The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-30
AS TO WEALTH.

Whether or not man Is the happier
FOR the attainment OF wealth, Is O ques-
tipn about which there vii always be a
diherence ofSopinion. The very rich
men Of our day and time say not, and
yet the mad haste to accumulate for
tunes seems toSbe greater than at any
period of the country's history.
Despite oil that may be said in its
favor, however. riches do not bring
happiness, and in proportion to their
numbers there is less happiness among
the weather. classes than among those
or comparative poverty. Jay Gould once
said that after q mans fortune passed
the half million mark he bade farewell
to peace and happiness, and there Is
little, II any doubt, that this is a fact,
How many men are there is this
world who spend the best days OF their
lives in trying to amass q fortune, and
yet die before the attainment Of their
desires? How many are there who, after
! accommodating wealth find little or no
pleasure In its possession?
The world furnishes daily examples Of
both. Still further. how. few arc there
| who have the ability to retain wealth,
| even though it is Of their own making i?
! Mr.. Chauncey Depew tells Of Il few OF
this class. If all the names OF all the
| people whc have lost fortunes because
of lack Of ability to hold them were
| collected no library in the world would
be sufficiently large to hold them. Mr.
Depew says: 4 knew Daniel Drew when
he had $l9,000000, and he died In debt
| l knew II gentleman who at one time
had s3,000O0o in the bank who is now
| earning about $1,000 q year The SO, 0o0,-
600 was In cash. In addition to his In
vestments of various kinds. There are
a dozen men in New York who ask me
! for occasional loans Of from so cents to
80 who, when first came to New York,
were among the rich men OF the town"
! The millionaircS Of to-day may be
| paupers tomorrow. and It is because Of
! the great struggle TO retain wealth and
the desire to add thereto, that men are
oftentines made unhappy and some-
! times seek death as Il release.
| The world has just seen an example
| O.,
who few days ago sought that peace
| ny drowning in mid -occan that his hun
| dred millions OF dollars denied him.
! Certainly the nearer a man gets to ma
'ure and the fewer his wants are, the
! happier he Is likely to be. All the gold
dust Of the CALIFORNIA; can not pur-
| chase happiness. Worship of the "gol-
| ~ lnI
ton than the world will ever know
Johh Jacob Astor once said he ''Got no
more out Of this life than any good
mechanic who had been able to keen
steady and profitable employment. The
mechanic had warm clothes q comfor-
| iaE(e home, and was able to slccp
Wei! and enjoyed II good appetite when
! the best he could say for himself was
| that he had the two former, and that
! was all: There are many rich men who
| would give all they have In the way
or wealth for the same good health
which the hardest worked laborcr en-
| joys.
y certain millionaire many times
over remarked 20 friend not long ago.
! that despite all his wealth he had never
! been SO happy as when working OH his;
| inthers farm. 4 comparatively poor
| boy, and that he sometimes felt that If
| ne could so home to the old folks and
| SIT again al the mothers table, and
| have her tuck the cover around him
ana kiss him good night as in the DAYS
OF old he would be willing to give IN
all his money. There arc q number Of
! very rich men who arc made happy in
the possession OF wealth because OF the
great good it enables them to do. The
Old and the new world alike. have fur
nlshed numbers Of such men These we
call Dhi!anthropists, and the world is
all the better for having them The very
rich men, however, who take no thought
or these things cannot be happy in the
possession Of great wealth. 1t becomes
burdensomc and is not infreuuenty a
dread.