National Republican., 1883-05-25
MAMMoN,s MoNoMAN1Acs.
Extraordinary Instances OF Miseriy Habits
Among Men and Women.

York; recalls number of extraordinary in
stances of miserly habits. But a few days
ago Burlington, Iowa, drayman died and left
property valued at 100000, over which the
heirs arc now quarreling. Friends and |
relatives were ignorant Of his wealth during |
his lifetime. No day passes but what some
hospital, poorhouse, or tenement quarter tells
its story Of men and women who have
dragged out an existence amidst filth and
rags while in possession of veritablo fortunes
The story Of these monomaniacs is by no
means uninteresting. The case of M. ostef-
wald, who died at Paris in 1901, is remark
able as showing that the richest man in u
city may also be tho most miserable one. He
was the son of poor minister and began life
as q clerk in banking house at Ham
burg, where he acquired a small sum, which
ho augmented by his speculations in busi-
ness and his economical mode of living. He
afterward went to Paris, where he accumu-
lated his enormous fortune. He was
bachelor the expenses of wife and children
being incompatible with his frugal mode OF
living He had for a servant a poor wretch
whom he never permitted to enter his aparti
ment. He had always promised that at his
death he should be handsomely recompensed,
and accordingly he left him pittance of six
months wages and suit of clothes, but, as he
expressly stated, not the most new." few
days before his death some of his acquaint-.
ances who saw that he was reduced to tho
last extremely by want of nourishment, pro.
posed to him to have some soup. " Yes, yes
he replied cit is easy to talk of soup-but
what is to become of the meatH Thus died
one who was reported to be the richest man
in Paris, more from want of care and proper
nourishment than from disease. He is stated
to have left to relations, whom he had probably
never seen, the sum Of f3,000,000. Under his
l.. In anar
money.
miser died in Paris in 1880 leaving prop
erty supposed to be worth about EGO. Some
time elapsed before the heir presented himself,
but on his doing so a search was made in the
miser's apartment, and no less sum than
f32, 900 was discovered in a cupboard.
The cases Of these French misers strikingly
illustrate the truth Of the following lines;
To heirs unknown descends the unguarded store,
Or wanders heaven directed to the poor
In a recent case-that of William Rhodes,
known as tho Hounslow miser-two charities
| benefited largely by the miser's boards. He
died worth nearly $4,000, all of which he left
to the Royal Free hospital and the Life Boat
institution. The miser's nephews and nieces
tried to upset the WILL but it was upheld, the
two charities consenting to pay 1000 guincas
| to the next of kin. 1t is said that this miser
commenced his savings by picking up cigar
ends and other unconsidered trifies. His
| houSehOld eneCtS fetched 10 us.
A still moro extraordinary case is that OF
an English lady, who died in 1866 at lodg-
ing house near Broadway, in Deptford, at
the age of 96 Her name was Mary Luhorne.
| For upward of forty years she lived in Green
wich and Deptford in the most penurious
manner, denying herself the common neces-
saries Of life. She was known not to have
had any fire or candle in her apartment for
fourteen years prior to her death. She fire.
quently begged on the high roads when she
went ON business to the city. Notwithstand-
ing her wretched way of life after her death
there were found securities in the bank
South Sea, East India, and other stocks-to
the amount of 100000 and upward, besides
Jewels and other precious stones, plate, china,
clothes of every kind of tho richest sort,
great quantities of the finest silks, linen, vel
vets, &c., unmade of very great value, be-
sides large sum of money. To whom all
this treasure reverted does not appear. 1t is
to be hoped the miser's next of kin came in
for q share of it, y,
The neighborhood where Mary Luhorno
died seems to be still famous for itsu misers,
In 1877 there died at Woolwch Mr.. John
Clark, aged So. He Is described as having
been a man of education, but very singp-
lar character. Although reputed as inn
mensely wealthy, he was very miserly in his
habits, and lived to the last in saualid
hovel in the poorest part of Woolwich. The
greater part of his life was spent in the ac-
cumulation of books, of which he left large
store. 1t was reported that the front shut
ters Of his house had not been opened for
over thirty years He never took regular
meal, nor did he know the taste Of wines OF
spirits. Yet, notwithstanding that he lived
in such den and suffered such privations,
he reached an octogenarian age, and died
worth 100000 or thereabouts. This book
worm, as we'll as miser, seems to have been q
strange combination Of avarice and liberalityi
for by his will, he left no less than $4,000 to
his doctor, also $4,000 to his housekeeper, be-
sides many lcgacies to local charities, and to
a number of poor neighbors by whom he was
surrounded. Knowing we'll he could not
take his wealth with him he appears to have
, tried TO make some reparation for wasted
life by disposng of his treasures by liberal
hand. What his next of kin said about the
legacy of $4,000 to the doctor is not recorded
Bequests of this sort are prolific source oil
litigation.
An instance of miserly habits in the great
and noble is to be found in the case of that re-
nowned captain, the Duke of Marlborough, OF
whom it is chronic led that when in the last
stage of life aud very infirm, he would walk
from the public room in Bath to his lodgings
|, on a cold, dark night to save pence in chair
fare. He died worth f1,500,0O0.
1t Is recorded of Sir James Lowther that
after changing a piece of silver in Georges
coffee house, and paying I'd for his dish Of
coffee, he was helped into his chariot (he was
very lame and infrm) and went home. Some
time after he went to the same coffee house on
purpose to acquaint the woman who kept IL
that she had given him bad halfpenny, and
demanded another in exchange for it. Sir
James Is stated to have then had about 94O,-
900 per annum coming. in, and -Yas~at a loss
whom to appoint his heir. ,sr-.- 49,
Sir Thomas Colby an official high in office
shortened his existence by hispassion for this
worlds goods, as appears by the following an
ecdote +" He arose in the middle OF the night
when he was in a very profuse perspiration
and walked down stairs to look for the key tC
his cellar, which he had inadvertently left on
table in tho parlor He was apprehensivC
that his servants might seize the key and rot
him of bottle Of port wine, instead of which
he himself was seized with chill, and died
intestate, leaving goo, 900 in the funds, which
was shared by five or six day laborers, who
were his next of kim" Marvellous good luck
for his poor relations. 1ry X,
Here is an instance of grasping ungrAteful
nature Sir William Smyth, of Bedfordshire
when nearly 20 years of age, was wholly de-
prived of sight He was persuaded to be
couched by celebrated oculist who, byagree
ment, was TO have sixty guineas If he restored
} his patient to any degree of sight The oculist
succeeded in his operation, and Sir William
was able to read and write, without the use OF
spectacles, during the rest of his life but as
soon as Sir William perceived the good effects
of tho oculist's skill, instead of being over.
, joyed, as any other grateful person would
have been, he began to lament the loss las he
called itl of his sixty guineas. His contrlv-