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Show "RICH." <br><br> The term "rich" is comparative. Some men feel themselves rich on a sum that other men would think poverty. A man's own opinion of the meaning of the word "rich" is constantly changing. The amount that would make him rich to-day [today], will be altogether too small for that purpose ten years hence. There are many, no doubt, in this city whose idea of how much it takes to make a man rich constantly keeps ahead of the amount of wealth they manage to accumulate. They, very likely, say to themselves that as soon as they feel that they have enough they will do something handsome for the city, that will carry their names down to posterity. But, as thousands after thousands are added to their wealth, their idea of the word "rich" expands and they die really rich men, and in a few years are forgotten. This was well exemplified in the case of Miss Louisiana St. John, of New York. She lived most penuriously on Elizabeth street, in that city, and accumulated a vast amount of wealth. She started by renting a large tenement house and subletting it to tenants at a profit. Then she bought houses and lots that were sold for taxes and got them cheaply. These she resold and soon became rich. Her hobby was that she would make a magnificent gift to some charitable object and she constantly talked about how it was to be done. But she never felt quite rich enough. She was always going to do it. The consequence was that she died a short times since worth a million dollars, all of which will go to strangers, and her name will go to the oblivion that she hoped all her life to avoid by a munificent donation. - Detriot Press. |