The gale., 1888-03-24
CHARITABLE RICH MEN.
THE GENEROSITY OF PEABODY,
CORCORAN AND OTHERS.

SO&sSSRAN AMI OIhGA6.
The Begging Letters They Receive
Queer Charities of Editor Childs
-Bcquests to Churches, Etc.
No nation of the world has so many
charitable rich men as the United States.
George Peabody died worth $4, 900, 900.
He gave away while living $S, 500, 600
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 80, 600, 900 and A..
O0O, 900, 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 1873-'74
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 $50, 900 to establish soup
kitchens for the poor. Paul Tulane,
millionaire. who died in New
Jersey year or so ago, gave
$2,000,0O0 to the University at New
Orleans before his death. Tulane began
life as farmers boy and was born near
Princeton, N. j. He 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 single Christ
him for Its winter clothing. P. T. Bar
Fox Lo.x
plants to more than 600 working people
Of Bridgeport, Conn. Armour is man
who is very charitable to his employees,
and delights in helping them. If he sees
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 Woodlawn
Cemetery, which is now known as the
Printers Cemetery. He and his friend
Drexel lalclyIgave $50, 600 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. When they become old and broken
down he retires them Oh 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 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 $40, 900, 900
to establish the University in California
is onc Of the largest of the kind known to
history, and this gift is three times the
size OF the fortune which Stephen Girard
lett Girard's fortune amounted to about
seven millions and a half, and of this ht
left six millions to his university. HI
gave nearly all his property to the public
and out OF his whole fortune his re.ative
received only Si40,000 George /. Sene,
gave $500, 900 to the Wesleyan Universit,
of Middletown, Conn, and his charities
have amounted to over 81, 500, 900. As,
Packer gave about 5000, 900 to the LIE
high University, and there is college al
Cleveland which received $500, 900 from
the estate of Amasa Stone. This college
is called Adclbert College, and it com
U, w 1
was at Yale College at the time of his
death and who was drowned while on
botanical excursion in Connecticut. Vas
sar College was founded by Matthew
Vassar, who gave $400, 900 toward it,
and Vassar's son added to this amount.
Pcabody's charity extended to Yale ard
Harvard, each of which got $3.50, 900
from him. He gave So. 600, 900 to the
0nA
to the Peabody Institute at Baltimore,
and Si4o, 0JO to the Peabody Academy in
Massachusetts. Senator Joe Brown, of
Georgia, has given $50, 900 to university
there. Wanamakcr, 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 $500, 600 to Princeton College,
and he left it $3.50, 900 more.
One of the curious charities of the
Unite States is the Louise Home at
Washington. This is a 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 epccted 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 rs though
they were the owners of the house, and
they enter rin their friends Mr.. Cor
coran always visits them New Years,
and he pays all the expenses of the irsti-
tuition. Another of Corcoray' scharities
is the Art Gallery, which has already cost
o fortune and to which he will leave
another at his death. He gave the money
which brought John Howard Payne to
this country, and in respect to this kind
of giving George w. Childs, of Phila-
delphia, is like unto him. Chids was a
large subscriber to the Edgar A. Poe
monument in Baltimore. He 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-
mcnts to the two Southern poets, Hainc
and Richard Henry Wilde.
Amos Lawrence, one OF the noted