The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-01-15
How the Rich Nay Be Happy.

Mr.. Charles T. Yerkes. who has
amassed $15,O00,O00 in fifteen years.
is reported to have declared before
recent meeting of commercial teachers
In Chicago that great wealth does not
bring happiness" This truth is as
old as the days when ten oxen rep
resented vast wealth, but 1t is truth
that takes on new value when il falls
from the lips of one of our modern
rich men. Wealth brings neither hap
piness nor contentment; all that 1t
can buy is the qualification of mo-
ment-a qualification that IS as fleeting
as the feeling that follows victory
at whist.
Nothing so thoroughly demonstrates
the discomfort of the very rich people
than the fact that they fit about from
place to place and from amusement
TO amusement with no end in view and
no lively hopes of enjoyment. Some
of them imagine that the English peo-
pie are happy, and so they import
round of English amusements-polo,
golf and fox hounds that wouldn't
know a fox if they met it in the road.
Then the horse show and amateur cir
cuses: and after it is done and over
and the lights are out, they lean back
with a sigh and wonder why it is that
all the wealth they have will not pur"
chase an hours real happiness, an
hours genuine contentment.
They go TO their fashionable
churches and the preachers, striving TO
please, tell them that hell is a myth,
and that the Bible is for the most
collection OF fables, fairy stories and
romances. But even this is not COM
forting If there is no happiness In
wealth, no happiness promised in the
Bible. then the whole fabric Of the
world is simply q wicked and hideous
dream, and the things of this life
nightmare.
If wealth will not buy happiness and
contentment for those who own it,
what is the good of it, and why the
scramble and competition for it? Well,
1t is one way that men have of escap-
ing from their own thoughts; but they
will have to sit down with them at
the last, let the postpOnement be for
ever so long.
And vet. we think there is good rea-
son for saying that there is one way IN
which our rich men may make them
selves comparatively happy. 1t is so
simple and so obvious that we hest
tate to mention it for fear some OF
them may turn up their noses at its
triteness. We will begin, therefore,
by saying that all the worlds greatest
benefactors have found the road TO
the happiness that can be purchased
by wealth. In our own day, to so no
further back, there are George Pea
body and Peter Cooper, and following
hard upon their heels comes Andrew
Carnegie and Aaron French who have
also discovered for themselves THAI
the happiness and joy that lie hid in
wealth can only be brought out when
| il is devoted to benefactions. We
are never so happy as when we are
making others happy; we are never so
contented as when we know that we
have been the means of benefiting
others.
We have so many rich men In this
country, and their wealth has been
so easily gained, that we have often
wondered why the examples of George
Peabody, Peter Cooper and Baron
Hirsch Ito mention the name of the
most eminent philanthropist of mod
ern times) were not followed on a
| larger scale There are so many ave-
nues by means of which they could
dispose of their benefactions, there are
so many things waiting to be done,
SO many noble schemes for the bene-
| fit Of humanity, that the time cannot
| be far distant when our wealthy men
will realize their responsibilities in
| these matters.
1t is true, of course, that the begin
nings of the great fortunes which
have been accumulated in this country
were gathered together under adverse
| conditions. To John Jacob Aston,
| Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould,
a dollar never ceased to be as big as
cart wheel; but conditions are diff
ferent with the posterity of these men.
Their wealth grows of itself. and all
| they have to do is to keep tab on it.
Money is not so important in their
eyes, and it will become less and less
important when they reflect that the
day will come when they will have TO
| lie down and leave it, going forth into
an unknown country as poor as the
poorest pauper.
The rich man who desires to have his
name remembered with gratitude and
respect will assuredly find way to
satisfy his ambition.
|