Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-09-04
MARKED FOR WEALTH.
Cases of People Who Were Unable
to Escape It's Possibilities.


When Hodson Barnett, the copper
millionaire, gave away his fortune he
went to live for time at Wootten,
village near Bedford. Barnett was one
of the richest men In Britain. being
worth over G3,000,000, and certainly the
biggest copper merchant and worker In
the country. However, he got tired of
his millions and eventually gave near
ly his entire fortune away to charities,
townships and his political party. He
was offered a baronetcy, which he re-
fused, and with an income Of 94OO
year invested in consols, he took cot
tage at Wooten, with one servant, and
lived as quietly as a retired doctor.
But within ten months copper mine
of his in British Guiana. the now ia
nous Lo Coria mine, which had seemed
so worthless he had not troubled to sell
it, brought him another fortune. A
prospector who examined it offered him
e5OOOO for it, and was told by post to
keep the mine for his trouble. That
mine is now the chief asset Of the great
Powell syndicate and brings in 100000
a year. But Barnett's troubles were
not over, for in another two months
he was left a legacy Of 100000, and
this, grumbling at the work involved,
he presented to the Norton Institute
for Waits and Strays. Feeling unsafe
from wealth at Wootten. he quietly
changed his address to Tavistock, In
Devon. but there he was pursued by
another legacy of 100000, which he dis
tributed among the hospitals. and at
his death eighteen months ago at
Hampstead. he had just been assailed
by another fortune.
Mrs Camden Brett, the famous heir
ess, took as much trouble to avoid
wealth. as most people do to gain 1T.
She began life with a settlement OF
G3O, 600, and by the time she was IS she
had come in for G300.000 more. She
came to the conclusion. however. that
wealth was more trouble than 1t was
worth. and in the summer of 1893 she
commenced giving enormous dinners to
the poor OF London and other great
cities. Within n year she had disposed
Of her entire fortune except a very
small competence and bought little
house in Fulham. This house, shortly
afterward, was claimed as the site of
the Hewarden building. Mrs. Brett
% hn
ted was $4,000 and about six times
the price she had paid.
Saddled with s12.000 she spent 1t In
founding the Cottage Hospital, at 1lfra-
combe, and settled again in tiny vii
lage at Curibton. Here. being quail
flied nurse. she took to amateur nurs-
ing. and having attended a wealthy
manufa cturer named Morley. was be-
uueathed f5O000 at his death. This she
mostly distributed to missionary soci-
eties: but there was no escape from the
fortune that dogged her, and two years
ago she befriended a patent inventor,
who, in gratitude, assigned her half
royalty in one of his inventions which
became huge success and brought her
in G11.O00.
No one had harder struggle to get
away from money than Corbey, the
ship owner. and once proprietor Of the
Corbey Line. He sold out his great
business. realizing over e1,500,O0O, and
made it over to his heirs, not even
leaving himself a competence to retire
on. He bought a little farm just out
side Exeter and turned it into little
market garden. making 1t pay very
fairly. The first attack Of fortune was
the news that ship of his which had
been abandoned uninsured in the Pa
cific year before was found with all
her cargo intact. But he wanted moth
ing more to do with wealth and he
made her over to the finders. She was
worth G16,00O. Finally, before he died.
he received a new legacy of $4,000,
which he gave to Guys Hospital.-Bos-
ton Post