The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-23
IT BREEDS VERY FAST.
Does Money in the Hands Of Men
Thrifty, of Economical
Habits.
Many Millionaire Leather Dealers
in the Swamp Unknown to
the Public.
Simple Process of Acquiring . Fortune
Save Little Every Year and Hus-
band the Increase.

The estate of the late Mr.. Fayerweather.
the leather merchant in the Swamp. IS now
estimated at sc, 600. OOO and, as the charita-
ble and other requests and the trusts of his
will call for about Sc, OOO, 600 only. there re-
mains residue of S3,OOO,OOO, or perhaps a
greater sum, which he left to his three ex-
ecutors, with letter of instructions as to
its distribution for educational purposes.
1t is not surprising, therefore, says the
New York Sun, that Mrs. Fayerweather has
sought and obtained permission to with
draw her consent to the probate of the will,
and that q contest will take place. In her
petition to the surrogate she declared that
she signed the consent Through mis-
apprehension of fact and without
proper understanding of her rights" That
means, probably, that while at first she
was disposed to make no opposition to the
particular requests OF her husband to
schools and colleges, she was of a different
mind as to the distribution of the residue
of the estate among the executors when she
was informed as to the estimate OF the val
ne of the property. The provision for her
under the will ia 80 GOO in cash, the resi-
dence and stable Of the family and an in
come OF $751; OO year. - ..-
At least one of the executors, Mr.. Justus
L. Buckley, is one Of the millionaires of
the Swamp, and one of the very richest men
there He belongs to the ranks of the many
millionaires of the town whose very names
are unknown to the public, as Mr.. Fayer.
weather's also was unknown to them until
he came to die, leaving an estate of S. 00O, 600
or more. Another great fortune accumu-
lated in the leather business has been
brought to the light of publicity by the sud-
den death in Brooklyn of Mr.. LorinR Rob
ertson and the contest over his estate, varl-
ously estimated at from &, OOO, 600 to 81, OOO-
Oo0, begun by a woman claiming to be his
widow. Besides these there are other large
fortunes made by leather merchants who
are still pursuing business in the swamp.
The list of New York millionaires would
not be complete If some of these were not
smelling district in town, but there Is a
great deal of money down there all the
same. Moreover. the odors of hides and
leather seem to be preservative of life, for
the age to which these millionaires live is
usually great.
If Mrs. Fayerweather had no conception
of the enormous extent of her husbands
estate, her ignorance was shared by his
business acquaintance in the Swamp pretty
generally. They might have put him down
at something like . million, but that his
fortune reached $6,ooo,0oo was probably
man to parade his wealth, and its increase
may have surprised even himself.
The possession OF so great an estate by
man without distinction as a hnancier, is
an indication of the rapid progress in pri-
vate fortunes which has taken place within
recent years. and which in most cases has
been the result of confirmed habits of
thrift and economy that increase Of wealth
has MT eradicated nor even affected
more than slightly: Leaving out
families of fashionable distinction,
the millionaires of New York, almost in
variably, have started from humble begin
nings and have arisen from actual or COM
parative poverty to great at1uence. There
are at least thousand of these men in
men, and few of them have had more than
the most rudimentary education at schools.
For that very reason they have been the
more successful in money getting. They
have not been diverted by conflicting tastes
and ambitions from tho sinGle-mlnded pur-
suit of business, and because they are not
quick witted they have gone on the more
surely, if also more slowly. than the bril-
liant fellows whose livelier imagination
leads them astray.
simple. They kept what they made, ex-
pending little when they had little to spend.
saving the more when their profits were
greater, and cultivating their practical sa-
gacity by the experience. They did not lose
their heads when they saw their pile increa SO
to large dimensions, but went on adding to
it, the accumulation and safe investment of
money and not schemes for its expenditure
occupying their thoughts. Thus they be-
came millionaires. for If man adds all ex-
cept small fraction of large yearly in
come to his capital and lives long, he is
bound to get very rich, and the number of
such men in New York is great. There are
thousands of them who have already ac-
cumulated millions or are pursuing course
which will make them millionaires if they
live many years longer. All they need to
90 is to keep their money and let it pile up
Judgment as to its investment which ena-
bled them to make the nucleus of their for
tunes. They are very plain men usually,
and when they were buys were probably
outstripped at school by the clever fellows
of their classes; but they are sagacious
about money. They can discriminate be-
tween opportunities and temptations. As
the community generally increases in wealth
and property rises in value, they will be far
ahead of their neighbors in the amount
thew possess.
The cultivation of tastes which do not
contribute to money making and the pur-
suit of other pleasures than the accumula.
ton of wealth are costly luxuries More
over, only small part of men have the
intuitive Judgment and the perception of
SAdACto. even ~ tuSy Au'c luO 6elI-SaCIlQcel
usually necessary to the accumulation of
wealth, that are essential to the keeping of
money and to its increase. Most men lose
or squander their fortunes even when they
make fortunes. Whether the pleasure OBJ
tanned in gratifying tastes not conducive
to money making is greater or less, higher
or lower than the JOY of possession felt by
tho millionalres, is question which we
recommend to the consideration of the
young mems debating societies.