THE MISERIES

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 543, 19 February 1913, Page 2

THE MISERIES

ENOUGH AND TO SPARE

It is in vain that ordinary mortals exercise thoir brains to decide "how much is enough." More interesting will be the Chancellor of the Exchequer's estimate of the ir--educihle minimum, when he comes to elaborate his scneme for old-age pensions. The men with tHe power o make money are not to be governed by any newspaper correspononce sotting a figure which they hall not pass. Someone has proposed to do that in America by :egislative enactment, but the "get-rich-quick" party there is still busy. To an eminent lawyer whose iealth showed signs of breaking, a physician advised more recreation. ' Recreation !" was the answer. 'Can you suggest anything more interesting than the making of £20,000 a year ?" Who could have persuaded greedy, grasping Russell Sage that enough 's as good as a feast ? Who could iave induced Jay Gould to recognise that there might be a higher joy in life than, the accumulation of wealth merely for wealth's sake'.' The multi-millionaire, who rises •arly, and late .takes rest, and eats the bread of carefulness, that he may have every faculty free for 1 lie multiplication of money, is one with the miser who starves to stitch sovereigns and notes into his dirtv coat. MAGNIFIED MXLLIOXS. "Why work so hard ?" said Serjeant Ballantinc to the future Lord Brampton. "You can't take your money with you, and if you CjOuhl. it would melt." It is probable that Lord Brampton was a good deal more benevolent in life than was .•ommonly supposed. His ''carelessness" was the subject of many a ioke at the Bar, where it was believed that he was worth a million of money. But it is the habit of us all to exaggerate the wealth of our con:emporaries. Ballantinc was supDosed to have made his "pile." and the £IO,OOO fee which he received for going to India was regarded as crowning a very handsome fortune. He that as it may, he ran through all he possessed, «.nd only the kindness of friends enabled him to pass ais latter days in comfort. Was not the wealth of Mr. licit over-estimated ? Mr. Stead !>e.ieved that tht>re existed a .11'. ii. banknote for every sovereign p> s iessed by Cecil Rhodes ; but the Beit will is against him. Barney Barnato was not nearly so wealthy as many peoplo thought. As a fact, ne lost three millions sterling in the slump of 1895, and he was a dead man before he could seriously attempt to recoup his losses. THE WOES OF WEALTH. Is the very wealthy man happy '? Mr. Carnegie is too busy in disposing of his gains to have time for melancholy ; but Mr. Rockefeller :ertainly has none too gay a- time. Jay Gould's.life was a long agony of fear ; misfortunes to beggar him, he feared, lurked ever ahead. There is higher authority t/han his for the saying that the custody of great wealth is not likely to be desired. "The care of two hundred million dollars," said Cornelius Vanderbilt, 'is too great for any brain or any back to bear. It is enough to kill a man. There is no pleasure to be got 'out of it as an offset—no good of any kind. I have no real gratification of any sort more than my neighbour who is worth only half a million." This is like Lord Lytton's mournful review of his Viceregal experiences in India, or Bismarck's poignant comment upon the bloodshed and misery whic'i his career as a statesman had entailed upon Europe. Poor, poor plutocrats !—"Evening Standard."