The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-01
VERY SMALL POTATOES.
The Modcr1 Miiiiouairss irc Apparently
Not IN the Comparison with the
Croesus,s Of the Glorious Oldcu Time.

Croesus,s Of the Glorious Oldcn Time.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Whet enc comes 10 look into the mat
ter. the much-t6lked-about wealth of
our modern millionair5s is puny when
compared with the wealth of men of
old. Most sck1olhoys ought TO krow
that Apicius tucked under his vest
during his worthless career table deli
cacies which cost over 81, 900, 900, and
even then was never satisfied with
what he had 10 eat. Nero spent nearly
$50, ,00O on one breakfast alone. Cali
gula set forth a milliJn-dollar spread to
small party of blackguards who as
sambled in his dining room, and forth
with caused his cook TO be outra geously
punished because the banquet was not
commensurate with the impraial appe-
t'te. When Caltgula came to the
throne he growled because there were
only some $40 900. 900 in his prsdeces-
sors exchequer, and he contrived to
run through with this before he had
been in office one year. So paltry in
the eyes Of the gluttonous Apicius was
the neat sum of s1O0O0O that he con-
sidered himself hard-up when this
amount alone remained to him. and ac-
cordingly committed suicide in a fit
of despondency over his financial pros
poets. Ohio spent the equivalent of
some 100000 Of our money in finish
ing one wing of the palace commenced
by Nero. Scaurus merely smiled when
his villa was burned, at loss to him Of
HnA nah 81, lgr,. g Il
lures such as these by people Of olden
times might be extended almost indefi-
nitely.
We Arc Mere paupcrs.
Let US the people Of a cheaper age,
therefore be modest. We are too much
given to criticism of the affairs Of our
multi-miliionalrc CailrCad magnates,
bonanza kings and oil barons. If
Apicius could return to earth and come
among US. and some half-dozen Of our
richest men should pool their purses to
provide a dinner in his honor. the
spread would be 90 mediocre as COM
pared with what he had been accus-
tened to when in the flesh in the Eter-
nal City that he would be well-nigh ex-
cusnbie in ordering his chariot and put
ting out for home to get something to
eat. What would the shade Of Nero
say II invited to take a ride in 5000. 900
steam yacht, in view Of the fact that
the trappings Of one of his unpreten-
tious trircmes were worth more than
that? Much insensate chatter has re-
Gently been created by the announce
ment that Miss Anna Could is about to
build palace in Paris after the model
of the old Trianon; and an equal
amount of wonder has been expressed
at its proposed magnificence. But, af-
ter all said and done, would 1t be com
parable in point of grandeur and gen.
eral equipment with the modest s12. .OOO,-
600 villa of Scaurus? Does the SIS, 900
fee received recently by ex-President
Harrison for successfully conducting
a law suit compare with the trifllng
little gift Of 100000 pearl by Paulus
to the mother OF Brutus, simply because
the noble Roman occasionally enjoyed
the lady's society for a few brief mo-
ments? In Mr.. Harrison's case
many days of arduous labor
were ecessary-possibly also sew
eral hours of hard study. In
the case of Mrs. Brutus no effort on
her part beyond short-lived attempt
at being agreeable was involved. The
great plunger," the late Marquis of
Hastings, staked $750.O00 on the possi-
billty Of Hermit winning the Derby.
Hellogabalus on more than one occa-
sion scrambled about double that
amount among his Roman slaves. with
out any hope OF gain whatever beyond
the qualification of seeing the fighting
and struggling Of the poor wretches Ia
possess the gold.
No! Let us. the cheaper people of a
cheaper age, be modest In the light
of those of days gone by we are mere
paupers. In contrast with them the
wealth Of even our wealthiest Is little
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