The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-07
THE sEARLEs HOPKINS SETTLE
MENT.

The settlement of the Searles- Hopkins
controversy is viewed by the public with
satisfaction. 1t really matters very little
whether the millions accumulated by the
late Mark Hopkins in building the Pacific
road 90 to gentleman in New England or
to an adopted son of Mrs. Hopkins in Cali
fornia; but SO long as they were in contro-
yersy there was always possibility that
some legal ENHANCEMENT might occur which
might work adversely to the public interest.
II is not for public policy that large proper
ties should be tied up in law. People there
fore heard with compIaeency that Mr..
Timothy Hopkins mad got three millions and
a quarter; that some twenty-four or five
collateral relatives of Mrs. Hopkins bad
been placated By money donations, and that
the rest of the estate had gone to Mr.
Searles.
So far as those directly interested are con-
cerned, they should all be satisfied. Mr.
Searles. who. a few years ago, was a profess
sional decorator and architect, becomes one
of the great millionaires of the country
Mr. Timothy Hopkins. who. as the adopted
son of Mrs. Hopkins, had been en-
couraged TO hole that he would in
herit the whole, or the great bulk
Of her estate. comes into possession of
over three millions Of property, either in
money, or well-chosen real estate, or in other
investments. What more can any man want
than that? Mr.. Hopkins will enjoy an in
cone OF considerably over a hundred thou
sand year. which is much more than he
can spend in legitimate way; he will have
a much better prospect of happy and
quiet life than If he had had TO car for the
employment of thirty millions, with all the
cares and anxieties and excitements which
such a task would have involved. AS GER
tain dose OF medicine Will cure, while any,
thing over that dose is surplusage and may
work mischief, so sufficient income is an
excellent thing, but anything over that suffi-
cheney may prove worse than no income at
all.
AS fer Mr.. Searles, at an age when most
men have only begun 10 lay the foundations
Of their fortune, he finds himself in possess
sion of an estate which classes him with the
Astofs, the Vanderblts, the Goulds. the
Rockefeilers, the Rhinelauders and the Goe-
lets. When the stage OF exultant Joy over
unbounded riches has passed he will find
that his wealth is after all nothing but a
trust. The mere contemplation Of riches
soon pals. The richest men grow tired of
thinking about their riches. For a time the
pleasures which riches can buysare enjoy
able. But after time people grow weary
Of going 10 Paris and building yachts and
palaces and entertaining the great ones of
the earth. and eating+ich food and drinking
expensive wines, and ministering TO all the
various appetites of body and SOUL After
miilioDaires have been millopaires for a
few years they generally lead very simple
lives. Jay Gould does not disburse over
$1,000 year for his personal expenses
Commodore Vanderbilt lived in two rooms
with neat maid to serve him the porrdge
and dish Of oysters ON which he break
tasted.
To quiet his soul and occupy his mind a
millionaire must find some use for his mil
lions. Aud that is not so easy. He may es-
tablish public library, build rows of lodging
houses for the poor, found a hospital. pro-
vide homes for the aged and the ln6rm, or
he may engage in works of public utility
which, while not strictly belonging to the
class of works OF benevoIence, neverthe-
less conduce to the convenience and comfort
of mankind. 1t requires Judgment to
choose among these. indiscrminata aims
giving is Injurious to its objects and must he
avoided. Little is gained by duplicating in
stitutions of beneyoience if those already
ia existence are adequate to perform their
task. Care must be taken in endowing
charitable institutions that the endowment
does not fall into the hands of politicians or
become source of sectarian quarrel. And,
above all, the channel chosen by the mil
iionalre for the redistribution Of his wealth
should be of such a nature that it can never
even be wholly filled. SO that to the day OF
his death it may occupy bis leisure hours
and his surplus means.
II. MIR. Searles has not already devoted