Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-27
HELPING OLD PEOPLE
Hobby of an Iowa Millionaire
 Philanthropist.
COSTLY HOME GIVEN TO CHARITY

 How Abraham s1immer of Wavef1y,
 Ia.. Now Livfn9 Tn . Wood sAsA, h
 Trying to Do Practical Good With
 His wealfh A BacAelof Lsvfng
 Mankind, but AtaenA Ain1 No CA1sch
 and . Frugal Liver.
 Abraham Simmer of waverly, la, most eccentric of American million aire philanthropists, recently gave s5oOO to the Sinai Hospital association of Milwaukee for new building after attaching the novel cOditions he af fixes to every gift. says Des Moines special dispatch to the New York Her aid
 Simmer is a follower of no religion and a believer in no creed. He 6 philosopher, living upon the humbiest fare, wearing unpretentious clothes, sleeping in woodshed and trying to unburden himself of his wealth in . way to alleviate the suffering in this world.
 He gave his home, worth $50,OOO, to the sisters of charity for hospital, but required that it be dedicated as nonsectarian hospital. He retired from his apartments to the wood shed on the rear of the lot, where he now resides. He says the associations of the prop erty are too dear for him to leave it entirely, so he has asked that he may spend his remaining years in keeping up the property for the sisters.
 To him money appeals little He says that for his happiness all he wants Is crust of bread. | place to lay his head and clothes to keep him comfortabl He says the happiest moment of his life will be when he Is to unburden himself of all his wealth and start on an equal footing with his fellow beings in the struggle for sus tenance.
 He went to Iowa poor boy. There he amassed wealth through business shrewdness and good fortune by buy ing. feeding and selling cattle, then clearing land and selling lumber and finally by investing his accumulations in banks and real estate
 Helping old people is the hobby of MT. Simmer He has given thousands of dollars for hospitals, homes for the friendless and old peoples homes. But he drives his bargains we'll. demon strating the shrewdness by which he gained his money. If he gives money for some home he draws the papers himself. He has laughed in the faces of lawyers who have been employed by religious societies to break his con- tracts that they might violate some of the provisions therein. They have al- ways been found too strong
 Mir. Simmer Is bachelor. and in making his contracts there is always one clause. That Is that there shall be no women on the board of directors. He has DO confidence in their executive ability He says they are quarrel ! some and arouse strife detrimental to the welfare of the institution. He is against marriage That Is part of his philosophy. Those who say they marry because they feel 1t to be a part of their duty" remarked the phi losopher. ..or because they feel 1t in- cum bent upon them to perpetuate the race by reproduction are hypocritee.
 Another clause in his contracts is that no inmate of any institution to which he gives money shall be asked to go to religious services. He does not object to services being held In the institutions. but wants the inmates left to their own discretion as to go- | ing. Because" explains the philos- opher. "old persons might not Ike to refuse to go to services. and they are bigoted in their Ideas. They might hear something that would arouse their anger and make them miserable. am trying to make their last years those of perfect peace and happiness" With no creed. he believes he is growing rich in the smiles bestowed upon him for his kindness. Believing that it will be harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the nee dle's eye" he is rapidly doing away with his earthly gain. He exclaims:
 What is money? Ii Is the capacity to curb ones own wants and has 1: corresponding capacity to do good for others and to make others happy. My possessions are a trust fund { which will have to he disposed of some time. and there is no better time to ! dispose of them than while am here ! fo plan and figure out what is best to | do with them. It is not charity. I | cannot take the money with me when I 20 from this ieid of human activity. i I cannot wear 1t or eat it. cannot sleep more than other men. and if I | could that would cost me nothing. Money generally lies heavily upon mems s;ouachs and gives those who have the most of if sour faces. Remove the money snd they will have more 2 pleasant faces and happier lives. 1 "I have tested my system by my own | conscience and know if 's right. If ' Mir Rockefeller will let me handle his \ money for awhile he will die blessing me after have spent it all. He is now
 a pauper in everything hut money Y Carnegie uiil never he happy until he
 gets down to true life and relieves dis
 trees and sorrow snd suffering and [ huuirsttor.-
 Simmer does not helie-e in building E r,-v--ants fo- btr,sas in yhe rzr os
 libraries and schools. He contends the'