New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-27

stand as too ostentatious. What if endeayor TO
set an example Of charming rustic churches tinPie
and vet lovely, beautiful In their grace anu
nodesty will at least try to build one structure
that will touch the hearts of people ana see IL ~ ~
not better than cold capriees IN stone. .,,aI ~,
" But think of the splendor of a great catDenIal!
Is il splendOr that look fori' commented feter.
@And is spendOr appropriate in metroPoliS l,Ke no
New-YOrk barbarc IN It's d,sofder w mae m"I,e
we TO do with splendOr, we who cannot even intho
onr city seemly, who cannot pave it deoently' VINO
disfgure it with unsghtly objects who need even
the fundamental lessons of cleanliness ana oTder
What If | should pave the whole city PerIectIyi as
Paris is paved 1t wOuldco many mlllohs: anu 20
something in the way OF private muiilpcen TO-
But where would my well-paved stree,s DO Usn
wears hence under our present negcctiul admlhls1I
tratiOn2 Streets cannot be kept wen p3Iou
without ceaseless care and attention and then here
again should only lead the people to depend upon
accidental means for accomplishing that which
they should do tor themselves: If millionaire
turned up every three or four decades to pave our
streets rs q gift it would not be long ere our
streets would be worse paved IN the intervening
periods than ever before CIeafy' tha soSnt6T%
way to spend my millions might 40 soiiaccn,t ~,
however by way Of example Perhaps one neatly
paved well-kept street, by showing what can pc
done, would lead the people to demand reform III
fins iouc-existing evil will think about IT. And
how about our il-buiit wharycs Snail l put Il
dozen millions along our water fronts Az Des'i
accomplish nothing toward the uplifting OF me
people: at most it would encourage them I'D tne
fatal habit of dependence If town IS SO siQthlu,
negligent and unclvIlized as TO toierlte Hthept
streets and badly built wharyes 1T ought 10 lie
compelled to endure them These are tingS tho az
business and not specially the Door, ana really not
within nv purpose" ., ~,
"Why not build a great art gallery"
81 Layo thought a great deal aDont an arr
gallery" was Peters mental response. "ODvlonsy,
This is something that could not be dohe by the
people ought not to be done by the goNernnlcht
and hence must depend upon private inu1inCGncei
4 great art gallery would be an 06Ject Oh loe i
pride. but what would It 40 toward SPI't t tne
question of wages and poverty Al thlhgs
however cannot lie comprised by one scheme ART
/ refine, and instruUts, SO | am told; so say many
people when new ugly statue is put IN the DarKs
| or "A new specimen of architectural hldcouSheSS
goes no sOmewher Immense Is the eXaggeTatIon
and nonsense about ant. NO doubt taste LOT arr
forms a graceful part of culture but art IS sensuouS
rather than intellectual; IL does not elevate 2
people as it is sad to do. for tue most deDase;a
people OF the world are lovers OF AIT puU as III
enters into refined pleasure IL has worthy place
It is not tue thing 1 seek for not the lever that
will nplih, nor the force that wI dao move 'n'
| THE problem of what to do With his fifty millions
began to weigh on Peters mind. lie walked we
streets musing upon it; he often nassed wa@eIul
hours Mt night distracted 10y conflicting spec
ulltOns lie naturally took up books 10 see WIldt
/ MD they would give him. He found much written
/ upon cooperative production. and began To look
hopefully upon it. or part-prOit plans as proDaDie
solution oil the wage question. lie looked ahont 10
see If lac could MAKE experiment IN that direction.
