The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-11-05
Hancock Savings Bank
THE GOLDEN MEAN.
By UNCLE BEN. +"

"EXtremas are not only more contrary 10
each Other tEtu either Of them j. to the
miodie point, bat one Of Them often bears a
ia se' resemblance 10 the middle. and is fire.
queHtly mistaken for it."-ARIsTOTLE.
Juck-GOOd morning, Uncle Ben. /
have called on You for advice. If you
will ailowme toask you some questions,
it viii be OF great service-to me.
CRcle Ben am very glad to see you,
Jack Nothing gives me more pleasure
than 10 talk with young men starting in
life-especially when, like you, they
come Cmselyes to seek for information.
was young once myself, Jack, so |
know how it is
JgcE-Thank you, sir. \ friend of
mine told he you hadn't time to bother
talking with me, and that would only
make 700. Of myself if l came to see
you, but ] knew lac was wrong, sir.
One evning, about three years ago, l
was in a s4loon, with some friends, drink
ing beer, and a man came in and handed
each of us one of your pamphlets, "How
to get Rich" After got home l read
it, and | couldn't seem to sleep that
night. 1 got out OF bed twice, and
lighted the lamp, to read it over and
over again. Such ideas never came into
my head, sir, before.
Ulcle BeR-The reason is, Jack, you
are young, and such ideas are the result
of age and experience.
Jach Yes, sir, l suppose so. Thought
men got rich by good fortune, or luck,
or something OF that kind. But made
up my mind 'he pamphlet was right,
sir, and so l commenced saving my spare
money. have eight hundred dollars
in the Savings Bank, now, sir.
UHcIe BeR-You don't tell me so,
Jack. That is doing finely. Why, it is
much better than l did myself the first
three years l began. Let me see-the
bank is allowing you four dollars a
month, in interest, for the use of it, too.
Think of that, jack
JGcL-Yes sir! l begin to see how it is
that some men get rich and others re-
main poor. But it's hard work to get
on, sir People call me mean, because
l won't 90 cut evenings, and treat
around, as / used to, and all that
Uiicle Beu-WeH, had the same ex-
peIiencemyself, jack. remember how
lard it was to stick to my plan. But |
could tell you of several cases, in my
lifetime, where / vas afterwards repaid,
a thousand fold, by being able to help
the very persons who considered me
mean. One young fellow helped to re
form from drunkenness and kept him
along until lie got employment, and was
upon his feet again. He is now doing
well. 1t takes a lifetime, almost, to
show Us fully how these things end.
Don't be discouraged, Jack. l tell you
that you are on the right path to fortune
and happiness. But what do you do
evenings, now that you refuse to go out
with tie other Young men, as you used
to do.
JGck-WlIy, read, sir, more than I
used to- / read the lives Of great men,
&c, and every word J read shows NE,
mere and more, tliat your little book is
right
Ua-le Bea So you see, Jack, you are
IA double gamer by following the advice
in my book. You are gaining riches,
and you are gaining Information. Thus
it always is with those who travel the
right road. 1t was exactly the same with
he. After l had learned how dollars
acre made, 10y SaciHg pennies, l then
conceived the idea that / might gain
horrS by yariRg minutes WANTED time
for reading, and / estimated that If
could gain one hour before breakfast,
/ los rising earlier, aud tSro hours in the
evening, from recreation, that l would
thus save three hours every day. This
would make, in "a single week, tJCCnty-
one hours, which IS nearly whole day
| gained, for reading, in every week. Aud
SO, by this plan, found that pro
| grcsSed finely. ! reai volume after vol
/ nme. When five or six years had passed,
! | WAS very well informed on many sub
| ject-. People thought had received a
college eaucation. But had not, Jack
1t was only my own study, during the
hours had saved, 10y looking out for
the minutes But what was the ques-
ton you desired to-ask mel
Jac6-It was this, sir. Some people
tell me l am becoming a miser by thi,
course Of life, aud IL worries me, sir,
What shall do3
UncIs Ben-WeH, Jack, don't think
there j. mucl: dagger Of creating miser,
in this country. The danger seems al
in the other direction You might a
we'll be afraid OF floating up stream by
rowing against the current.
have been, for many years, looking
Tor niiser, and / have not found one
yet. have seen the garrets and the
cellars filed with spendJhrifts, but til,
misers l could not find. Misers are poo
affairs. Jack; bat. after ali, they harm
only themselves, ana perhaps lew cor
nected with them by blood But spend
thrifts 90 about ike roaring lions, seek
ing whom they may devour. They cor
rupt the manners of tie young by set
ting an example it Is but too easy TO FOL
low. and when they become, by lon
habit. fixed IN their ways, and hav
ruined themselves, they beg, borrow
ami steal, to feed their eXecrable appe
tites. IL had TO choose between tw
evils, ] would prefer to be a miser, rattle
than a spendthrift, Jack
10 be C9rtiHUed.)