schools in the
Southern States. Nearly all of these
amounts were given in wills and made
available after death of the testator
when he could no longer use the money.
But it takes a brave man to give away
the bulk of his fortune while alive and
in the enjoyment of good health. Ezra
b. Cornell founded the Cornell Univer-
sity with | don't know how much
money, certainly large amount, be-
Geving, no doubt, that he would always
be rich. Reverses came, and he is now
poor man. Suppose that he had put
it in his will, where would Cornell Uni
versity be to-day? Jay Cooke made
some heavy benefactions, and gave
away hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Reverses overlook him and he became
poor.
But the greatest American philan-
thropist that eyer lived, excepting
George Peabody, is w. w. Corcoran, OF
this city, and it was about him that |
started to write. He is now eighty-two
years old, and during his life he has
given away $1,000, 900 in public bene-
factions and $1,000,000 in private char
tiles, or about three-quarters of his en-
tire fortune. | have seen the figures
and know. The Corcoran Gallery of
Art. including the building and endow-
ment, cost more than amilliOn dollars,
and is the pride of the city of Washing
ton. There is nothing equal to it in the
country. The Louise Home, for decaved
gentlewomen of the South. is noble
benefaction, and the building and
grounds are a great ornament to the
city and the admiration of strangers.
More than half million is represented
here. To Columbia University Mr..
Corcoran has given money, houses and
lands amounting to a quarter Of a mill
ion of dollars. A hundred thousand
was given to the Ascension Church.
To the University of Virginia he has
given hundreds of thousands of dollars,
and to the City of Washington, in addi-
ton to his many other gifts, he gave
Oak Hill Cemetery, and improved it at
a total expense of hundred and twenty
thousand dollars. Mr.. CorcOran's en-
tire family consists of three grand
children, through his daughter Louise,
and three rieces and nephews. have
now, at the close of the rich mans let
ter, got to the point l started to make
originally, namely, that rich mans
life is not a happy one. Mr.. Corcoran's
is a case in point. He is now very old
and feeble, and is unable to attend to
his own business. One would think
that he had done enough to earn immu-
nifty from personal solicitation. Yetthe
poor man is worried nearly to death.
His confidential business man does much
to keep the great philanthropist from
personal worry and trouble WaShiHg-
ton Cor Philadelphia Times.