The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-12-27
McFadden's Master.Stroke; Or, the Mod
ern Road tO Fortune

Samuel McFadden was a watchmaD
in bank. He was poor but honest,
and is life was without reproach. rhe
trouble with him was that he was not
appreciated. His salary was only four
dollars week, and when he asked for
more the President, Cashier, and the
Board of Directors glaredat him through
their spectacles and frowned on him,
and told him to 60 out and stop his in
science, when he knew business was
dull and the bank could not meet its
expenses now, let alone recklessly Law
ishing one dollar q week more upon
such miserable worm as Samuel Nc.
Fadden, and then Mr.. Samuel McFad-
den felt much depressed and sad, and
the naughty scorn of the President and
the Cashier cut him to the soul. He
would often 60 out in the ship yard and
bow his venerable twenty.fo four inch
head and weep gallons and gallons of
tears over his insignificance, and pray
that he might be made worthy of the
Presidents and Cashiers polite atten-
tion.
One night happy thought struck
him. A gleam of light burst upon his
soul, and gazing down the dim vista of
years, with his eyes all blinded with the
mist ofjoyous tears, he saw himself rich,
honored and respected. So Samuel
McFadden fooled around and got Jim.
my, a monkey wrench and a cross-cut
saw, and cold chisel, and drill, and
about half ton of gun powder, and
some nitro .glycerine, and all those
things. Then, in the dead of the night,
he went to the fire.proof safe, and after
working at it while burst the door
and brick and brick. work into immor.
tai smash with such perfect success that
there was not enough of that safe left to
make carpet tack. Mr.. McFadden
then proceeded to load up with coupons
and greenbacks and currency and specie,
and to nail all the odd change that was
laying around anywhere, so that he
pranced out of the bank with one mil
lion dollars on him. He then retired to
an unassuming residence out of town,
and sent word to the detectives where
he was. 1t was all sereneand beautiful
for Samuel McFadden now. He felt
that he was all right at last, ,and that the
dark night of sorrow had passed and the
bright rays of the sun of prosperity at
last illuminated his path. A detective
called on him the next day with sooth.
ing note from the Cashier. McFadden
treated it with lofty scorn. Detectives
called upon him every day with humble
notes from the President and the Cash
ier and the Board of Directors and
Clerks and Stockholders.
AT last the bank officers got up mag
nificent and private supper, to which
Mr.. McFadden was invited. He came,
and, as the bank officers bowed down
In the dust before him, he pondered
over the bitter, bitter past, and his soul
Was filled with exultation. Before he
drove away in his carriage that night,
it was all fixed that Mr.. McFadden was
to keep half a million of that money
and go unmolested, if he returned the
other half. He fulfilled his contract like
an honest man, but refused with
naughty disdain the offer of the Cashier
to marry his (McFadden's) daughter.
Mac is now honored and respected. He
browses in purple and fine linen and
other good clothes, and enjoys himself
first.rate. And often now he takes his
infant son upon his knee and tells him
of his early life,a and instills precepts into
the child's mind, and shows him how,
by industry and perseverance, and
frugality and nitro gIycerine, and mon
key wrenches and enterprise, and cross
cut saws and familiarity with the
detective system, even the poorest may
rise to affluence and respectability in
this free country.