Smyrna times., 1883-06-20
Letters to MillionaiRes.

An industrious gatherer of curious |
information gives some odd statements |
in relation to letters written to reputed |
rich men Ofthis country. We condense
some of them,
A lady entirely unknown to w. w.
Corcoran, the benevolent Washington
banker, writes an eloquent letter to
that gentleman, in which she states
that her husband is worth $4,000, and
is doing large and prosperous bust
ness. The writer, however, desires to
be independent of her husband, and
asks Mr.. Corcoran to send her enough
money so that she may live on the
interest. The letter is well written,
and closes with an urgent invitation to
Mr.. COrcoran to come and make her a
visit at her home in New England, to
see her garden and enjoy the fruits
and flowers. The writer was evidently
we'll to do in this world, and refined
and educated, yet, amid her prosperity,
she had one ambition which was not
satisfied, and that was to have bank
account of her own. In this particular
she is not, perhaps, an isolated exam
pie, but the course of reasoning which
led her to think that an entire stranger
would help her is entirely unique.
I" / want a barrel of mess pork, and 1
want you to send it to me-" was the
lacOnic but peremptory letter received
from a man i'll one of the Southern
States. Mr.. COrooran, amused by this
strange demand, sent the pork as re-
quested. What was the result? He
was rewarded by receiving a request
for "aRother barrel"
A young lady asked Mr.. COrcoran to
send her pink silk dress, trimmed to
order, to enable her to attend ball in
Virginia. This letter is much in the
style of an order to dressmaker, and
there is nothing to indicate that the
writer had any doubt but that the re-
quest would be granted.
Another lady correspondent, living
ia Europe, sends sixteen pages of com.
mercial post, closely written, giving O
! history of her family, which seems tC
= have had very ancient origin, and re-
questing that $4,000 be sent to her ad
: dress, to enable the writer to take 6
: trip to the southern part of France fol
$ the benefit of her health.
1t is said that Jay Gould receive.
2 scores of begging letters every day. A
I |
Il days ago one came from Switzerland
Z in which an impecunious dressmakel
wanted him to aid in establishing he
y y in Paris, where she might cut int,
Il Worth and break his corner" in tn
y dressmaking art.
e Henry Clews, Whoseswealth Is esti
y mated at $1O.OOO,000, receives a larg
q q number of letters asking for help
" Many of the applicants are unfortunat
Ie operators in Wall street, and the,
often find in Mr.. Clews a sympatheti
u friend. Many of the letters are write
!, in behalf of charitable institutions, an
IL if upon investigation they are found t
~ be deserving, the desired assistance
le ~ given. The Wall street brokers ar
VI said to be always ready to listen t
I charitable appeals, especially in beha
y of those who have been unfortunate o
II the "street."
y, Russell Sage is not credited wit
~ throwing money away" as he tern
~ it, and brokers generally observe: {"
"a man with $4,000, 900, who will wait
~ his Office over half an hour to cate
w the five cent trains on the Elevate
no Road, must be too poor to give none
= away for sweet charity" James ]
.; Keene, his friends say, receives scor,
~ of begging letters every day; an
~ IN Cyrus w. Field is the recipient of mo-
~, than any other man in Wall street ci
,oi y" cles. He gives away $50 per day f
SIr charitable purposes, his intimates a
M sert, and generally answers enFre
~ pondents who solicit aln3s IL he thinl
om II 1t is charity worthily bestowed.