The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-09
OLD MAN RICE'S WAYS.
MAxIMS AND CHARITIES or PAT
RICK'S ALLEGED VICTIM.
A Massachusetts Lad VINO went 70 Texas
n Built Up Millions by His Own
shrewdness by No Means . Miser -To
Live Long Was His Great Ambition.

Live Long Was His Great Ambition.
'.Never 60 into anything unless you can
coDsrol II" was one OF the maxims by which
W. NJ. Rice piled up his millions. Some
anecdotes concerning the way he applied
II are told by the half dozen nephews who
have been brought here from Massachu-
sets and Texas In connection with the
Patrick trial. There has been almost a
family reunion Of them at the Grand
Union Hotel since the trial began.
The New York papers persist In referring
to the murder as that Of an old miser'
said one. THE facts are fatty the reverse.
He neither was a miser nor lived as such
There isn't one Of us but can enumerate
cases OF personal benefaction at his hands.
People knew Of the million and q half he
gave TO the Rice Institute ten years before
his death, but there we're other public gifts
Of which outsiders never heard.
Thirty years ago a sister was left q
widow with a large family Of children.
He purchased a house for them and sup
piled them with an income equal TO e re-
spectacle salary.
AT the time OF his death he was regu-
larly helping a number Of persons less
fortunate in their old age h himself
widows OF old time friends some Of them.
who without his assistance would never
have been able to have the medical aid
he provided them with.
AS for the charge that he stinted his
own person. that Is false. His monthly
living expenses would have kept a poor
family for a year.
MIR. Rice was typical Of the hundreds OF
New Englanders who went South and
West in the first half Of the last century
struck out for themselves with little more
than the clothes ON their backs and grew
up with the country. He chose Texas and
by middle life he had built up with his two
hands interests limited only by the boun-
daries Of the biggest State in the Union.
His father was David Rice. who founded
the first Methodist Church in Springfield,
Mass.-a man with a family OF ten chill
dren and little or no means. Tn son
showed a knack for bargaining when in
knickerbockers.
He clerked 1t at an age when most boys
are still doing their sums on a school slate
and then opened up a little grocery store
on his own hook at the water shops OF the
United States Armory. That was before
he was 20 and he was doing the business
under MS fatner Z name.
.Some friends had gone TO Texas and
they induced him 10 follow. He scraped
together 5000 and the next thing his fell
low townsmen knew he had opened a general
store at Houston when that city was only
a settlement.
He grew with the development of Texas,
had a hand in boosting II along at more
than one turn and as the years went by
he was identified with every large enterprise
In the State, beginning with the first rail-
roads that opened IL up, He came TO New
York IN the COS because he could operate
better here. but he remained true TO Hous-
ton. built the big Rice hotel there and there
Is where the Rice Institute is to be located.
when he had come TO count his holdings
in lumber and cotton, railroads and Texas
land away up in the millions, he enjoyed
nothing better than telling stories Of the
Houston days when Rice's store wa known
near and far as the one where hides or cot
ton or anything a man could work out Of
his land could be traded for goods.
He would store up this odd plumber,
bunch it and sell it at a handsomer profit
than a cash business would Jay Melted
him. There are no such opportunities In
Texas nowadays.
Never go into anything you can't control
that was his great pushes maxim and l
guess he lived Up to il pretty closely. In
the first place he nae confidence In himself
and then II must be admitted he was
bound to have his own way.
There wa trouble brewing when he
met opposition in an undertaking. But it
was a rare thing for him to swear, people
we're better used TO his smile. Another
fancy OF his was his ability 10 say No
He prided himself upon it above all things
else and often counselled us younger men
Oh that point
Il remember an instance quite typical OF
the man." said W. NJ. Rice. Jr., who is head
Of n big lumber company at Hyatt, Tex.
A snap judgment was obtained against
the Houston and Texas Central in 1877
and at that time he owned a larger interest
than any other stakeholder. Outside parties
were trying to get control Of the road but
he was too quick for them.
HE was at New York and while the thing
was still in the air in Texas, he negotiated
the sale Of the oad to Commodore Morgan.
He saved not only his own large interest
il was eminently characteristic Of him to
do that-but that of all his Texas friends
and that was quite as characteristic II
was Just one Of hundreds OF equally shrewd
business moves and showed His supernatural
keenness and initiative.
Il had been intimate with my uncle since
rs and know the stories OF his being miserly
10 be false. AT hat time his home was at
Dunellen, y. j. IL was a large establish
ment kept up III a style commensurate
with his means.
.The place included lis acres, the rounds
were beautiful, there were eight servants
and five handsome turnouts. The house
was three stories and a basement and
equipped with all modern convenienccs,
something very unusual at that time in
the country homes Of even wealthy people.
His wife was living, they entertained
a great deal and their table was beauti-
fully supplied. ! spent months with them
there and he was exceedingly generous
TO me. Indeed he was always generous
where generosity could do good. but UNI
os,entatious and a man who did not believe
in throwing money away.
ale was always Of a cheerful disposition
III - ,,irfaouG a., l