West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-07-17
FRIEND OF THE POOR.
Philanthropist Spends His Last
Days Donating $1o,ooo,ooo.
CLOSELY INVESTIGATES GASES.

In Abraham Simmer, Waverly, Ia,
has a philanthropist who has master
ed the science of successful charity,
says the New York Evening World. In
many ways he resembles John M.
Burke of New. York, and he works
great deal along the lines Of Mr.
Burke's ideas, save that he seeks to
help the very poor. He has accumu-
lated $10000,000 and he Is going to
give it all away. Already he has ar
ranged for the disposition Of part of
it. He gives with as much care as he
has exercised all his life in his busi-
ness. In his own language, he drives
a hard bargain" but the recipients OF
his charity come to see the common
sense Of his arrangements.
Mr.. Simmer is bachelor. He says
he has made money all his life, and
the only pleasure he finds now is in
giving it away. He expects to die with
out q cent.
In an interview in which he outlined
his plans Mr.. Simmer told of some
things he has done and discoursed up
on the foolishness Of the general run
of charity. He has safe full Of iron
clad contracts he has made with the
recipients Of his bounty and prides
himself on the fact that they cannot
be broken. Said he, showing one or
these documents:
Here is contract with hospital
I gave them $4,000, and they at first
raised the same AMOUNT, when a few
weeks before they tad me they could
not raise $1,000 to keep the little hos
pital they had from being abandoned.
Later they raised another $4,000, and
it is now q rich institution. My condi-
tons were hard, and they fought me
for months over them, but they feel
differently now. I provided that the
building should cost $4,000 and the
remaining $4,000 should be placed in
q permanent fund, which l named aft
er the widow Of an ex-governor Of the
state solely because she was a good
woman. She had not a dollar to give.
Then 1 provided that every patient
who had no money should be paid at
the rate Of 81 per week out of this per-
manent fund. If there were no poor
patients, they got none of the fund.
Begging letters?" he repeated in an
swer to the question. eyes, get thou
sands Of letters Of all kinds-letters
asking me how l work my charities,
letters telling me that ought to have
a helper, and winding up with some
good woman offering to marry me. But
it is not through letters that find out
what to do. | go into town, attract
ed perhaps by little item in a paper.
| say nothing, but find out things. One
time | went into town and foHnd
there was an old woman'S home where
the inmates were placed two in small
room that had to be chalked across to
keep the occupants from Quarreling.
They asked me to buy a quilt, as they
were having to make and sell things
or close the institution. | refused to
buy the quilt because | could not see
any good that money would do, but |
hunted up the richest man in the town
and told him that if he and his neigh
bors would raise $4,000 l would give
the same. lie laughed at me and said
the thing was utterly impossible; that
they had beer trying to raise Sl,oCo
for two years and had oaly half of it.
| talked to him for half an hour. and
he gave $4,000 himself and got the
other $4,000 in twGnty-four hours
Mr. Simmer is now. as he says. sew
enty-three years Of age. He is small
man, perhaps > feet inches, ana
weighs 100 pounds. He is inseparable
from his hat and never changes the
style. He cares little for dress and
wears 4 twelve dollar suit, with Old
style boots. Besides his work, his
hobby is old people and old friends.
Among the latter he numbers Turk.
as rascally an old horse. grown fat
and sleek on the best the land affords,
as one will meet in days Journey.
He had Il little crop cared dog. men
ton of whose death 4 year ago is still
the signal COR Il solemn face on Tie
part of the master.
Mr.. Simmer has many plans for the
future. He has just begun To give
money away. lie says. Some of his
plans concern Chicago. He Will not
discuss them except in q general way.
But wherever he goes and whatever
he does it will be taken for granted
that some conditions will be main
tanned.
81 do net make hard and fast conCi'
lions with the sisters" he says, be
cause they devote their lives to the
work. perform the labor of the institu-
tons with their own hands and can
make an institution pay where saia-
~ drawing people would fail. they
are honest and earnest, and if their re-
ligion is narrow. according to my way
of thinking. they are earnest in it and
believe in it.
81 will not have women in the direc-
II. -, ,,N