Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-22
MAKING A FORTUNE.
BY MARK TWAIN.

Samuel McFadden was a watch.
man in a bank. He was poor, bnt
honest. and his life was without re-.
prOach. The trouble with him was
that Ee felt that he was not appre-
GATED. His. salary was only S4a
week, and when he asked to have it
raised, the president, cashier and
board OF directors glared at him
through their spectacles, and frOwn-
ed on him, and told him 70 70 out
and stop his insOlence, when he
knew business was dull, and the
bank could not meet its expenses
now, let alone lavishing one dollar
Oh such miserable worm as Sam
uel McFadden. And then Samuel
McFadden felt depressed, sad, and
the naughty scorn of the president
and cashier cut him to the soul. He
would often go into the side-yard
and bow his venerable twenty. four
inch head, and weep gallons and
gallons of tears over his insignifi-
canoe, and prayed that be might be
made worthy of the cashiers and
presidents polite attention.
One night happy drought
struck him; CLEAN OF light burst
upon him, and gazing down the
dim vista of years with his eyes all
blinded with joyous tears, he saw
himself rich and respected. So
Samuel McFadden fooled around
and got jimmy, amOnkey-wrench,
u cross-cut saw, cold.chisel, a
drill, and about ton of gunpowder
and nitrO-glycerine, and those
things. Then in the dead of night,
he went to the fire.proOf safe, and
after working at it for a while, burst
the door and brick into an iInmor-
tai smash, with such a perfect sue
cess, that there was not enough of
that safe left to make carpet tack.
Mr.. McFadden then proceeded to
load up with coupons, greenbacks
currency and specie, and to nail all
the odd change that was lying any
where, so that he pranced out Of
the bank with over "a million dollars
OH him. He then retired to an mn
assuming residence out OF town,
and then sent word to the detec-
tives where he was.
A detective called on him the
next day with soothing note from
the cashier. McFadden treated it
with lofty scOrn. Detectives called
Oh him every day with humble notes
from the president, cashier and
board of directors. At last the bank
officers got up magnificent private
supper, to which Mr.. McFadden
was invited. He came, and as the
bank officers bowed down in the
dust before him, he pondered well
over the bitter past, and his soul
was filled with exultatiOn.
Before he drove away in his car
riage that night it was all fixed that
Mr.. McFaddcn was to keep half the
money, and to be unmOlested if he
returned the other half. He fulfill.
ed his contract like an honest man,
but refused with naughty disdain
the offer of the cashier to marry his
daughter.
Mac is now honored and respect
ed. He moves in the best society,
he browses around in purple and
fine linen and other good clothes,
and enjoys himself first rate. And
often now he takes his infant son on
Lis knee and tells him of his early
Inf 2, and instills holy principles into
the child's mind, and shows him
how, by industry and perseverance,
and frugality, and notro-glycerine,
and nOnkey.wrenches, and cross
cut saws, and familiarity with the
detective system, even the poor
may rise to affluence and response.
bility.