The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-21

tion of the rich Is alarming-frst. be-
 cause it has a tendency to increase the
 desire. on the part of the undiscern-
 ing to acquire wealth rather than the
 better things of life, and second be-
 cause it shows that the dollar has the
 power to evoke curiosity and interest
 which neither valor nor lofty charac-
 ter may boast
 Since the word success by the pop
 ular meaning attached to it means
 first, wealth, then distinction, then hap | piness, 1t is natural that financial triumphs most readily and surely gain the natural plaudits of the world. And
 that is why the millionaire, or the multi-milionaire if the plainer term
 be inadequate to express his lofty con dition. today has risen to a height which he could attain In no other age. By his prowess in his tilt with fortune he has captured the imagination and
 won the allegiance of the multitude.
 All over the world men are strug-
 giing for the power, ease and promi- hence that wealth seems to give, but
 in no part of 1t have they been quite
 so successful as in these United States
 of America. Here there are said to be
 1s,000 men worth over s1,000,000, and
 with about 15 exceptions they have all l become rich In the last 50 years. This l sudden apearance of so many rich men
 challenges attention. How did they get | so rich?
 Someone has said, We get money in | either of three ways, we make 1t. we
 take it. or 1t is given to us. As this
 seems true let us take a rapid glance
 at some of the richest of our rich men 1 and see into which one of these paths
 the lure of gold led them-whether 1t 1 led them to make their money, to take
 their money, or to accept 1t as graci- | ous gift. Let us see whether or not
 their gold, however acquired. helped
 them to solve the problem of living and
 filled their souls with gladness; and then let us decide whether we would. | provided we could, change places with them and be as rich as they if we had l to acquire our riches in the same way. and if riches brought to us the same responsibilities and burdens, the same 1 lack of satisfaction and contentment | that it has brought to many of lthem. Mrs. Haley then spoke of those who had earned their money, such men as stephen Girard. Peter Cooper. George Peabody and others; of those. who had taken" their money, amongst whom were the great trust magnates and the Wall street speculators; of those who | nave been gwen Inelr money or 4l III other words, have profited by no efforts of their own, but have reaped rich harvests from the natural increase in value of the real estate and lands ac- quired by their ancestors; and special sketches were given of Andrew Car negfe and John D. Rockefeller.
 Looking over the list" continued Mrs. Haley, "of those who have grown rich from commercial effort or oppor- tunity it is seen that the number of those who earned their money Is con siderably smaller than those who got theirs in other ways. and their for tunes are considerably smaller in amount than are those amassed by less energetic and less scrupulous competitors. It is also seen that the list is composed of those who are high | ly honored and those who are deeply
 execrated It contains the names of
 men, the living well the dead
 which are hissing and by-word-- the synonym of greed, extortion and selfishness; of men who have crossed | the fiood-tide of success by treading