The National tribune., 1901-07-18
AMASSING WEALTH IN THE POORHOUSE
New York Pauper Discharged From Aims.
house Because He Was Becoming Too Rich.
(New York SUM-


Any man who can make money in a
poorhouse ought to be rich, with the world
as his field of operation. Therefore as Mr..
| William Mongrief has been asked to take
himself away from Blackwelps Island a
new millionaire may appear on the hori-
zon shortly.
Mr.. Mongrief is on the shady side of 80.
When he was sent to the Almshouse three
| years ago he was without cent in the
world. He did have a small supply of
| tobacco. That was his nucleus. His
small stock of tobacco was disposed of for
cash and always something to boot in the
| shape of crutches, knives. clothing, shoes,
| or anything else of value among the
paupers. If he bought anything himself
| it was always at the very lowest pauper
price, and if he sold it it was at the high
est possible figure. The result was that
after he had been in the institution few
months he was looked upon in the same
relative light as Russell Sage is looked
upon by the outside world. His pile of
money and his stock of miscellaneous
pauper wares grew until it came to pass
that whenever any of the inmates wanted
| to make a purchase the desired article
could always be had from him.
There have been other shrewd traders
in the Almshouse; but they could not stand
afiuence. When their bank roll reached
a few dollars-$10 at the most-they
pined for the streets of New York, and
off they would go until their money was
spent in riotOus living. Then back to the
poorhouse they went with fresh determina-
| tions.
| Not so with Mongrief. Business was
too brisk and the money came in too fast
| for him not to give it his personal and un-
divided attention. As his business grew
his ability to handle it kept pace, until
he practically controlled corner on cloth
Ing, crutches, smoked eyeglasses, buttons,
| thread and needles, shoes, and, for that
matter, everything else which had formerly
belonged to the inmates with whom he as
| Sociated
The Superintendent knew that trading
has been one of the pleasures and past
times of the inmates since its inception.
| No special attention was paid TO the trad
| ing done by Mongrief because no one sus-
pected for a moment that it was of such
proportions.
| So it was that while the extent of his
business was known among his fellows,
it did not reach the ears of the officials of
the institution until recently and then only
| through accident. They found that he had
not only everything portable and of the
slightest value that had belonged to the
other inmates, but besides he had saved
in cents nickels, dimes and coin of larger
denominations more than $500.
| The Superintendent's astonishment was
not assumed; yet he was forced to admit
that he could not deprive Mongrief of the
belongings which he had accumulated.
But he suggested to the shrewd merchant
in unmistakable terms that his field of
operations was much too small and that
he had better leave the scene of his pecu-
| liar business exploits for another, where
he could operate on more extensive scale.
Mongrief made himself popular with
his piuper customers. The crippled in
mate who decided to discard his crutch
knew where he could go and trade it for
a pair of shoes or hat. In consequence
there was much wailing and disgruntle-
ment when he went the rounds and i'm
parted TO his companions the edict of the
Superintendent.
| Along the Bowery and the streets in the
shopping districts of New York may be
seen former Blackwell's Island charges
who have in their possession crutches, eye
glasses and other necessaries required in
order to solicit aims which once belonged
to the stock Of Mongrief.