The Washington herald., 1914-01-14
Copyright, lsii.l

tbropic institutions in the United
States. This year that enormous sum is
increased by more than s66,ooo.ooo. for
tbe published gifts of the year just ended
reach the stupendous total Of $iS.sz4-ss-
Surely as our resources grow and our
natural wealth increases our people are
feeling themselves to be but custodians
Uf their fortunes, regarding themselves
rs but trustees for those who have less
worldly goods than themselves. Nor is
their money given carelessly or thought
Iessly. Philanthropy has become a SCI
ence and men and women of wealth are
seeking methods of giving which VIII not
tauperize the race, but put it in the way
IF helping itself to higher, better things.
II is estimated that gifts for public well
fare have in the last half century aggre-
GATED sl75n 100000 OF this sum the larger
proportion, or S700.000ooo. found It's way
into educational channels; SSoO,co,op INTO
religious work; ss25, 100000 went for general
charity relief and $225, 100000 for hospi-
falls medical research, sanitation, and
general gifts for art and other cultural
purposes.
John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carne-
gle, two of Americas most conspicuous
philanthropists began. in 1888, TO look
about for more scientific systems OF De-
slowing their wealth upon their fellows
Both endeavored to avoid doing aught
which might discourage individual ell
fort rather desiring to promote ambi-
tion to make the best possible use OF IT'S
natural gifts. Mr.. Carnegie eventually
created the Cargenie Corporation OF New
York, transferring to it Sl25,ooo.oW It's
trustees were to supervise and administer
benefactions which Mr.. Carnegie was
finding irksome at his advanced years
Mr. Rockefeller likewise instituted his
General Educational Fund and the Rookie
Teller Institute for Medical Research
Such foundations seem necessary wheh
one remembers that these men receive
hundreds of thousands of begging letters
every year. To assert the worthy from
the unworthy, the schemer from the
truthfuIIy needy is difficult matter. and
the prinCiples incorporated in such foun-
dations make clear the reasons for what
seems to many a rather rigid and tech
nicaI manner of bestowing large gifts.
rhe Inrges. of a Merchant Prince.
BENJAMIN Altman, the New York dry
goods merchant who died in his native
city in October, made the year lsl5 con-
spicuous for his wonderful gift OF so-
100000 for the public good. Mr.. Altman
was a bachelor OF remarkably modest
tastes For years America knew him as
an art connoisseur Of the highest order.
but almost nothing else OF his personai
life He was SO seldom seen in pubic
that it is said he was not known by
many of his own employees. The life OF
Mr., Altman was n conspicuous example
of the successful business man, who, rls-
ing from humble parentage and with
meager advantages. built what Is, per
haps, the greatest dry goods house In the
world His will directed that the STOCK
of the Altman company, valued at s5o.-
G0.OO0 should form the Altman Founda-
tion-a corporation created by special
act of the State legislature to support
such phiIanthropic and charitable insti-
tutions as relate to the welfare of the
Altman employees.
Mr.. AItman's great art collection was
left to the people of New York to be
housed in the Metropolitan Museum or
that city. 1t is the largest gift ever re-
ceiyed by that institution, and is valued
at s15,O00Oo0. Its doner willed an addi-
tional sum of ss5OOcO for the care and
maintenance of the collection, and the
same sum was left to Mount Sinai Hospi-
tai St Lukes Hospital the Eye and Ear
Infirmary, the German Hospital. and the
lincoln Hospital, all of New York. The
National Academy of Design received
100000, the income from which to be dis
tributed as prizes for the best figure.
genre and landscape paintings executed
by American-born artists. Only s'So.oV
of Mr.. Altman's big fortune was be.
uueathed to his relatives, practically all
Of 1t being devoted to the good OF the
people
still the Champion Giver.
Andrew Carnegie, whose benefactious
10 the cause of education, libraries. and
hospitals have amounted in the last twenty
years 10 the amazing total OF s5SoVpVc
follows Mr.. Altman in the size OF the
wears gifts. He transferred, In July, 70
his Dunfermline Trust, S105Oo,Wo This
Irust was founded by Mr.. Carnegie in
August 1905 when he gave to the Scotch
city of his birth the Glen of .Pittencriefi
as a park and turned 1t over to the city
with an endowment Of s2.50O.00, to be
used ito bring into the monotonous lives
of the natives of Dunfermline more oi
sweetness and life" The last gift of Mr.
Carnegie makes this fund truly prince
ly one.
Mr.. Carnegie added s1.2Jo0oo to hi:
foundation for the Advancement oi
Teaching, a philanthropy established by
him in 1905 and to which he has now giver
s1I250yOg Another 81. 100000 of the iron.
masters wealth was placed to the credit
of the endowment fund of the Carnegie
Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh
0o0O OOa Vanderbilt University, of Nash
willie. Tenn, received 81, 100000 for the ben
eft of its medical department The Al
Iegheny City Library Of Pittsburgh. Pa
(which was the first library erected by
Mr. Carnegie), was given s150,0oo for al
addition, and Somerville. Mass, Sl0cOV
for its new public library. Montclair, N
r. received $4,000 for n library building
in Upper Montclair: Rockford College
for Women, Rockford. ILL.,, sS5,ooo: Cen
trail University. Danville, KY, $4,000 fol
a library; Emory and Henry College, a
Emory, Va, S25,000: the University oi
Paris. France $4,000 for the installation
of the Institute of Chemistry, now build
ing; Redfield College, S. Dak., for its en-
dowment fund. $1,000; Perry. N. Y, fol
a library building. $1,000; York College
York, Pa, s1e,o00; New York University
Library Originally presented by Mr.
Carnegie), $500 toward its upkeep, and
the American Museum of Safety, 5000
making the total of Mr.. Carnegie's bene
factions for the year. s141E,ooo.
Another PhIlanthropic scoschman.
Porter l. Ferguson, of Minneapolis
Mimi, set aside s5.0oocoo OF his fortune
for the most remarkable agriculture
community OF the world. Eighty thou
.znd acres OF land have been purchased
/. y =. IS - : - - 8.