Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1880-12-02
RICH MEMS GIFTS.
The Benefactions Of Girard, Peabody,
Corcoran and Others.
IPhiladelphia Times

| philadelphia Times.l
had occasion the other day to find out
omething about certai n rich men, and so
went to the Congressional Library. l wanted
to find out how much these men had given
away in benefactions. I looked up Stephen
| Girard first found that, according to Par
| ton, "although he could sometimes act the
part of benefactor to a community, it Is
! said that he never had q friend. He died
| without issue in 1881, leaving property val
ued at about $9,OOO,OOO, and directed that
| 100000 should be applied to found q col
lege for orphan boys, which was commenced
in 1888 and opened in 1849." So Girard did
not seem to have been happy man. John
Jacob Astor died in 1S4S, his property being
estimated at not less than, $4,000 900. He
left 100000 to found the Astor Library. The
son, William B. AstOr, subsequently gave
like sum to the library. Mr. James Lick, p
Pennsylvania, who made a big fortune in
California and died there, left about S2OOO,-
600 in benefactions; 100000 was given to
erect an observatory in California and pur-
chase telescope, and $50O,OOO for the en-
couragement of mechanical arts in San
Francisco. He also gave 100000 to erect
monument over the grave of Key, the author
of the Star Spangled Banner"
George Peabody gave 81 SOC, 900 for lodging
houses for the working classes in London;
81 100000 for an institution of learning in
Baltimore; $15O,0O0 for a museum in Har-
ward College, and $2,OOO,0O0 for common
schools in the Southern States. Nearly all
of these amounts were given in wills, avail
able after the death of the testatOr, when he
could no longer use the money. BUTT 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 University with q large amount of
money, believing, no doubt, that he would
always be rich. Reverses came, and he is
now a poor man. Suppose that he had put
it in his will, where would Cornell Univer-
sity be to-day? Jay Cooke made some large
benefactions and gave away hundreds of
thousands Of dollars. Reverses overlook him
and he became poor.
But the greatest American philanthrOpist
that ever lived, excepting George Peabody, is
w. w. CorcOran of Washington. He is now
50 years old, and during his life he has given
away $3,0OO,OOO in public benefactions and
81 100000 in private charities, or about three
parts of his entire fortune. The Corcoran
Gallery of Art, including the building and
endowment, cost more than a million, and is
the pride of Washington. There is nothing
equal to it in the country. The Louise Home,
for decayed gentlewomen of the South, is a
noble benefaction, and the building and
grounds are great ornament to the city and
the admiration of strangers More than half
a million is represented here To Columbia
University Mr.. Corcoran has given money,
houses and lands, amounting to $25OOOO. A
hundren thousand was given to Ascension
Church. To the University of Virginia ne
has given hundreds of thousands of dollars,
and to the City of Washington, in addition
to his many other gifts, he gave Oak Hill
Cemetery, and improved it at a total expense
of $12O,O00 Mr.. Corcoran's entire family
consists of three grandchildren, through his
daughter Louise, and three nieces and
nephews. 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 immunity from personal solicitation
Yet the poor man is worried nearly to death
His confidential business man does much to
keep the great philanthropist from personal
Worry and trouble