Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-14
Written for TIE EVENING STAR
CASH DOES NOT MAKE CONTENT.
Here Is the Authority of One Very Rich
Man to Prove 1t.


A MILLIONAIRE CAN ONLY USE A VERY SMALL
PART OF HIS RIcHEs-THE PENALTIES OF HAv-
ING FASHIONABLE FAMILY-THE PATERFAMIL-
las IN THE ROLL OF MONEY BAG.
II believe that am commonly referred TO
as surprisingly fortunate and successful man.
Everything has gone well with me in life.
have accumulated considerable possessions,
my wife and daughters, not to mention my
horses and carriages are much admired in So
ciety. My health is excellent, and whatever
money can buy in this world, within reason, is
is at my command. Ought not, then, to be
happy?
The millionaire sighed as he asked the ques-
ton and drained another glass of the old Ma
deira that had put him into such confidential
mood. Encouraged in the humor by re-
spouse of emphatic assent from the friend in
the arm chair on the other side of the little
drinking table-the two were conversing at
the club-h added
1T ali depends on how you look at things
suppose. For the sake OF argument am as
Stunning purely selfish standpoint. The ques-
ton is, What do get out of all this? 1t seems
to me that l get very little. When was a
young man, without penny, / used to think OF
all that money would do and buy, and it seemed
to me that should be perfectly happy if
could accumulate 100000. But now that
spend pretty nearly that amount every year
cant see that get go very much more out of
life than did when was poor. In reality
only nave the use OF trifing part of what
nominally own"
WHAT MAN CAN USE.
"And pray, how do you make that out2'
Its simple enough. No man can actually
make use for himself of so very uchmoneyafter
all; Take the case Of Jay Gould, who is prob
ably worth Sl0O,000.0 900. He only owns that
amount III the sense that he controls it for the
use of others; he can use but small fraction Of
| 1t for himself. Most Of it he never saw. and
| scarce any OF 1t does he ever see. except when
he goes on iaborious tours of inspection to find
out what employment the pubic Is making Of
the railways and telegraph lines he has created
Tor their convenience. He works for his board
and clothes and mighty little else. The Astors
own $4,000 houses in New York city; they can
not use more than half a dozen of them; who
uses the resR Why, the people. A small part
OF their incomes from rents the Astors
can utilize for making themselves comfortable
and happy, while the buik Of the money is put
INTO more real estate for other peoples use,
all that they spend over and above their wants
, Pop:5 70 help support tradesmen and workers.
I..ese are only Illustrations of general propo-
| sllon, OF which l find my own case AN exenl-
pnhcatlon. As have often put the question
10 myself, What do get out OF all my snip
posed blessngs?"
Everything that ought to make human
being comfortable, should think"
PLEASURES OF ENTERTAINING.
1T should be SO, but is it? Let us see how
far these blessings have any usefulness for me
personally. To begin with, / have fine house,
keep horses and carriages, and am in a position
10 give entertainments on Il very handsome
scale. should rather say. however, that my
wife gives these entertainments; my own part
IN them Is not conspicuous. For some days be-
lore one Is to come off my home is pretty well
torn to pieces in preparation for the event; the
domestic circle Is temporarily demOralized and
rendered uncomfortable, and the ladies of the
family are rendered so upset in temper by
their anxieties regarding the approaching fes-S
tlvlty that am glad to get away to the club in
the evenlngs--ln fact that's the reason I'm
here at this minute. When the night for the
party has arrived, here am i? Not in de-
mand, certainly. The guests, particularly the
young people, don't come to see me; find
that am considered to be most appropriately
disposed OF IN an out-of-the-way corner of my
own library. And this arrangement is al
together agreeable to myself, inasmuch as a
man of my age-although, as you are well
aware, | am socially inclined-can hardly be
expected to mlnSle ccngenially in a company
chiefly composed OF giggiing girls and young
nincompoops III dress coats. Where come in
is III paying for their fun"
THE PAPA IN SOCIETY.
"YOu don't go out much do vou?"
ITO other peoples entertainments? No. Why
should l? They are nothing but the same sort
OF thing-more nincompoops, mole gigging
girls, dancing, Irritation gobbling ices aud SO
on. 1t is fun for them. but an awful bore for
me. However, this sort Of thing represents
the only object worth living for to my wife and
daughters, apparently: it pretty much absorbs
all the attention which otherwise | might hope
for from them. When / come home in the
AFTERNOON. law 80 lana L S,,l
my wife dressing for dinuer, if she has returned
from her usual calling tour. and after dinner l
am either dragged off to some party or place of
amusement-Eot because / am wanted, but to
serve as an escort-or / am left at home alone
to my own devices. l do not see the ladies of
my family at breakfast, because they don't get
out OF bed until noon. 1t is only on SUNDAYS
that get any chance at all to make their ac-
quaintance, as you might say. Once in a while
| venture to address mild protest to NV wife
on the subject, but she always says: My dear,
we have daughters OF marriageabe age and it
Is necessary that should take them out into
society; if you suppose that find the perform
ance OF my duties as chaperon amusing, you
are very much mistaken"
"oLD MONEY BAGS"
"You are in luck not to be asked to serve in
that capacity"
mo; that is not my line. My part is that of
a cash distributor. am regarded as a sort of
iiohCs pdS, W up iutO lOE COlu Wien anything
is wanted. My duty being to serve in that
capacity no gratitude is felt for what bestow;
l am merely considered an ill-natured old cur
mudgeon II do but occasionally ask for a
small accounting. One Of my daughters would
not speak to me at the dinner table last night
because refused to give her separate allow
ance for pin money in addition to the 600 a
month already appropriated for her clothes
and ct ceteras She said that the other girls oil
had distinct allowances for pin money, outside
of clothes, and she didn't see why she should
not also. My son doesn't make a decent pre-
tense of keeping within his allowance; he runs
up big bills, On the strength Of my credit, at
the taiior's the florists, the hotels and else
where, and when they are sent to me, because
he fails to pay them, and express ANNOYANCE.
he turns sulky and talks about the neces-
sity Of living like gentleman. As well
as can make out his notion of living
like gentleman consists chiefly in
foolish dissipation. Nevertheless, my son ia
considered an eligible party, matrimoniallv
speaking. by other girls mammas. owing to his
expectations Of inheriting money when [ 20 off
the hooks, and likewise it is with my daughters.
of whom the young men say: oh, they'll have
money when the old buffer dies Meantime.
when my children marry l shall be expected
to supply each of them with comfortable sum
in cash. They look forward to it as a matter of
course, and it is not to be expected that thew
will be unduly thankful. In short, am simply
an Animate mOney-sack Once ,,nop q e. +