Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1883 — Leiters to Millionaires. [ARTICLE]

Leiters to Millionaires.

The name of Mr. W. W. Corcoran is so widely’ known by his deeds of philanthropy, and is intimately identified with every movement that is calculated to alleviate suffering and improve the condition of the -unfortunate, that the appeals which come to him for all sorts of charitable purposes are almost overwhelming. For ifistance, a lady, entirely unknown to Mr. Corcoran writes a long letter, in which she states that her husband is worth $50,000, and is doing a large and prosperous business. The writer, however, desires to be independent of her husband, and asks Mr. Corcoran to send her enough money so that she may live on the interest. The letter is well-written, and closes with an urgent invitation to Mr. Corcoran to come and make her visit at her home in New England, to see her garden and enjoy the fruits and flowers. The writer was evidently well-to-do in this world and refined and educated, yet, amid her prosperity, she had one ambition which was not satisfied, and that was to have a bank account of her own. In this particular she is not, perhaps, an isolated example, but the course of reasoning which led her to think that an entire stranger would help her is entirely unique. “I want a barrel of mess pork, and I want you to send it to me, ” was the laconic but peremptory letter received from a man in one of the Southern States. Mr. Corcoran, amused by this strange demand, sent the pork as requested. What was the result ? He was rewarded by receiving a request for “another barrel.” A young lady asked Mr. Corcoran to send her a pink-silk dress, trimmed to order, to enable her to attend a ball in Virginia. This letter is much in the style of an order to a dressmaker, and there is nothing to indicate that the writer had any doubt but that the request would be granted. Another lady correspondent, living in Europe, sends sixteen pages of commercial post, closely written, giving a history of her family, which seems to have had a very ancient origin, and requesting that $6,000 be sent to her address, to enable her to take a trip to the southern part of France for the benefit of hen-health. It is said that Jay Gould receives scoreNof bagging letters every day. CK.'P. Huntington, President of the Cehtriit Pacific road, is probably ceipt of Very many begging letters. His letters are from all portions of Europe and the United States, and contain requests based on every imaginable scheme. Henry Clews, whose wealth is estimated at $10,000,000, receives a large number of letters asking for help. Many of the applicants are unfortunate operators in Wall street, and they often find in Mr. Clews a sympathetic friend. Russell Sage is not credited with “throwing money away,” as he terms it, and brokers generally observe: “A man with $10,009,000, who will wait in his office over half an hour to catch the 5-cent trains on the Elevated road, must be too poor to give money away for sweet charity.” James R. Keene, his friends say, receives scores of begging letters every day, and Cyrus W. Field is the recipient of more than any other man in Wall street circles. He gives away SSO per day for charitable purposes, his intimates and generally answers correspondent! who solicit alms if he thinks it is charity worthily bestowed.— Washington Star.