The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-01
SOME GREAT NHIsERs.
Remarkable English SlSinfints.
What Hopkins Learned Of Guy.


sessing sufficient money to enable him TO
live in comfort and even aniuence. His
tory records many such instances, where
THE miser true
Starves midst his plenty, from the slavish
fear
OF wasting what he heaps"
Thomas Guy, the founder of the hospital
in London bearing his name, lived in the
meanest manner, dreading 10 spend a pen
ny on his personal comfort He used to
sit in the dark when the sun went down
because he would not purchase candles.
In winter ne went to bed at shutdown TO
save fuel. and often ne had been known
to creep into the areaway of some large
mansion to catch a little fugitive warmth
from the kitchen. Yet he endowed Guy s
hospital in the sum of nearly million and
a quarter dollars. One of his friends was
the notorious miser, John Hopkins
wealthy London merchant, who earned the
sobriquet of ''Vulture" through his ra-
pacity. The acquaintance began in
strange but characteristic manner. Hop
kns paid an evening visit to Guy. On en-
tering the ROOM Guy lighted farthing
rushlght, and desired to know the object
of the gentleman's visit. secretly hoping
that ID related TO some new investment at
large interest.
Il have been told" said Hopkins, that
you sir, are better Versed in the prudent
art of saving than any man now living,
and l therefore wait upon you for a lesson
In frugality; an art in which l used to
think / exceled, but am told by all who
know you that you are greatly my SUI
perior.
And Is that all you came about?" ask
ed Guy. why then we can talk this mat
ter over in the dark" Upon which he
imnpOia fe1 a,rti lurbt-
ed farthing rushlight. That was a lesson
for Hopkins. He rose up and acknowledge
ed that Guy possessed superior methods
of thrift. Never afterwards did Hopkins
burn a candle in the evening This miser
Interested himself in politics, and Pope
vented his spleen in this couplet:
when Hopkins dies, thousand lights at
tend
The wretch who living saved candies
end
When Hopkins died it was found that
he had left his wealth, amounting to ST.
800 600, to relatives, hut they could not
touch II until the second generation. He
added an explanatory note to the effect
that they would then be as long in spend
ing 1t as he had been in getting it,"
1t has often been said that there have
never been three successive generations of
misers, but In the case of the famous Eng
lish miser, Daniel Dancer, it could be truly
said that grandfather father, and all of
the children were strictly entitled to the
appellation of misers. OF the family, Dam
led was the most famous. In 1885, when
20 years old, he succeeded to a large es-
tate, which brought him an income of
$4,000 a year. He would often go with
out food unless he could beg it, and his
daily ablutions were performed in a neigh
boring pool He dried himself in the sun,
all h.. af.ufa Of ffuya Il
was so afraid of being robbed that he
nailed up his doors, and by means of
ladder, which he drew up after him. en-
tered his house by an upper window. But
with all his precautions, he was robbed
fourteen times, the amount stolen being
valued at $4,000.
When his sister died she left him all her
wealth, which doubled his income. out of
gratitude to her, he assured his friends
that he should wear mourning. He search
ed the stores for several days. and at last
bought a pair of secondhand stockings of
a rusty black, which constituted his only
mourning garb. Lady Tempest often gave
him food and cast-om clothing before she
knew his wealth Afterwards she contin-
ued the donations, but spoke to him about
his manner of living. and urged him TO
give up his misery habits, and partake of
proper food and wear decent clothing. He
listened to her advice, but so long as she
fed him and gave him old clothing he took
no heed, and went on in his old way. Dur
ing his last sickness Lady Tempest nursed
him, and contracted a disease from which
she died few months later Dancer be-
queathed her his copyhold estates worth
about $4,000 a year. 1t was the only time
he ever showed any gratitude.
His fear of thieves led him to find
strange hiding places for his money.
When the executors searched the house,
task which occupied several weeks they
found in an old teapot bank notes worth
5000. In the chimney was $1,000 but the
dungheap in the COW shed was the richest
safe, for they found there nearly Sl2, 800;
in a jacket nailed to a manger they dis
covered In gold and bank notes $500. His
only enjoyment in life was the boarding OF
money, his chief pleasure and amusement
IN counting his boards. He starved him-
self and shivered all through the winter,
having a fire only when he could get some
logs of wood from the forest. He spent
days In walking along the roads TO nnd
bits OF iron and horeshoes, which he sold
20 neighboring blacksmiths, many buying
from him worthless things, because they
believed he was starving.
"The base miser starves amidst his store,
Broods DER his gold, and gripping still at
more,
Sits sadly pining, and believes he's poor"
The name of John ELVES has become
proverbial In the annals of miserly avar-
ice. Elves was the son OF a London brew
er named Meggot, who died when his son
was only years old. His mother was an
ELVES, the sister OF Sir Henry ELVES, who
was himself a miser. Johns mother was
possessed Of large property left by her
husband, but she nearly starved herself to
death, and only through the interpostion
Of neighbors was she rescued from such a
fate. SO John inherited some OF his miser-
illness from his maternal ancestor. Sir
Harvey Elves lived on 100 a year. though
his income was thirty times that sum-
John early courted this uncle. and would
dress Ia the Oldest, thread-bare clothes
when he went TO see him. and often would
scold some one In his uncle's presence for
extravaganza. Harvey thinking his
nephew man after his own heart, would
talk to him about the sins Of the world.
not because they were sins, but simply be-
cause they led TO expenditure OF money.
Sir Harvey was delighted with his nephew.
and when he died left him an his wealth.
amounting TO 81 go 600. with the sole con-
dition that he take the name OF ELVES.
and discard his fathers name Of Meggot
John was perfectly willing to do So and
secured royal letters patent authorizing
the change OF name.
Sir Harvey Elves had been pronounced
an lncurable consumptive In his youth. but
4. s,roxad the dnofora Nyroup auN If,sa.H