The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-14
PERKINS, PRIZE.

George w. Perkins died at New York
city last week aged 80 years, leaving a
fortune of S3.0OO,OOO. He was banker,
or rather railroad speculator, and rail.
roaded himself into tho grave by over.
work. If Mr.. Perkins had been content |
with moderate amount of money he
would be alive to-day, well and doing
well, but Be played for big stakes and
his "jack pot" was coffin after all.
We would rather have the appetite, the
good digestion and keen enjoyment of
life of barefooted boy that gambols in
the gutter than Mr.. Perkins money.
Health is wealth to a wise man, and no
wise man ever yet gambled away fine
health for more wealth than he could
sensibly use. To place his family beyond
want, to pay his debts, man can afford
to strain his health to the point of ruin,
but beyond this point to barter comfort
for millions, happiness for power, is but
picking Dead Sea apples; you have your
prize and yet you are miserable because
you have won it. There IS no more
morality in wasting health to win inor-
dinate wealth than there is in wasting
health in trying to "corner" the con.
sumption of whisky, champagne, lobster
salad, turtle. fried oysters or fast women.
The game is not worth the candle, and
Mr.. Perkins is dead at SO, no better off
here or hereafter, than if he had died
with moderate estate, with this differ.
ence, that he would probably have lived
about thirty years longer and seen his
children and perhaps his grandchildren
grow up around him. We don't think
Perkins drew prize in his three millions
with coffin attached. The capacity to
earn three meals day from the cradle to
the grave. and digest the same, is alto
gether larger wealth in this life than
burning your candle at both ends to make
a million, and then dying like Moses,
| just as you come in sight of the prom
ised Land" with tho difference thai
Moses was full Of years and honors. while
Perkins was only 80. Why. there ISM
an able. e.bodied. honest, healthy, quarry
man, or mechanic. or railroad employe,
who eats heartily, sleeps well and is full
of animal spirits, that envies Perkins hi
prize of three millions at 80 years of age
, with a silver handled coffin attached
, The zest and relish Of life that even
{ poor man, who is healthy, takes from tn
cradle to 20 years of age, is worth NOR
! to man than three millions and a cof6l
. at 80. We think Perkins prize wa
really blank; of course, if we were hi
n principle heir we might view Perkins a
hero and martyr for our sake, an
4 hold him up as model to the young me
n of America, but as it is it looks yer
much as if Perkins had made his "pile
s only to lose it. A man with bag {
!. gold in trackless desert without wats
). or trees or game is rich man in or
!. sense, and yet really he is very poo
!. Just so with man who wins his wealt
.. permaturely, and wastes his health an
\, happiness in scooping his prize. Lii
le Moses he struggles to the top Of h
,r financial Nebo and dies with all h
re- music in him" at 80. Hasten slowly
" good advice; the joy of living is worth
10 good deal to decent nature, and itnev
.. pays to sell the glory of health for Il
n. halo Of wealth, that is as transient as Il
ia aurora boreals as soon as health begi
n. to fade. When deadly sickness com
a. the peasant is not much worse of th'
Mt tho prince, and in the long run go'
health is substantial wealth, for it o.
at least enjoy all it wins, while 4
m sick Midas has to live on prison fare
Id keep the breath Of life briefly in
y broken body. Let us not gamble
ys Perkins prizei lot us 90 slow and
ct member that health is wealth