The age-herald., 1901-07-18

From Town Topics.
 "A thousand dollars a day and ex- penses'-that was Peirre Lorillard's stan dard of what a man needed to enjoy life thoroughly. He so expressed himself on many occasions, and I recall particularly discussion at the Union Club one day, when a banker, with vastly greater wealth than he possessed, said that s100.- 900 a year would suffice for any mans wants, no matter how luxurious or ex- travagant he might be. ''In fact" said the banker, who has given away millions in causes of philanthropy and art. Ia man can't spend more than $1O0.0Oo year on himself" Borillard ridiculed the state ment. Why he laughed, that's just about enough to keep a man uneasy. With hundred thousand a year he just begins to see what a good time he might have If he had the money" In response to the storm of inquiries from those about him as to what did constitute an appro- priate and adequate income, Lerillard replied, promptlyi "A thousand dollars a dayNand expenses" he added, observing that his friends regarded the figures as preposterous.
 MT. Lorillard held to the rather socia1- istic idea that the rich were fin duty bound to spend their money. He believed that they fulfilled a large part of their obligations to the community if they dis pensed their incomes in an extravagant and even prodisai style. While appreciat- ing. of course, the virtue of gifts for charitable and educational purposes, he thought that society and state would get along very well and be able to supply all their own advantages in these regards. if the rich, like himself and his associates scattered their superf1uity in the lavish expenditures for which he became nota- ble. There have been some sound econo- mists who held much the same views on this subject as did Mir. Lorillard, who, throughout his joyous career did his ut- most to give his sentiments practical ap- plication. There were few years when he did not spen dal lof his income and some when he spent more.
 For the men and families of enormous wealth that seemed to take pride in their economies and that bent all their wits to increasing their useless hoards he had a lively and freely spoken contempt. In their comparatively simple houses, meager cuisines, commonplace equipage and general "closeness' of menage he saw nothing for them to be proud of. For the lack of 'sportiness," on which some of the scions of our preposterously rich families plume themselves, and their ab- stention from the costly and prodigal di- versions in which the European aristoc- racy indulges. MT. Lerillard had no pa- tience. He thought that the very rich man who did not spend money eNtrava- gantly for the encouragement of the in- dustries and callings that depend on such patronage was very near to being public nuisance. He had his own notions of the way in which man might be a useful citizen, and he certainly attained his ideal that he has left an estate of $25, 900, 900 are absurd, almost pathetically so. Indeed, if Pierre Lorillard's genius for spending money had been transmitted, even in at tenuated degree, to his posterity, the worn-out dictum that in republics it is only three generations between shirt sleeves would find picturesque illustration in the family for whose aggrandizement millions of Americans have pinched snuff and spit tobacco juice.
 Had Pierre Lorillard died ten or fifteen years ago it would have been almost im- possible to i'll his place in smart society He literally earned the title by which he was known-"Prinoe Pierre" His were the best horses, the best carriages, cooks wines and cigars. His place at Newport the famous old Breakers" was the finest there With the possible exception of Mrs. August Belmont, with whom there was always keen rivalry, his wife wore the most superb gowns and jewels in town. There was no limit to his extraya- gance; yet with all his plunging he had a marvellous head for business He used to say that the only fellows really worth racing or gambling or chucking pennies with were his own brothers George, Jake" and Louis, who had the true sporting instinct of playing every game on large scale. Whether it was an ocean race-his Vesta against Georges %<<<<<<<<<<<>- =