Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-03-22
How Much Makes a Man Rich.

How Much Makes q Man Rich.
To be rich,' said VIM. l.. Marcy, at
one time Secretary of State, requires
only satisfactory condition of mind.
One man may be rich with hundred
dollars, while another in possession of
millions, may think himself poor, and
if necessities of life are enjoyed by
each it is evident that the man who is
best satisfied with his position is the
richest To illustrate this idea Mr.
Marcy related the following anecdote:
While | was Governor of the State of
New York | was called upon one
morning at my Office by rough speci-
men of backwoodsman, who stalked in
and commenced conversation by inquir-
ing if this was Mr. Marcy? | replied
that was my name. Bill Marcy
said he. nodded assent. Used to
live in Southport, didn't ye' | ans
wered in the Affirmative, and began to
feel little curious to know who my
visitor was, and what he was driving
at That's what told en- said the
backwoodsman, bringing his hand
down on his thigh with tremendous
force. i told 'em you was the same
Bill Marcy who used to live in South
port; but they woulden't believe it and
promised the next time l came to
Albany to come and see you and find
out for sartin Why, you know me,
don't you Bill p l didn't exactly
like to ignore his acquaintance Alto
gether, but for the life of me | could
not recollect having seen him and so
replied that he had a familiar counte-
nance, but that l was not able to call
him by name. My name is Jack
Smith" answered the backwoodsman,
and we used to 60 to school together
thirty years ago in the little red
school house in old Southport Well
times have changed since then, and
you have been great man, and got
rich. / suppose 1 shook my head,
and was going to contradict that i'm
preston when he broke in: oh! yes
you are. l know you are rich; no use
denying it. You was Comptroller for
for long time; and the next time
we heard of you you was Governor.
You must have heap of money, and
| am glad of it-glad to see you getting
along so smart. You was always a
smart lad at school, and l knew you
would come to something l thanked
him for his good wishes and opinion,
but told him that political life did not
pay as well as he imagined. Il sup
pose, said |, fortune has smiled upon
you since you have left Southport p
'Oh yes said he, Il hain't got moth
ing to complain Of I must say have
got along right smart. You see
shortly after you left Southport our
whole family moved up into Vermont,
and put right into the woods, and L
reckon our family cut down more trees
and cleared more land than any other
in the whole State And so you have
made a good thing of it. How much
do you consider yourself worth p
asked, feeling little curious to know
what he considered a fortune, as he
seemed to be so we'll satisfied with his.
Well be replied, don't know exact
ly how much / am worth; but think
Strengthening himself up, If all my
debts were paid | should be worth
three hundred dollars clear CASH. y He
was rich for he was satisfied
The Ledger, of Easton, Nd, says
that valentine sent by youth in
Washington to a girl in Easton recalls
the story of name of note in Ameri-
can history. The name of the sender
&c +Lo ,,,;c,;,ro :. Dat,rp T MainS ont
the same Christian name has been in
the Meigs family for several genera
tions. Many years ago, in anti-revo-
lutionary days, Jonathan Meigs court
ed young lady who rejected his adj
dresses. Meigs continued to love the
girl, and, though too proud and sensi-
tive to try second time to win her,
he determined never to marry anyone
else, and to live and die bachelor un-
less she, OF her own volition, relented.
After few years the lady did relent,
or perhaps got to know her own heart
better, and sent letter to her former
suitor Meigs got the letter and found
in it only two words: Return, Jona-
than 1t was enough. Jonathan did
return and made her his wife. Their
first child was baptized Return Jona-
than,' to commemorate the brief letter
that saved the Meigs family from ex-
and from that day to this
there has been Return j. Meigs in
every generation. The sender of the
valentine referred to is the grandson
of NJ. C. Meigs, late Quartermaster.
General.