OCR Text |
Show II J Richest Man In World ( H Is Not Rockefeller, but Ip Blacksmith of Nebraska Hflk' Tho richest man In tlio world Is BUB not John D. Rockefeller or tlio Uaron Hfrlff do Rothschlfd or any of that sot, but RSP n pmm cltlzcn ot 1'lerco, In tho I If Mf sovereign stuto of Nebraska, Edward RBb J. Moyors by name. If Sift Tho wealth of Edward J. Moyors RKm bns amnzcd tuo world. In ovory Si country where tho talo .of his tabu- liUll Ioub fortunoH havo ponetratod, thoro RBf nro long articles In tho nowspapors If MM tolling of tho nW human phonom- HBIh enon tlio richest man In tho world. IBBfji Edward J. Moyom not long ago lHn wroto. a lottor to a small Nobrnska glMtt nowspapor, In which ho told of his EBf wealth. Tho lottor follows: II wonder it you know that ono of tho richest men In tho world was fourtcon rrillcs north of Norfolk, right r hero In Plorco? That man is tho wrltor. I am Just a conynon "plug blacksmith," but, oh, how rich. 1 go to my labors each morning, work until noon, go to dinner, return at 1 p. m., and work until 6 o'clock. I njoy tho greatest of all blessings," good health. Kockofollor' would glvo all ho possesses in monoy and hold-ings hold-ings for my stomach, but ho can't havo It. Each day boos something accomplished accom-plished and ovary job ot work I turn out I fool I havo done my customer a eorvlco worthy ot my hlro. I havo a wonderful llttlo wife. Bho has stuck to mo twonty-two years, so I know sho must bo a dandy to accomplish accom-plish that. I havo a llttlo homo, a beautiful little daughter, a son grown to maturity ma-turity and now in life's game for himself. him-self. Itich? Why, man alive, who' can possible be richer? ' Then, to add to all tho above riches, I take down my old Bhotgun In season and ramble through Holds, woods and tangle In search ot tho oluolvo cotton-tall, cotton-tall, teal and mallard with my faith- ful old pointer at "heel' (now past 11 years old), and ha Is happy as I whon on the hunt. Then, whon I get back, oht how good everything does taste. Then, when night has spread Its mantlo over this good old universe, I sottlo down In a good old easy chair, enjoy a smoke, and then roll Into bod to bo embraced by Morpheus and novor hear a sound until the i beautiful break of another day. Illch, did you sayT Well, I guess. Dollars? No; not many. You Inquired about riches, not material woalth. Tho height ot my ambition Is so to , live that I may have no regrets for having lived, when tho tlmo comes for mo to shuffle off this mortal coll, and I hopo by that tlmo to have accumulated accumu-lated just enough dollars that myself and mine may not bo objocts of charity. I This, then, Is my ideal ot a rich man. It any one enjoys life mora than I do, ho is to bo envied for his riches. I With kindest regards, EDWARD J, MEYERS. . Tho lottor attracted tho attention 'of the Omaha nowspapors, and their reproduction ot it and their editorial comment sot tho ball a-rolllng. Chicago, Now York, Boston and other American cities took It up. It quickly crossed into Canada and was cabted to Europo. It has been translated Into half ,a dozon different languages, and sermons ser-mons havo boon preached on It. It thaa .been used as a text for soason's Kreotlng cards and its contented 'spirit has boon used as a foil to radical Ilteraturo, Naturally, Mr, Moyors Is tho recipient re-cipient ot innumerable letters, and loiters, too, from tho prominont- pep sons as woll as from tho humblo. Commontlng on his avalancho of mall, Mr. Moyors says it is "mighty interesting inter-esting to got an Insight Into tho heart of tho busy city man, the philosopher who has passed tho allotted three scoro and ton. I would not tako any amount of monoy for tho cheer and companionship and 'folksy feeling' those lotors havo brought mo." Tho lottors are concluslvo evldonce that Mr. Meyer's crood has found a ready responso in tho hearts of men and womon. I "Around and noar us aro so many Joys wo ofton overlook," wroto C. W. Farchlld, Now York architect. "As a .uIo we busy New Yorkors are so engrossed In the dally business ot earning our living that wo don't havo time to think of tho almplo things ot life and do not conBldor ourselves rich unless wo bavo a million dollars or so ' at our disposal. Your tetter has afforded af-forded mo many thoughtful momonts and a great deal of comfort" I A lotor from Verne O. Dlvlno, ' president of tho Standard Advertising company, Chicago, says: "It more people would constantly call folks' attention at-tention to tho real ossentlals as contrasting con-trasting with tho seeming ones, It would bo a bottor world, I am suro." ' I Thorosa E. Morrison, a Vormontor. . of East Dygato, wrote: "I listened with delight to your outbursts of ! Joy ovor your rlchos and rejoice with ,' you." j On tho walls of an ofllco In Esther r vlllo, la., Meyer's "Hymn of Thanks- fulnoss" is tackod. "I so onjoyed ! your "Richest .Man in tho World" that I tackod It up In my ofJIco and It would do your hoart good to soo how many,1 havo stopped to read It, with a smllo et genuine appreciation lighting up ! tholr faces as tlioy read," wroto L. K. , Bingham. "Emerson was your typo ot a ' man," writes W. B. Patillo, Chicago. "I got so much pleasure from his writings that I know you from reading read-ing your letter." ( 1 Tho lottor caused C. M. Piorson, , Maplo Qrovo, la., to decldo that ho, , too was rich. I didn't know how rich. I didn't know how rich I was until you told mo," ho wrote. I William Zlmmer8pltz, Orange, N. J., wroto Moyors: "I would gladly , spend tho rest of my days In your , shop. How much Is tho railroad faro to Pierce?" , Seventy years old, D. Doroent, Attica, Kan., wroto: "I startod out , In Ufa an orphan with a bundle of rags. I married an orphan girl. We , hnvo four children. All aro married, ( havo families and aro in good clr- ( cumstanceB. The poorest has f 100,000. Tho richest has a cow and two children. child-ren. Tho rlchos wo onjoy moat aro warm frlonds we havo hold throughout through-out our lives." Meyer's lottor Is recognlzod by , sorao, as an antidote for "red" doc-trlnos. doc-trlnos. "Too bad somo of those agitators and malcontents who would havo tho world served to thorn ovory morning without tholr working tor It ' cannot see, or bo taught, your wholesome whole-some philosophy," wrote Mllos E. l .Walton, Huron, 8, D. "Never was such a message moro noeded, your lettor will contrlbuto poworfully to bring about a sobor " .second thought," the manager ot tho Skinner & Konncdy company, St. B Louis, wrote. a Suroly, 'twero well for all ot us to ro-read tho lottor of this Nebraska blacksmith, and aak ourselves It wo, too. aro not numbered among tho n richest men und women of the world? a |