Ieeu he became confronted with the TACT that the
only way to show the practical advantages OF CO.
operation was 10y making ms experiment successful;
and this would make ms venture an ihyeol,I'hI H,ln
| not a bcnchcence. Ii really belonged 10 the
administration OF his other nifty millions. PM
these facts dii not deter him. lie determined To
make the experiment. to test the matter to the
fullest extent possible and considered carefully ID
I'll solve the problem that way" he unused,
| " the end would bo accomplished without drawing
upon the fifty millions. 30 much the uettef, rs
/ more will be left for my benehceht schemeS-"heh
lie Thought among rrany things of model dwelling
houses for The poor ana Itmein'HTifeu WH't SaooIS
/ had done. Here again he was dcitA.eu, NJ ilS
/ way to do any extended good would he by buIding
dwelling houses excellent III pian Dut yet yitiuhg
fair interest," for unless OlHcr cdpltalt'is IoIoWei
/ his example all that he could do W0ull prove hu'
/ "a drop I'm the great sea of need. re rcSoiyei,
| however 10 look into the subject. and hu,ld some
/ dwelling hoascs il only by way of example Bnt
! thi, .rau.' he muttcrel almost deSpairin@ly, i
/ nothn4 but an investment. ana Will not make my
In the conrse Of his readings he CHANGED upon an
/ account Of the treatment OF the employees on tue
/ French state railways. Here he was Interested
! and even startled. On these railways every
/ faithful worker has his wages raised every hye
years: after a definite and honorable service ne IS
pensoncd foG If" All pronot ions are maze ,W'lulh
The RANKS 50 that every intelligent servant has the
| onnortuuity 70 rise. New acccs-iOnS are drawn, If
! po.siblr from the families of the employed. The
/ result OF all this is hopeful faithful, Jealous
coutcutel body of workers BIS picture captlNatcu
| our NIL ionaire; lie was the prmcipal owner OF
] railroad. and he determined that similar plan
/ should be put in operation upOn II. III II
succeeds he exclaimed the other railroads IN the
| country will have to follow aud vast good be
accomplished that will really cost nothing. In the
name of wonder he cried, are ideas a powerful
/ and ~ henehcent as money =
/ Another discovery at tins time astonlshed MN,
although accorded with early formed views OF his
own. lie found IN the pages OF an earnest writer
the ASSERTION that of all tue beney Oeut institutions
/ devised by man for the benefit of his fellow
/ creatures the only one that had accomplished
| lasting and unreasonable good was the savings
/ ,auk-and this, although originating as Il bencvO-
lent institution had long ceased To partake OF that
character Here was something that acted on the
better instincts Of the people. that encouraged
frugality. industry, and sell-reiiance-tho ONLY
/ thing in the world absolutely the only. that can
redeem the masses from their poverty and was YET
! wholly self-supp0rtng. The greatest or all
benetcences thus did not spring from II illonares
| money did not need II illionares money. and
hourished simply because 1t was rooted mia rig1t
Peter stretched out his hands and laughed half
bitterly " The world he cricd does not need
| nv miserable millions. 1t hourishes upon ideas,
unon fructifying forces upon things rooted within
| itself! | must work by ideas. hospital an art
| gallery fountain statue, monument, The SO
things are well enough, but they can he erected by
any mans idle millions ] can well afford. however.
to devote ave or even zen mliohI 10 'rse Pt
! for whatever good they may DO. f0r the rest
| what shall | dot Ii | could found system as
widely useful rs practically benehcent as the
| institution of savings then | should feel THAT my
| search had been rcwarded-but absolutely It such
| Il plan presented itself il would not require money
40 much rs the ventilation OF the ldea. Ana can
| any idea be more advantagcousy insisted upon
than the that seed-corn that IS savings is the
sole means OF increasing wealth oi any class high
| or lowp
| Peter began actively to plan an art gallery, and
he inquired into the necessities OF the hospitals;
Tie resolved To ald Literally sOlo
| institutions of the country, and to establish
nolytpchnic schools in some of the cities. But while
! busy with these and SIMILAR projects the question
| still uppermOSt in his mind was tho problem OF
| ,iniuu the nrcessitous of doing something that
would improve the condition of the poor
Solving to tho poor he unused, " Is rear,
! ,errlv tossing money into the sea- do not see
how they can be really aided except by helping to
maintain the industries of the country, by invest
ing capital whore needed; and by striving to arouse
| the spirit of Justice. not only In u railroad
| Office but in all the great hives of industry.
Riln
| example as n model dwelling house But here it is
idea it is human concern IN those that labor Tor Us
that is to accomplish good, and not n mllllonares
millions" go