The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-01-01
From Four Hundred Dollars to Uni
Yersity.

distinguish this age that it seems rs if
Providence had chosen certain men OF
money-makiug aptitude to carry out
His bene6cent designs.
They toll for years, raking gold from
thousand streams. Then they trans
fer their Accommodations INFO 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 gsS John
Hopkins of Baltimore. His eoIfttibu-
ton to the catalogue of muniieent char
tiles was the university and the hospital
which bear his name. 80,
He was brought up on a Maryland
farm, associated with rare deed OF
philanthropy. On it, Johns grand
| father had, before the Revolution, eman-
cipated one hundred slaves. After
seven years of hard labor in a grocery
store, John began his business career at
twenty-four, with a capital OF four hum
bred 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
neutrality-suspicious. gained by hard
service and an aptitude for business.
When he died, 81 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 il worthy of the consideration on
those beginning business life. He was
willing to start in small way. Keep
ing within the limits of his capital and
credit. ne opened small store, put in
it a small stock, and spread out on the
counter many samples.
If a customer desired two bags of cot
fee. 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. ..t.-Hi p ttutk
What he bought was always paid for
on the day the bill was due. He gained
reputation for promptness, and for
that of square dealin9 which never
evades the plain sense of n bargain.
Another regularity, one which causes
him to be misunderstood, was that he
habituallv declined to sign subscription
papers for charitable objects. His
| friends, even, did not know that he was
saving his money for q special purpose,
then incubating in his mind. SIS tt
"My money is not intended for you,
was his answer, when asked to give
money to advance other peoples plans.
. 1t is not mine. / did not make a.. 1t
merely rolled up in my hands, ard l
knew what for. Unjust keep to my own
work"
Yet John Hopkins gave away good
deal of money 10 those whom he thought
would use it wisely He frequently for
gave a debt, or advanced capital, or
pointed out q good investment to de-
serving men.
A poor widow was trying TO make =
! living. John Hopkins was one OF five
persons who loaned her one hundred
| dollars each to stock 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, q 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 inmany
eounting-rooms In each case it hung
there because John Hopkins had done
the firm some signal service.
Shortly before his death ne divided
$500, 900 equally among 16 nephews and
nieees. ''W Whatsoever is more than this
cometh of evil, >" he said. His beginning
life with a capital of 800 emphasized
the apOthegm.
With the rest of his fortune he ful-
flied the destiny under whose shadow
H. had tOiled. p.t ts...ts
That destiny was to found a university,
a hospital and colored orphan asylum.
The university provides free scholarships
for young men from Maryland, Nir
ginia, and North CAROLINA. The hospital,
connected with which is training
school for nurses, cares for the bodies
of the wealthy and the poor, of the black
and the white. "a The asylum is Tor des-
titute or orphan colored children. who
will be provided for until they reach u
self-supporting age, when they are to be
apprenticed to some trade.