"A
AUGUST 3, 1901
The Commoner.
13
ifteiM
MERELY A FEW RAMBLING THOUGHTS
There died In an eastern city a few
days ago a man who had accumulated
a fortune of $100,000,000 during a busi
ness career covering three-quarters of
a century. That is a whole lot of
money, but it seems to have been
about all that this man accumulated.
Was it worth while?
It was his boast that he never took
a vacation too busy making money.
He never got out into the woods with
his friends and lay under the stiade of
the grand old trees and talked about
thp old days of boyhood. He never
walked along down the shady path
ways and indulged in sweet memories
of other days. .He just went along
accumulating something that could do
him no possible good as long as he
retained possession of it.
A few years ago there died in a lit
tle Illinois town a man who left com
paratively little money, but he left
something immeasurably better than
money. He left the memory of a well
Bpent life. He left a magnificent col
lege which his energy and his money
had in large part created. He left
thousands of men and women and
children who gathered around his
bier and wept for the friend and
neighbor and benefactor who had gone
before. He left a big family of sons
grown to manhood, every one of whom
is a model citizen strong, Christian
men. He scattered sunshine where
ever he went. During his liftetime he
made lots of money, but he spent it
royally not in selfish pleasure but
helping his fellows.
Which would you rather leave be--hind
a hundred million dollars or the
memory of such a life as that led, by
the splendid old man who died in the
little Illinois town?
and unhooking bullheads that the
girls caught, and when not busy at
that he lay back with his spine up
against a mossy rock and the favorite
meerschaum between his lips. Through
his half-closed eyes he could see all
kinds of pretty pictures in the clouds,
and the delighted screams of the girls
when their corks went under was
far sweeter music tnan Sousa ever
got out of his famous band.
Along about noon the Big Boy hus
tled around and found some big leaves
that he soon pinned up with thorns
until they made respectable drinking
cups, and then ..spread the bread and
butter sandwiches out on some other
big leaves that performed duty as a
tablecloth. The only trouble about
the lunch was that there wasn't near
enough of it, and the Little Miss in
sisted on either hiking for home or
having more to eat. So the Big Boy
after warning them to sit Btill and not
go near the creek, chased off over the
bluff and found a farm house. After
proper negotiations he secured a buck
et of rich milk, some more bread and
butter and a hatful of mellow June
apples. Laden with the spoil he hur
ried back and managed to fill a couple
of , aching voids.
and as he didn't have tho money ho
was started off to jail. Then tho wife,
paid the fino out of money she had
earned by taking in washing and was
allowed to take her hUBband homo
with her.'
The incident reminded us of tho
recent discussion about establishing
a whipping post for wife beaters. Tho
writer does not favor the whipping
post for wife beaters. You will re
member that in tho comic opera,
"Tho Mikado," the mikado, in striv
ing to think up a punishment to fit
tho crime, suggested something ling
ering, like boiling in oil? Well,
doeB it not occur to you that tho whip
ping post is not "lingering" enough
for a brute like Uio one described
abpve?
SHORTHAND Tjwrning, nookkcepin,
be lcq studnntit, .cheap hoard,
. . ... nd tiw.000 School Jlalldlnfr!
Illustrated catalog FltBB. Wrlto or It today.
I). Z,. MU88KJTJWAN. l'reH.
Bex tZ3, (Jem City Btwlaeaa College, Qulney, III.
Nyo I.llhla fliirintfs, Wythevlllo, Vn. For Mom
noli, Kldnujr Ulnddor Dlseanos nnd Gravel. Thrco
medals for tho hoot waWr hi tho United Hlatot.'
Wrlto for tONtlmonlah of Cures,
COur 3 beoli far luTtaton anilSl r"pi of tfcciu,T7l
R.S.AA.B.LACEY.Washlngfon.D.C. Eslab, 1863.
SIR
TREES ARE FAMOUS
wherever planted: arc Dluntcd
everywhere trees arc drown. Free
r Catalog ol superb lrulta Black Ben,
King David, Delicious, ctc.-$kikEfo'i,UbUM,K,
The writer of this department
"played hookey" the other day, and
he did not go alone. He was accom
panied by two girls. One of them is
quite young, being only five years old,
but the other is a young lady who coy
ly admits that eight summers have
flown over her head. We didn't tell
anybody about it, either. At the break
fast table we "swiped" bread and but
ter while the Boss of the Household
was not looking, and the oldest young
lady made a surreptitious visit to the
cookie jar just before the three of us
sneaked dut the kitchen door, slipped
up the alley and hiked off down the
back streets and out into tho woods
over beyond the asylum. The Little
Miss carried a tin can full of worms,
and the Big 3oy carried the rods and
- Jibes.
Just back of the asylum Salt creek
cuts through a rocky bluff and the
water, ripples and tumbles over the
stones, singing a never-ending lullaby.
Just back from the stream a huge
flat rock rests in the shade of the
tree-lined and rocky bluff, and a spring
of clear water trickles down into the
creek. Right there the Little Miss,
the Big Boy and the Young Woman
stopped and prepared to spend the
day. t
The Boss of the Household was sure
to find a hastily scribbled note on the
sideboard In the dining room, and the
Head Push at the office was going to
labor under the impression that the
Big Boy was not feeling well enough
to work. So there was nothing to
worry the truants, and they proceeded
to enjoy themselves. The Big Boy
About ,3 o'clock the Little Miss and
the Big Girl succumbed to the drowsy
heat and tumbled off to sleep under a
tree. The Big Boy forgets whether
he went to sleep or merely fell into a
trance, but it was nearly six o'clock
before he realized, that it was supper
time and the truants two' miles from
home. He roused his fellow truants
and after the lines were wound up
and the worms gently thrown into the
water for the fish that hadn't been
caught, the three of them started
home. It was a case of "ride and tie"
most of the way, for the Big Boy had
to be the horse and carry the small
truants. It was 7 o'clock before they
reached the mouth of the alley and
managed to sneak into the house with
out revealing themselves to the Boss
of the Household. She wasn't very
mad, judging by the supper she gave
the truants. She scolded a little, but
the twinkle in her eyes belied her
words.
