Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-30
KANSAS RICH ZEN.

The Globe-Democrat of Sunday de-
votes page to reports fro.u various
towns in Kansas, the correspondents
of the paper giving list of the six
wealthiest men i'll each town, with
facts of their personal and financial
history.
The general result shows that while
Kansas has few miliionaires there is
a very large number of men in the
state who are worth 100000 and up
wards, aud there was time wi hen a
man worth 100000 was considered 9
very rich u.an. General Washington
died worth perhaps $500, 900, and was
considered one of the I ealthiest men
in the United States; and while $780,
600 is not considered as vast fortune
as formerly it is still a comfortable
amount to possess.
1t may be safely said that the Globe
Democrats list might have been
greatly extended. The Wichita EAGLE
has published q list of forty men in
Wichita who are worth 100000 and
upwards and as many more who are
worth $4,000 and upwards.
The history of the richest men of
Kansas is the same rs everywhere i'm
the newer states of the union, and as
a rule in the older states. The men
inherited nothing, began poor, and
have made their money themselves;
as a rule our rich men have made it in
Kansas. The Globe-Democra
sketches are very brief, and do not 60
into particulars, but ii is well known
l. Laa :,
country in which not only to make
fortunes, but TO repair damaged ones.
All of us can recall among our ac-
quaintances men who had made and
lost one fortune in the east.
and have come to Kansas and
made another. One of the most sue
cessful business men of our acQuaint-
ance, a man well known in Northern
Kansas. lost a comfortable fortune in
one of the older western states, came
TO Kansas man of family, got a JOB
of huskIng corn, and thereby earned,
not money, but corn enough TO live GU
thesfirst winter. This story has been
repeal ed with variations all over Kan
sas.
The lesson to lie drawn from the
story of these self-made men repeated
over aud over in the Globe Democrat
Is. that the alarm so frequently eX-
pressed that there has grown up in
this country great hereditary
wealthy class Is a grounGless one,
Wealth in this country is generally a
matter of one generation: il NAV re-
main IN a family two9r three. but this
il not the rule. The rich men OF Kan
sss did not inherit their moGev; il is
not likely that their possessions will
descend intact as far as their
grandchildren. Onr laws and customs
respecting the division of estates do
much 10 prevent the concentration of
wealth in particular families. aud the
vicissitudes of business do the rest.
While Kansas as a state will grow
richer, we are not likely 10 breed anv
RoihschilGs.
The most curious circumstances in
connection with the statements under
consideration l. the disposition be-
tween the estimated wealth of parties.
and their assessed wealth. the latter
being in many instances not over QUE
tenth of the former. This is partly
accounted for by the fact that the esti-
mated wealth Is supposed 10 included
mans property scattered all over
the country, while the assessment
covers only the property in the county
where he resides, may be but small
part of his actual possessions. But
more is this discrepancy due to our
crude and absurd system of taxation.
which varies in adjoining counties,
while that colossal absurdity, the
state board of equalization, stands a
perpetual hindrance to reform; efforts
in few counties TO assess property at
its real value being punished by
raise in the amount of the state taxes.
Consequently the old hap-hazsrd sys-
TEN, or want Of system, continues.
The average legislature is not strong
in dealing with purely business ques-