The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-09-22
/. ANCIENT MILLIONAIREs.

From the Detroit Free Press. &c
Thousands of men have envied Astor,
Stewart, Vanderbilt, Mackay, Keene, Gould
and the other fellows who can buy straw
berries at a dollar per box; but the richest
of them are mere Migrants when compared
with some of the ancients. There was Nj
nus, for instance. He was the son OF MIN
rod, the old hunter, who made lions scratch
for holes aud tigers take to bitches. Old
MIN left his boy about 81 sc, 200, 000in cash.
besides 10 1000 cattle, a piece Of land about
as big as Arkansas, and IA, coo likely slaves.
There were no lawyers in those days who
Minus quickly took possession and cast
about for some plan to keep himself out Of
the poorhouse.
4 He was considered poor young man.
and had he been seen lugging his girl to az
ice cream saloon or riding out in livery
rig, his friends would have said he would
bring up in garnet. By q lucky capture
Of territory from the Assyrians, together
with the 29, 800 slaves. 125, 900 cattle, ten:
wagon loads Of silver and jewels. and a few
other trifes, Minus walked up the social lad
der until big bugs asked after his wife and
bsbies and he could loose three games Of
billiards without wondering ifthe saloon
would take stand off, !" He was worth
1850 100000 when he died, and yet for
the last five years of his life he went with
out mutton because the price had raised to
three cents per pound.
The heiress with $50 200 bank account
considers herself some pumpkins, but what
9 three cent piece she would have been
alongside Of Queen Semirimis. She not
years she had increased it fourfold. Just
multiply e35O, ZOO, 900 by two and you have
the amount of her bank balance, to say
nothing Of jewels and clothing and furni-
ture and palaces and slaves and cattle. Had
she sold out and cleaned up she would have
drawn her little check for about e70O, 900,
600. She didn't worry about where her
spring bonnet was to come from, and when
a new style of dress goods came out she
didn't sit up nights for fear some neighbor
would securea pattern first. While she
made it lively for her enemies she was soft
on her friends. She gave her waiting maid
half o million dollars in a lump for dressing
her hair in new style, and she tossed the
same amount to her dressmakeras reward
for the excellent fit Of one particular dress.
One day when she saw poor old man trav-
cling the highway on foot she presented
him with 500 asses to ride on, and insisted
on his accepting 100000 to pay his toll and
tavern bills.
Cyrus, king of Persia from the year $50
to $50, had some little change to begin with,
and in ten years he could draw his check
for $500, 0OO,0 600. He didn't haggle over the
price Of q slave when man came to buy,
but presented him with 1000. He at one
time owned 10000 horses, 100000 cattle,
2OO,QO0 sheep, $4,000 asses and Is, 900
slaves, and when he got tired of palace
costing 81 1000, 600, he gave it away to some
poor washerwomal with seven children to
support. He one day sat down to dinner
which had cost ESQ 200 and in the afternoon
he went on a 100000 drunk. The police
did not run him in, or he would doubtless
have insisted on paying fine Of EGO, 600
and presenting hishonor with the corner
house and lot in the toniest part of Baby
lon.
King Menes was another we'll heeled
man. It was too much trouble to count his
cash. and so he weighed it. One day when
an old friend asked him for the loan Of a
few dollars until Saturday night, he sent
him procession of sixty asses, each ami
NAL loaded with 100 pounds Of gold coin.
He paid 100000 for bird which could
whistle. the same for trick dog, and had
such fondness for white oxen that he
shelled out e25, 1000 apiece for them, and
az oue tlme udu " uIOVe u AUU. wien Ae
got out with the boys he made things live.
". During one spree in his city Of Mem
phis, he gave away $500,000, and didnf
get drunk at that. At one time he had
600, 900 gold chains, 1000, 900 finger rings
100, 600 costly swords. 800, 600 daggers, ani
land only knows how many fish lines, jack.
| knives, corkscrews and tobacco boxes. Hi
wife had f1 600 600 q year a. 4snoneF
and when his eldest son went INTO rhebet
600 for fare, checks and beer money.