The Portland daily press., 1883-03-17
The Rich Men of Gotham

The Rich Men OF Gotham.
The rich men of New York city, living
and dead, form the subject of an interesting
letter in the Utica Herald. From this letter
it appears that no one of the rich men of
New York ever bequeathed sum to chart
table objects equal to that given bv Stephen
Girard of Philadelphia, who sdied in 1881.
leaving the enormous sum of nine millions
equal to thrice that amount at the present
time He had no children, and after max,
ing few personal legacies, the grand estate
was bequeathed to charitable objects. 1t was
2he largest amount ever thus devised. either
in this country or any other" Old Jacob
Astor left 100000 to found the library
which bears his name, and his children since
his death have added 100000. Peter Coop
er has during his life time spent q million of
dollars in building and enlarging that fam
GUS educational benevoence the Cooper In
stitute. civilian B. Aston. notwitbstand-
Ing the immensely of his wealth, only left
$4,000 to charity. Commodore Vanderbilt
did little better Among the recent
posthumous benefactions which attract no
tice are those of William E. Dodge, which
are more than one-third of million. Samuel
Willetts, the opulent Quaker did much bet
ter, his benevolent requests being nearly
half a million. Willetts was a very close
man, and dressed SO plainly as to really look
shabby" The Utica Herald correspondent
names long list of very rich men who left
nothing to charity The number thus re-
ferred TO includes David Jones, the bachelor
brewer, who left five millions; the Goeets,
Peter and Robert, who left fifteen millions;
Stephen Whitney, who left eight millions;
Charles Morgan, the ship owner, whose es-
tate was six millions; Marshall o. Roberts,
who left three millions; George Law, who
left five millions; David Leavitt, who left
seven millions and Moses Taylor whose es-
tate was estimated at fifteen millions. A.
7. Stewart planned in his will lodging
house for working girls, but Hilton spoiled
the scheme by turning it into hotel. James
Lenox and the brothers Stuart were noted
for benevolence and their immense property
Is still largely devoted by their heirs to char
table purposes. OF the recreations of rich
AuCA AlFibS aiA0 dCdQ bulo correspondence SAYS
that Bonner cares only for horses, while
Stewart cared nothing for horses but was
proud of his magnificent picture gallery
dim Fisk had splendid aviary; Vanderbilt
loved fast team and game of whist; the
late Ex-Governor Morgan loved pictures;
Lenox cared only for rare books and pic
lures; the chief amusements of Old John
Jacob Astor were billiards and drinking
beer, the latter being one of the customs of
his native Germany. He was good billiard
player probably the best among all our CAPT
talsts) and had room for this purpose at
his country seat at He'll Gate. William B.
Astor had no amusement, except the inter
est he took in the library founded by his
father Moses Taylor was for half century
leading merchant and financier, and ac-
cumulated an estate worth twenty millions.
he lived to nearly four score, and yet never
showed taste for books, pictures, yachts,
theatricals, or even agriculture. He did not
care for watering places, and never wanted
vacation. He was, indeed, merely bust
ness machine to the very end Of his life.
George Law was very similar in his charac-
ter and habits. These men made no benevo-
lent requests. The elder Bennett cared
nothing for pictures, for music and the
drama, for yachts or fancy cattle. He read
nothing outside of journalism. He had no
religious associations, and no friendships,
and was in fact the most isolated man of the
age. The younger Bennett has dipped into
all the popular recreations of the fashiona-
BILE world both at home and abroad, and yet
he has taken excellent care of his great
newspaper. Keene has a splendid establish
ment at Newport and also amuses himself
with horse racing, in which he has been I'M
usually successful. Gould, on the other
hand, cares nothing for Newport but has
costly plaything in Westchester county,
which he calls Lyndhurst 1t includes
Splendid house built of white marble and a
spacious conservatory, well filled with
exotics, to which is added an estate of 500
acres. Gould has since then purchased q
yacht and announces his intention of max
ing voyage around the globe. Belmont
loves horses and pictures; Lorillard is. the
sporting rival of Keene; w. II. Vanderbilt
loves fast team, while R. NJ. Hoe, of print
ing press fame, is an enthusiastic book col
lector, and finds in this pursuit his highest
recreation.