, 1909-06-26
FRUGAL
Morrison.-On May 25, at Basildon Park,
near Reading, Charles Morrison, in his nine
ty-seCond year. No flowers.

Cy-S6COnu year. mo mowers.
Beneath this simple and formal announce
ment lay the story Of q romance Of wealth
unrealised or unsupported by but q few of
the many thousands who scanned it. For
Mr.. Charles Morrison was one of the richest
men in the City of LondOn-one Of the rich
est mon in the world. He leaves behind
him a fortune estimated at between ton and
twelve million pounds sterling, mostly made
Ia commercial and financial operations in the
City Of London, aud except in the inner cir
clos Of finance his name was unknown.
During many years his tall, awkward
figure had become familiar to habitues Of
the City. He had offices in Coleman-street
to which he rode sometimes in an omnibus,
sometimes in q cab, som etimes in q hired
b|rougham. He dressed simply in the City
style, bat rather stability, was generally seen
solitary in the streets, never took part in
any functions, and never apparently was
prominent in financial or commercial enter
prises.
Son of q Millionaire.
His life story is q modern variant of the
proyerbiaI romance Of the young man from
the country who came to the gold-peyed
streets Of London with q solitary shilling
and by the exercise Of industry, perseverance,
and business aoumen ama8sed u considerable
fortune. OF that romance Mr.. Morrisou's
father, Mr. James Morrison, was one Of the
actual heroes. He entered rs n boy the
City drapory warehouse, which is now the
Fore street Warehouse Company, Limited,
worked his way up to q position of import
ance. married his employers daughter, be-
came in course Of time head of the firm,
bought a fine country residence, Btsildon
Park, near Pangbomne, in Berkshire, made
"a fine collection Of pictures, and dice worth
o fortune of four million pounds.
Charles Morrison began life with a mod
crate |pittance OF two millions pounds,-half his
fathers fortune. BY the exercise of all the
high qualities by which q fortune is built
up out of nothing he turned his two millions
into ten or twelve. It mny be said that the
bulk of his enormous fortune was the pro-
duct of his frugality.
Man OF Few Needs.
He had Il house in Harley-street as we'll as
Basildon Park, but a few thousands a year
sutficed for all his personal needs. He was
q bachelor, never smoked, drank nothing but
light claret, and had no taste for horses OF
society. OF his current income there was
always a surplus in hand waiting m oppor-
tunity of profitable investment. He never
gambled on or off the Stock Exchange. But
he was always ready to buy something good
if the price was right.
He expended vast sums in enterprises that
provided employment. He built the great
office block of Basildon House at cost Of
q quarter Of q million, and owned also Fins
bury House. The aggregate rentals of these
two properties alone amounted to some
935, 600 a year.
Mr.. Morrison was educated at Edinburgh
aud Cambridge, took no interest in party
politics, bpt was a keen student of,economics
aud q great enthusiast for facts. He was "a
man Of charity, but it was in the country
that this side of him was most apparent.
He owned great estates at BasiIdon; at
Cholsey, near by at Vantage, in the Vale
of the White Horse and in the Western
Islands Of Scotland Naj1, 89th Nay.