Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-30
TWO WASHINGTON kILLiONAIREs.
Corcoran and Bell. the Banker and
the Telephone Inventor.
PhiIapelphia Record

PhiIapelphia Record.
There are very few mlllioaaires in
Washington. Indeed, doubt whether
there are more thar two. The only
two Of whose right to the title thera
can be no doubt are William W.
Corcoran and Alexander Graham
Bell. Corcoran is the Irish shoemaker
who has risen to be the chief banker
and benefactor of his city. Hens we'll
past his three score years and ten, a
well preserved old gentleman with
snow-wnite hair and beard, cut short,
who dresses we'll and has a very dis,
tinguished air. H dates his fortune
from the Mexican war, when he
handled the government loan. Ever
since then he has grown richer and
rlcAer through the constant improves
ment In his investments. He has put
a good deal of his money into Wash
lngton real estate He Is the next to
the largest real estate taxpayer here,
his real property being assessed at
1891 9s4 He long since retired from
the banking fr4 of Corcorsn
& Ri, gs, which he founded so
long ago that the present geu>
Grafton Knows the bank only as Riggs
& Co. Bat some of Corcoran's capt
tal is in the bank yet, ard as he visits
his office in the bank every pie asant
day, the young men of Riggs & Co.
still have the benefit OF his counsel.
He is very wise old fnancier still
There is romantic flavor in the reps
utatios he has won, for no oxe can
think of hum without thinking Of his
generous benevolence. He has given
Washington Oak Hill cemetery, the
Corcoran Gallery Of Art and the Louise
Home of Gentle women. He has en-
dowed the Columbia University, and
the Episcopal Church of the Ascen-
sion. His nam e is on every subscrip-
ton list, aad mis- private charities are
numberless. Historical assoc ations
cluster around him. He has been the
friend of the great men OF politics, art
and literature. His banking house is
in the building long occupied by the
Bank of the United States. He lives
in the residence of Daniel Webster,
which he has remodeled and embel
llshed until 1t compares favorabl bly
with any modern house. He
was an intimate friend of Webster
and helped him out of many a fnap
cial quagmire. Living happily and
peacefully, surrounded by attentive
relatives, dividing his years between
Washington and White Sulphur
Springs, ne bids fair to be a ten>
tenarian. Alexander Graham Bell
is the inventor of the telephone
now generally used all over
the world. Unlike most inventors, he
is the chief beneficiary of his inven-
ton. A young teacher. poor in pocket
but rich in brains, and full of the fer
vid enthusiasm of the true scientist,
he would probsbly have given the re-
suits of his laborious Investigations to
the world as free gift, but he had in
Prof. Gardiner @. Husband, shrewd
Yankee father-in-law, who showed
him how to benefit the world and him
self at The same time. Bell is very
rich. Hubbard Is only less rich. So
are all their relatives. Bell lives in a
handsome modern brick house of his
own design on Scott circle. Hubbard
lives in a similar house few blocks
west On Dupont circle. Bells house
has every modern Improvement, in
cluding some of his own Inventions,
so modern that the general public has
not heard of them yet These are
chiefly applictions of electricity to
purposes of convenience. He has a
fine collection of paintings, water
colors and etchIngs, and very good
library. HIS laboratory, which he
calls 'the Volta Laboratory" is farth-
az uast Tusf ccroSc from his houna
is the little cottage and gardens which
he bought from Andrews, the artist,
| where he teaches. deaf and durab child
rem. Bell IS q @ell-oulIt man, of good
height. His black hair and beard are
beginning to turn gray, but mis- face
| is as Young as his heart