Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-06
SAYS IT'S NO CINCH
TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
Is Left a Fortune of Seven Million
Dollars and Finds Cares of
His New Position Are
Onerous


hard all his life, want to tell you
that this millionaire business is no
cinch."
John DE Lacy said it-John De Lacy,
saloonkeper, of Flfty-seventh street
and Haverford avenue, who received
the news that his uncle, Cornelius
Kennedy, had died in Cape Town, leav-
ing him 100000
A little steel-framed Irishman, with
sandy hair and blue eyes, that are as
keen as they are kindly, De Lacy has
taken his good luck with the soundest
sort of common sense. He is still tend
ing bar half the day and accepting ex-
actly 5 cents for every glass or beer,
though not because he hasn't had
plenty of chances to give 1t away.
He is still wearing the same Wen
worn business suit that he wore last
week, or for the matter of that, last
June, though not because he hasn't re-
ceived offers of unlimited credit from
regiment of fashionable tailors.
All Want His Money
And he is still living in the same
simple fashion in which he has always
lived, though not because he has not
been importuned to buy:
Seven automobiles.
Three houses and lots.
Five saloons.
Six epoch making inventions.
One race horse.
two trotters.
A bull pup.
Three gold mines.
A steam yacht
Five motor boats.
A trolley line.
Fifteen private secretaries.
Twenty-Five wives.
Tempting, isn't it? But, you see, De
Lacy doesn't want autos or horses,
yachts or any more saloons, knows
nothing of inventions or gold mines,
and wouldn't have any use for troll
lev line, if it were given to him; is
satisfied with his present home, writes
quite well enough to get along without
a secretary, and already has one wife,
whom he steadfastly regards as the
only woman in the world.
Nevertheless, De Lacy Is worried.
People are suddenly so anxious to be
kind to him-people who were always
his friends" lost acquaintances turn
ing up, former enemies growing quick
ly magnanimous, and a thousand others
of whom he never before heard, writ
ing from all over the country-all just
worrying to give him a chance either
to help some estimable charity, or to
turn his seven millions into fourteen.
His Mail Heavy Now
He told about it the other afternoon,
seated in the dark little back room at
his saloon, with a big crayon portrait
g..IN 4 o.
him from one wall and from the other
a coIored Autograph of Robert Emmett.
making that famous speech which has
endeared him forever to the hearts of
all Irishmen. Withholding the names
of the writer's. De Lacy took from three
or four pockets great handfuls OF let
ters, and proceeded to read them.
"These are a few that came today"
he said. 1T don't want to hurt any
body's feelings, but il I ever started In
buying all the things that are offered
me 1 could get rid of that seven mill
lion in as many days"
The first one came from a Philadel-
phian. 1t ran:
"Dear Sir-Having read in the paper
of your good fortune and realizing that
you will need a private secretary,
hereby make application for same.
References, If required, though 1 sup
pose you're too smart a man to think
much of such thirgs. My address and
telephone number are appended.
Write, call or phone
From St Louis arrived this letter:
Dear Mr.. De Lacy-Seeing this a. m.
in the paper where you had come into
81 900, 900, would like very much to have
you give me $500. I am in the same
boat you was, about to lose my house
because of a mortgage. / am paper
hanger, but business is bad, and you
would never miss it."
De Lacy's voice shook.
Rough on His Nerves
"Now, what do you think of that? ?"
he inquired 'This man may be in
just the scrape he says he's in; he may
be a liar. How am l to tell? 1t gets
on your nerves, being a millionaire,
that's what 1t does"
He ran through the whole list weari-
ly. Nearly all sorts of things that can
be sold, and a good many that aren't
on the market list, have been offered
him. But De Lacy isn't buying, just
yet.
''I'll wind UP this business" he said,
"and sail for Cape Town, leaving my
family here. What I'll do when come
back I don't know. 1 haven't made
any plans. What's the use of scheming
how to spend money before you get 1t?
I notice you can always spend 1t with
out thinking.
1.-TWO things are sure" he concluded:
I'm not going to throw 1t away, and,
If these letters keep coming I'll need 1t
all to pay the doctors for my nervous
breakdown"