The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-13
GOING INTO POLITICS.
Carnegie Will Return In the Fall to
Take a Hand. -

New I OrK, May ia QlSpdlGA " lAAG
| Tribune from London says:
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie has nothing
| to say about his business affairs except
to express his qualification that the
time has come when he can refuse to
make any more money and devote his
leisure to a wise administration of his
fortune. While he has been misquoted
in saying that he considers it disgrace
full for a man to die rich, he intends to
spend the remainder of his life in carry
ing out his own gospel of wealth.
When asked for a statement of his
views of the retirement of rich men
from business, he made the following
well, there are only two courses for
multi-millionaires to follow. Some may
feel that although they have plenty to
retire upon, they have very little to re-
tire to. Many men who retire from bus
mess become very unhappy. They have
not cultivated other sources of pleasure
or occupation. In this case men do not
own the millions, the millions own them
and the multimilliOnaire is only a slave.
Such men Will, no doubt, be less mIser-
able if they continue to the end and die
like Macbeth, with the harness on their
back.
I'VE Americans do not retire general
ly as the BritOnS themselves, because
the Briton, as a rule has a hobby apart
from his business. He is not half so
strenuous a business man as the Amer
lean but he usually has intense pleasure
in his country place in which he spends
several days week. He may be an
authority upon gardening; if he goes in
for roses his roses take the first prize
in the flower show. One friend I had
went in for pigs. He was a great man
ufacturer; he had a species of pig called
after him. 1t does not matter what it
is, so that it is something. He may
breed horses at a loss. The principal
wine merchant of the world does so.
When such men make a competence
and arrive at years of discretiOn-I
mean 60 and overland retire, they have
sufficient interest in other things to
give them happiness. Besides there is
a wide field of usefulness in district or
local public life, which I have been
privileged to see during my visits paid
to several well known manufacturers
in this country. In this way the BritOn
makes a success of life. No one can
call human life a success who does not
so train himself as to enjoy a happy,
useful dignifed, graceful old age.
Although this course is less pursued
by the American than the Briton, still
America is not without illustrious ex-
amples. Take Mr.. Marquand-what a
noble examplei He retires from bust
his darling care. Few people in New
York know the debt the city-yes, even
the country-owes to that retiring, gra-
ciOuS old gentleman. Take Mr.. Kennedy
my fellow Scot. who retired from bust
ness, but, as Mrs. Kennedy told me not
long ago. he is buster than ever But
busy in what? About the Presbyterian
hospital, about the coming public libra
ry, the United Charities building and
many other such institutions Take Mr.
Jesup; look at the Museum of Natural
History, of which he is president and
over which he watches with fatherly
care Take Seth Low, who had a large
business. which he left to assume the
presidency of Columbia university
Take Charles Stewart Smith: see how
he leads a happy and useful life.
Now, all these men have not as their
life work misera BILE aims which end with
self. They are laboring for the good of
others / could mention other names
but these suffice for illustrations The
question is whether such a graceful
ending of life is not a higher life than
that pursued by men who have far
greater fortunes than any of these, but
nevertheless are found still immersed
the final summons finding them amid
their useless boards from which they
are torn, and which, as a rule are used
after their death in way that would
rouse their indignation if they could
look down. Is it not the part of wis
dom, then, for millionaires to devote
their declining years to putting their
otherwise useless millions to some good
use? Brilliant many of their invest
ments have been, surely such invest
ment of their wealth would eclipse them
ALL
Mr.. Carnegie will go to Scotland on
Tuesday and will return to America in
the autumn where he expects to spend
the remainder of his life to distributing
his wealth wisely and carrying out
various plans of beneficence and taking
ly says his worst enemy is the man who
will tell him how to make any more
money.