The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-07-30
ANCIENT WEALTH.

The following from the Cincinnati
Price Current of June % will, no
doubt, be found interesting and in
structive Sunday reading to some of
our pOOr milliOnaires here and in 9th
er parts ofthe United States:
A recent publication of the suppOs-
ed wealth of some OF our "mOney
kings" whose riches are estimated at
sums ranging from $5,D00,000 10 500
100000, suggests comparison with
the fortunes Of certain men who lived
when many of the facilities and Won
derful appliances of the nineteenth
century for anassing large wealth
were unknown. 1t will be seen that
the Astors, Stewards, Vanderbilts and
RothschildS, while on the road to af-
fluence, have not yet attained it. Even
the mythical Monte Christie of Dumas
was a begger in comparison with
some of these ancient worthless.
In order to guard against any sup
position that the ordinary expense of
life were larger than now, and so ac-
count in some measure for the heavy
expenditures of the wealthy of those
times, or that manufactures, in the
necessary articles Of personal wear,
yielded a heavy lucrative return to
those who engaged in such industries
than they now do, we preface our sub
ject by giving schedule of prices for
labor and mechanical products. In
recent paper by Prof. Herberman on
Cuisines of Life in Ancient Rome"
we learn that "shop rent cost from
sixty to seventy dollars annually,
while the average yearly pay of jour
newman mechanic was from 800 TO
1925 per year and board. The price
of the mechanics product were cor
respondingly low" Felt hats could
be bought for 81; mems CATERS for
fifty cents; women's CATERS for
thirty cents; mems sandals twenty
six cents; slippers thirty cents mems
tunics from SIG to $3G, and togas from
$50 to $4S. And you could actually
get shaved for four cents. Many of
the mobiles and Emperors were per-
sonally interested i'll manufactures.
Marcus Aurelius owned brick facto-
ries and the Emperor Pertinax was
the sole proprietor of felt factory.
On running our curious eyes over
the chronicles of old times we learn
TAT Ptolemy Philadelphus, of Egypt,
who lived B. G. 2S3, amassed a snug
little private fortune of s. ,00QO00,0
He continually maintained an army
of 100000 foot, 10000 horse, 300 ele-
plants and 1000 armed chariOts.
These ancient gentlemen not only
made a great deal of money, but they
spent it quite as freely and rapidly as
they made it. Cicero, like most lit
erary men of all ages, was impecuni-
Gus. and yet he could give $4,000 for
a villa to live in; Clodius, his bitter
enemy, paid S650,000 for his town res
idence on the Palatine, while Messiah,
who also wished to live on the Pala-
tine, that being the then fashionable
quarter in Rome, bought Mare Anto-
ny's old residence at the reasonable
figure of 100000. Seneca was a
philosopher, but his philosophy was
not of that amiable character that he
managed to exist OH small fortune
Of S20,O00,000, which Suillius charged
him with having amassed by usury.
Tiberius, when he departed this life,
left his heirs $130,000000 to divide
among themselves. Caesar, before he
got into politics, or had any "rings' to
buy up or out, owed something over
$I4O00,000, and we are, therefore, not
surprised that his creditors decidedly
objected to his leaving Rome when he
was appointed Governor Of Spain. 1t
was quite common occurrence for
the great Julius to purchase friends
and adherents by sums ranging
from 100000 to 100000.
Marc Antony, we are told, owed
$I,250000 when he was yet a young
man, through the extravagant life he
led at Curio and at one time, later in
life, he settled little debt of $780,
600 by paying it in cash within fifteen
DAYS notice. That was a small mat
ter for him. though tor he.managed to
spend -sS00,0QD,000 within an exceed
iy short space of time, which fact
makes our modern defaulters appear
petty and epntemptible. Plutarch re-
lates. that Antony Ito the great dis
gust of his steward, who had the
handling of his money! once made