Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-03-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Pleasures and Penalties of
Riches. r.

-
Tits generally accepted that wealthy
people are penurious. AT. Stewart
was the one extreme, II. b. sGlafin the
other. The moment people learnSot
philanthropy and wealth combined, to
use street expression Sc they go for
Them" A representative called upon
n number of merchants we'll known
on the great thoroughfare and in. So
cial circles, but the dread of publicity
regarding their charities rendered
them absolutely unapproachable on
the subject. Upon the public; an
nouncement of donation the mails
flood the desk with thousands of let
tiers, asking for loans or gifts to an
extent bordering upon the prepos-
ferrous: The, private office of Charles
Broadway Rouss, presents no excep-
ton. In the days mail of nearly one
thousand were thirty-four begging
letters, and of that number but six
were from people he had known, the
others he had never heard of before.
The heaviest was for the loan of S.
600 to improve his farm, offering to
secure it by pledge of his personal
honor. An other $4,000 for distri-
button among the poor, promising the
donors name should not be known.
A girl wanted $500 to educate
herself, could give reference but did
not want her name known and signed
a fictitious name; one had been SEN
fenced to States prison for three
years and 5000 would get him a new
trial. 500 was wanted to buy a
handsome tomb stone for a dear
friend. The lightning had destroyed a
church and $500 would build another,
one acknowledged receipt of S2O.-
A Baltimore woman wanted to know
why he did not give her the money he
had given, the poor on Christmas day
as she was poorer than any of them,
nearly all had promised him that the
good Lord would pay him back at
the rate of about ten for one.
A lady returned her thanks for SIS
but coming to business" she said
she wanted to borrow 81, 900 for 5
years and would pay ten per cent.
interest. A printed postal card fit
ted all such cases reading F." Mr..
Rouss never lends and never Dor
rows" With one moment of his
busy innumerable typewriters an
the borrower is answered. A Gus
toner of his early career had a watch
he had bought of aim 80 years be-
fore in Winchester, as good as ever,
keeping good time, had paid $3.50
for it would sell it as souvenir for
$40. .-..-
He has private secretary who
gets away with the mass Of insuffera-
BILE rubbish. a printed copy after the
following is mailed to few whilst the
bulk is filed or destroyed: y4..f
Appeals to Mr.. Rouss of similar character
to the extent of six hundred unanswered, in
creasing every dry. prccludes the idea of his
ever reading much leSS answering. Were he to
give the amount asked he would have to begin
life over again. His great and successful bus
incss demands his entire time and attention.
To drop this tPattend to personal appeals from
unknown people would be as fatal as it is
thankless, and besides he prefers to scatter his
charities unsolicited.
81 mentioned the name to Mr.. Rouss, who
docs not remember ever having heard of you."
OPIE.
Unless from personal friends or
people we'll known to him he never
reads these epistolary curiositics.-
Whilst running through these he had
cut through with about one hundred
business, letters A single glance
will detect business from the profess
sionor beggar. The brief period we
sat near his desk some twenty per-
sons called to say something, nearly
all of whom he answered without
looking up from his business. To
pointed question as to his yearly do
nations he parted it by remark
that one day book was presented
for his donations to the Inebriate
Home, signed for five hundred, mod
estly asking the applicant &c how is
that for high?'' % Firstrate,' an
swered the pretty pleader, turning
a few pages back with a gift of $685.
600 from Mrs. John Jacob Astor.-
Others were waiting, and we were
crowded from the presence of this
busy worker who has the proud dis
tinction of working 1G hours per day
and who was the only Mercantile Au-
tocrat who would condesccnd to give
us an audience and civil answer on
the subject of Donations.
Ne,u York Record.
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