The Helena independent., 1892-07-27
the VALUE Of WEALT tn.
Some Millionaires Discuss tho Cues
| tion. Does II Pay to Be
i Rich.
The Bigger tho Fortune. the More
Care Il Costs to Hold on
\ to It,
|Poor Cyrus w. Field Thought the valas
u Msnsy Easily ExAggsratsd-Nus.
soil sage WORKS Hard.

i How happy are SnillionairesP
\ ID "bip money! worth the labor and
anxiety which 1t costs2
\ ID the owner OF fifty millions really worth
asy more than the owner Of one millionf
\ / have interviewed several we'll known
millionairss, asking answers TO the above
quest ions--C Cornelius Vandorbilt, Russell
Usage, Cyrus Field. Chsunoey Dspew, LIS
Hand Stanford, Elizabeth Thompson and
others--and II 10 seems as IL their views
might be of general interest, especially In
Dthe light Of the sad business in Homestead,
Pa.
\ II was week or two ago, writes w. A.
Croffutt, that called on Mr.. Depew at the
Arlington whore he paused while deciding
whether TO bs Mr.. Harrison's secretary OF
state OF not. Al the end of tho business
which induced my call ! asked, Docs ii
pay to be very fioh?'
II don't know" said Mr.. Dspew; II have
never tried IL: but should imagine it did or
folks wouldn't want to try il. would they9"
Mr.. Depew IL worth only paltry million
or two, and he 10 not every rich" according
to Metropolitan standards.
However" he continued after . minute.
''they may think it ID going to pay, and
afterwards find themselves mistaken. Man
never il but always to be blest, perhaps
that's what you mean"
"Is fortune OF a hundred millions any
greater than fortune Of one million2"
asked.
YES" he said, ut requires more care
not buy any more OF the things 4 man
wants. Whether il brings any greater on
ioymsnt--well. probably not. Riches do
not generally confer happiness or neoes-
sarily even comfort. II depends upon
what man does with his money. know
q man who has an income of just about
$780, 900 year, and gets heap of satisfao-
tion out of it. He spends it all-on Others
Of course, most of it. Enlightened self
ishness. He Gets his pleasure from making
others happy. But it must require great
deal of time and talent. To know how to
give away money wisely a man needs to be
inspired. II is about the most difficult
trade there il. that Of philanthropist
great many more people would work at il il
they were certain that their money would
do good"
Poor Cyrus w. Field has passed away.
honored and pitied by all. He lived to see
his immense fortune squandered by knav.
ish son and the fortunes Of several OF his
relatives eneulfed also, immediately after
him in life. Five years ago he was worth
eight millions of dollars. l asked him al
that time several Of the questions that
stand at the head of this paper.
"The value of money can easily be exag-
gerated,'' said Mr.. Field. 1T is really
wo tn only what it will bring in the things
we want and for that pui pose $1O day ii
worth just about as much as $1,000 a day.
In addition to this, there is only the graft.
fed pride which arises from, having made
what men generally call great success.
No doubt M. Gould has about the same
sort of satisfaction that his neighbor Gen.
Grant had-the satisfaction of having
beaten.--the satisfaction that the boy has
who swims the fatthest, or the girl who
stands at the head Of her GLASS. That's all
there ia to it."
Mr.. Field was cheerful then. and even
jovinl; he lounged upon the leathern sofa
and ohatted and laughed, and perhaps he
thought less of money than of the plaudite
of tho world showered on him in 1858 when
the first Atlantic cable hiccoughed its feeble
but significant benediction.
A + lend Of mine stood the other day al
Mr.. Fields bedside and he speaks of his
state being pititul, indeed.
MY life is a wieckr' said the sick man
bitterly. MY fortune gonc my home dis.
honored-oh, l was so unklud to Edward
when l thought was being kind. If had
only had Fl mness enough to compel my
boys to earn their own living, then they
would have known the meaning of money!
And tho broken spirited man repeated over
and over again his desire to die. His visitor
reminded him of the many things remain
ing to live for, of the great honors paid
him by all countries for his work for civ.
ilization which moored the continents TO-
gethe-, of the fame which he has won and
would never lose. All in vain; he was sure
he had nothing to live for; and the de-
corations given him bv sovereigns and now
hanging on the wall were meaningless.
baubles to him.
called and asked Russell Sage abou
this matter. 1t ia no more difficult to Re
at him day than it WAS before the dyna-
mite crank sought to effect loan withoR
security. He is worth good deal of money
and they say he has recovered the $40, 600,
600 he lost in that scramble in the stree
one morning ten years ago. Probably hi
could foot up $50, ,00o, 900 or $6o,OO0, ,0OO-i
isn't worth while to be too exact. ~
1t was a very warm dav when l called
and he had his coat off and wiped the higl
rcceding front of his business occiput will
red silk handkerchief as he handled th
marked envelopes of puts and calls on
little table before him, and replied ''Yes,
no." to the clerk who came in every min
ute or 80 and asked him question in fig
ures and symbols which were all Greek t.
me.
''You seem to work hard to keep ahea
of the boys, MIR. Sage" / said; "therc is
prevalent idea that millionsirss don't hav
to work at all"
He uttered significant but inarticulat
sound of disapproval from the upper par
of his throat-a kind of chuckle strangle
in its birth--and added: They have T.
work. guess. il they keep snythinR. Every
BODY clutching to get it!
You have enough money. haven't your
+ asked; 'as much as you cAn use?'
"Yes. as much as l can use" he answered
turning toward me; ives, l have - muc
as ! can use, suppose"
''Ihen why don't you stop work?".
boldly continued; "you haven't child i
the world; you are rs wears old; You A.
worth. they say, $75,0OOOoO. $1,000, 900 fo
every''---
He interrupted me once moro with th
same old sound of dissent and repeated
ironically: "They say!'
After a minute he added: lyon ask n
why don't stop work. I'll do it if you wi
answer mo one question: what else can 4
at that will do as much good and give II
ms much satisfnctionp Well, you can't al
swer it. Nobody can. l have thought
over. This il my trade. Another thin
every man likes - exosi. He likes to prov
TO be worth as much ~ folks say h.
worth. Hardly any man sold out Eudden
would measure up equal to his reputation
Men take the same pleasure in accuMula
ing that boys 40 in running races M
climbing trees. l shouldn't be happy II
left tho street. And there are 1000 men d
pending on me for work-whst would the