The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-11-03


me many times over"
Grover shrugged his shoulders.
Perhaps they wiIl,' said he, very
doubtfully; "but l can't afford to throw
away my money on such an uncertainty.
When | have hundred dollars, put
it in the bank; and would advise you
to do the same"
GA bank of mother earth will pay
me better then any of your city banks, -
said Fairfield smiling.
GA fool and his money are soon
parted, thought John Grover, although
he did not see fit to express the opin-
ion.
Five years passed. The trees which
had been set out grew and fourished
under the generous care which was
taken Of them, and were now, many OF
them, in a bearing condition. John
Grover could not help admitting that
they very much improved the appear
ance of his neighbours five acre lot, but
he thought can't afford to pay so
much for ornaments"
A conversation which he had with
Fairfield somewhat altered his opinion.
"How much fruit do you suppose ]
have sold off my piece % inquired the
latter Of Grover one day.
81 don't know" said Grover. "How
much dio you?"
"Three hundred dollars worth!' ex.
claimed Grover, opening his ewes.
Yes; and next year l hope to sell
four hundred. The trees are young,
and of course, their bearing power in
creases every year."
"Three hundred dollars 20 repeated
John Grover, bewildercd.
Yes. You know YOU told me when
[ was setting out the trees, that it
would have been better to invest the
hundred dollars in some bank. If
had, it wouldn't have amounted to one
hundred and fifty YETI
John Grover reluctantly acknowl-
edged that his neighbor was right.
"Then, besides," he continued, "my
land is worth very much more. How
much do you value your five-acre lot
at"
alt would fetch hundred dollars
an acre"
"I was offered two hundred for mine
yesterday"
You were - exclaimed Grover, in
great surprise. "Of course you ac-
cepted it 20
"Of course not. Do you think !
would sell land yielding me revenue
of three hundred dollars a year, with
more in prospect, for thousand dol
lars ?"
John Grover began to think he had
been acting foolishly. His own five
acre lot was equally as good naturally
as Fairfeld's, yet the latter's would
now fetch double the price in market
He decided to get some trees immedi
ate.y. He did so, but could not be
pcrvailcd upon to treat the land rs gen
erously as Fairfield had done he con
sidcred that it was money thrown
away. The consequence was that his
trees advanced more slowly than his
neighbor's, and it took nearly double
the time for them to reach the same
bearing condition with the latter
Nevertheless he had taken one step il
the right direction. But. welded a.
he was to hispeculiar notions Of econ
omy, it was impossible for him to give
them up at once.
/ have but one more instance of hi.
false economy to relate, for the conse
quences which this entailed were &c
serious that they opened his eyes eff
fectually to the error of the course
which he had been pursuing. Ont
day as he was at work in the field hi
saw stranger approaching him.
"Good day." said the latter.
John Grover returned his salution
an! waited to have him unfold his bus
mess. This he proceeded to do.
! am the agent of a fire-insuranc,
company" he said. "may inquir'
whether your buildings are insured.
"No," said Grover.
"Then l would advise you to EN-
brace the present opportunity to Sc
cure them from the contingency o
fire. The company by whom l an
employed are prepared to do it on fai
terms"
"The house has stood thirty year
without being burnt, and it isn't at al
likely it will burn down now."
The agent smiled. "You might a
well say," he answered that becaus
a man has lived thirty years withou
dying, there is no likelihood of his dy
ing at all"
"How much do you charge for in
surance %
"I should Judge that on your bull
dings it would be about ten dollars
year."
"Suppose," said John Grover, tri
umphantly, 81 had been paying tina
amount for the last thirty years; don
YOU see I should have lost three hun
dred dollars"
"But if the house had burned down
you would have lost five times tha
amount"
"But it hasn't burned down, and
haven't paid cent"
j "Your neighbor has had his house in
sured."
"Of course; / knew he would
Fairfield is always spending his none,
for new tangled things"
Yet he seapos m ha prOspcrOus."