ABSTRACT
Jerome K. Vansittart was the richest man in the world. He owned vast territories; he controlled railways and fleets; cities paid him tribute, and myriads of workers toiled that his wealth might magnify unceasingly. In a word, he was a State rather than an individual. Computations of the amount of his fortune differed by scores of millions sterling, and the public estimate of his riches was based more upon cubical measurements than the common standard of dollars and cents. Himself a miracle of individualism, he was an ardent advocate of the collective principle. The magnificent Opera House on Broadway was crammed with fashionable New York. A good opera by a French company was produced that evening for the first time, and expectation rose high concerning the work. Seats were at a premium, and had steadily advanced in price during weeks past.
