Morris tribune., 1881-04-21
JOHN HOPKINS.
Some of the Pecularities of the Founder of q
Great University at Baltimore.

Some of the Pecularities Of the Founder OF
Great University at Baltimore.
From the Augusta (Ga) Chronicle.
He left 100000, moiety of which
was divided between eighteen relatives
and the bulk retained for univer-
sity and several hospitals. The nephew
who was often at variance with him received
almost twice as much as his brothers
who never contradicted him. MIR. Hop
kins never married. The daughters of Ep-
aminondas were that hero's famous VIC
tories. The children of John Hopkins are
the splendid institutions he has left to
learning, to mercy and to scieEcs. There
never was stronger man. He started life
with $500, and built up by his own exer-
tons. colossal fortune. From the be-
ginning. he declared that he had a revela-
ton from God, to increase his store, and
that the golden food that poured into his
Golfers did not belong to him or to the hun
dreds who sought to borrow or beg it from
him. He declared that supernatural
power prevented him from taking money
from his pocket to bestow foolish
aims, and that some the world would
know that he was not the grasping avari-
cious and narrow minded man he was &C
counted. He nevertheless helped secretly
many worthy persons. and, after his death,
it was discovered that not a few merchants
had been saved by him from financial en-
barrassment and sorrow. But in the the
common acceptation of the term he was not
liberal. His mission" prevented that.
Toward the close of a very long life he be-
came stingy and suspicious, but the end he
had never proposed never suffered change,
and that was the mistress Of his soul to-
ward whom he had maintained an infexible
fidelity. "Clifton" was his pride, and upon
it he spared no expense. Here the great
university was to be founded; but in this
his design will be bafHed. The city autho-
rites have taken some seventy acres just in
front of the imperial mansions, and the
noble chestnut grove he had nurtured, not
one tree of which would he cut down even
when withered, has fallen before the re-
morseless axe of progress. The founda-
tons of vast lake for the water supply of
Baltimore are already in course of excava-
ton, and the engineers and their rude i'm
plements occupy several OF the beautiful
chambers of Clifton"
On one Of the last days of his earthly ex-
istence Mr.. Hopkins called his devoted
gardener to him and said: Il am beginning
to hate this place, because it does not
bring in money. Did you ever feed hogs?
Have you not observed that the strong ami
mails bear away the ears of corn and that
the weaker ones pursue them squealingly,
il hopes that all or some of the treasure
will be lost or dropped?" The gardener re-
piled that the sketch was a true one. well
then, said MIR. Hopkins, I am that strong
hog. have that ear of corn and every
piggish rascal in Baltimore is intent upon
stealing it or wrestling it from mel" Sir, !"
he said, turning brusquely to the gardener,
edo you think very rich man is happy?'
the gardner answered: 1.-The extreme of
poverty is sad thing. The extreme of
wealth, no doubt, bears with it many tribu-
lations." Mr.. Holkins rejoined: You are
right my friend, next to the hell of being
utterly bereft of money, is the purgatory of
possessing vast amount of it. l have a
mission, and under it's shadow have ac-
cumulated wealth, but not happiness.
An uncanny old tramp used to station
himself nader giant oak that stood sentry
by the lodge of Clifton" This made Mr.
Hopkins nervous and became a mortal Of
fence. He told one of his nepbews about il
and said he did not know how to abate the
nuisance. why not pay him, uncle, and
send him away?" querried the young man
Pay him money!" Mr.. Hopkins shricked
while his long arms few about like wind
mills. Pay him money! God forbid
When I do that there will be hundred
vagsbonds here instead of one!" well
then, added the nephew, "if were you
uncle JOHN, would kick him out. :"
cannot do that the old man pleaded, Il an
afraid" What" the nephew retorted, ar
you afraid of such cur as that!" No, no!
Mr.. Hopkins whispered hoarsely. Il an
not afraid Of him, but afraid of God. Di,
you never read in the bible how Dive
treated Lazarus? Would you have nae re
peat that story and burn in hell for
| every" That ended IL