Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-28
The Rich MAN IN DEATH.

THE RICH MAN in DEATH.
Within the pas month rich man
died in NIuskegon, Mich. The schools
were closed, business suspended ana
the mayor and other prominent citi-
zens led the Whole populace in paying
tribute to a private citizen on the day
Of his funeral. Charles Henry Hack
ley had come to Muskegon in 1856,
with 81 in his pocket from which he
had built his fortune into the millions,
yet in his own town, where all his
money had been made, there were none
to pegrudge him penny and it is
doubtful if any mans death were ever
more generally mourned turnout his
acquaintance than was the passing
of this rich man of Muskegon.
Why was it? The copy of the Nus
keeon Chronicle on the day of his death
tells the story. 1t required every col
umn of an eight page newspaper to
chronicle the good deeds of rich man
who had lived fifty years in Muskegon
and to print the list of his public bene-
factions with pictures of the hospital,
library, manual training school, park
and statues that he had given to his
town during his career.
Instead Of living alone and unto
himself investing every dollar of his
earnings in more property that he
might collect more rents; instead of
gripping his fists the tighter over his
coin with each succeeding years adj
vancing age until the old mans agon-
lied wall as he gazed into his open
grave should give way to the yells of
the Indians on each copper penny, in
their mad desire to push him into it,
this man believed in building monu-
ments for himself that would give
him genuine pleasure in the building
and, endure to honor his name forever.
In 1883 he gave 100000 to found the
Hackley Public Library and later added
$50, 900 more to it. The board of edu-
cation then decreed May 25 of each
year as Hackley Day in Muskegon, to
forever commemorate a good mans no.
BILE deed. Then came the Hackley
Manual Training School at IA cost of
100000 and $4,000 endowment, the
Hackey park and endowment for $780,
900, beautiful with a soldiers and sail
ors' monument and statues of Lincoln
Grant. Sherman, Farragut, Mckinley
and Phil Kearney, at a cost of $751;
900; then the Hackley hospital, for
100000, with $4,000 to the Home for
the Friendless, $6525 to pay off a
church debt and $4,000 for the athletic
field for the high school boys.
All told this mans monuments erected
to himself in his home town cost him
$1,3S9,525, but his life represents far
more than his benefactions to Muske
gon for he kept all of his investments
at home and instead of putting a mort
gage on the community's prosperity in
the shape of per cent loans or real
estate investments for other peoples
! enterprise to make valuable, he in
rested in industrial enterprises. He
lad faith in other men and in his own
town. He had money in a knitting
company, a piano factory, furniture
factory, q mill, a telephone company,
in several small lumber companies. He
owned a bank and the bank loaned
70
contributing the great public benefac-
tions of which Muskegon is proud,
Charlie Henry Haekley virtually made
Muskegon and when he died he died
honored and loved as few men We're
ever loved before. Is it any wonder
the schools closed? President of the
school board is the only public office
he would ever accept. Is it any wonder
business was suspended to do him hon
or or that the mayor should make
proclamation of grateful peoples
tribute? Is it likely that the hundreds
OF young men and women GRADUATE
ing from the Hackley Manual Training
Sch6iOl or the middle aged citizens
patronizing the Hackley Public Library,
or the sick and the lame lying in
Haclkley hospital or even the stranger
gazing upon the beautiful statues in
Hackley park will ever fail to observe
Hacsley Day in Muskegon? But alas,
other towns have their rich men, thou
sands of them, but how many have
their Charles Henry Hackleys?