Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-06-19
The New Rich In New York.

There is no doubt about it that New
York is divided into two great classes.
the very rich and the very poor. and the
very poor, and the middling class of
reputable, industrious. fair-to-do people
are gradually disappearing, going up in
the scare of worldly wealth or down in
to poverty and embarrassment. Is
seems unqueStioned that between these
classes exists, and is rapidly growing,
under intentional fostering and nurtur-
ing of evil men, distinct, pronounced,
malignant hatred The sneers at Mr..
Vanderbilt in the public press meet the
appreciation OF hundreds of thousands
of people. Why? He is not a bad
man, although he never does any good.
To men who are sensitive as to what
other people should do with their mon
ey, he appears hoggish, but while as the
representative of corporate selishness
Mr.. Vanderbilt stands supreme. per Sc,
he is an easy-going, well-enoueh kind of
person, not good looking, not educated.
in no sense refined, but, on the 9TH
er hand, not easily disposed. But l
should be very sorry to be in Mr..
Vanderbilt 5 boots if such times as we
had here in 1858 should be repeated.
and Mr.. Vanderbilt is type OF thou
sands-I use the term advisedly-who
are rich beyond their ancestors dreams
of avarice. There are men here worth
ten and twenty millions of dollars of
whom you know nothing. l know one
lady, living in magnificent house,
whose life is IS quiet as that of min
ister's should Ee, who has given away
| not less than three millions of dollars
in five years, whose benefa2tionS prior
to her death will reach not less than
seven million dollars, who has in her
home paintings, statuary, diamonds.
precious stones, exquisite specimens of
gold and silver, with costly works of
every imaginable art, an inside eS-
innate of which is million and half,
and she is not rs rich as many of her
neighbors by several million dollars.
There are men here who twenty years
ago sold clothes on Chatham street
who to-day live at an annual expense
of hundred thousand dollars, who
wear jewels upon their person costing
in reasonable stores twenty-five thou
sand dollars.
Come with me in y Madison avenue
car any day, rain or shine, between the
hours of ten O. clock in the morning and
five or six o'clock in the afternoon, and
l will find you car after car closely
packed with ladies in whose ears are
diamonds worth from $500 to $4,000
each, on whose ungloved hands, red and
fluffy, sparkle fortunes. Walk with me
from Stewards old store. at the corner
of Ninth street and Broadway, to Thir-
tieth street and Broadway any day, |
do not mean Sundays, holidays or
special occasions, but all times,
and | will show you on block
after block women in seal-skin circulars
down to their heels. worth from $500 to
$4,000 each, with diamond earrings
and with diamond tinger-rings, and 9th
er precious stones as we'll carrying in
their hands dainty pocket books stuffed
with money. They represent the new
rich with which New York is filling up.
On that same street, at the same time.
| can show you men TO whom Il dollar
would be a fortune. whose trousers,
torn and dis2raceful in their tatterS,
are held about their pinched waists,
by rope or twine or pins, whose
stockingless feet 5 uifie along the pave
ment in shoes SO rag led that they
dare not lift them from the pavement.
whose faces are frecklcd. whose beard
is long and Struggling, IS is Their hair,
while their reddening hands Ia; e. al
the nails like claws. How long before
those claws will fasteu on the newly
rich? Make no mistake about it, tie
feeling is born, the feeling 10 growing.
and the feeling, sooner or later. wi!
break forth. Only last night | Wake
through Fourte nth street. on which
there are bu. few residence lett, and III
front of one, }" .ing from he door TO
the curbston.- was Il canopy, under
which charmingly-a tired Ia lies, ac-
companicd by their escorts, went from
their carriage to the open door. through
which floods OF light and sounds OF
music came. | stood with the crowd :
big crowd "a moment, AMI there was
born this idea of an inevitable outbreak.
unless something is done, and speedily
done, to do away with the prejudice
which not only exists, but !. i intention
ally fostercd against the very rich by
the very poor. 1t would make YOU
shudder TO hear the way the women
spoke. Envy, jealousy, malignan,
ferocity. every element needed was
there All that is wanted is a leader, =
Joe HotCard. in Hi'adc piia Press.