Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-12-28
not VASTLY RICH
Ancient Men Of Wealth lust
Comfortably of.
Compared With the stupendous For.
tunes Of Today Those Old Feilows
Would Have Been Considered
Merely - "Piksrs.s

For a long time the names OF
Croesus, CrAsslJ 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
Is no way of judging. The value OF the
treasure which he displayed to Scion
cannot be estimated. A saying ascriDeo
to Crassus gives at least some idea
Of what he considered affiuence. he
declared that no one could be consid-
cred rich who could not maintain an
army. This, Of course, would be
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
ly 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
ly belonging to the count and what ac-
.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. ! possess nearly. 1OO.-
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,000,e00. 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 100000,0O0
francs would have been about 5000
600 80 that really Monte Cristo ap-
pears to have been living nearly with
in his income. There Is little or moth.
Ing 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 as the wealth Of
Monte Cristo at the beginning cannot
have been very much more compare
lively than $20,0O0,O00. That, Of
course, is a 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.