Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-02-25

Il 3Nt-af 80 4
as head OF the house OF Morgan. but
most perplexing of all, he left him this
weighty burden. this gigantic white
elephant. Of art. 81. 4.
Why weighty-why q white ele,
plant? s:i vi q
Because the American people has
come to believe in some way or other
without especial rhyme or reason
that these art treasures belong to It,
Perhaps it is an intuitlve feeling
feeling that American: dollars. the
4 sweat Of American brows. the strain-
\ ing OF American muscles and the col;
lective thinking Of 4, American brains
4 bought this hoard. ss RAJ 5s53
The elder Morgan Ifostered this idea,
undoubtedly. He is said to have ex-
pressed the wish to make New York
4 the leading art center Of the world.
I; Nothing gave him greater pleasure
than to stand as one OF the reception
\ committee at a function of the Metro
politan Museum Of Art and meet the
!. art aristocracy (far different from the
artistocracy Of wealth. which crowded
In. 4 81 mi
twas then that he relaxed the most,
that his too infrequent smiles most
often grew expansive, that he seemed
truly the grand son of the hospitable
Hartford innkeeper, whose progeny
have become Americas banking dicta-
tors. n. 4. Z.
Then did he most enjoy the great
\ fortune he had amassed. It. was as
the modern Maecenas more than the
modern Croesus he liked to consider
himself and would have liked to be
remembered.
Is J. Pierpont Morgan the younger
chip Of the old block? 5s5s
.&s$ He Is no longer a young man. He
Is now forty.seven years old. In build,
personal appearance. manner OF dress.
4 he greatly resembles his father at the
same age. He has his fathers imper-
alive, forceful manner, II he lacks
3 some OF the Olympian gruffness. He
has his fathers habits of hard work.
his love of yachting, even his ability
as q trencherman. He has fitted 80
well into his fathers niche that those
who criticize the Morgan financial
dealings often fail to discriminate be.
tween the works Of the father and the
works Of the son. NJ "a 49,
But what Of that other Morgan. the
Morgan Of the exquisite marble Ii
brary. the Morgan OF the Princes Gate
treasure house, the Morgan Of the
/, Cope of Ascoli, the Morgan who was
the despair of Europe?
Il Outwardly young" Mr.. Morgan has
shown little interest In those things
in which his father reveled. He has
become of1cially identified with the
Metropolitan museum, but this was to
be expected ex OH cio from the heri-
taRe of his father. No one has heard
OF this Morgan spending half mill
lion for some one thing he must have.
No one has heard OF his adding sin
gle article to his fathers collection
since the latter's decease.
Sss Moreover and this is the point 80
eagerly watched in art circles-he ad-
mits that he will sell part Of his faith
{ er's treasures. Part? How large I
Z part? Will 1t be simply some OF the
old gentleman's unlucky purchases
the results Of the incidents in which
{ according to common report his
shrewdness was bested p
or will 1t be such disposal Of intrin-
sic elements as will destroy the fabric
OF this wonderful collection--this as
4 semblage so vast that hundreds OF
thousands of dollars were spent in cat.
Z aloguing alone?
Above the art heritage Of Morgan
/. was referred to as great burden. II