The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-17
4 RICH MANS LEGACY.

A rich man, whose possessions were es-
1imated ct fifteen 70 twenty millions of
dollars, died suddenly in . neighboring
atty few days ago. Up to the hour OF his
death no had been In the enjoyment of ap-
parentIy robust health. And yet. Just
lev days prior to his death. . reporter for
leading newspaper, perhaps prompted by
IN intuition, asked him to write "some-
thing about how to make . success in life,
that might serve ~ guide to boy just
entering the field TO carve ont his fortune"
and the capitalist. contrary to his usual
habit. complied.
Tin my opinion said ae, sit is Q mis-
fortune for . boy not to have been born with
wooden spoon In his mouth" In other
words, he considered it an advan-
tsge for . boy to enter upon the
struggle Of life without inherited wealth,
and dependent only upon his own
capacity and exertions. As he had COM
menced life penniless and friendless in
strange land, his own career justified the
rsmark. Admitting that heredity occa-
sionally transmits to the SON those quail
ties which contributed to the fathers sue
cess, he doubted whether even in such
cases the SON does not suffer from the lack
Of stimulus TO put forth the best efforts.
Unless" he remarks. '.the young man
has burning within him u teu sdo,s of am
biton he will not accomplish anything to
speak Of"
But the following from the same source
ID gem Of social and business philosophy
which is well worthy of preservation. and
to be read and treasured by aspiring young
men:
I regard faithfulness and loyalty In young
man q among the qualities chiefly TO be ad-
mired and cultivated. You will hear 1t said
almost every day among business men that 1t il
much harder 70 obtain the right kind of . man
to take charge of some new enterprise than it Is
70 induce capital to embark in It /, myself,
can mention q number of business enterprises
hat promise excellent results and that capital
IT'S would gladly put money into. but they are
seterred BY the fact that just such men as they
would like to employ are alseady engaged IN
sther occupations
The dispatches that announced this
mans sudden death, quite gratuitously
and in bad taste added that he had left
nothing in charity or for public objects. but
had beoueathed his fortune in equal parts
TO his children. This was hardly in keep
Ing with his wooden spoon" philosophy,
hut they might have replied that he never
received OF asked aught In aims, or re-
ceived anything that could be construed as
charitable consideration at the hands of
the press or the public. They might also
reply that the above edmonton to young
men, If needed and applied. would prove q
legacy Of a value hardly to be estimated by
less than tens OF millions.
In this mans life occurred one episode
which, ifintelligently studied, might prove
OF immense value to the state OF Washing
ton; of far greater value than If he had be-
oueathed million to the support of one or
another OF her public institutions. When
the state in which he made his fortune and
died was recklessly disposing of her
tide lands, he in common with other
far-seeing citizens became purchaser.
One of these lots he bought In open COM
petition at public auction for the sum
of 5000. After he had owned Ii for more
than Q quarter century. and had de-
rived from rents and profits many times its
original cost. portion OF twas condemned
ii order to carry out reotification of the
waterfront. and for the damage done to q
Lot which II had sold for $500 the state paid
nearly $4,000.
Properly studied and applied. this lesson
AZ his foresight and the lack of that quality
IN the part OF the states representatives.
might prove priceless legacy to more
shsn one new state. Even though the man
was close and lacking in public spirit. his
unimpeached honesty and great success in
: hard. unaided struggle from Indulgence to
.f,,uence are not without their value to the
public and to rosseFitv.