New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-04-09


this world felt themselves to be Of 90 pc.
cent. more Importance. The whisper will go
round the galleries OF the upper temple
sfCan it be possible that that was the weigher
in our store" Can it be possible that that
was the car driver on our street," CAN'T
be possible that was the sexton Of our
church?.' "Can it be possible thatthis is the
man that heayed coal into our CELLAR
never could have thought it. What a re-
versal of things We were clear ahead Of
him on earth. but he is clear ahead OF us in
heaven. Why, we had ten times more brains
than he had, we had thousand times more
money than he had we had q social position
mile higher than he had. we had innumera-
bic opportunities more than he had, but it
seems now thathe accomplished more with
this one talent than we did with our ten
while Solomon standing among the thrones,
overhears the whisper and sees the wonder
ment, and will, with benignant and all sug
gestive smile, say, Eyes, it is as l told the
world many centuries ago-better is small
faculty activelyused than great talent unem-
ployed, better is a living dog than a dead
lion. -
The simple fact is that the world has been,
and the world is now, full of dead lions
They are people of great capacity and large
opportunity, doing nothing for the improve
ment Of society, othing forthe overthrow of
evil, nothing for the salvation OF souls.
Some OF them are monetary lions: They
have accumulated so many hundreds of
thousands of dollars that you can feel their
tread when they walk through any street or
come into any circle. They can by one
financial move upset the money market. In
stead OF the 10 per cent, of their income
which the Bible lays down as the proper pro-
portion of their contribution to the cause OF.
God, they do not give 5 per cent, or 3 per
cent, orr per cent. or l per cent. or q half
per cent, or quarter per cent. They are
lions, no one doubts. When they roar,
Wall street, State street. Lombard street,
and the Bourse tremble. In a few years they
will lie down and die.
They will have a great funeral, and long
row offine carriages, and mightiest requiems
Will roll from the organ. and polished shaft
OF Aberdeen granite will indicate where their
dust lies, but for all use to the world that
man might as well have never lived. As an
experiment as to how much he can carry
with him, put lO-cent piece in the palm of
his dead hand, and five years after open the
tomb, and you will find that he has dropped
even the lOcent piece. A lion! Yes, but
dead lion! He lett all his treasures on the
earth, and has no treasure in heaven. What
shalthe stonecutter put on the obelisk over
him? suggest, let it be the mans name,
then the date of his birth, then the date of
death, then the appropriate Scripture pass
lion. ~ = . WING uos 'naA uet'u
But thank God that we are having just
now an outburst Of splendid beneficence that
is to increase until the earth is girdled with
it. 1t is spreading with the speed of an cpl
dc mic, but with just the opposite effect of an
epidemic. Do you not notice how wealthy
men are opening free libraries, and building
churches in their native village? Have you
not seen how men Of large means, instead of
leaving great philanthropies in their will for
disappointed heirs to quarrel about, and the
orphan courts to swamp, are becoming their
own executors and administrators? After
putting aside enough for their families for
"he that provideth not Tor his own, and es-
pecially those of his own household is worse
than an infidepo. they are saying: 'What
can do, not after am dead. but while liv-
Ing, and in full possession of my faculties to
properly direct the building Of the churches
or the hospitals, or the colleges, or the libra.
rles that design for the public welfare, and
while yet have iull capacity to enjoy the
satisfaction of seeing the good accomplish
ed? There are bad fashions and good fash
ions, and, whether good or bad, fashions are
mighty.
One of the good fashions now starting will
sweep the earth-the fashion for wealthy men
to distribute, while yet alive, their surplus ac-
foundations 1t is being helped by the fact
that so many large estates nave Immediate
ly alter the testator's death. gore into litiga-
ton. Attorneys with large fees are EMPLOYED
W DooA SUES, anu Glle case, goes on month
alter month; and year after year,.and after
one court decides, it ascends to ano ther court,
and is decided in the opposite direction, and
then new evidence is found, and the trials are
all repeated. The children, who at the fathers
funeral seemed to have an uncomfortable
grief, after the will is read 30 into elaborate
process to prove that the father was crazy and
therefore incompetent to make a will; and
there are men on the jury who think that the
1actthat the testatorgave SO much Of his mon
ey to the Bible society, and the missionary So
ciety, or the opening OF free library is
proof positive that he was insane and that
he knew not whathe was signing when he sub
scribed to he words: SIN the name of God.
amen. |, being OF sotlnd mind, do make this
last my will and testament"
The torn wills the fraudulent wills, the
broken wills have recently been made such a
spectacle to angels and to men that all over the
land successful men are calling in architects
and saving to. them: How much would it
cost Tor me to build picture gallery for our
town." Or What plans can you draw me for
concert hal?' or, Il am especially interest
ed in the inGurables,' and how large a build
ing would accommodate 300 such patients?''
or, The Church of God has been great help
to me all my life, and want y on to draw me
a plan for u church, commodious beautiful
we'll ventilated, and with plenty Of windows
to let in the light; want you to set right at
work IN making out plans of such building,
for, though am well now. life is uncertain,
and before. leave the world l want to see
something done that will be an appropriate
acknowledgement OF the goodness of God to
me and mine; now when can hear from
your
A poor Scotch lad came to America at -
years OF age, and went to Pittsburg He
looked around for work, and became an en-.
gineer in a cellar, then !. rose to become a
telegraph messenger boy, then rose to a po-
sition in railroad Office, then rose to a po-
sition in a telegraph office, then rose to be
superintendent OF a railroad, then rose until
he became an iron and steel manufacturer,
then he rose until he opened free libraries in
his native land, and last month a free libra
~ in Allegheny City, and now offers $2,0OO,-
900 !or a free library in Pittsburg. This ex-
ample will be catching until the earth
is reyolutionized How majestic such
men in comparison with some wot OF who
amass wealth, clutch it with both hands I'M
til death begins to feel for their heart strings.
and then they dictate to an attorney a last
will and testament, in which they spite some
daughter because she married against her
fathers wish, and fling a few crusts to God
and suffering humanity, as much as to say:
- have kept this surplus property through