The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-11-29
MISEIsS AND THEIRHOARDS.
Famous Gribbers OF Gold and the wealth
They Hid.

|
the boards of money and other valu.
ables one so often reads Of as having
been discovered by workmen while en-
gagged in pulling down old houses have
been secreted by misers; the result is,
that in many cases, property thus found
is taken ossession of by persons whom
the miscr never intended to benefit,
namely their heirs-at-law and next of
| kin.
1t is pretty certain that misers of
both sexes existed ages ago, as they do
in our own day, and the following notes
concerning some notable examples of
monomaniacs may not be unintercst'
ing, OF these who made it a rule Of
their lives to gather gear by every
wile," the case of NJ. Osterwald, who
/ died in Paris in 1891 is remarkable, as
| showing that the richest man in a city
may also be the most miserable one.
| lie was the son of poor minister, and
began life in clearinghouse at II M
burg, where he acquired small sum,
which he augmented by his specula-
| tons in business and his economical
mode OF living; he afterward came 10
Paris, where he accumulated his enor-
nous fortune. He was bachelor the
expense of a wife and children being
incompatible with his frugal mode Of
living. He had for his servant a poor
wretch, whom he never permitted to
enter his apartment he had always
promised that at his death he should
be handsomely rccompenscd, and ac-
cordingly he left him a pittance OF six
months wages and suit of clothes,
but. as he expressly stated, "not the
most new" A few days before his
death some of his acquantances, who
saw that he was reduced 10 the last. eX-
tremity by want of nourishment, pro-
posed to him o have some soup. Eyes,
yes" he replied, lit is easy to talk Of
,oup-but what is to become of the
meatP" Thus died one who was re-
ported 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
three millions sterling Under his
bolster was found eight hundred thou
sand livres in paper money.
The neghborhood where Mary Luz
horne died seems to be still famous for
its misers. In 1877 there died at Wool
wich. Eng, Mr.. John Clark, aged So.
He is described as having been a man
of education, but a very singular char
acter: although reputed rs immensely
wealthy, he was very misery in his
habits and lived 10 the last in "A Squalid
howell in the poorest part OF Woolwich;
the greater portion OF his liiewa spent
in the accumulation Of books, OF which
he left a large store, II was reported
that the front shutters Of his house had
not been opened for thirty years: he
never took regular meal, nor did he
know the taste Of wines orspiritS. Yet,
Notwithstanding that he lived in such
a den and suffered such priyations, be
reached an octogenarian age, ana died
worth $500, 600 or Whereabouts.
An instance Of misery habits in the
great and noble is to be found in the
case Of that renowned captain, the
Duke Of Marlborough, Of whom 1t is
chronicled that, when in the last stage
of life and very iniirm, he would walk
from the public room in Bath to his
lodgings on a cold, dark night, to save
sixpence in chair hire. He died worth
S7,jO0,000
1t is recorded of Sir James Lowthcr
that, after changing piece OF silver in
Georges cofiee-house, and paying two
pence for his dish Of coffee, he was
helped into his chariot Che was then
very lame and iniirm), and went home.
Some time after he returned to the
same cotlee-house on purpose to ac-
quaint the woman that kept it that she
had given him bad half-penny. and
demanded another in exchange for it.
Sir James is stated to have then had
about 100000 per annum coming in,
and was at a loss whom to appoint his
heir.
Sir Thomas Colby, an official high in
Office, shortened his existence by his
passion for this worlds goods, as APP
pears by the following anecdote: "He
rose in the midd OF the night, when
uc was III WI pl'iuoN p'iop'l"'''H'
and walked downstairs to look for the
key of his cellar, which he had mad
vertently left on a table in the parlor;
he was apprehensive that his servants
might seize the key and rob him OF
bottle Of port wine, instead Of which he
himself was seized with a chill and
died intestate, leaving over Sl,OOO,O0O
in the funds, which was shared by five
or six day laborers, who were his next
of kin" Marvellous good luck for his
poor relations!
AT Northlleet, Eng, there died in
1772, Mr.. Page, dealer in limestones
and gunnints, by which occupation and
by most penurious way Of living, he
had accumulated fortune OF some
100000, He lived alone in large
house for several years, no one coming
near him but an old woman in the vii
lage, who once day went to make his
bed. His death was occasioncd by
running knife through the palm of
his hand by opening an oyster.
Some years since a chiilonnier (or
rag and refuse gatherer) died intcstate
in France, having literally "scraped'
together 100000 francs, the whole OF
which went to the heir-at-law.
My recent visit to some Of the noted
watering places, and my observation Of