AMERICAN FORTUNES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1291, 1 September 1914, Page 4

AMERICAN FORTUNES.

ASTOUNDING FIGURES

Charles W. Post, who committed suicide recently at his winter home in California. had accumulated a fortune ot more than 20,000,000 dollars, in the last 18 years, by tho manufacture of cereal foods, and a substitute for coffee (writes the New York correspondent of the Melbourne Argus). Wealth and the ministrations of loving relatives could not save him from the' tortures of neurasthenia. For some time in Ins last days he fought against a persistent suicidal impulse, which became almost irresistible whenever ho saw a rifle or a revolver. By his orders all weapons of this kind were carefully excluded from his house. But, in some unknown way, ho procured a rifle, and with it he killed himself. His name and the products of his factories had boon made familiar to tho public by many impressive and skilfully - constructed advertisements. Within, a short time several Americans have passed away whose fortunes equalled or exceeded that of Mr Post. John C. Mayo, tho richest resident ot the State of Kentucky, left 21),000,000 dollars. He was a poor school teacher in the hills of the eastern part of that State 29 years ago, when he began to think of the undeveloped coal deposits there. Every dollar that ho could save ho invested in coal lands, and eventually they gave him his fortune. Samuel W. Alierton, whoso will disposed of about 20,000,000 dollars, had been a pioneer in the stockyards industry at Chicago, the- headquarters of the great companies which are known as the Beef Trust. George AY. Vanderbilt, of the well-known family of railroad 'millionaires, whose fortune was founded by a man who earned a living in his youth as a boatman in New York Harbour, died and left 50,000,000 dollars, nearly all of which went to his widow and daughter. His property included Biltmore, the finest country house in America, situated in North Carolina, and 200,000 acres surrounding it. with a model village of 100 cottages. The greater part of this tract of land, called Pisgah Forest, is now to be purchased by the National Government and added to the forest reserves. Frederick Weyerhaeuser came to America from Germany, a. poor boy, when he was eighteen years old. At first he was employed in a brewery. Later, he worked in a sawmill for one dollar a day. There he- learned something about lumber. In time he owned the sawmill, and then he began to buy timber laud. In his later years he was called the Lumber King. By his own investments and in association with others he controlled not less than 30,000 acres. Some called him one of the richest men in the wer.d. When he died, a short time, ago, the press estimates of his wealth ranged from 300,000,000 dollars to 500.000,000 dollars. But now it is said that his actual holdings were very much less, and that the timber land is owned by corporations in which he was a small shareholder. Some years ago he was said to be the head of a great lumber trust, and in tariff debates there was much talk about his power. Occasionally an American dies whoso great fortune escapes attention, or is niuoh underestimated. There was mud', surprise last year when it became known that Anthony N. Brady, ol Albany (the capital of the State ot New York), had left between 90,000.000 dollars and 100.000. dollars to his family. Brady had been interested in _ street railways and in. legislation n A•' .vnirx tnein. i here was surprise again a fi w months ago when it was ascertained that diaries E. Appleby had left an estate of a«> mast 40.000. dollars. Binders of newspapers had never heard of this man, a quiet resident ol Long Island, not lar from Now York City. Appleby inherited pothing. He had been bom oil a farm, and in his later years lived simply, in an old stone house, in his early manhood ho made a srudy of waterfront property. All that ho could save ho invested in such property, and in riparian rights. As his Moldings grew I in value, ho added to them, and at the j end of his life they were worth 40,090,000 dollars,