Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-05
BIG FORTUNES,
Individual Wealth In Ancient and
Modern Times.
[San Francisco Chronicle. I

[San Francisco Chronicle
, DGuo5ess Ihe laDorlng class at this day In all
clad and paid than the same class at any other
time in the history Of the human race Yet
there never was time OF greater dissatisfaction
reign Of Louis XIV. there was more extreme
poverty In France than there Is now in all
Europe, ireland included. The condition of the
that OF the French or German peasant two
centuries ago; and within the historical era
tneIe is no record OF time when fifty millions
of the common people and poor were SO com
fortably situated as the fifty millions who now
inhabit the United States
But II the condition of the poor has i'm
proved, the private fortunes of the rich have
so increased as to utterly eonfound all at
tempts at comparison with the rich men of
past ages. GAS rich as Cr6sus' has stood for
an adage these rs centuries Yet Croesus was
king who devoted his whole energies to the
acquisition OF gold, and there Is good reason to
believe that we have not less than half a dozen
men and women In this state who are richer in
gold and Its equivalents than this Lydlan mon
arc d. The richest man In Rome at the time OF
Caesar was Crassus. His fortune has been
carefully estimated by several historians, but
not much more than VIM. H. Vanderbilt's
yearly income, and 1t Is more than ST. 600 600 be-
low the appratsement OF the fortune of the
late VIM. S. O'Brlen, of this city. The AS
tor estate was valued ten years ago at over
$40 600. At a moderate rate Of accretion-
say per cent-it must now amount TO $50, 00O-
d.
s3,c0O,0OO. This is a third more than the entire
income OF the monarch of the British empire.
ana good deal NOR than the entire revenue
OF the English government $50 years ago. 1t is
asserted that ths2e are eight or ten English
peers whose 1noAneS each exceed the allow
anceS OF parliament to the queen and yet the
richest men In England are commoners. Halt
century ago the reputed wealthlest man in
america was old Stephen Girard of Philadel-
pn1a. His estate was appraised. below SIS. OOO-
OOO. There are probably now one hundred
Mt fntn
greater than G1rard's and half dozen more
than twice as great. In the purchasing power
OF money the ancients had the advantage A
dollar would buy more a thousand years ago
than five Will now. Forty years back a man
who had 100000 was rated as quite rich, and
one OF $500 GOO phenomenal. The latter class
were not as numerous In this country as those
as these OF S., 0G0, 600 are now.
Of course there is not gold and silver enough
10 lne world 10 represent the aggregate OF these
are invested in lands, houses, government. rail-
way, bank mining and other stocks. The ma
uOnal ponds OF England, France and the United
states cover nearly ten thousand millions and
the railway securities of the United States alone
cover nearly five thousand millions. The largest
private landed estates are held in Spanish
America. Mexico, Russia England and the
country, and by corporations 1t Is thought,
and Justly, great hardship to the common
people OF England and Scotland that the
duke Of Sutherland should own over DOC
900 acres, and many other prominent mobiles
more than 100000 acres each. But there is one
corporation In this country that has been grant
ed 49, 200 acres, and then IS 600, GEO. and two
others, represented by less than ten men. 25-
600, 600 acres. AT the time that Henry VIIi.
confiscated the estates OF the Roman Catholic
church in his dominions they did not amount to
a tenth as many acres as the grant OF Congress-
to the Northern Pacific railroad; but they were
enough TO lay the foundations OF the richest
day can hardly be less than s12O, 900 900,
Reasoning from history and analogy, the
most stupendous private fortunes In the
III bned states during the next fifty years will
now hardly worth $3.50 an acre, but here
after as surely to be worth from $50 to Sl00 as
dollar is worth one hundred cents. corpora
ton whose land grant covers say TO- 900 900 acres
and whose stock Is to the extent OF 80 per cent
In the hands Of. say ten persons, If 1t can hold
on 10 lts lands for twenty or thirty years free
anywhere from 800 900, 900 to s. 600 900 900. or
$780, 600 to $500 600 900 for each of its princ
pal stockholders These figures, though they
at first thought seem to run into the region OF
fable, are not much more astounding than the
exploits Of the Vanderbilts, Astors and Pack
ards already realized. The great landed estate
OF England are protected by laws OF entail an
pr1mogen1tures, forbidden in the United States
COMMENCEMENT TINES ARE CoM1Na.-In only
threshold" and center the arena" and BEGIN the
"battle OF li1e" Once more might" viii per
form Its grand annual spectacular feat, and viii
SuCCSeSiuny DfihS Out the stars" 1t Will alS)
bring out the cats, and likewise the bugs, bu4
she-bless her pretty innocent face-Will not say
anything about that In her essay, 1.-THE mil
Will never grind with the water that ha
passed" just as 1t refused to grind with th
same water last year. Man" will again b.
"the arbiter Of his own destiny" and imper-
sonal people VIII be genarally warned TO ape
ware" OF desperate steps on the assurance that
'the darkest day" never last through day after
Tomorrow great consolation for the man
who has lost his lantern. Mankind viii be
Che erfully told to 'Ho pom. no pever," although
rich and childless relative, is never very def
nitely set Observation-Disclosures Hd,ckeye.
re The down-trodden exile never thoroughly
realizes the fact that he has set foot upon a
land OF civilization until he pays ten cents for
q glass OF water with pinch OF salt In it.-N.K
Commercial ADVERTISER.