The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-09
Glvlna Away MiIIlons.

In their feverish haste to throw away
 ia bulous sums of money both John ID.
 Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie seem
 like men panic stricken. They put Tn
 lives in slavish pursuit of the mighty
 dollar, but no sooner do they find them
 selves in actual possession of fortunes
 in size far beyond their widest dreams
 than they turn about and try to get
 rid of the accumulations. The spectacle
 of two old men, the two richest men
 in America, running race to see who can
 give away the most money in the least
 tirne Is curious beyond anything the
 world has ever seen. What" men are
 asking each other must be the feelings
 that inspire this intense energy of dis tribution?' Surely consuming ambition to get together hundreds of millions of dol lars with which to found or endow lib- raries could not have spurred Carnegie
 to fifty years of unremitting labor and merciless business intrigue Neither could mania to contribute fabulous millions to colleges and universities have
 been the inspiring force impeng John D. Rockefeller to conspire with corrupt railroad officials to crush competition and overwhelm thousands in ruin. Both of these fads found birth after the goal was in sight or had been reached. The high in the back yafd, futile monuments of satiated greed, before the utter empti- ness and hollowness of the game struck home. The players had been so en- crossed in the mere piling up or bricks that the thought seemingly had not oc- cured to them ito what use can the great mass be put when collected?' Specu- lation as to what Is going on In the minds of this brace of ancient multi-million- aires affords an interesting study. Both are nearing the grave and each is en- gagged in jettsoning cargo.
 Many are disposed to the opinion that it is a case of convenience, and that Messrs. Rockefeller and Carnegie are making restitution in the hope of pro- pitiating favor over there-balancing ac- counts at it were-a bookkeeping idea of divine Justice. In the money getting in- stinct and practice alone are Rockefeller and Carnegie alike. In his personality Rockefeller represents the most danger ous elements entering into human make up. He is not unlike the ''perfectionist" faua tic By nature and education he is for was, fixed in the belief that what
 ever. he does is right, that he is in way
 the instrument of higher power. After
 a dull fashion he is sorry for those he
 has ruined, but they should have recog-
 nized fate and gotten out of the way
 Their fatuous blindness relieved him of
 blame and left him conscience free to
 plead not guilty That he should at this
 late day be assailed by sentimental or re-
 morsefnl bangs or fears Is highly inn probable.
 There is a comedy element in Carnegie.
 He is unquestionably conscious of the ab-
 surdity of his colossal fortune but being a vain man he tries to so distribute his surplus as to best and most pleasantly perpetuate his memory. He carries on his face a smile of studied benevolence. He cracks jokes and really wants to go ioyiafly and beloved to his finish He nevertheless finds the burden of his newly awakened responsibility most irksome and is dying of ennui. As they look at those huge and useless piles of dead bricks in their back yards are not the Messers. Rockefeller 01,000.0o00oo) and CarneK gle $5oo, ,ooo, ,ooW sometimes shaken in