The Labor enquirer., 1884-11-08
Misery for the Poor.

III Is only question OF tllne-anu cry
short time, too-when Wall street will be
abolished by legislation" The speaker was
Horace B. Clafin, head of the biggest dry
goods concern in America, and the remark
was made to Cyrus W. Field. : J.
81 agree with you.S was the reply of Field,
"that the gambling element ought to be ell
minated from business" g. u
: Then l listened toE these two mems denun-
citation of speculative methods. as they sat in
the car seat next to me, and ] wondered if
they had forgotten that they had gained
fortunes by means Of something as depen-
dent ON chance as the turning of die. Be-
fore the outbreak of the rebellion, when it
was ill a guess whether there would be a
war, Ciaflin took the chances of the great
gain or loss by buying an immense stock of
cotton goods. In effect, he bet that prices
would go up, and they did, tremendously.
The winning of the wager enriched him. AT
a time when the feasibility of telegraphy be-
tween Europe and America was conjectural
Field sunk every dollar. his last dollar, to
the bottom of the ocean in form of a cable,
on tie chance that it would rise again in
multiple. He freely y,admits that he felt as
though buying ticket In lottery He won,
and is millionaire several times over. Claf-
lin is widely known man who keeps out of
sight. Outside of his own trade he could
walk the length Of. Broadway unrecognized.
Heis small. round-faced, smooth-shayen
old fellow, with manner so nervous that
seemingly the fret of the smallest retail traf
+ fic would keep him awake nights. Field is
not less unfamiliar to the public which
knows him by name and reputation so well.
His hair and whskers dominate the rest of
bis head, and altogether he is not very i'm
pressiye. He is a philanthropist, but the
majority CT New Workers won't believe it.
The chief reason for the-doubt is his mis-
takes as to monuments. He erected one to
the memory of Major Andre little way
uD the Hudson, and for that is accused of
British toadyism. Vandalism damaged the
structure and brought it into notority. Again,
Field tore down the Washington headquar,~
ters, at the lower end of Broadway, thus
sacrificing patriotic landmark tG get the
site for a huge commercial building.
"What is the approval of a populace worth,
anyhow" said cynic, Sin city where the
names of Bill Tweed and Jim Fisk are more
loudly cheered than any Others that can be
uttered?' !
New York is being crowded with million
aireism. Five of the men so enormously en-
riched by Nevada mining are here now, or
have been recently. Families whose fortunes
are permanently enlarged come to the me
tropOlis to live luXuriousiy. Square miles of
residences, each representing, ON the average,
"a yearly expenditure of S25,00O for mainte-
nance, aside from whatever special and per-
Sonal extravagances the inmates may indulge
in, make an aggregate of capital dazzling to
contemplate. Year BY year the amount of
money Withdrawn from active use in busfs
ness grows immensely, and the number of
rich idlers increases proportionately. Among
all the young sons of the AStors and Wander
bilts there is not one who has an active pur-
suit, save that of pleasure, and l mention
these names because they are familiar, and
not for exceptionality. Go into the evening
resorts of time-killers and you will at every
turn meet fellows who do absolutely nothing
useful from the beginning of year to its end.
They are the heirs OF tsead-and-gone workers.
They are destitute of manly pride, but full
OF the foolish vanities of dandyism.
Vicious, also? Naturally Their extraya-
gances in that direction are just now remark
able. 1t has suddenly become the fashion
among them to keep bachelor apartments,
no matter how adequate toall rational re-
qulrements their family homes may be. |
Within two years dozen or more magnifi-
cent buildings have been erected on the
French flat plan, except that no women or
Kitchens are included. Suites of two to four
rooms are rented at 81, 900 to 5000 Der an
mum, usually to be layishly furnished BY the
tenant, who is very often a rich family,s
Scion ON his rapid way to the devil. a
restaurant, from which the most elaborate
meals may be ordered for delivers In his
own dinng-room, enables him to entertain
his freinds IN as carousing manner as he |
chooses; and these guests need not be mas
suline, Notwithstanding the monastery. r,fles
Of the house. Chicago Herald.
The carpenters of this city will enters
ain number of invited friends This
avpnin0 81 E,al:1 r III A x,lr.,.- i .E -