The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-08

1usocraks Who Arc Not Deaf to
tho Appeals Of HUI
mainly.


II Every DAY or two 10 hear echoes from
Anarchi0al speeches, or from the remarks of
wcrkingmen who would not allow any one
70 call them anarchists, about the stinginess
Of oar rich men, says New York letter in
TIA Boston Journal Certain journals al
ways represent the rich men az boarding up
gold which he takes away from the poor
Workingman. But if We were to gather to-
gether from all parts Of the country Stats
tics about the generosity of rich men it
would seem a. il American millionaires re-
aard their wealth as trust which they hold
4cr the people. The amount of money con-
tributed directly by New York millionaires
TOR the support Of religious and educational
institutions and for the direct good of the
po0ple generally during the last ten years
- between $4,000, 600 and $15,OOO,OOO, and
1esrer fifteen than it is ten. This is pretty
good, even for such vast community as
this. Let me review some of the most con-
epacuous Of these voluntary contributions.
They indicate anything but disposition to
make selfish use of wealth.
Not to enter into all the details of the
Vanderbilt family''s gifts, everybody
knows or ought to know, that they are do
mating freely to worthy charities all the
time. William H. Vanderbilt's gift of
100000 to the College of Physicians and
Surgeons is the largest sum offered by any
rich man, think, as single donation in
recent years. His vast endowment of the
Vanderbilt University is we'll known. At
one time he gave &25O,OOO for maternity
hospital, and at another $780, 600 to the en-
ployes Of the New York Central railroad.
He gave $4,000 each to various churches,
$780, 600 to set the obelisk up in Central
Park, and he distributed 81 100000 by his
will to numerous charitable institutions.
The old commodore was generous, and
his descendants initiate his worthy exam
pie. Il IL said that Cornelius Vanderbilt
has the idea of creating peoples palace
at an expense to his private purse of more
than a million.
The AstOrs are generous givers also. The
Aston library is kept up from generation to
generation BY fat gifts of 100000 or $500,
GOO. and much good is done in a quiet way
He seems inclined to beautify New York BY
the erection of splendid structures, without
any desire to draw extravaganza profits from
them. John D. Rockefeller gives largely
and frequently. One Baptist educational
society has had $4,000 from him within a
s s9ss tns people s5 de- ne 5as
By the Young Mems Christian association
in this state nearly all came from the vol
untary contributions of wealthy men.
William Niblo,. Of Niblo's garden, gave
$4,000 for this purpose, and Frederick
Marquand, Of Brooklyn, gave $500, 600.
The late william E. Dodge gave $4,000.
The well-known art dealer, Samuel P.
Avery, has recently given to Columbia Col
leRe the sum of 100000 in memory of his
son. And look at the group of Brooklyn
givers Simeon B. Chittenden gave Yale
100000; George !. Seney has given $500, 600
to foreign missions. Mr.. Pratt, the oil mil
lionairA hi6o fair IN orond n vni11iOn m hiS
college. The Hon. Seth Lows father in his
lifetime certainly distributed quarter of a
million to deserving charities. William J.
Lyns, a wealthy gunmaker, left by his will
$4,000 to build and equip an operating
amphitheater in connection with the. Roose-
welt hospital and so / might continue the
catalogue Of bounties. These figures are
suggestive. They show that the nouveaux
riches of the American continent are DIS
posed to let the money which they have ac-
cumulated benefit the masses and go back
into general use.