The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-09
SOME HISTORIC MISERS
Pittsburg Dispatch.

Pittsburg Dispatch.
 Parhaps the most famous miser that ever lived was John Elves, an Eng lishman, who died from neglect be- cause he refused to incur 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 igno- rance, for he was graduate of Swiss university, and later in life was a 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 four years old. His mother survived, but to such an extent did her passion for money gain hold upon her that, though she had $500,000 in her own right, she actually starved herself to death. An uncle, Sir Harvey Elves, was also miser, and the example of these two blood relatives exercised such an influence upon John Elves that he became the most famous miser of three centuries. After his return to England from Geneva, Elves moved in fashionable London society, where his prospective wealth entitled him to recognition.
 When he visited his uncle in Suf- folk, where the latter lived in the most abject penury, his hopeful nephew would play a double part. He would wear his fashionable gar ments as far as little inn in Chelms- ford, where he exchanged them for a patched pair of trousers, a worn- out coat, alarmed stockings and clodhopper shoes with iron buckles. In this at tire he would call upon his uncle. The latter would not permit 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 to see each others faces, and then they would retire to save the expense of candles. When this uncle died he left his nephew fortune of $1, 1,O0O,- 900.
 AS he grew older, John Elves de- veloped the terrible avarice that marked his life by 8 passion for cards. He would sit in his threadbare clothes with the duke of Northumberland and play with feverish eye and trem- bling hand with thousands at stake, and then, after having lost or won, as the case may be, he would walk to his miserable lodgings, three miles distant, in pelting rain rather than pay for cab.
 Elves owned magnificent country seat in. Berkshire. When he would leave London to visit it he would put three hard boiled eggs and some crusts of bread in his pockets, then, mount ing a horse, would ride over fields and through lanes, going miles out of hii way to avoid roads where he would have to pay few pennies toll. A more than faithful biographer says oi him:
 "He would eat his provisions in tht last stage of putrefaction rather thar have a fresh joint from the butcher and at one time he wore wig abou fortnight which he picked out of g rut in lane, and which had appar- ently been thrown away by a beg gar"
 At his country seat he allowed oi no repair save little brown paper or a bit of broken glass. During the harvest he would amuse himself with going into the fields to glean the corn on the grounds of his owp tenants and they used to leave a little more than common to please the old gentle man, who was as eager after it as any pauper in the parish. To save bed coverings, before his death, he would go to sleep completely dressed, with boots and hat on. He died miserably his mind weakened with worry and privation. The value of his fortune which went to two sons, was not les, than $5,000,00
 Another celebrated miser was Eph. raim LApes Pereira, Baron dAguilar formerly cashier to the Empress Ma. ria Theresa of Austria. Strange te cay, the early years of his life st tht Austrian court were yeaxs of splendor Then he moved to Englxnd, married $ wealthy lady, and settled down. Hs lived in sumptuous style; kept sev- eral carriages and twenty servants He was married twice, and after his second marriage he left his fAmily and .frieuds and withdrew himself from the fAahi0nable world. He turned farmer. At this time he was worth $l,000,0 900. After year in the coun- try his place began to be known q starvation Farmyard." His cattle and poultry were . mass of skin and bones. peasAnts began to hoot at the baron whenever he appeared for hil mean treatment of hia animals. He always insisted on being present whsn the stock were being fed, % that he