The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-12-17
NOT VASTLY RICH
Ancient Men of Wealth Just
Comfortably Off.
Compared With the Stupendous For
tunes Of Today Those Old Fellows
a Would Have Been Considered
Merely as "Pikers."

For long time the names Of
Croesus, Crassus and Monte Cristo
were used in comparison to express
great wealth. The two first historical
figures represented riches in Greece
and Rome and the fictitious figure Of
the latter did the same for recent
times. How rich Croesus was there
II no way Of Judging. The value Of the
treasure which he displayed to Scion
cannot be estimated. A saying ascribed
!, to Crassus gives at least some idea
Of what he considered affluerce. He
declared that no one could be consid-
cred rich who could not maintain an
army. This, Of course, would be a
great undertaking even at that period.
though an army then was not in size
anything like an army Of today, nor
was the equipment or sustenance near
" as costly. At Pharsali. Caesar had
$4,000 DICTIONARIES, 1000 cavalry; Pom
pey $4,000 DICTIONARIES, 1000 cavalry.
Also, history records that at the time
of his election to the consulate with
Pompey he Toasted the Roman popu-
lace at 10000 tables and gave each
family corn for three months.
The question which came up. how
ever, was in regard to the financial
resources Of Monte Cristo. Nowhere in
the novel are figures given from
which complete answer can be de-
rived. The prices which the count paid
for his possessions and for producing
his spectacular effects are frequently
mentioned, but not so often that the
sum total can be known. However in
the very last chapter, just before
Monte Cristo disappears in the East,
a hint is dropped as to the wealth
which Dumas had in mind as original
" belonging to the count and what &C.
cordingly he believed constituted al
most fabulous riches at that time. In
almost his very last words in the book,
Monte Cristo says: "You do not know
all the JOY which life affords with a
great fortune. I possess nearly 10O,-
100000" BY this, Of course, he would
mean francs and therefore at the end
OF his career of reward and vengeance
the count had $2O,OOO,O0O. When Monte
.Cristo arrived in Paris he had his
first interview with the banker, Dan
glars, which threw the latter into
such CONSERVATION that the count had
an unlimited credit. He declares de-
finitely that\ he will need for the year
during which he expects to remain
IN France 100000 francs, perhaps
more, though he says that he scarcely
thinks that he will exceed that
amount. The interest on 100,0O0.O00
francs would have been about ,6,OOO.-
600 so that really Monte Cristo ap'
pears to have been living nearly with
In his income. There Is little or moth
ling to indicate that he considered or
rather that Dumas considered that his
famous character had in any degree
impaired his fortune. Therefore, the
inference is that the figures set by
Dumas in his mind rs the wealth of
Monte Cristo at the beginning cannot
have been very much more compare
lively than $20,OOO,0O0. That, of
course, is goodly fortune even in
these days, but nothing very remark.
able and certainly not fabulous. OF
course, the purchasing power of mon.
ey was considerably greater in Dumas
lifetime and his hero might be sup
posed to do much more with his riches