Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-15
WHAT rs WEALTH?
Mutations of Fortune-Men Thought
Themselves Rich, Now Poor.

From the New York Times
What seems at first glance to be a very
simple question is often found extremely
difficult to answer. OF this character is the
question, What is wealth? BY this we do
not mean. When is a man rich? Assuming
the condition which Is the antithesis Of
poverty, in what form can property be ac-
cunnulated of which the possessor can say
This is wealth?
Perhaps the question is answered by as
Stunning hoard of gold or other indestruct-
ibte commodity. from which the possessor
may draw his needs require. But the
greatest hoard will ultimately be exhausted
by constant draughts upon it. repienfsh-
ment implies mourning the hazards of ex-
change, and in these the wealth may
change hands. i. may be doubted, how
ever, hoard is ever wealth, no matter
what is boarded. 1t Is something with
drawn from use, which serves no good pur-
pose, and might as well be buried and for
gotten, Like lost treasure. Besides, the con-
ditions of modern life do not favor boards
For the few who make them the possession
of such accommodations do not bring any of
the qualifications which attend the enjoy
ment and use of wealth. 1t is not unusual
to hear of misers dying of cold and Starva-
ton and leaving what would have been
wealth had they used it. The rich man of
today must, in the nature of things, keep
his capital employed, and for those in this
position the question, What is wealth? is
often anxious one.
Land may or not be wealth. Unimproved
land rarely admits CT this classification.
To be land poor 10 not an infrequent ex-
perience, and ii eften happens that prop
erty once very valuable becomes unproduc-
tive and practically unsuitable by reason of
changes which could not have been fore
seen or guarded against without heavy loss
Merchandise may or may not be wealth.
The causes which affect its exchange value
are too many for enumeration. Securities
are wealth as long as they are valuable
but the transition from the condition OF
being rich to that of being poor takes place
not infrequently by a mere shrinkage of
value in property held in undiminished vol
ume. There are great many people who
thought they were very rich year or
eighteen months ago, and who still hold all
the evidences of wealth they then had, who
are today conscious of being poor, and have
little reason to expect they will ever be
otherwise. Conversely, 1t has happened
that people IN great poverty have had what
they deemed worthless securities or other
evidences Of property rights, and by turn
of the wheel have suddenly discovered that
these same unproductye assets were Of
great value. These uncertainties attend
every transaction which enters into the
commercial and financial activities Of q ma
ton ThAy are 50 much part OF the busi-
ness calculations of every prudent man
that one who desires to leave wealth to his
children Ii quite as likely to leave them
legacy OF poverty instead.
To find for wealth definition which win
At all thu mutations OF fortune. all tina
changes in the fashion OF the world the
rise and fall OF nattons and the progress Of
structive enteFtatnment for those who have
q taste for distractions. That II will be
found dta1euIt IL a fact the stating of which
serves our present purpose.