The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-14
THE UsLCCKY Rich.

The death Of James g. Fair, IT,, at %
years Ct age, is the end Of a sad career.
Young Fair. like many boys who are born
with silver spoon in their mouth, goes
early 70 the grave after q short life Of ex-
ceptional exlravagancc and dissipation.
1t Is better to be born lucky than rich.
and IL was young Fairs misfortune, not
his fault. that he was born rich.
Many poor boys think it's lucky to be
born rich, but they are mistaken. Fifty
per cent. Of rich mems Sons born to
wealth and all the ease and opportunities
for demoFalizing indulgence in luxury
and extravaganza that wealth implies,
either make no mark in the world
or else make one so full Of shame that
their best friends would elface it If they
could. II the boy who Is born rich is a
healthy, sturdy animal fellow he generally
is liberal hacker Of sporting events, gives
elaborate Shippers to actors and actresses,
keeps up costly stable and yacht, spends
his life in play, eats ike HeIiogabalus,
drinks like Peter the Great, and apes the
gallantries Of Charles the Second and
George the Fourth. until his spirits begin
TO sink and his health break down. The
society IF turfmen, actors and sporting
men generally is always affected by the
animal type Of golden calves. The poor
silly pigeon IS plucked right and left by
hli the genteel. sparkling social suckers,
sponGes and dead beats he meets; he
ANGLES little, hunts a little. rows a little,
boxes little. sails a little, drin Ks, gam
bles and bets a great deal.
The animal type of rich boy generally
dies early; il his money holds out he Is
sure 20 die young. If his money fails him
before 20 he sometimes takes thought
and mends in obedience 70 the brute in
stluct OF selfpreservation, but generally
alcoholic bronchitis Is succeeded by pneu-
monia, or heart failure. or Bright's dis
ease, or insanity, and the unluckv rich
boy sinks into his premature grave that
he has !aboriously digged with his silver
spoon, or spends the remnant of his life in
q hospital for the insane, where he feebiy
gropes his life away in n vain search for
his lost Wits.
II the unlucky rich boy is of bright. in
teliectuai quality, and of genial. social,
cOnyiyial tastes he does not generally
end so badly as the mere sturdy animal
youth, whose premature march to the
grave, surrounded by lecring satyrs and
ecstatlc Bacchantes, We have already de-
scribed: for his finer quality OF brains
and the superior ksenncss of his percep-
ton of human nature make him less
the dups of knaves, less the butt
of brutes and the cause of the
cracking laughter of fools. And vet
even yoar brilliant rich boy at his best
is dangerously likely TO furnish the world
with the spectacle of wasted life. Sam
Ward AID Larry" Jerome are about what
brilliant young fellows OF social talents
who are born rich, or get rich very
early, amount 10, when they survive
their youth 20 the confines of old age.
These men in their last days suggested
what Mercutio might have been had he
lived to wear out the welcome Of his wit
and exhaust the sensual pleasures of life.
They made the pursuit of pleasure the
sole purpose OF life; they wanted TO be
amused and entertained every day, and
they possessed TO 4 large degree that kind
OF club Wit and diner-out kind Of gayety
that characterized the bright Eaglishmen
of the reign eff George the Third. of whom
Sheridan was the most brilliant example.
Men Of the Sam Ward and Larry" Jerome