Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-01-31
SEVENTY RICH FAMILIES.
A Startling Argument Concerning TIN
Concentration OF Wealth.

concentration OF wealth.
Thomas G. Shearman, the well-known
New York statistician, has been engaged
for some time in collecting facts to show
as precisely as possible the proportion
of the wealth of the country held by a
few rich men and families; and he finds
greater concentration of wealth here
than in any other country. The results
ofhis investigation appear in the Forum,
from which the following facts are
taken. Mr.. Shearman makes the follow
ing enumeration of owners of more than
$40, 0O0, OOO: ,sg
$3.50, 900, 0O0--J. J. Astor, Trinity
Church.
500, 900, OOO---C. Vanderbilt, w. X.
Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Leland Stanford,
j. ID. Rockefeller.
$40, 200, 000-Estate of A. Packer.
$50, 900, 00o--.John /. Blair, estate OF
Charles Croker.
$50, 000, William Aston, w. w. As.
tor, Russell Sage, T.. A. Stevens, estate
of Moses Taylor, estate Of Brown & Ives.
1000, 000-P. ID. Armour, f. L. Ames,
William Rockefeller, II. M. FIagler,
Powers e. Weighman, estate of p.
| Goelet. a
1876, 200, 00O--C. p. Huntington, d. o.
| Mills, estate OF Il. A. Scott, J. w. Gar.
| rett.
$40, 200, 00o-G. B. Roberts Charles
Pratt, Ross Winans, Il. b. Coke. Claus
Spreckels, A. Belmont r. s. Lvings-
ton, Fred Weyerhauser, Mrs. Mark Hop
kins, Mrs. Hetty Green, estates OF S. v
Hardness, X. w. Coleman, J. M. Singer
S25, 1000, 00O-A. J. Drexel, j. s. Nor.
gan, J. p. Morgan, Marshal Field
David Bows, }. q. Fair, Il. T. Gerry
estate Of Governor Fairbanks, A. r.
Stewart, A. Schermerhorn.
S2a, 800, 600. II. Payne, estates of F.
A. Drexel, |. V. Williamson, w. F.
| Weld.
$40, 900, 000-F. w. Vanderbilt, Theo
dore Havemeyer, II. o. Havemeyer, w
G. Warden, w. p. Thompson, Mrs
Schenley, J. b. IIaggin, II. A. Hutchins
estates of w. Sloane, T.. S. Higgins, c.
Tower, William Thaw, DIR. Hostetter
William Sharon, Peter Donohue.
These seventy names represent an ag
gregate wealth of SO, roo 600, 900, an aver
age of more than S37, 500, 900. Although
Mr.. Sherman in making this estimate
did not look for less than 0-milliOnaires
he discovered incidentally fifty Others
worth more than $40, 900, 900 each: anc
he says that a list Of 100 persons can b,
made whose wealth averages $40, 900, 90,
each, and another list of 100 person.
whose wealth averages $1,000, 900. N,
such lists can be made up in any othe
| .sfrha -. I,lr nf IT,,
gland, he says, fall below the averag,
wealth of a dozen American citizens
while the greatest banker, merchant
and railway magnates of England cal
not compare in wealth with man
: Americans.
The average annual income of tn
richest 100 EnglisEmen is about $3.50,
600. but the average annual income O
the richest 100 Americans can not b
less than $780, 900 and probabl
, exceeds Sl,50o,000 The richest of tn
Rothschilds and the world-renowne
banker, Baron Overstone, eac
left about ST, 1000 O0O Earl Dudley, tn
owner of the richest iron mines, LEI
$40, 900, 900. The Duke of Buccleuc
land the Duke OF Buccleuch carries hal
of Scotland in his pocket) left abou
$50, 600, 600. The Marquis of Butte wa
$ worth in 1872 about S2S, 600, 900 in land
he may now be worth $40, 900, 600 in al
e The Duke of Norfolk may he worth $40
600, 900, and the Duke of Westminste
. perhaps $50, 100000
: Mr. Shearman's conclusion is that 25
e 900 persons own one-half the wealth c
OF the country is practically owned b
! $50, 900 persons, or one in sixty of tn
I adult male population; and he predicts
from the rapid recent concentration G
q wealth, that under present condition
: $4,000 persons will practically own al
the wealth of the country in thirt
9 years-or less than one IN 500 of tn
adult male population.