Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-17
TaousLEs OF VERY RICH MEN.
As Esemplifed In the Case Of One Of
the vanderbiIts.

teNNW
The story that George Vanderbilt
has been systematically robbed by the
employees on his estate. and that In
bis disgust at the discovery he has
decided to close his magnificent coun-
try home, dismiss a great number Of
the people there. and betake himself
TO Europe for an indefinite stay may
not be wholly trne, and yet y does
reveal d curse which attaches itself
10 the possessions Of great wealth,
and ono which Is seldom mentioned
By moralists and those who preach
about the burdens which a very rich
mar has to bear. Mr.. Vanderbilt n
4 cultivated, modest and somewhat re.
firing gentleman. He has no taste
for the vulgar display which delights
SO many Of our plutocrats. He is In
~terested in art and In the refincments
Of life. He III one, In fact, who EN-,
ploys his wealth In d spirit Of intelli'
gence and responsibility remote alike
from gross profuslon and barbaric os-
tentation. At Biltmore he has laid
a beautiful estate comparable
with those for which great Britain -
SO famous, He has interested himself
III forestry, Ia landscape gardening,
and iii architectural construction. and,
incidentally. he has given employment
III hundreds Of men, 70 whom he has
shown himself |titiusaaily ilberal and
Just. Now he finds that he has been
cheated aud robbed at every turn, and
that I'D feeling III gratitude On the
part Of those whom he has often belp-
Cd has stood In Tho way Of systematic
s~lpllation. II IL not surprising that
he should be sickened by the SELFISH
moss and ~rapacity Of those to whom
he had shown only kindness.
Herein Is indicated pretty well what
constitutes presemincntly the rich
mans burden. Those who would try
to persuade us that immense wealth
IL grievous To Its possessor r wont
10 describe, in the old conventional
way. the concern which the care Of
money gives It's owners, their anxiety
about investments, their perpetual
fear OF loss, the lncessant worry OF
financial management, Yet, all these
things are more or less imaginary,
because IN these days they can be
avoided. But from the sordidness and
greed and importantly OF ones fell
lows there can be no sure escape on
this side Of the grave. Every one has
heard Of the swarms OF begging let
tors which every post brings 70 the
multi millionaire. But begging letters
need not disturb him, for they never
get beyond his private secretary. II
Is the beggars lii the flesh, the sturdy.
shameless mendicants that swarm
about him on every side and stick to
him like dies, In whom no really finds
the evil taste OF life. II there were
only beggars In rags, they could be
shut out: but they are not Of this
kind. They are the persons whom
he employs. those In whom he has TO
trust, those who carry out his wishes,
and. what Ia infinitely worse, they are
also the men and women OF his own
world. his friends. his associates-all.
In fact. who approach him, who enter
his house, who meet him on the
streets. or who are thrust upon him
by letters OF Introduction which he
can not disregard And they are NIL.
or nearly all. resolved on getting
something out of him. Sometimes Il
IL u loan, sometimes d gift, Some
times his aid IL sought for specious
enterprises. At almost any hour OF