San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-07-06
Growth or Luxury.

virtue as exalted as ever was known 10
in any age or country 10 Tia,
condition of social and political rotten.
ness which characterized il for eighty
years next preceding tho establishment
of the empire was rapid by comparison
with any similar transition in ancien,
times; but it was slow compared with
the progress we Of the United State.
have made in the same direction within
the last twenty years. Weare as much
faster than our Roman prototypes AZ
steam and electricity are faster than tbs
Roman chariot. Twenty or thirty
years ago, say thirty, the richest man
in the United States was not worth
more than Marcus Crassus, the richest
man in Rome in the age Of Pompey and
julius Cesar-S10, 100000 to $4,000.
900. When old Stephen Girard, Of
Philadelphia, died, it was said he was
worth Sl5,0O0,O00, but in fact he was
not worth $l0,00O,O00. He was then
the wealthiest man in the country.
When old Corr lius Vanderbilt died
his estate was estimated at $4,000, 900.
a few years thereafter the Stewart es.
tate was reckoned at $50, 100000. These
were the richest men in the country
ten or a dozen years ago, and there
were hardly a score of others worth as
much as $1O,000,000 each. What a
change has taken place since the death
of Vanderbilt! The wealth of his son,
William H., is now reckoned above
$1OO,OOO,OOO. Jay Gould, bankrupt
ten years back, is supposed to be worth
$5O,OOOOOO; Stanford, Crocker and the
heirs of the estate of Mark Hopkins
range from $60,0O0,OOO to $25,OOO,OOO
each. There died a man in New York
the other day, Moses Taylor, whose
property is variously stated at $3O,OOO,.
600 to $5OOOO,OOO, and in his life he
hardly attracted any attention as man
of wealth, so numerous have become
those of equal rank in fortune. Twelve
years ago the richest man in the city
was thought to be William @. Ralston,
and the aggregate of his possessions
did not exceed $6,0O0,00O. At that time
two men kept an humble saloon on
Washington street, between Montgom.
ery and Sansome, whose whole posses
sions could not have been cashed for
$4,000. They became partners OF two
other men in mines on the Comstock
lode. Of the last two neither was rich.
The aggregate wealth OF the four did
not reach $4,000. Now one of the first
two is worth $3O,OOO,O0O, and one Of the
last two supposed to be worth $5o,OOO,-
600. A third is the richest man in the
United States senate, and the fourth
died leaving an estate Of $9,0OO,OOO or
more. It is stated on good authority
that two brothers named Armour made
81, 100000 in one year on "corner" in
pork. James r. Keene in 1872 was
very poor man in this city-so poor that
at times a $40 piece looked as big to
him as the full moon. He is now rated
as O. fifteen million nabob in New York,
all of it the result of eight or nine
years successful speculation. Ii took
Stephen Girard a lifetime to make hall
as much, and yet he was accounted inc
sharpest and luckiest merchant OF MS
time. What does all this vast accumu'
lation of riches in few hands imply
It is giving the nation the best system
of roads the world ever saw. 1t Is max
ing travel and transportation easy, II
not cheap. It is building up clues
within one or two lives greater THAN
those of antiquity, which we're the $40"
growth of centuries. New York is al
ready richer and more populous place
than London or Paris was sixty years
ago, and in a quarter of century Oni,
cago has risen to the rank of the seconu
class towns of Europe that were foundeu
before this continent was discovered
1t has increased production, qulckeneuI
commerce and manufactures, developer
mines, and sent currents of emlgra'iOI
from the Old World into the remo'eS'
and most secluded parts of the country
But it has corrupted legislation the Iu
dietary, the people. It has sapPed anu
undermined public virtue. 1t has SUM
the leaders of society in luxury sHu