New-York tribune., 1906-07-23
A MONEY MAKER.

Alfred Belt was man OF great wealth. but
was more noteworthy for his attitude toward
wealth than for the amount of it which he
acquired He at times called the richest
man in the world. But he was not that. He
was probably not even the richest man in Eng
land, and that country does not claim the great
est plutoCratS. 1t is common thing TO over
estimate greatly the fortunes of rich men, and
his was no exception to that rule. Taking his
wealth at the most exaggerated estimate 1t
was not the greatest in the world. Taking it
at the minimum which inve 81 cation is likely
TO reveal it was large enough to put its pos
| SCISSOR high on the list of multi -milliOnares. In
the fortune acquiring spirit however. in what
we may call the genius of wealth. we may
probably rank him unsurpassed, If not un-
approached, in his day and generation. There
was no other man in any land more competent
! and masterful in the art of money making and
there was none who seemed to devote himself
thereto with more fxity and singleness of pur-
pose.
This latter fact will be the more clearly ap-
preciated If we compare, contrast, Mr.. Belts
attitude toward wealth with the corresponding
attitudes of his two best known associates both
of whom he outstripped in money making and
survived in years. The picturesque adventurer
known as Barney" Barnato made large fort
une He priced it almost entirely for what he
scattered his wealth abroad with lavish, often
generous and sometimes profiigate hand and
like all gamblers, he lost IL as easily and as
swiftly as he made it. Cecil Rhodes. states
man and philanthropist, incomparably the great
est mind and soul of the three also made q
large fortune. He valued it solely for the power
which 1t gave him for the promotion of what
he sincerely conceived TO be the best welfare
Of his fellow men. To him England was sy-
nor with
ton; the dream of his youth was to extend free
dom, progress and civilization throughout South
Africa, from Lions Head to Line and there
fore, to that end, to win "all that for England"
To the fulflment Of that splendid dream he
devoted his genius and his wealth For any
other purpose he valued the diamonds of Kim
berley and the gold of the Rand as lightly as
the dust of the KarrOO
Mr.. Belt had none of Barnato's love of gam
bling or Of display. He was one Of the most
cautious and least OstentatiOus of men. His
profit and loss account was from first to last
occupied with profits alone. He showed none
of RhOdeS'S great craftsmanship or international
philanthropy. If he financed the Jameson raid
as some say, it was assumed TO be for the sake
OF cent per cent, and not to paint the map of
the Transvaal with British red. His aim in his
business career seemed 10 be simply to make
money. Some men seek power some fame
some pleasure; he sought wealth Some write
books, some compose operas and symphonies.
some paint pictures, and find In such achieve
ments fulflment of their ambitions He made
money, and in that his ambition appeared 70
be fulfilled. In the end, however when he had
to leave his fortune behind him, he bedueathed
large share of it for noble and benevolent
purposes, in the extent and scheme of his bene-
factions almost rivaling Cecil Rhodes and GER
tainly placing his name high on the list Of
those who have wisely bestowed great fortunes
for the good of mankind
There will be those who will say that he
made such disposition OF his wealth only after
he could no longer hold 1t for his own gratIfca.
ton. In a sense that may be true But IL By
no means condemns him. 1t is entirely CON
ceivable that his intention thus 10 bestow his
wealth was formed and fixed at the outset of
his career, and was consistently maintained:
and that he not unreaSOnably believed his hem
efactOns could be made all the greater in
the end through his holding his wealth 10
the end and employing the enormous potency
OF acquired wealth for the acquisition of still
more wealth. Had he constantly or frequently
given instead OF accumulatng, the sum total
OF his gifts might not have been nearly as
large as it now is. Throughout his career he
seemed money maker pure and simple. Had
he been only that, he would not have been
cevoid OF claims upon admiration. tie was
not lacking on the moral slide. He was no
"grafler. His money was not tainted" His
wealth was not acquired by breaking the laws
or disregardins the welfare and rights OF his