The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-03
GIVES HIS HOME
HOSPITAL USE
Iowa Millionaire Gives Fine Man
sion to Sisters of Mercy.
.HE. MOVES INTO A WOOD SHED
ne. MOVES INTO A W0ODsHED
Abraham Simmer, Wealthy Bachelor
Does Not Believe in Carnegie Pills
anthropy, but Gives His Vast
Fortune for the Poor.

A waverly. Ia, special to the Chicago
Inter Ocean, says: Millionaire, bachelor.
phlanthropist Abraham Simmer, pr
this city, last week moved out OF the
$50 COO residence in which he has lived
for fifty years. took up his habitation in
his woodshed. and turned over his magni-
6cent home to the Sisters of Mercy to be
used as a hospital.
Furthermore, this strange man says he
will give away all the rest Of his fortune
ere he dies. His fortune is variously
estimated at from 100000 to $10.ooo,cO0
and Mr. Simmer is seyenty-three years
old, SO he will be giving away money
pretty rapidly in the next few years.
Mr.. SINNERS woodshed is an unusually
handsome one. It is neatly painted
and substantially built. But it would
not appeal to section laborer as a de-
SRA BILE place in which to make his home.
And vet this millionaire, with no one de-
pendant upon him and no descendent to
claim his fortune, has chose to live IN MS
woodshed to be consistent with his idea
of true charity. An office is being fitted
up in the shed. Here he will have a bed
on which to sleep. a table on which 70
write few chairs on which to sit For
his meals he will perhaps go to the home
Of. a friend, or possibly, he may stop at
a restaurant. But more likely he will
buy his food in cans, take it to his shed
and eat it with little Formally.
MANY APPEALS FOR MONEY.
Mr. Simmer is no novice at the game
of charity He has already become famed
about the State-in fact throughout the
United States-for his mail every day
includes a great heap of prayers for
money But they are twisted into knots
and tossed into his wastebasket. Abra-
ham Simmer gives as he chooses and
rot because he is asked.
Thus he knew of the Finley hospital
at Dubuque He found it was a worthy
institution. He wrote a short letter. Il
will give $4,000 If you raise like
amount he said.
The other $4,000 was raised and Abra-
ham Simmer wrote out his check. He
never has been known to give to any
| but the Sisters of Mercy without asking
| the recipient to secure like amount
from others. He wants this evidence of
| good faith. he says.
It is estimated that Mr. SINNERS
| SllCS HIVE Oil cddS dAiiouAitCt ~ @oo"'NV0-
| He believes charity that vaunteth itself
! is not genuine.
'If you motion me in ma ming the in
| stitution I will not give you cent" was
| what was told the Finley institution a.
| Dubuque.
So no one knows Just how much money
| he has given away. He exacts promises
| from those he helps not to reveal his
| name.
His largest contributions have been to
! the home for aged Jews in Chicago, and
are thought to have amounted to about
| 100000. The Sisters OF Mercy at Cedar
| Rapids were given $4,000 recently.
| Waterloo was offered s25,Ce9 for n hospi
| tai. providing like amount was raised.
| but the town failed and the money was
| not given.
| And yet this most kind of men is sar-
| donic. He bitterly condemns the modern
day philanthropy. He holds. In short.
charity is not charity If money that
makes it possible as been wrested I'M
Justly from those who should possess it,
and benefactions are not given in the
proper spirit if they are but price for
renown He does not admire Rockefe!-
Ter. for the oil king may and perhaps
does re-earn his benevolence by frac-
ton of a cents advance upon his monop-
oly. He has little respect for Carnegie's
system. both because his giving is done
VIGOROUSLY and because the money Is
not given to those who most need 1t.
Is AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.
Personally Mr.. Simmer is as eccen-
trio as his philosophy of charity. He is
short-about 5 feet 7 inches-and weighs
but $50 pounds. His hair and beard are
red. He wears always bload-brimmed
felt hat of the same style from year to
year. On his feet are homely calf
~
with a long buster; in the winter 1T is
a ready-made suit Of plain black or
| brown His eyes fairly burn in their
brightness; his mouth is firmly set-there
is no tenderness in his face. He has not
by any means the typical philanthropic
mien.
In his habits he is almost hermit
He revolts at publicity. and has various
schemes of keeping himself from the pub
lie eye. One summer. he went to Du-
buque without leaving an address behind
| He took rom in an transformations
house near the public park. He bought
| canned and boxed foodstuffs and cooked
| his meals in his rooms. His days were
spent on a bench in a quiet nook in the
park.
But speak to- this quiet, reserved man
and he answers you sharply. almost
roughly Solicitors for help for chart
I'd Ole IISlltullOllS llliI SOAo ~
| makes sarcastic remarks about the en-
! terprise mixed with philosophic epigrams
He tells the visitor he will see. and his
caller marks the visit off his list as
failure Sometimes a check follows, but
seldom.
He told the Catholic priest at Waverly
he was hypocrte and decried his re-
lision, then gave up his own home for
the Sisters of Mercy.
SHREWD AS "A BUSINESS MAN.
Simmer lays good claim to position
frcm which he may with impunity con-
denim philanthropists giving away money
that was unjusty earned. He was born
in Germany and emigrated to Illinois
when fourteen years old. Later he came
to Waverly. It was nthe days wheT
live stock dealing was not voca ton.
The profits were large. but sometimes the
losses were equally great Simmer set 70
| work to master the business. His native
shrewdness stood him in good stead, nd