The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-27
GIVE MILLIONS
 TO AID FRIENDS
Forbes Mentions Men Who Re gard Their Money
 Lightly
By 8. c. FORBES

By 8. c. FORBES
 You may have gasped when you read how lightly Edward l.. Doheny talked about handing out more than million dollars in loans and in assistance to friends. Mir. Dohen's generosity is well known. For example, understand that he tips every person who serves him and hls family in any way while staying ill hotels, dollar each for every day of their stay, a list including telephone operators, bellboys, maids, elevator oper- atOrs-anyone and everyone rendering the slightest service.
 Doheny has always had unusual ideas about money. After 20 years wandering as prospector he struck it rich' two or three times, but in each case he dis posed of his property after there was nothing left to do but sit back and pull in the profits as he once expressed it to me years ago. While, of course, 1 know nothing about the $100, 900 loan to his Old-time chum, Albert Fall. l have known personally of other intances where Doheny handed out lavish fi- nancial assistance to friends.
 Doheny isn't the only rich man who does this sort of thing. Charles NJ. Schwab's confidential secretary told me "C. M." would give away his last dollar if we let in to see him every visitor who wants to make touch. He is the most generOus-hearted fellow who ever breathed," and that is about the truth.
 Andrew Carnegie distributed money to his friends and others to the tune of millions. John w. Gates of Wall Street fame. was another man "touched right and left" The late J. r. Morgan, in his later years, was so easily separated from his money that his family was inclined to become alarmed.
 William Boyce Thompson, who had made very large fortune in mining and other enterprises also uses money most generously for unsalfisli' purposes and for the happiness of friends. Coleman Dupont doubtless could match Dohen's record of having handed cut more than million dollars to help others over the stile. J. Leonard Repiogle, the steel master, is built the same way.
 Dwight Morrow, of Morgan X O., has been repeatedly called ''the largest hearted fellow in Wall Street" Charles H. Sabn is not far behind; l know of delightful instances of his generosity and charitableness. w. C. Durant is another man who cares nothing about accommodating money for himself; he, too, has acted the role of Santa Claus to many people. Frank X. Nanderllp spends more of his time in thinking up beneficial ways of using his money than in sweating howrtO make more. The same can be said of young John D. Rockefeller.
 One word about Harry F. Sinclair. have never regarded him as an ideal man to head a gigantic enterprise. but he is notorious as liberal spender and a liberal giver. Without presum- ing. at this stage, to reach conclusions probed by the Senate. l know for as to the whole matter now being fact that Sinclair didn't hastily decide to skip to- Europe in order to dodge the Washington investigations. He discussed his impending trip with his associates several weeks before he left and went over with them important matters to be handled both at this end and in Europe during his absence. Z Lest the foregoing may give some readers the idea that every rich man goes around holding up an open purse for every Tom, Dick and Harry to dip into, let me say very emphaticaliy that most rich men know extremely well
 
 few of them, as matter of fact, are notorious tightwads.
 Ralph Budd the able and energetic president of the Great Northern rail way, is not keeping his stockholders long in doubt as to the results of the 1923 operations. He is sending them a little folder giving the approximate income statistics for the year. The bal ance available for dividends is $1S, 100000. equal to $7.22 per share. He adds:
 Owing to the fact that the value of the Great Northern is, greatly in ex- cess of the par amount of the stocks and bonds outstanding, the net railway operating income equals only 4A per cent on the value of the<property.
 The figures are supplemented by brief comments on the ''outstanding facts concerning operations of the year" and he ends his statement thus:
 Ut is to your best interest and that of the country HIS whole to use your influence with members of Congress-
 "(a) To tighten the present heavy burden of tuxati9n and (b) to avoid new or amendatory legislation hostile to the railroads.
 T \trust that you vii! usc every means it your command to this end.
 Los Angeles certainly has hust'ers.
 The New York American publishes full puge advertisement in which C. r. Whiffen, Los Angeles seeYal agent og the National Cnsh Register company, announces: Los Angeles with I.U00,0 ,000 people. has purchased more Nationa! cash registers in 1929 than New York, with six millions of population In 1921 the Los Ansei agency produced the four men who sold the highest percentage of quota for the whole National Cash Register com rany; in 1929 it had three of the four :--------.--..-- -----.---