The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-19
LIVES IN A W0ODSHED
Iowa Philanthropist Gave His Home
to Sisters of Charity. u

to Sisters of Charity. j
WAVERLY, IOWA.-Jew, millionaire, bach
elor, philanthropist, Abraham Simmer OF
this city moved out Of his elegant $50, 900
residence, in which he has lived thirty-fve
years. took Up his habitation In his wood
shed and gave his home to the Sisters OF
Mercy for hospital Declaring 50 week
and his woodshed are all he will need for
the rest of his life, he expects to give away
before he dies all Of his large fortune. His
wealth is variously estimated at from $1,0OO,-
600 to $1O,000,000. He doesn't discuss his pos
sessions and he is not asked embarrassing
questions. But he Is known to have enough
to keep him busy to give it away before he
dies, for he is already 73 years old. -5'
How much he has given is not known def
initely. Simmer doesn't like to have his
charity advertised. "If you mention me IN
giving your hospital a name, you won't get
cent" is what was told the Finley hospital
people at Dubuque. r. i. q s-' ...r@t
The way he gave this hospital $4,000 shows
SINNERS theory of giving away money. he
quietly looked over the Dubuque field, ex-
amined the projected hospital, and decided 1t
was commendabe proposition: I'll give
$50 600 IT you raise as much more was his
simple proposition. The other $50,00o was
raised and the name of Abraham Simmer
was promptly written on a piece of paper
that suddenly became worth $4,000.
Simmer, besides, has given $4,000 to the
Sisters of Mercy at Cedar Rapids. He Of
fered $4,000 for hospital at Waterloo, but
Waterloo couldn't duplicate the subscription,
and he didn't pay. " ~
His largest donations have been to the
Home for Aged Jews in Chicago; these have
amounted to something like $100,0O0.l 1nnu-
merable smaller contributions have been
made in SINNERS handwriting, that no one
has ever heard about-bits of genuine charity
for charity's sake.
In appearance Simmer is as eccentric as
his philosophy of charity. He would never
be guessed by a stranger in Waverly as its
millionaire. His hair and beard are red; MS
weight is but 130 pounds, and he is but
feet inches high. He wears In summer
quaint linen suits. under linen busters; IN
winter a: $40 or $12 ready made black or
brown suit; his broad-brimmed felt hat Is
of Identical style from year to year, and upon
his feet are always found plain calf-leather
boots. -
One summer he slipped down to Dubuque,
to avoid the public gaze: He picked room
in plain house by the public park. In MS
| room he cooked his meals. or ate canned
or boxed foodstuffs. The days he spent upon
bench in quiet nook in the park. Soon
the public spied out the hermit, and after a
time he returned to Waverly.
Simmer was born in Germany and came
to Illinois when IA. Later he moved to
Waverly. It was in the days when the live
stock business had not become a: vocation
The profits were large, but the losses were
equally great Simmer sought to master
| business that would pay large profits II prop:
erly handled. His native shrewdness STOOD
| him in good stead. He seldom lost Ine
| profits Of cattle dealing were put into the
lumber business when men now called lum-
! ber kings were beginning. He made more
money at this. For fifty years his money
| has been making more money, and now he
stands at the top In the list of 1owa's rlch
| men. 80 - .-. F. -..
| Speak to Abraham Simmer. and he an
swers sharply, almost roughly. Solicitors
| for help for charitable institutions even hno
! Simmer a chilly host. He makes sarcastic
| remarks about the: enterprise, mixed with
| philosophic epigrams. He tells the visito'
| he will look into the matter, but check sell
dom follows. Simmer likes to arrange htt
own charity r.
He told the Catholic priest at Waverly hi:
religion was L hunbug... and then gave the
Sisters Of Mercy his home, So the priest
says he does, more good than any man i1
Waverly. ..S~.IF.< ,< ,.:.-