The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-22
WHAT HARTMAN LEFT.

The ST. Louis Times discovers that
Harriman's wealth was greatly In ex-
cess Of the first estimates. Comment
ing on the situation and the widows
share it says:
The late Mr.. Hartman, according to
recent authoritative estimates of his
personal fortune, did not leave this
comparative indigency as first pessi-
mistic reports would have led us to
believe. Had he possessed pockets In
his shroud, they would needs have been
capacious.
Mr.. Hartman, it is now reliably
stated by a next friend of his widow
and principal heir, had gathered and
saved three hundred millions of dol
lars. The day before he died, declares
this authority, he gave to each Of his
five children $4,000, 900, and to rela-
uves more remote an aggregate of S3,-
100000. His widow inherits, absolute
ly, 1851, OO0,O 900.
So colossal is such a sum of money
that minds not schooled in higher
mathematics do not readily grasp t.
There was time within living human
probably did not contain a millionaire
Before the Civil War there were not
dozen. -Four decades ago a man
worth ten millions was among the elite
of the financial world upon this side of
the Atlantic. There were then no COP
per kings, no steel kings, no kings of
sugar or beef or tobacco
At that time the Vanderbilts were
making a good deal OF money out of
their railroad business. The Astors
were laying deeper the foundations of
their fortune by reinvesting their rents
In land. Pierpont Morgan was iust
completing his London course In haute
finance Gould and Sage were the
powers in the Street" Carnegie was
dreaming, not of libraries, but subsi-
dies for armor plate. Jim Hill had
begun to rise above water, but was still
partially submerged. Rockefeller had
merely begun TO put into operation
the system" by drawing rebates from
railroads for his shipments of refined
oil from Cleveland on Erie and Titus-
vile on Oil Creek IT is doubtful If, FORTY
years ago. the combined fortunes of all
the men named In this paragraph were
half of that which Mrs. Hartman in
herits.
At per cent, the income upon $2s7.-
100000 is $4,000 a day. II A more
than $40 minute for every one of the
$4,000 minutes in year. 1t Is enough
to give to each of IL 900 families an
income Of $1,000 year. There are So
600 persons in 1000 average families.
The mere annual income OF Mrs. Harri-
mans Inheritance would adequately
house, clothe, feed, educate and enter
tain $4,000 persons. The average fam
lily does not possess an income OF S1 900
a year.
Thus, upon the shoulders of one
woman, not known to be given ia
finance, Is thrust burden which the
wisest might well hesitate to bear. she
becomes the trustee Of a tremendous
obligation to society, which imposes
upon her onerous duties none with clear
eyes openly would seek
She win be beset by impostors, pur-
sued by beggars, harried by adyentur-
ers. Mock philanthropists will whine
at her feet and crazy discoveries of
everything impossible under heaven.
from the philosophers stone to per-
petuai motion, will besiege her pa
thence. Though she flee to the desert.
they win be with her, and though she
escape to the sea, they will follow. All
millionaires of uncommon note are
distracted by beggary. importunate and
brazen, In some fantastic gufse or pitt
full
Poor Mrs. Hartmann
---
a. There is some dissension in the
ranks especially in the
anti saloon league.
ca The cook-P eary row doesn't get
all the first honors since the muas
among the socialists started in Spain.
~ Premier Maura had Ferrer exe-
cuted without advising the king -butI
Ally has TO BE- the target for the bombs
and he doesn't ike the Job,
- A st. Louis man seeks divorce
on the ground that his wife named
their baby Dolores against his en-
phatic protest. Is will get consider