The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-01-26
CHARITABLE RICH MEN.
How Millionaires Have Glvon Away Mill.
ions.
Co,trier-I,.rnaI.

Courier-Jo,trnal.
No nation of the world has SO many
charitable rich men as the United States.
The gold which flows so easily into their
Golfers runs out in streams toward worthy
objects, and we have had many instances
of our richest men giving away during
their lifetime more than they left at
their deaths. George Peabody died
worth four millions of dollars. He gave
away while living eight and one half
millions 10 educational and charitable
institutions, to say nothing of the hun
dreds of thousands that he dispensed
with in other ways. w. W. Corcoran is
still the richest man in Washington, but
he has given away between three and
four millions of dollars and his purse is
always open. Abram Hewitt says that
Peter Cooper's charities were twice as
large as the estate he left, and during the
panic of 1894 his libraryI table was
piled high with money, ana from 3
o'clock in the afternoon until $50 o'clock
he distributed half dollars and dollar
bills to all the poor who came to him for
it. In one week it is said that he gave
away $1,000 in this manner, and his
daily gifts to the poor sometimes ran as
high as 5000. During this same panic
James Gordon Bennett, jr., donated
$4,000 to establish soup kitchens for the
poor, and Paul Tulane, millionaire,
who died in New Jersey year or so ago,
gave s2,000,O00 to the university at New
Orleans before his death. Tulane began
life as a farmers boy and was born near
Princeton, N. j. He made his N money at
the start as a merchant tailor in New
Orleans, and be spent his days in his
native State. He was here noted as a
great aims giver, and one Of his charita-
BILE methods was the paying off church
pew rents for poor people, and another
was his donations of Christmas turkeys
to those who were unable to buythem.
He often gave away in this manner hun.
dreds of turkeys upon single Christmas.
and many poor family relied upon MIN
60 20 inf ~ hinn
Speaking Of employees, there is no
man who does better by themlthan
George w. Childs, of Philadelphia.
Childs insures the life of every editor,
reporter, clerk and head of department
in his employ. He provides them with
doctors when they are sick, and he has
given burial plot in Woodland eeme.
terry, which is now known as the Prin.
ters' cemetery. He and his friend
Drexel lately gave $4,000 to the Inter
national Typographical Union, and be is
continuously giving to printers. He
believes that a man can be liberal and
successful at the same time, and he liays
for the composition on his paper slO1 o
week more than the amount called for
by the union rules. Every Christmas be
gives every individual member of the
Ledger staff a present in money, ranging
from $40 to $500, and he tries to make
money for his men. When they become
old and broken down be retires them on
full pay and a number of his employees
have grown rich in his service. Like
most rich men noted for benevolence, he
is overrun with beggars, and be gener.
ally gives even to tramps.
Mr.. Childs gets about two hundred
begging letters every day, and the mai
of this kind which is received by oul
rich men daily would consume the sup
ply of q large paper factory. This letter
will start the betters to the charitable
men mentioned in it, and l have beer
told by rich men that every mention o.
their wealth brings out scores of new
aims asking correspondents. l once
published newspaper letter about Pres
ident Cleveland's charities in which
told how be frequently gave away ter
and twenty dollar bills in response tt
letters which excite his sympathy. Fol
weeks after this was published the white
house mail was burdened with begging
letters making reference to it, and Sam
Tilden's private secretary once told me
that the greater part of Mr.. Tilden's mai
was made up of letters from beggars
Tilden never saw these, and it was only il
o few cases that their letter ever reached
his eyes. 1t is the same with the mai
of w. w. Corcoran and also @. P. Hunt
ineton. Huntipgton's letters come from
all portions of Europe and the United
States, though there are more from the
Pacific slope than anywhere else. HI
does not read such letters closely, anc
usually pitches them into the waste bas
ket, Mr.. Corcoran's letters are replied
to with a printed form, which states tha
his letters to him, as he is unable tt
meet the numerous demands which they
contain. The letters which he receives
are from everywhere and of all kinds
and the cheek exhibited in some of then
is, to say the least, remarkable. On'
woman had husband who was worth
$4,000, but she would like to be indie
pendent Of him, and she writes Mr, Cor
coran for donation large enough TO
her to live upon the interest. Anothe
woman wrote for a barrel of salt pork
aud third wrote for a lavender sill
dress to be used during presidential
reception which was soon TO come OH
Many of these letters sent to rich mel
are from adventures. Many of then
contain propositions by which the mill
ionaires can make q great amount 0
money out of the investment ola yer.
little, and some of them are from peopl
who are evidently in need. 1t is hard t
disoriminate however between the tru