The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-10
anecdotes OfAhe Late Johns Hnnkins.


He left SO, 00D, 900. moietv of which
was divided between eighteen relatives.
and the bulk retained Tor q university
and several hospitals. The nephew who
was often at variance with him received
almost twice as much as his brothers
who never contradteted him. Mr.. Hon
kins never married. The daughters of
Epaminondas were tAat herrYss lannon's
victories. The ciNlefen.af Johns Hop
kins are the splendid fstutions he has
left to learning t6kiercv and to sci
ence. There nelgef vase stronger man.
He started life with $40Gs and built up.
by his own exertiohss:a colossal fortune.
From the beginning he declared that he
mad mission from God to increase his
store, and that me golden flood that
poured into his cofers did not belong to
him or to the hrsdAssls who sought to
borrow or bee, tsforaA Nm. He declared
thai 2 sapeDv Ha poFaf prevented him
from tstfzlEse isSfom his pocket TO
bestow foolish "a ms, and that some day
the world would know that he was not the
grasplng, avaricious and dnarrow-minded
man he was accounted. 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 embarrass-
ment and sorrow.
An uncaLny old tramp used to station
himself under a giant oak that stood SEN
try by the lodge of "Clifton." This
made Mr.. Hopkins nervous and became
mortal offense. He told one of his
nephews of it and said he did not know
how to abate the nuisance. Why not
pay him, uncle, and send him away?"
queried the young man. "Pay him
money !" Mr.. Hopkins shrleked, while
his long arms few about like windmills;
pay him money God forbid When
do that there viii be hundred vaga-
bonds here instead of one y "Well,
then, added the nephew, "if were
you, Uncle John, l would kick him
ont. 81 cannot do that, the old man
pleaded, 81 am afraid !" "What p the
nephew retorted, are you afraid OF
such cur as that ?" No, no y 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 the story and burn in he'll forev-
er?" That ended 1t.
On one of the last days of his earthly
existence Mr.. Hopkins called his de-
beginning to hate this place. because 1t
does not bring In money. l hate every
thing that 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 weak
er ones pursue them squealingly, in
hopes that all or some of the treasure
will be lost or dropped ?" The gardener
replied that the sketch was a true one.
. Well, then," said Mr.. Hopkins, g ]
am that strong hog. L have that big
ear of corn, and every piggish rascal IN
| Baltimore is intent upon stealing 1t ol
| wrestling it from me Sir" he said,
turned brusquely to the gardener, {" dc
you think a very rich man Is happy 2
| The gardener answered "The extreme
! of poverty Is a sad thing. The extreme
| of wealth, no doubt, bears with 1t many
tribulations." Mr.. Hopkins reioined
"You are right, my friend next to the
hell of being utterly bereft of money is
the purgatory of possessing a vast
amount OF it. have a mission, and un-
der its shadow 1 have accumulated
wealth, but not happiness"