Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-02-10
CHARITABLE RICH MEN.
THE GENEROSITY OF PEABODY,
CoRCoRAN AND OTHERS.
The Begging Letters They Receive
Queer Charities OF Editor Childs
-RpunREfa n Ohm Efa


charitable rich men as the United States.
George Peabody died worth 81, 900, OOO
He gave away while living So, 500, 900
to educational and charitable institu-
tions, to say nothing of the hundreds of
thousands that he dispensed in other
ways. w. w. Corcoran is still the
richest man in Washington, but he has
given away between $3, 900, 900 and A.
900, 900, and his purse is always open.
Abram Hewitt says that Peter Coopers
charities were twice as large as the estate
he left, and during the panic of 1924
his library table was piled high with
money, and from 3 o'clock in the after.
noon till half past six he distributed half
dollars and dollar bills to all the poor
who came to him for it. During this
same panic James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
donated $780, 900 to establish soup
kitchens for the poor. Paul Tulane,
a millionaire, who died in New
Jersey year or SO ago, gave
$2,000,000 to the University at New
Orleans before his death. Tulane began
life as a farmers boy and was born near
Princeton, N. j. lie made his money at
the start as merchant tailor in New
Orleans, and he spent his last days in his
native State, He often gave away hun
dreds of turkeys upon a single Christ
mas, and many poor family relied upon
him for It's winter clothing. p. r. Bar
mum gave few years ago winter house
plants to more than GOO working people
of Bridgeport, Conn. Armour is man
who is very charitable to his employees,
and delights in helping them. If he sees
a man trying to get along he promotes
him, and he induces his men wherever
possible to buy homes and to strike for
as high mark in life as possible.
George W. Childs, of Philadelphia
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 when dead they
are given burial plot in Woodawn
Cemetery, which is now known as the
Printers Cemetery. He and bis friend
Drexel lalely!gave $40, 900 to the Interna-
tional Typographical Union.
Every Christmas he gives every in
dividual member of the Ledger staff a
present in money ranging from $40 to
$500, and he tries to make money for his
men. Whenthey become old and broken
down he 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 oyerrun with beg
gars, and he generally gives even to the
tramps. Mr.. Childs gets about 200 beg.
ging letters every day.
Senator Stanford's gift of $50, 900, 900
to establish the University in California
is one OF the largest of the kind known to
history, and this gift is three times the
size of the fortune which Stephen Girard
left. Girard's fortune amounted to about
seven millions and half, and of this he
left six millions to his university. He
gave nearly all his property to the public
and out OF his whole fortune his relatives
received only $40, 900. George I. Seney
gave $500, 900 to the Wesleyan University
of Middletown, Conn, and his charities
have amounted to over 81, ,500,0 900. Asa
Packer gave about $4,000, 900 TO the Le-
high University, and there, is a college at
Cleveland which received 5000, 900 from
the estate of Amasa Stone. This college
is called Adelbert College, and it com
memorates Mr.. Stones son, Adelbert, who
was at Yale College at the time of his
death and who was drowned while on a
botanical excursion in Connecticut. Vas
sar College was founded by Matthew
Vassar, who gave $400, 900 toward it,
and Nassar's son added to this amount.
Peabody's charity extended to Yale and
Harvard, each of which got $50, 900
from him. He gave SO, 900, 900 to the
Southern Educational fund, $1,000, 900
to the Peabody Institute at Baltimore,
and $40, 600 to the Peabody Academy in
Massachusetts. Senator Joe Brown, of
Georgia, has given $50, 900 to a university
there. Wanamaker of Philadelphia,
gave $4,000 to the Bethany Sunday
school of that city, and Robert L. Stuart,
the millionaire sugar refiner who died
about five years ago, had given before
his death 5000, 900 to Princeton College,
and he left it $50, 000more.
One of the curious charities of the
United States is the Louise Home at
Washington. This is home for re-
duced gentlewomen. 1t is supported by
w. W. Corcoran, and is named after
Corcoran's deceased daughter Louise.
The ground upon which it stands is
worth fortune, and the beautiful build
ing erected upon it must have cost several
hundred thousand dollars. The ladies ad-
mitted to this home live there as though
at hotel. They have their rooms to
themselves, they are treated as though
they were the owners of the house and
they entertain their friends. Mr.. Cor
coran always visits them New Years,
and he pays all the expenses of the irsti-
tuition. Another Of Corcorau iGhafities
is the Art Gallery, which has already cost
a fortune and to which he will leave
another at his death. He gave the money
which brought John Howard Payne Ia
this country, and in respect to this kind
of giving George w. Childs, of Phila.
delphia, is like unto him. Childs was a
large subscriber to the Edgar A. Poe
monument in Baltimore. lie put me-
mortal window in an English church to
the memory of the poet Tom Moore.
He subscribed largely to the monument
to Alexander II. Stephens, and he gave,
year or so ago, $500 to erect monu-
ments to the two Southern poets, Haine
and Richard Henry Wilde.
Amos Lawrence, one of the noted
Boston. millionaires of the past gave
more than 5000, 600 in charity, and
Burnside, the A. T. Stewart of New
Orleans, donated $500, 900 to the State
of Louisiana for charitable distribution,
giving the State the discretion as to how
the money should be placed. Rocka.
feller, the President of the STANDARD Oh
Company, who is worth $40, 600, 600,
lately said that his income was so large
that he prayed God to give him the wis
dom to dispose of it, and Flager another
Standard Oil man, handed his pastor,
not long ago, his check for $100, 600,