Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-15
CASH DON'T MAkECONTENT
HERE is THE AUTHORITY OF ONE
VERY RICH MAN TO PROVE 1T.

Part of His Eiches-The Penalties of
Having Fashionable Famiiy-Pzter-
fanilias in the Role OF the Money Bag.
II believe that am commonly referred to
as a surprisingly fortunate and successful
man. Every thing has gone well with me in
Life. have accumulated considerable posses
sions, my wife and daughters not to men
ton my horses and carriages, are much adj
mired in society. My health is excellent, and
whatever money can buy in this world, with
in reason, is at my command. Ought l not,
then, to be happys"
| The millionaire sighed as he asked the ques-
ton. Encouraged in the humor by response
| of emphatic assent from the friend in the arm
chair on the other side of the little table-the
| two were conversing at the club-he added:
at all depends on how you look at things,
l suppose. For the sake OF argument l am
assuming a purely selfish standpoint. The
question is, What do get out OF all this? 1t
seems to me that / get very little. When |
was young man, without penny, | used to
think Of all that money would do and buy,
and it seemed to me that should be perfectly
happy if / could accumulate 100000. But
now that l spend pretty nearly that amount
every year | can't see that get so very much
more out of life than | did when l was poor.
In reality | only have the use of trlfing
part of what | nominally own"
''And pray, how do you make that out?"
''It's simple enough. No man can actually
make use for himself of SO very much money
after all. Take the case of Jay Gould, who
is probably worth 500, 100000. He only owns
| that amount in the sense that he controls it
| for the use of others; he can use but small
fraction of it for himself Most OF it he never
saw, and scarce any of it does he ever see,
except when he goes on laborious tours of IN
| spection to find out what employment the
public is making of the railways and tele-
graph lines lie has created for their conve-
nience. He works for his board and clothes
and mighty little else. The Astors own 1900
houses in New York city; they cannot use
more than half dozen of them; who uses the
rest? Why, the people. A small par. of their
incomes from rents the Astors can utilize for
making themselves comfortable and happy,
while the bulk of the money is put into more
real estate for other peoples use, all that they
spend over and above their wants going to
| help support tradesmen and workers. These
are only illustrations of a general proposition,
OF which l find my own case an exemphfica-
ton. As l have often put the question to
myself, What do get out of all my supposed
blessingsf
"Everything that ought to make a human
being comfortable, should think"
at should be SO, but is its Let US see how
far these blessings have any usefulness for me
personally. To begin with, have fine house,
keep horses and carriages and am in a posi-
ton to give entertainments on a very hand
SOME scale. | should rather say, however,
that my wife gives these entertainments; my
own part in them is not conspicuous For
some days before one is to come off nv home
is pretty well torn to pieces in preparation
for the event; the domestic circle is tempo
rarlly demorallzed and rendered uncornforta-
bic, and the ladies of the family are rendered
so upset in temper by their anxieties regard
ing the approaching festivity that an glad
TO get away to the clue in the evenings-in
fact, that's the reason I'm here at this min
ute. When the night for the party has ar
rived, where am |! Not in demand, certainly.
The guests, particularly the young people,
don't come to see me; find that | am CON
slde1ed to be most appropriately disposed Of
IN an out-of-the-way corner of my own Ii
brary. And this arrangement is altogether
agreeable to myself, inasmuch as a man of my
age-althoCgh, as you are well aware, am
socially inclined-can hardly be expected to
mingle congenially in a company chiefly com
posed of giggling girls and young nincon-
poopS in dress coats. Where l come in is in
paying for their fun"
Y on don't 90 out much, do yuus'
ITO other peoples entertainments? No
Why should l! They are nothing but the
same sort of thing-nore nincornpoops, more
gfgglng girls, dancing, Irritation, gcbbling
ICES and 50 on. 1t is fun for them, but an
awful bore for me. However, this sort OF
thing represents the only object worth living
Tor to my wife and daughters, apparently; it
pretty much absorbs all the attention which
otherwise might hope for from them. When
L come home in the afternoon after nv DAVIS
WORK IS done, find NV wife dressing for iin-
ner. if she has returned from her usual call
ing tour, and after dinner | am either drag
ged off TO some party or place OF amusement
not because / am wanted, but to serve as |
an escort-or | ann left at home alone to nv
own devices. ! do not see the ladies of nv
family at breakfast, because they don't get |
out OF bed until noon. 1t is only on SUNDAYS |
that get any chance st all to make their &C
quaintaace, as you might say. Once in q !
while | venture TO address mild protest TO |
my wife on the subject. bat sine ALWAYS saws: |
Ny dear, we have daughters OF Raarria gea- {
Die age and 1t is necessary that | silo1ld take !
them out into society; If you suppose that |
ind the performance Of my duties as chapa'ou |
amusing, you are very much nlisss zen
GU are IN luck not 20 be asked to serve |
IN that capacity
NO; tat IS not my line. Gy part is that |
OF a cash distributor. | am regarded as a |
sort OF money bag, to dip into for coin when |
anything : wanted Ny duty being to serve
IN that capacity no gratitude is felt for what |
L oeStow; am merely considered an IL |
natared old curTnudgeou il / do but occasion
ally ask fer small accounting One Of nv |
daugn would not speak TO me AT the din
her table last night because | refused 10 give
neT a separate allowance for pin money IN
ADDITION 10 the $40 & month SlrsaGy agpro-
prlatfd for her clothes and a ceteras She
SAG tnas tie otAeT girls a.. mad distinct al
io"ances Tor Pan money. oaLSlde Of clothes, |
&.ld she oldn see why she should not also 1
Ny son doesn't make 8 Go>eR. pTetense Of
Keeping villain hlS allowance; he rams I'D big
bills. OF the strength OF nv credit. e. the
tailor. the florists, tAe hotels and elsewhere,
and when they are sent 20 me- beca Use be
fails 70 pay them sad express annoyance,
he turns so'ey and talks about the necessity |
OF living Dke "a gentleman.
As Wen as can make o1t his notion Of
living Ike 8 gentleman consists 'caiaaY in
iooilsh dissipation Nevertheless rny 500 is
considered an eligible party. Inat~i1ouiAly |
sKssail1G, BY other girls rnAIntnss owing TO |
as expectations o< inharitlrg s,cssey stea |
20 on e<nc nco.as, sad likewise IL Is with mr.
,SauShteTs. az wacrn the younr E1ez saw: |
On, I1Syls have u5z4ey WIEN tie Oh p1fSer
oles- AcaInrss.- wksa NY chIcrs 81 EErU.u