The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-22

1t is almost trite to comment upon
the wealth of Abraham Lincoln. He
was born poor and he died poor in
this world s goods. As a country law
yer Lincoln S income probably never
exceeded $4,000, and as for any thought
of securing himself or his family
against the future Lincoln IS devotion
to ~his country absorbed every passion
to the hour of his assassination.
Andrew johnson was born in bitter
| poverty and died in exceedingly mod
est circumstances.
Ulysses s. Grant was also born in
poverty, and it might be said died in
comparatively straitened circumstan-
ces, due to the Grant & Ward failure
in which he lost all save a remnant of
the fortune which he had been able to
build up in the various business en-
terprises he engaged in after retiring
from office
! Rutherford B. Hayes, after the ex-
piration of his term, lived and died
in very modest though comfortable
circumstances in his country home in
Ohio.
James A. Garfield represents an,
/ other of cur log cabin presidents
, Liz was ptl IL III the uuulDlpSb poverty,
, and when he went to the White House
the house he left at Mentor, O., was
simple almost to frugality. Indeed
! this home constituted about all the
legacy he left his family when he died
| by the assassin s hand. Wherefore a
| fund Of $350000 was raised and pre-.
| scented to his widow.
Chester Alan Arthur was born poor
| and he had the distinction of being
| the first and one of the only two min
ister's sons who have ever become
| president. His father s salary was
| $500 a year, and though Arthur is al
i ways spoken of as one of our wealthy
| presidents. nevertheless the fortune he
| left at his death was estimated to be
not more than $4,000. This for
| tune represented the wise investment
| of the accumulated savings of Gen
| eral Arthur's extensive law practice
| The name of William Mckinley
must be reckoned among the long line
of United States presidents who died
| comparatively poor men. He left an
estate worth a little more than 800.
/ 600. Of this amount $4,000 was
saved from his salary as president and
| S67 900 was life insurance. Mckinley
was always a poor man. Up to the
| time he went into the White House he
never had any money, and when in
congress he borrowed money to make
campaigns. paving the loan as he drew
| his salary. When he became presi
| dent great demands We're made upor
| his purse in a social way. He did the
honors of his position generously and
in the four years and little more
that he drew the salary of $4,000 E
year he saved only $4,000 Mckinley
could have died a rich man had he 8,
elected Opportunities for investing il
great money making enterprises were
always being suggested to him by in
fuential friends. and while most O
these opportunities were legitimat,
| enough, he had horror of getting
into the stock market in any way
81 cannot afford to have any relation
with the trusts or combinations O
capital he declared, and he was a
good as his word.
Theodore Roosevelt is and always ha
been in easy circumstances. The genera
public has known little and cared les
about this phase of his existence. It /
not eogent. Rich or poor, his earee