Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-09-14
Our Millionaires.

Money is coming so common among
us that in a few years the possessor of
a million of dollars will no longer be
a marked man. Formerly 100000
was sum of money which entitled its
owner to consider himself a man of
weight and importance; now We hear
Of one hundred millions without stag
gering. Jay Gould, now on the eve
of retirement from business. will take
with him in his private life the last
named sum. This gentleman has 80
millions in the Bank of England-a
safe place l suppose in case anything
happens. Commodore Vanderbilt
died worth one hundred millions, of
which he left fifty-two millions to his
eldest son who is credited with having
doubled it, and the rest was divided
among his other sons. A snug little
sum for each. A. t. Stewart, who,
when living, was supposed to be the
richest man in the States, caused not
a little surprise when it was discover
ed that he was worth only sixty six
millions. Ye gods! only sixtysix:
Wetalk Of these sums of money, which
a few decades, nav few years ago
would have seemed fabulous with fine
Indifference nowadays.
| have just seen a copy of the first
New York Herald ever printed. 1t is
a small page about the size of a fools
cap. 1t was printed on July IL, 1884
and the father of the present proprie
tor printed and published it himself,
and as finish Of his DAYS work old
it in person on the sidewalk. His son
Mr.. James Gordon naett, d.riv :
from this paper alone an inc)'na of Il
million dollars. and one proportiontr-
lv large from the Evening Telegra
This gentleman gave 100000 to h.
Irish relief fund. On his recent visit
to fashionable watering place Mr..
Bennett had fancy for having Strins
Band, the most famous blnd in Ger,
many, to play daily on the balcony for
himself during their ten days visit
This little freak cost him in the neigh
borhood of 100000. Happy man.
One can only shrug ones shoulders
and contemplate.
Mr.. James W Mackey is another
millionaire. On his wife's return from
her late European tour the Customs
officers valued her wardrobe at $780,
900. He is the owner Of bonanza
mine in Nevada. His father was a
laborer. and was tilling the ground,
when click! his spade struck soma
thing hard-silver-and in a couple
of weeks he was millionaire. Mr..
Mackey has purchased Victor Enan-
uels country seat in Italy for $780,
900.
Last but not least, | will mention
the Astors. No bonanza here, no
specializing The Astors belong to
the real old kpickerbocker families
and their money is derived from real
estate. As long as au Astor lives that
Astor will be rich man, and his des-
cendants forever The original Astor
vas among the Dutch settlers before
the revolution. The grandfather of
the present Astor, however, OWED at
ouC li'uC, aim 81 lUC w 4itIC Vi
Manhattan in the form of an Immense
farm, for which he paid originally five
or six hundred hard earned dollars
This farm stretched from what is now
known as Blocker street to what is
now Harlem. 1t was famous for grow
ing the most beautiful of flowers and
fruits. Imagine the strawberries thai
fourished where now stands the Fifth
Avenue Hotel in all its glory, and try
to estimate with bated breath. the man
who owns three or more square miles
of the city of New York, where one
can not live in decent house unless
one can pay $4,000 year rent. The
wealth of the Astors is said to far ex-
coed that of the Rothschilds.