The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-02
MEAN OLD MISERS
Men Who Had a Passion
for boarding Money.
"Plum Turner and ssVulture Hop.
kins"-Sir John Cutler Statue.
Duke of Marlborough.


ter" said Squire Ben. as the oId-timers began
their daily seance, "are illustrated in the
spendthrifG ana the miser. The former is never
satisfied unless he is in the act OF spending, or
rather sQuandering, his substance on things of
appetite or fancy. The latter delights only In
Accommodations. His great misery lies In having
TO part with any Of his boarded wealth, while
that OF the spendthrift consists Ia having wealth
only to eXpend.
"The moralists, we are told, have dealt fairly
with the miser; il honest, he can be so only by
the skin of his teeth. as the saying is. History
tells of Industrious villains but there never was
an illustrious miser; though the Keeping to-
gether OF wealth and having and holding 1t
fast is too often "a great IDOL OF human worship,
to which so much incense Is offered up every
day. These sacrifices have in all times fur
nished the world much to laugh at and ridicule,
and even TO desplse
ave have had some famous misers In
America but mother England furnishes eX.
amples which throw them into eclipse. plum
Turner and 'Vulture Hopkins Two noted
English misers, are lmmortaliZed IN Pope's
moral Essays" The FIRST, Richard Turner.
had been a Turkey merchant He died In 1888.
When possessed of 81, SOC, 900 he discontinued
his coach because interest was reduced from
to per cent. He then put S350,000 into the
Charitable Corporation OF London for better
interest. but lost II. This loss he took so much
to heart hat he kept his chamber ever after.
1t was thought that he would not have out
lived this loss, but that he was heir to another
considerable estate, which be daily expected,
and that by this course OF life he saved both
clothes ana other expenses.
"The second. John Hopkins, by his rapacity,
obtained the name OF 'Vulture.' be lived a
worthless life, but died wealthy. He would
give TO no person living, but left bis riches,
amounting to about $1.500,000, so as not to be
inherited until after the second generation.
On bis counsel representing to him how many
years il must be before this could lake etecI,
aud that his money could only lie at interest
ali the time he expressed great Joy thereat,
and said they would then be as long in spend
ing il as he had been in getting it,
Hopkins was wealthy London merchant,
and was the architect of nearly his whole for
tune, which originated in some highly fortu-
nate sDeculdtions In the stocks, and was con-
siderably increased at The explosion OF Inc
South Sea bubble in 1920 On one occasion
he paid an evening visit TO Guy, the founder OF
the hospital IN Southwick. who also was as re-
markable for his private parsimony as his pub
lie munfcence. On Hopkins entering the
room MIR. Guy lighted q farthing candle
which lay ready on the table, and de-
sired to know the purpOrt OF the visit
~ have been told,' said Hopkins that you,
sir, are better versed in the prudent and neces-
sary art of saving. than any man now living:
and. therefore. wait upon you for lesson Of
frugaiity; an art in which used to think ex-
celled. but am told by all who know you that
you are greatly my SUPERIOR And Is that all
yOu come about2' replied Guy; why, then. we
can talk this matter over In the DARK Upon
this, he with great delber alton, extingulshed
his new-lghted farthing candle. Struck with
this example OF economy, Hopkins rose up. &C
knowledged himself convinced Of the others
superior thrift and took his leave" -
1.-The lives and habits of such men," re-
marked Uncle Joshua, " are principally utter
esting as showing how innate meanness can be
cultivated. | recall the fact that upon the
funeral OF Sir john Cutler, another miser OF the
same stamp. there was expended no less than
S35, 900. Sir John was loyalist IN the time of
The commonwealth, and at The restoration was
created a baronet by Charles Ii. He belonged
10 The GrOeers' Company. He contributed a
large sum toward the building OF the College OF
Physicians in Warwick lane; In return for
Will ch the statne OF the Baronet, along with
another of the King. was erected in tie college
court. Sir John died in 1899. and his execu-
tors claimed of the college $4,000, the sum
which Sir john had advanced, WITH interest,
and appearing TO be charged as a debtor Ia the
books OF the deceased. A compromise. was
made by the executors accepting 10000 as
payment In full of all demands. The faculty of
the college enraged at this shabby transaction
oblterated the name of Sir John inscribed on
the pedestal or the statue. Mean in life. and
mean in death seemed TO be this misers motto
"Seryed Sir John right" said Uncle Dave,
Though Of course he could not feel the slight,
being dead. Another OF England's mtsers,
strangely enough, was the great Duke OF MARI
borough. When this great captain WAS In the
last stage OF life, and very infrm, he would
walk from the public rooms in Bath to his
pence in chair hire. Ii the Duke, who left at
his deafh more than $1,000, 000,. could have
fOreseen that all his wealth and nonors were 10
be inherited by grandson OF Lord Trevors,
who had been one OF hts enemies, IL Is hardly
likely, parsimonious as he was, that he would
have been so careful as to save sixpence for
such al heir. But it was not for The sake of
any heir, but from misery habit, that made
him save for the love OF saving.
Here is another example of parsmony:
When Lord Bath his Countess and son visited
Holkham, they forgot 10 give anything TO the
servants who showed the house. Upon recol-
lection and elaboration, they sent back q NAH
aud horse six miles with-half crown. George
Coleman tells us that his lordship, when pass
ing in his carriage through Il gate near his
country house, would give the word 10 halt;
the outriders echoed the order; the coachman
pulled up and William Puiteney, Earl OF Bath.
stretching forth his hand from his coach bediz.
ened with corOnets aud drawn by four horses,
threw 10 the venerable woman gatekeeper-a
halfpenny.
Here is still another: Sir James Lowther,
after changing piece of silver at st. Georges
coffee house, In the Strand. and paying two
pence for his dish of coffee, was helped into his
charlotte for he was then very lame and inflrm)
and went home. Some little. time after he re-
turned o the same coffee-house on purpose to
acQualnt the woman who kept Ii that she had
demanded another in exchange for II. Sir
James had an income OF $500 900 year, and
was at loss whom to appoint his heir"
Here is one,' said old Bob chat Will beat
any OF yours, Dave: Sir William Smyth OF
Bedfordshlre was Immensely rich, but most
and miserly IN bis habits. AT 20
years OF age he was entirely deprived of his
sight-unable TO glOat over his heaps OF gold
He was TO be couched-that is, have his eyes
operated upon for cataract-being persuaded
by Taylor. the celebrated oculist,e the agree
ment being that The latter was to have co
guineas If he restored his patient to any degree
OF sight
Taylor succeeded in the operation. and Sir
William was enabled TO read and write with
out the aid OF spectacles during the rest OF his
life. But DO sooner was he restored TO sight
than the baronet began 10 regret that his
agreement had been for so large a sum. His
thoughts were now how TO cheat the occulist.
He pretended that he had only glimmorng
and could see nothing distinctly; Tor which
reason the bandage on his eyes was continued
a mouth longer Than the usual time. Taylor
was deceived by these Misrepresentation,
agreed 10 compound the bargain, and accepted
twenty guineas instead OF sixty. At the time
Taylor attended him Sir William had la rye
estate and immense Sums OF money in the
stocks and $4,000 i'll the house."
"Well, he was mean fellow, 10 be sure"
said Uncle Dave, "but think / can match him
for you 10 the person of Welshman-Shanky
Williams, as he was Familiarity called, a o. tive
of Cymwd. who lived in The early part OF the
present injury. lie was accustomed TO ravel
., 4 ha IF I'm oil ,fog linz ,,ut