Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-22
Copyright, 1895, by Ryman Interview
SVndicateD

lOODA IlSul, 1880 Dg ny man 1Al0l view
Syndicate)
The hand Of fate draws the most gro
tesque of Beardsieys upon the face Of
the earth. She makes her combinations
to see how they VII look, not caring for
the shock Of it.
In a cobble-lined gutter the wind was
sWirling a newspaper around, getting it
in motion to lift it high enough for a
sweep down the street. In its circum-
fiexions It dashed against the feet of
a man who stood upon the narrow
sidewalk, scarce four feet from the
gutter
The man was one of those collections
Of old shoes and rags that we call
tramp. The paper knocking aginst his
legs had picture Of the richest man
in the world.
The tramp'5 name had been forgotten,
so often mad he shamed it and taken an
other
SUCCEEDS BARNATO.
The rich man was Albert Belt, one Of
the Kafir kings. who has swOpped and
changed and bartered his stocks and
grains so often that he is now Barna-
tO's successor. BaTnato bows down to
him. He IS The richest man upon the
face of the earth. He has begun ITO
count his pounds by the million instead
of by the hundred. Dollars mean too
little for a calculation.
The Christmas Day Of this richest
man upon the face Of the earth VII be
spent in London. London is the city
that alone can give a man everything
in return for his gold. To this Mecca
of money Belt has gone for his Christ
mas. lie arrived there early long be-
fore Christmas. because there are
things that can not be all enjoyed in one
twenty-four hours, even though twenty
of them are spent awake with your
hands full of gold.
London was waiting for Belt It's
Christmas tree was lighted and hung
for him. The Prince knew him well
by reputation, and liked him and his
pounds: and his old friend, the Earl of
Warwick-not so very old, but verv
much interested in Kafirs-was ex-
pecdng him, and all the city knew
Belts here"
In a country where there are many
milliOnaires, all conservative everyday
people. there can be no conception Of
what the advent Of a millionaire. whose
money is not TOO valuable TO him, can
do for a city. Here a millionaire counts
his money, gets value for value, and is
felt in a town only as he sets the in
dustr:es going. But in London the rich
men of Africa do not handle their
money that way; and when they 20 to
London they go to spend gold. Their
coming is felt from the Strand TO
Whitechapel.
AT SHORT RANGE.
Albert Belt the man who will soon
spend Christmas as "the richest man n
the world is a good-looking fellow Of
middle-age. He might be called hand
some f his expressions were little more
cheerful, and he might be called
stylish man if ne were dressed as other
men are.
Bet is the most sensible Of all the
African kings. He is a close friend Of
Barnato and very near 10 Rhodes. lie
goes in higher than the former and in
more general society than the latter.
Barnato still insists upon liking his old
chums OF early days, the acrobat per-
formers and the tight-r0pe gentlemen.
He VII not turn them from his door
There's a place for them at his table,
even a. his Chrictmas spread, for ne IS
TO dine one hundred OF them On Christ
mas Day in his great spreading dining
room. one corner of which is large
enough for his whole family circle.
Be- has kept no poor friends from his
humble beginning If he has any, ne
has either forgotten them or. as his
friends declare. has pensioned them OF.