Do you reckon for a minute that
the man who recently died In New
York -City after accumulating a hun
dred million dollars ever had as much
fun in one day as either of those
three truants had? Do you suppose
that he had half as much fun hoard
ing up a million as the Big Boy has
had every single day since he played
"hookey" when the two little misses,
with mysterious winks and nods toll
him off into a corner so mamma can
not hear and indulge in reminiscences
of that day spent in the wo8ds? The
Big Boy frankly confesses that he
would like to have a few million dol
lars, but it would take more millions
than Russell Sage or Alfred Belt or
John D. Rockefeller ever accumulated
to buy from him the kisses, the. cares
ses and the smiles of the little misses
who sneaked off into the woods with
him a few days ago.
A few days ago a great big hulking
brute was arraigned in the Lincoln
police court on the charge of beating
his wife. She was a frail little woman
and she declined to prosecute, al
though her face was beaten to a pulp
Whatever the little dog's name was
before he was arrested, his name is
"Brick" now. The name was sug
gested by reason of the little dog's.!
hair and its actions while facing what
seemed then to be immediate death.
"Brick" is a shaggy-haired terrier, and
was arrested because ho violated the
law by not wearing a tag. He was
thrust into the pound and after being
held three days without . redemption
was ordered shot. When the pound-
master let "Brick" out and thrust a
revolver against his shaggy head
"Brick" never flinched. On the con
trary he sat up on his hind legs, and
let his front paws lop over limply. In
the meanwhile his red tongue lolled
out and his eyes looked unflinchingly
into tho eyes of the executioner.
"I can't shoot that dog," said the
poundmaster.
So "Brick" went back into the cage.
When tho newspaper boys around
police headquarters heard tho story
they took up a contribution and
bought a tag for the dog. He was
washerf and christened "Brick," al
though he answered impartially to any
name. "Brick" is living on the fat of
the land, and spends most of his time
resting on the cushioned seat of the
patrol wagon.
"Cinders" is another dog. "Cinders"
is a contraction of "Cinderella." So
far as utilitarian purposes are con
cerned "Cinders" is as useless as a
vermiform appendix, but there are
three people who think more of that
dog than of anything else. Tho other
day the assessor called at the homo of
"Cinders's" master and of. course the
ownership of the dog came up.
"What is the dog worth?" queried
the assessor.
"About a dime," replied the mast
er,
"But what would you take for it?"
"You could have her for nothing if
I had the say-so," replied the master,
"but the children would probably put
a prohibitive price on her."
Turning to the little miss who was
standing near by the assessor asked:
"What would you take for your
dog? A million dollars?"
"No, sir," was the instant reply.
But the master hastily interposed
and compromised by making the as
sessment on a basis of a valuation
of $5. , ,
All this preliminary to a couple of
questions.
"Do you own a dog?"
"If you do, what would you take for
the wag of that dog's tail when it Is
playing with your baby?"
Brain Leaks
Charity exercised for sin covering
purposing is entirely too thin.
There is plenty of -room at the top,
and plenty of golden opportunities at
the bottom.
A great many husbands who think
their wives believe all their excuses
are themselves deceived.
day seldom has the pleasure of seeing1
OOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOC00000000
ASSETS OF $1,327,179.94
is the Statement of
THE OLD LINE BANKERS LIFE
of Lincoln.
No Bonds, no Stocks, no Wall St. Bccurl ties
Agents Wanted
LOW ROUND TRIP RATES
TO NEW JERSEY.LONGISLAND
and New England Coast Reports.
Tho Lako Shore will Bell excursion
tickets to Ashbury Park. Atlantic City,
Low? Dranch, Satr Harbor, Newport,
Block Island ana all 'principal Coa&t
Resorts. Return limit Oct. 31st, 100a
Stop-over of ten days at Now York,
Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, ete. For
- full particulars call on or write A. 6,
Burrows, T. P. A.. 10th & Wnlnut Sts.,
Kansas City, Mo. "VV, J Iiynch, Pas
senger Traffic Manager, Chicago.
NURSING
Graduate Nurses are in constant
demand at GOOD PAY. Young
ladles desirous of entering a
Training School Address
GERMAN AMERICAN HOSPITAL
1619 D1VERSEY BOULEVARD,
Chicago, 111.
1
THE COST OF A PIANO
should not be reckoned entirely upon what you
pay to get It. A very important factor, as the
years puss. Is what you pay to keep It In order,
and more Important still Is the length of service
and the degree of satisfaction it gives you.
GABLER PIANOS
while neither the highest nor the lowest prices,
arc unsurpassed by any instrument made In
America or Europe In the service and satisfac
tion theyjrlve for each dollar expended. The
"GABJLER TONE" Is famous, and tho no-less-furaous"G
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makes that tone permanent through generation
after generation of use. A Gabler Is cheapest
BECAUSE BEST. Investigate
ERNEST GABLER & BRO.
ESTABLISHED 18S4
COO Whltlock Ave., Bronx Borough, N. Y. City
Vtr tVift -fiaHj nf Tipr hrnfnl hiiRhmul. But
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frtftkH Hfr. Ct.. lit M( XI, SHhrtcMK.
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