The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-29
FINANCE
- AND.


- . I
Housecleaning - quietly going on
in Wall Street. An important an
nouneement viii be made next week
concerning some Of the stock ex'
changes activities In this direction
Several serious evils are now being
probed by the authorities. who are
sincerely anxious to remove all just
grounds for criticism. sThe drumming
out Of the stock exchange TO twp mem
bers found guilty OF dishonoraple
practices. IN only q beginning.
How much more do some rich men
get out Of life than do other rich men3.
While travelling through Ohio this
week read In the Cleveland news
papers the announcement Of the gift OF
q medical school to Western Reserve
University by Samuel Mather. This
viii cost some 100000. 1t did ones
heart good to read what the local
newspaper had to say about their
fellow citizen and his record of good
deeds. Mr.. Mather apparently has all
along used his means generously for
the benefit Of his native city. More
over, he has actively interested him
ments, such as the Red Cross and tie
Carnegie Peace Foundation. OF which
he Is q trustee.
l have never met Mr.. Mather. but
feel certain that no has derived
quite a. much satisfaction from ap-
plying some Of his wealth to noble
purposes as he has derived from
money-making. Ny observation has
been that men who find pleasure in
giving away money wisely thereby
experience p special measure OF ~
sure and satisfaction in earning moosy,
because t,iey nuuw mat tne h,oi~ ~
can earn the greater will be their
ability to give away money Tor pene-
ficient purposes. y
The millionaire who lives Tor him
| self alone, and whose only motive IN
making money In for moneys sake,
! is a poor, wizened-up specimen OF
citizen.
Mr.. Mather, salutations!
Congress In finding II easier TO en-
dorse a bonus for ex-soldiers than
to discover how to raise the neces-
sary hundreds and hundreds OF mill
problem doesn't promise to be solved
In a hurry.
y Some two weeks ago I sat at .
banquet near q man sevsnty-two
years old. He looked amazingly
fresh, healthy. vigorous. I won
dered how many more years ne
would live. He looked good for At
least twenty years more. Not only
did he look amazingly fit, but / knew
that he had led q life calculated TO
insure ripe old age. l recalled
having asked him at his SEVENTEEN
birthday how he had been able to
preserve his mental and physical
powers so unusually well. and IN re-
ply he recited to me the following:
Though / look old, yet I am strong
and lusty,
For in my youth I never did apply
Hot and rebellious liquors IN my
blood,
head WOO
The means Of weakness and debility"
At an age when most men WOO
the armchair this man penetrated far
into Alaska in search for big game,
particularly bears. And he got them.
too!
His funeral took place yesterday.
A few days after the banquet he
was knocked down by a Fifth ave-
nue. bus and seriously injured.
This was A. Barton Hepburn. one
New York's ablest. best-bslanced
bankers, citizen Of the highest
type, a most generous gtver Of money
for educational and similar helpful
purposes, patriot, citizen suf-
fused with a desire to serve his
fellow men. unsparing Of his time
Is well as his purse IN the public
interest.
Incidentally. not a few of Amer
ica's more modern" bankers have
lately had reason for regretting that
they did not confine their activities
to the kind of activities prosecuted
by Mr.. Hepburn. He was a banker.
not q gambler.
A man from the West button holed
me yesterday and gave me this dress
ing-down. Why don't you come out
West and let US work out of your
system the pessimistic poison that
you here in New York are breathing7"
And / had been making myself be-
lieve that I had been at least half
way optimistic all through the months
when most people saw nothing but
disaster ahead! Indeed. have oftener
than once received letters asking me
II / really believed that things are
going to turn out as was hoping and
predicting. ...
was reminded Of what a veteran
Of his customers used to be Senator
Aldrich. The barber happened to re-
mark one day that II was difficult
to please everybody. The redoubtable
Senator Immediately replied, "A man
who tries Is q - fool"
Have you not found II so7
Any concern that was able to
weather the storm Of 1s2o-1s21 ought
to be able to do at least moderately
well this year. But let no one mag
Inc for a moment that the going will
be easy and smooth and pleasant. The
days Of profiteerins profits, easily
earned commissions, high salaries or
high wages for half-hearted work are
over, and assuredly will not return
this year. even should the confidently
looked-for Improvement in business
exceed expectations. Although, to
quote George Edward Smith, the
birds have returned to the bushes, II
will still take q lot Of hard beating to
bag them.