Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-08
Historic lFisers.

Perhaps the most famous miser that ever
lived was John ELVES, an Engisbman, who
died from neglect because he refused to in
cur the expense of physicians and nurses,
though worth not less than $4,000,000. In
the case of John Elves, his sordid character
was not the result of ignorance, fer he was
graduate of Swiss university, and later
in life was o member of Parliament. His
greed of gold was an hereditary sin. He
was the son of London brewer, who died
when the boy was only years OLD. His
mother survived, but to such an extent did
her passion for money gain hold upon her
that, though she had S500,000 in her own
right, she actually starved herself to death
An uncle, Sir Harvey ELVES, was also mi
ser, and the example Of these two blood rel
atives exercised such an influence upon Jno.
Elves that he became the most famous mi.
ser OF three centuries. After his return to
England from Geneva, Elves moved in
fashionable London society, where his pro-
spective wealth entitled him to recognition.
When he visited his uncle in Suffolk, where
tho latter lived in the most abject
penury, his hopeful nephew would play
double part. he would wear his fashion
able garments as far as q little inn in Chelm-
ford, where he exchanged them for q
patched pair of trousers, worn out coat,
darned stockings, and clodhopper shoes
with iron buckles. In this attire he would
call upon his uncle. The latter would not
permit q fire on cold March days on the
score of it's being extravagant, and the two
would sit with crust of bread and one glass
of wine between them until it was too dark
toc on1, ~ bor fana nd hox
retire to save the expenseof candles. When
this uncle died he left his nephew fortune of
81 100000. As he grew older, John Elves
developed the terrible avatice that marked
bis life by passion Tor cards He would
sit in his thread. bare clothes with tho Duke
of Northumberland and play with feversh
eye and trembling hand With thousands at
stake, and then, after having oet CT won,
as the case may be, be would walk to his
miserable lodgings, three miles distant, in q
pelting rain. rather than pay for cab.
ELVES owned g magnificent country seat in
Berkshire. When he would leave London
to visit it lie would put three hard boiled
eggs and some crusts ofbread in his pockets,
then, mounting horse, would ride over
fields and through lanes, going miles out of
his way TO avoid roads where he would have
to pay few pennies toll. A more than
faithful biograpber says of him: He would
eat his provisions in the last stage of putre-
faction rather than have fresh joint from
the butcher, and at one time he wore wig
about fortnight which he picked out of a
rut in lane, and which had apparently
been thrown away by 8 beggar." At his
country seat he allowed of no repair save
little brown paper or bit of broken
glass. During the harvest he would amuse
himself with going into the fields to CLEAN
the corn on the grounds of his own tenants
and they used to leave little more than
common to please the old gentleman who
was as eager after it as any pauper in the
parish. To cave led coverings, before his
death, be would go to sleep completely
dressed with boots and hat on. He died
mserably, his mind weakened by worry
and privatiou. The value of his fortune,
which went to two sons, was not less than
$5,000,00O
But exceeding by far the example of John
ELVES is that of Daniel Dancer, whose life
history of the Unsuitable thirst for gold. His
sister, a comfortable fortune. Dancer and
his sister lived in miserable hut near Har-
row, in Middlesex, England. Their fare
consisted offs piece of cheap beef and four.
teen hard dumplings boiled on Sunday, and
this lasted them the rest of the week. The
pair dressed in rags, and when the sister
was dying from cold and starvation her
brother refused to summon medical aid on
the ground that he could not spend his mo-
ney for medicine, because ifthe "old girl"
was going to die the doctors couldn't save
her any how. Dancer was too misery TO
provide soap and towels for himself. He
would wash in neighboring pool and lie out
in the sun till he was dried. His clothes,
a mass Of patches, were held up by belt of
twisted hay, and his whole appearance was
that of abect misery. Dancer on his ram
bles never returned empty handed He
would gather up the bones in the village
streets and lanes, bring them home, and at.
ter picking them clean himself would crack
them and feed them to his dog. Once neigh
bors complained that his dog worried and
killed their sheep, and, for fear that be
would have to pay for future depredations,
he took the dog to blacksmith's. where he
had all the poor brute's teeth broken off to
prevent further recurrence of the trouble.
He mended his own shoes and wore one hat
continuously for thirteen years. When he
Law on mis- dying bed his only garment was
an old sack. When demonstrated with he
said that he came into the world without
shirt and he would 60 out of it that way.
When visitor suggested that he have
pillow for bis head be ordered his only serv-
ant. whose weekly wages were thirty cents,
to bring him a wisp of hay, which he used
az a pillow till his death, a few days later.
He left an estate valued at S25,OO0, amply
sufficient for all his needs during his life
time had he so desired. This money, in odd
sums. was hidden in old rags, nailed down
to the under part of the manger floor in his
miserable cow shed, stuck in chinks and
openings in the chimney. and over $4,000
was found hidden in the manure pile, where
| IL had lain for uears