Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-05-24

roundings while boarding great riches,
been called to his presence by two ex-
traordinary cases which astonished the
metropolis. The first instance was
that of Thomas McNally, an east side
rag-picker, who was found dead in the
street with Twenty-Five bank books
strapped to his body, representing de
posts of about $4,000. He, together
with his sister, had lived for years in
q tenement to which the wretched
pair brought at night the loads of
rags and bottles which they had spent
the day in collecting. When the sis
ter died, McNally refused to allow the
undertaken to put black cloth on the
door In token of mourning. 1T costs
too much" he said.
1t appears that McNally had inner
tied $4,000 from his father, who was
a junk-dealer, and had scattered 1t
about In several savings banks, adding
new ones to the list when his various
accounts passed the $4,000 limit for
deposits. Yet, with all this money at
command, he Is supposed to have lived
IF it can be called living-on nothing
but bread and water.
The case of Maria Corsa is even
more surprising. This woman, with
fully 1,000,00 and with 100000 in
bills, gold and silver locked up In her
secretary, actually died of starvation
in the old family mansion on Morris
Avenue, where she had lived as a re-
cluse for thirty-four years, never stir
ring outside of her own grounds
Mlserliness was an inherited trait with
her, since her father, mother and. un-
Gle all boarded their wealth, spending
money only for necessities. When a
girl. Miss Corsa Is said to have been
forbidden to marry penniless young
man upon whoyI she had set her
heart; and her disappointment brought
out the family faint leading to a
wretched life and miserable death.
People love strong contrasts; and to
Offset these examples of avarice,
stories about great spendthrifts are
now town talk. The visit OF "Scotty'
the suddenly enriched miner OF Death
Valley, California, is still fresh In the
minds Of New Workers, who are. how.
ever, of opinion that his attempts at
wasting money fell far below the stan
dard set years ago by the famous Coal
Oil Johnny. This man. whose real
name was John Washington Steele
inherited from his aunt. when Fl years
of age. a large fortune In cash and Sc
curities and a royalty on all the oil
produced on the family farm in Venan
go county, Pennsylvania. At the
same time he was offered 81 200, 00O
for the property. receiving $4,000
earnest money.
The young man completely lost his
head. Accompanied by friend he
went to Philadelphia, where his hotel
bill amounted to $4,000 for the five
months he stayed in that city. In one
day he spent 100000. He set up a
fine carriage, adorned with a painting
representing an oil well. which he
gave to his coachman when he left
town, in consequence OF taking a
fancy TO the members of certain
minstrel troupe. He bought an inter
est in the show and squandered money
upon the members for suppers costing
$500 to $1,000 each. Ii was during
his connection with this company that
he used TO buy hacks. take short
drives In them and then give them to
the drivers At one time he rented a
whole hotel for one day at cost of
$4,000. everything in the house being
free while his lesseeship lasted.
OF course. such crazy extravaganza
could bring about but one result, and
In a short time Steele was ruined
He became a railroad baggage master
and station agent on western road.
At last accounts he was living on a
farm in Pennsylvania.
Fortunately, the majority of Ameri.
cans steer middle course between
sordid miserlness on the one side and
insane prodigality on the other. They
know the power of compound interest
and invest their savings in such a
manner as to get the advantage of t.,
In New York City alone the trust com.
panies hold deposits amounting to the
enormous total of 1851 .46l.955 An
officer of the Trust Company of Amer
lea said recently, in speaking OF the
growing tendency OF the public to
place its earnings where money viii
make money:
Very few persons have any idea OF
the way any particular sum of money
will Increase when its earnings are
steadily added to the principal. The
most remarkable case in point is that
of the Thelusson estate in England.
which led to the passing of special
enactment by parliament in order to
prevent the recurrence Of what
amounted to crime against the pub
lie good, although II could not be
placed in any recognized category OF
wrongful acts.
This man. who was OF Swiss de.
scent, settled In London as a mer.