Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-17
WOES OF THE RICH.
How q Man Feels When He Has Sew
eral Millions at His Beck.
THE SAD STORY OF CYRUS FIELD.
Elizabeth Thompson Thinks Her Gifts Have
Done Only Harm.
vANDERBILTs PLEASURE AND PAIN
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH. d,

WRITTEN FOR THE prsPATcHl
How happy are millionaires? Is ''bi
money" worth the labor and anxiety whic
IL costs? Is the owner Of $50, ,00O, 900 reall
worth more than the owner of 81, 600, 900?
have interviewed several well-knowl
millionaires asking answers to the abov
questions-Cornelius Vanderbilt, Russell
Sage, Cyrus Field, Chauncey Depes, LIE
land Stanford, Elizabeth Thompson ant
others-and it seems as If their views nigh
be of general interest, especially in th'
light of the sad business in Homestead, Pa
1t was a week or two ago that called ol
Mr.. Depew at the Arlington, where h
paused while deciding whether to be Mr.
Harrison's Secretary of State or not A
the end of the business which induced m,
call 1 asked, "Does it pay to be very rich?'
'T don't KNOW" said Mr.. Depew; ."l
have never been it; but should imagine i
did or folks wouldn't want to be it-would
they?" Mr.. Depew is worth only paltry
million or two, and he is not Every rich, ,
according to metropolitan standards
Hundred Millions Worse Than One.
"However," he continued, after minute,
"they may think it is going to pay, and
afterward find themselves mistaken; mar
never is but always to be blest; perhap.
that's what you mean."
SIS fortune of 500, OOO, 900 any greater
than fortune of 81, 900, ,0OO?" asked.
"Yes," he said, sit requires more care
and tires man more to keep it, but it will
not buy any more of the things man wants.
Whether it brings any greater enjoyment
well, probably not Riches do not generally
confer happiness or necessarily even com.
fort 1t depends on what a man does with
his money. I know q man who has an in
come of Just about 500, 900 year and gets
heap Of satisfaction out of it. He spends
it all on others, of course, most of it,
Enlightened selfshness He gets his
pleasure from making others happy. But il
must require great deal of time and talent.
To know how to give away money wisely a
man needs to be inspired. 1t is about the
most difficult trade there is-that of philan-
thropist. A great many more people
would work at it if they were certain that
their money would do good"
Cyrus W. Fields Vanished Treasure.
Poor Cyrus W. Field died Tuesday-his
and the fortunes OF several of his relatives
engulfed also, Immediately after the death
of the two who were dearest TO him in life.
Five years ago he was worth IS, ,000, 900.
I asked him about that time several of the
questions that stand at the head of this
paper.
gerated," said Mr.. Field. "It is really
worth only what it will bring in the things
we want; and for that purpose $40 day is
worth Just about as much as 81 900 q 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 Mr.. Gould has about the same
eral Grant had-the satisfaction of having
beaten-the satisfaction that the boy has
who swims the farthest, or the girl who
stands at the head of her class That's all
there is to it. -
Mr. Field was cheerful then, and even
jovial; he lounged upon the leathern sofa
and chatted and laughed, and perhaps he
thought less OF money than of the plaudits
of the world showered on him in 1858 when
the first Atlantic cable hiccupped its feeble
but significant benediction.
Kindness That Was Not Kindness
A friend of mine stood the other day at
Mr. Fields bedside, and he speaks OF his
state being pititul indeed.
"My lite is wreck!" said the sick man
bitterly. "My fortune is gone, my home
dishonored! Oh, I was SO unkind to Ed
ward when thought was being kind! If
1 had only had frmness enough to compel
my boys to earn their own living, then they
would have known the meaning of money!
And the broken-spirited man repeated
over and over again his desire to die. His
visitor reminded him of many things re-
him by all the countries for his work for
civilization which moored the continents
together, 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 decora-
tions given him by sovereigns and now
hanging on the wall were meaningless
baubles to him.
called and asked Russell Sage about
this matter. 1t is no more difficult to get
at him to-day than it was before the dyna-
mite crank sought to effect loan without
security. He is worth good deal of
money, and they say he has recovered the
SIC, 900, 900 he lost in that scramble in the
street one morning ten years ago. Proba-
000-it isn't worth while to be too exact.
Russell sage St1n works Hard.
It was very warm day when I called,
and he had his coat off and wiped the high
receding front of his business occiput with
a red silk handkerchief as he handled the
marked envelopes of puts and calls on q
little table before him and replied, eyes"
'No," to the clerk who came in every
minute or so and asked him question in
figures and symbols which were all Greek
to me.
"You seem to work hard to keep ahead
OF the boys, Mr.. Sage" said; "there is a
prevalent idea that millionaires don't have
to work at all. !"
He uttered significant but inarticulate
sound of disapproval from the upper part of
his throat-a Kind of chuckle strangled in
it's birth-and added: ''They have to work,
I guess, if they keep anything. Everybody
clutches to get itP'
"You have enough money, haven't you?"
I asked; "as much as you can use?"
"Yes, as much as can use," he answered |
turning toward me; ".yes, I have as much As
I can use, 1 suppose.
"Then why don't you stop work?" 1 |
boldly continued; ''you haven't q child in |
he world; you are Is years old; you are
worth, they say, $4,000, 900, s1,co0,o 900 for
Works Because He Likes TO-
He interrupted me once more with tho
|ame old sound OF dissent, and repeated |
ropicolIv soThey savP After a poiputa he