The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-11-11
"REMINISCENCES OF JOHN HOPKINS.
" The Extreme of Wealth. No Doubt. Bears
With II Many Tribulations."
augusta (Gd.) Chronicle.

augusta (Gd.) Chronicle.
He left 100000, a moiety of which was
divided between eighteen relatives, and the
bulk retained for a university and several
hospitals. The nephew who was ofen at
variance with him received almost twice as
much as the brothers who never contradicted
him. Mr.. Hopkins never married. The
daughters of Epamnondas were that hero's
famous victories. The children of John
Hopkins are the splendid institutions he has
left to learning, to mercy and to science. He
started life with S400, and built up, by his
own exertions, a colossal fortune. From
the beginning he declared he had a mission
from God to increase his store, and that the
golden food that poured into his Golfers did
not belong to him or to the hundreds 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 day the
world would know that he was not the
man he was accounted. He nevertheless
helped secretly many worthy persons, and,
after his death, it was discovered that not
few merchants had been saved by him from
financial embarrassment and sorrow. But
In the common acceptance of the term he
was not liberal. His "misson" prevented
that. Toward the close of very long life
he became stingy and suspicious, but the
end he had proposed never suffered change,
and that was the mistress of his soul toward
whom he maintained an inhexible fidelity.
"Clifton" was his pride, and upon it he
spared no expense. Here the great university
was to be founded; but in this his designs
will be batied. The city authorities have
taken some seventy acres just in front of
the imperial mansion and the noble chestnut
grove he had nurtured, not one tree of which
be would have cut down even when wither-
ed, has fallen before the remorseless ak of
progress. The foundation of vast lake for
the water supply of Baltimore are already in
course of excavation, and the engineers and
rude implements occupy several of the
beautiful chambers Of Clifton"
An uncanny old tramp used to station
himself under giant oak that stood sentry
by the lodge of Clifton" This made Mr.
Hopkins nervous and became a moral
otiense. He told one Of his nephews of it,
nuisance. "Why not pay him, uncle, and
send him away?" queried the young man.
"Pay him money" Mr.. Hopkins shrieked,
while his long arms flew about like wind
mills. "Pay him money! God forbid!
When do that there will be a hundred vag-
abonds here instead of one!" "Well,
them" added the nephew, "if | were You |
would kick him out" 81 cannot do that"
the old man pleaded, II am afraid"
what" the nephew retorted, care you
afraid of such a cur as that?" ''So, no."
Mr.. Hopkins whispered hoarsely, 81 am not
afraid of him, but afraid of God. Did you
never read in the Bible how Dives treated
Lazarus? Would you have me repeat that
story aud burn in hell forever?" That
ended it.
On one of the last days of his earthly ex-
Istence Mr.. Hopkins called his devoted
gardener TO him and said: - 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 animals
bear away the ears Of corn, and that the
weaker ones pursue them squealing, in hopes
that all or some of the treasure will be lost
or dropped?" The gardener replied that the
sketch was true one. "Well, them" said
MI. Hopkins, 81 am that strong hog.
have that big ear of corn, and every piggish
rascal in Baltimore is intent on stealing it
or wrestling it from me! Sir" he said, turn
ing brusquely to the gardener, ado you
think a very rich man is happy?" The
gardener answered: "The extreme of pov-
erty is a sad thing. The extreme of wealth,
no doubt, bears with it many tribulations."
Mr.. Hopkins rejoined: "You are right, my
friend; next to the hell Of being utterly be-
reft of money is the purgatory of possessing
vast amount of it. have a mission, and
under its shadow have accumulated wealth,
but not happiness"