The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-30
REQUESTS MADE BY SOME OF OUR
 MILLI0NAIRES
Golden Age.)

During the Fall of 1919 an unusual number of millionaries passed away; and the manner in which their for tunes were obtained, how they were used and how they were disposed of are, as always, items of general in terest, because they are out of the ordinary.
 As far as most of us are concerned, the nearest we can hope to come to this subject is to read about it. But there is one thing about it that is en- couraging, or dfscouraging-de ing on how we look at it-and that is that when we die we each of us leave as much as the wea1thiest; that is to say, we leave everything, all we have.
 Since the world began, nobody has given away such a colossal fortune as Andrew Carnegie. His known gifts aggregated more than $350, ,000,000; and inasmuch as at his death he left no more than about S30,000,000 he must have given away many more millions of which no record survives.
 In his will Mr. Carnegie remember ed g. half dozen British statesmen by life annuities of s5,000 to S10,000 a year; also all the living ex-PreSidents and living wives of former Presi- dents He is buried at Sleepy Hol- low, New York.
 William Waldorf Astor, who re- gently died in London, was the owner of $6O,0O0,OO0 worth of real estate tr New York city. A grandson of the original John Jacob Astor, and at one time in public life on this side of the water, even to occupying the post of minister to Italy, he eventual ly renounced his country, saying, America is not fit country for gentleman to live in.'' But this was before the passage of the Espionage Act.
 MT. Astor was climber for about a quarter of g. century trying to break in to English society, and finally succeeded. The war was his opportunity; and for his gifts to the British cause, he was made 8 vis- count, whatever that is.
 It is estimated that his efforts to get into the peerage cost him $12, 000,000. His ldaughter-in-law, Lady Astor, an American girl, ran for the seat in the House of Commons made vacant by her husband when he moved up into the House of Lords This shows considerably higher line of thought than that indulged by a Mrs. Astor on this side of the water, a connection of William Waldorf who recently distinguished herself by appearing in a mule race at the Rhinebeck, Duchess County, N. Y., fair.
 It is hard to see what America ever got in return TOT the millions that it gave to the Astors.
 Theodore P. Shonts is dead, too. MT. Shonts was reckoned as one of the worlds great engineers, having 5naeceived at one time a fee of $7,00O,- Yai Chosen by the United States Govern ment to build the Panama Canal, he made splendid progress with the work, but suddenly resigned to take the presidency of the Interborough, giving as his reason that his love for his family would not permit of his rejecting the offer the Interborough had made him.
 Apparently, MT. Shonts did think lot of his family at one time, for the allowance which he gave to his wife and two daughters was, for many years, $93,0O0 per year. But he wrecked his fortune by plunges in the stock market, cut his family's allow ance to $45,000 per year (which would still be large enough for some of us to live upon, in a pinch) and finally became estranged from them altogether, and engaged other apart ments. However, only two years ago he paid one jewelry bill for his fam fly amounting to $135,000.
 MT. Shonts left an estate valued at $475,000. He divided $20O,000 among his two daughters, a sister and two nteces. reserved $100,OO0 for the pay ment of a debt to his wife which he acknowledged owing to her, and gave her $5,J00 outright.
 The balance of his estate he gave to woman not related to the family in any way, an eX-actress. MT Shonts made eight separate wills since 1900 which indicates that the possession oi money does not necessarily bring one rest of mind; and it can not be sai6 that his career, as a whole, is any. thil the youth of the countr, sho emulate.
 C. Roosevelt denounced him bit, terly the time he left the employ of the Government issuing a public statement that Shonts had left hH country for the sake of mere lucre Col Roosevelt, himself, is one of tht wealthy men who died during the past year, his total fortune aggresat ing little less than one miIlior dollars.
 Mrs. Russell Sage is another ia nous millionaire who died during tn, latter part or 19lS- She was a. won derful woman, deserving of the great est respect.
 Out of a net estate of S45,261.72. she gave $4O,0ON,0OO to philanthrop, and education, while the appraise ment of her nersonal wardrobe show ed that its Value was $2SS. She al ways dressed neatly, and her ward robe was maintained for that Dur pose and not merely for display.
 Then there was another millionaire little known, but nevertheless tn possessor of a>>large fortune. Solo mon Schinasi, a Turkish cigarett maker, left an estate of S15,OOo. .oot That seems like a large fortune to b collected out of such a business a making and selling coffin nails"
 Wonder how many buildings wec burned by the cigarettes for whic MT. Schinasi was responsible? On hotelkeeper in Willimantic, Conn has stated that he was burned or seven times, in various localities. an that in each case the fires wer proven to have been started by ciga