The St. Johns herald., 1901-08-10
RULERS SAVE MONEY.
SEVERAL EUROPEAN MONARCHS
 ARE BECOMING MlSERLY.
Crowned Heads Are Now Laying by Their Spare Coin for Rainy Day Many Have Money Invested in Eng land, France and America.

The instinct of economy is gaining a
 greater fOothOld among those who oc-
 cupy thrones than ever before in the
 history of the world. Most of them seem
 to fear a nearby rainy day, and the
 signs of the times would seem to point in that direction. The United States
 Government and the Bank of England
 now have upon their books the name or
 practically every sovereign in Europe.
 Even ex-President Kruger has i'm
 mense deposits, amounting to over $5,-
 100000, in Englands mighty deposl-
 tory.
 The most thrifty royal family is, and
 always has been, the Russian; the CZar
 manages to put by large fortune ev- cry year, nearly all of which finds it's
 way into London or Parisian banks
 His grandfather, Alexander H., though
 an excellent monarch, was little short
 of a miser throughout his reign, and consequently when he died left ESQ., 100000.
 Ten millions were settled upon his family, and the remaining twenty he | left to a lady of title whom he had mar ried prior to ascending the throne, the marriage, by Russian law, afterward being declared void. His son Alexan- der III. was less thrifty, but he saved five millions during the few years he occupied the throne, and bequeathed the whole of it to Queen Alexandra, then Princess of Wales.
 The shrewdest monarch of Europe, from business point of view, is un- doubtedly the Sultan. He does not be- lieve in Turkish banks, so deposits all his superfluous cash abroad, special messengers being sent at intervals to pay the money in. He also has curi- ous habit of secreting money in all sorts of strange places in the palace, and prefers to run the risk of being robbed than enrich the coffers of an Ottoman bank. But he does not de- pend on his regal position solely for his income. He owns one of the main streets in Constantinople, sugar plan tation in the West Indies, and draws a handsome dividend from a line of steamers plying on the Bosphorus.
 Both the King of the Belgians and King George of Greece are born specu- lators, and favor the investment of money in what may or may not yield handsome return rather than content ing themselves with a small rate of in- terest from the banks. The first named inherited $5,00O,000 from his parents, and by judicious dealing in Panama stock make profit of $20,00O000 in a few weeks. Since then he has laid out the whole of his savings on the Congo Free State, and firmly believes that he will live to see the return of the money with interest. King George deals in stocks and shares with excellent re- suits, and he once tried to bring about "cOrner" in American grain, but was only partly successful. He follows the of the market carefully, and is ever ready to invest money in any concern that is likely to have a bright future before it.
 The late Empress of Austria was very eccentric in financial matters, and eco nomical almost to a fault. It is esti- mated that she saved at least two thirds of her allowance, and left a for tune of over $15,OOOOOO when she died. She would not permit a large retinue of | to be employed at the palace, md always supervised her husbands | accounts.
 Not many monarchs hoard their wealth in a private bank of their own; indeed, the Mikado of Japan is prob lbly alone in this respect. His credi- tors are presented with drafts on the Imperial Bank of Tokyo, which is con- lucted solely for his own use, no other individual being permitted to deposit money there.