Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-09-17
HIS First 7housand Dollars.

While Luther Latin Mills was going
through some old papers the other day
he found very interesting document
from the pen of the lamented Emory A.
Storrs, which is reproduced below.
81 do not know exactly what called
forth these utterances from Mr.. Storrs,"
said Mr.. Mills, "but l apprehend that
they were in reply to some young man
who wrote the brilliant lawyer for advice
as TO the best way of investing a sum of
money which he had in his possession.
"Thc manuscript is as follows:
"There are several answers toyour ques-
ton:
Zone boy takes his 81 900, spends it
either in foreign travel or in the cultiva-
ton and improvement of his mind and
manners at home. At the age of thirty
one, if he is consistent in this course, he
has laid the foundation for long career
of usefulness and honor, and whatever
at his death his bank account may be, he
has achieved something for the good OF
mankind for which the world will always
gratefully remember him. The high
spirit, the clear head, the sharp intellectu-
al discrimination between right and wrong
which his travel, culture and education
have given him is capital us much bet
ter than bank stock as gold is better than
brass. No reyerses of fortune can take
it from him. No financial panics can
rob him of it. 1t is his and his children's
forever.
"The other boy lays up his 81 900; he
doubles it, he triples it. What OF it?
What kind of a man is he at the age of
thirty-one? The mere money-getter is the
sorriest spectacle on Gods green earth.-
Leisure is dreadful to him. He leaves
nothing behind him but money, and that
his children waste. The glory of this
world is not in corner lots nor bank
stocks. No great man whom the world
to-day reverences is remembered because
he was rich. The saddest spectacle on
this earth is that of man dying on his
pile of greenbaeks, which he'cannot car
ry with him, while his legatees are count.
ing his coin sysn ss the breath escapes
from his body. W =
! "But suppose that your saving boy
foses his stock suppose, as often happens
through no fault of his, values are melt
cd away. Where is he then? A bank
rupt, hopelessly and irretrievably ruined
(Which shall the rich mans daughter
marry? | answer that the man Of cultur-
ed mind and that broad and liberal spirit
which travel and education give cares
but little about it. If the father desires
to sell his daughter that is his business
and his daughters. She may start by
marrying the compound interest chap in
palace, but statistics show that in nine
ty-nine cases out of one hundred she will
wind up in a hovel. This father Of this
daughter can take his choice.
FINALLY, no men recognize the worth,
value and splendor Of strong, native bus
mess half genius SO much as educated men.
Don't despise nor underrate it. 1t will
always help you, Stocks and cash and
corner lots are well, but they are not all
that there is of this world, nor nearly all.
Our great men have lived without them
and died without them, but the world
loves them still. Crpsus was very rich,
but the generations Of three thousand
years have despised him. Socrates was
wretchedly poor, but for two thousand
years the world has loved him. You buy
and sell cattle and are at liberty to do so
because Of what he taught two thousand
years ago"
II