Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-01-21
Men Of Miihons.

Who Is the richest man in the worldf
Ii is now pretty well settled that the late
William II. Vanderbilt al his death was
entitled To that disiiIction The settle
ment of his estate, which has now about
been completed, shows that he was worth
no les than sl60000,000. Siuce the di-
vision of his estate John ID. Rockefeller,
OF the Standard Oil Company, and Will
liam Waldorf Asior have been in race
far The head of the list of the richest men,
each being quoted ai 1925, 100000, and
Jay Gould a close third with now more
than slOO,00O00O.
The present estimates of combined Van
derbilt fortunes, taking into consideration
the natural accumulations and allowing
for expenditures, for it is known that the
Vanderbilts use a great deal of money, is
probably $3.50 100000.
The wealth of the Duke of Westmin-
sier, whose fortune is the greatest in Eu-
rope, is at careful estimate fl0,000,00O,
or s5O,OOO.009.
The aggregate wealth of the Rothschilds
reachcs nearly sl,O0OOOO,0OO, but it is
distributed among 50 many that no indl-
vidual Rothschild is worth over 0,000,-
600.
There are thousands of Americans who
are worth over sl.000,000, and ut least
four who are worth more than 270,000,-
900, and there are thiriy-ive who are
worth sl0,0OO000, and more.
Mrs Helty Green, the richest woman
in America. or, for that matter. in the
world. is the daughter of New Bedford
whaler in the days WHEN whaling was q
highly lucrative business. He left her S9,'
000,000,and an aunt subsequently left her
about as much more. Byher own bust.
ness ability she has increased her inheri-
,ancp L. $50. 100000. She has for long,
ime been he principal owner of the Lou.
isville aud Na-hvIle i.ailroad, and when
occasion required has stepped in to show
her authority in its affairs. She is not
at all given TO the vanilies of her sex.
Her attire is of the plainest character. Ii
is related of her that she once brought
$4,000 900 in securities in satchel TO de-
p,sit with her bankers in Wall street.
! -he got into n streetcar, set the satchel
down beside her, and rode along as un-
conceruedly as if she were merely going
with her knitting for an afternoons visit.
An expedition is being organized III
Washington by the board OF Governments
Exhibits To make an accurate survey OF
he famous Death Valley in southern CAL
iforna. This valley is in grea meas
ure terra incognita The temperature
IF the valley is $50 degrees in summer and
40 in winter. Scores of persons have
penetrated it, and their dried bodies arc
there now, showing how fearful must DO
The heat. Nothing rots, so dry is the at
nosphere.
Its now proposed to send eight or ten Of
the most distinguished scientists that can be
found in the country on an exploration tour
of the valley. The expedition, which will
occupy three mouths, will be one Of great
peril, as the heat is greater than that OF
any other section of this country and
more intense than that of the famous des-
ert Of Sahara. Mirage are frequent, and
water can only be bad by digging for it.
The expedition will start in with eight bar
rels Of water. The pack animals will be
mules and burrus, and there is question
whether even they will be able TO survive
the fearful heat and the labor incident
thereto. There are rumOrs OF immense
deposits Of gold and silver in the noun
tains. They may be fairy tales, but there
is tradition that once upon a time a gold
hunter ran across red-painied bucket
in the valley, in which was rich chunk
of gold, and Le.ide it pickaxe and the
siriveied remains OF man. The hunter
returned To California and related the
story of finding a mountain Of gold and
of .ilver, bur efforts to discover their exact
locality have always resulted in failure.
Proprietor: Have ye marked mp every
thing 50 as to conform with the new tar