Two Remarkable Millionaires.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

Two Remarkable Millionaires.

The' Chancellor of the Exchequer (says a London correspondent of the "Argus") lias obtained .* happy windfall .by the. concurrent deabbs of two millionaires—Mr; Hu£h McCatoaont, -who lias left three millions, and a-.halfiieMnd bim,and Baron de. Stern, who ;has 'ahaftSßed the colossal snm'df-six! millions. It is calculated .'that the death duties dn the' two fortunes "will touch half a million. .

Mr McCaJmont died a lonely and joy-^ less"baiiteflor. .'Some, iftbn'ths ago a.pic-, ture dealer in Pall "Mall told, me that. an old loan faafd walked wearily intp bis. .gallery, and sinking into • a chair, rsaid^ "'My name is jlcCalmont. I have.^a -million at my bankers, and I' don't know what "to do with it. I have thought I might spend some of'it on old masters—%ot :ajiy old masters?" "Got any oldmasters !" hadft't they just. Not; a nibble histd they had for ,motiths:'froma' customer, and. all the time their goocl nature and their Tescrarces had 'been taxed by-the importunities'of tellers, who would tako.no : .denial, "and were often the more irresistable from coming in 'the guise 'of "beauty in My friend and his ;pa¥fner'SQld him about :£180,O00; in a few. :min"tftes—all gentline arid good value ; and; theairtbreoldßnan got upand walked-Away, having got through perhtepitftoalfraTi hour;'©! the intolerable burden "ofiiis lefeujre by "this, expenditure of a fortujift. Witii.the exoep"tion of a4«gaoy of -MOIOOO to the St.; Gepisfe's"ffibspifel, ivHich j|s situated close. to his residence in GrosVenor "Place, Mn McCalmonthas left the whole of his wealth to accumulate for liix years "fcr^ "the benefit*' of nephew, 'iiedtehatit "TfiKSCalmpnt,. in "the' Guards, mho, in the: mean-; tteae,'^ bKly'K)-I>e £2,000 a^year,' -arid that on iqon'dition pi 'up, *he .house in Gtria verier -fil&oe, which -■will "ttin away with more; th'a'n'the income. The public conscience! was Irhociced a quarter of a century .ago by "theiamous Thellussoii -will, leaving a ;great. 'fortune tojaccumulatefbr'theMongest period"then allowed by the iaw fj^nd :a 'bill was; ■ passed-which it was thought would !effec-> tually onrMl -the ptrange of v "tes<;alfiors in 'this Tes^iyct. 'It is often >safd that ;.a acts most effectually;- as ;;an -expression x>f-"^ie moral views-of the community, when it compels .men to conform^ their 'actions to -the -spirit which xmderiies bhem ;-bot this haß>ndt been the effect of the 'Thellusson Act. "Byery year. ..public senti'mentis revolted by ((©me <jase Jilustrating •the' persistent vaaity wd^caliousness of i testators. Sir Charles^fWeake ! (ffie 'buirafer: of^biith'Kenstngton) TfltWt'three^yearß" ago,:

leaving his vast fortune tp accumulate for a grandson,' subject to ail In'a^eqttaj&4»;Q-_ " vision for his successor, and a grossly inadequate, provision ior his widow.,, to,whose social ariibition arid instinct he owed any consideration he enjoyed during Jus Jife. r , Mr McCalmont has not only : ignored Ma, nephew (Lord Cairns)'in his wily but also" his more distinguished 4 relative, Colonel " Jimmy " McCalmont. M.P., -rehoacname has figuredso frequently in all the Wolseley wars of the past fourteen years. Baron de Stern, the othw 'and ymore -millionaire, wiis a retiring iirian,' of small figure, but ifiradsome features,.. and excellent address. He nad a'.wifearid children; but, in spite -of their vast riches, the family has never risen- tq^ the social pre-eminence of other and often /less wealthy Hebrew families-in : London: Some years ago, a son of the Baron made a figure in London for a brief space, He was noted for his odd.app.earance, something resembling that pi Thomas Castro-in his palmy days, only with the addition of a head; of loag glossy ringlets,: falling onhis shoulders. By unstinted extravagance he attempted to assume the; role of a "squire, of; dames" in.regard-to the leading " professional beauties ' ofthe4ay; ibut he had no-marked success,; ,and ''Jillhealth "at length compelled hfs retirement from the scene.