Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-17

4
There are some lives whose history is
profitable study
A poor man with large family. for
whom he could scarcely find food re-
moved some wears ago from Whitehall.
n. ". 10 the manufacturing town OF
Ware, Mass In his anject poverty. how
ever. be cherished one treasure, bright
hpgyr who 10 quick and active intellect
added . winning address, which made
! him a fayorire in the factory in which
he worked The Dor was industrious,
4 faithful Ia his attention 10 business. cor
rect In his habits, and he bad the other
virsne-scarcely less highly esteemed by
he persons around him--of close econ
Dmy. He saved his money carefully, not
/ that be might Law q foundation for busi-
ness prosperity, but thst be might secure
: liberal education and fit himself for the
/ ministry Of the Gospel. In the church TO
which he belonged, as in the factory,
there we're friends on every hand ready 10
I! help him in his brave struggle and en-
I courage him in his honorable ambition
/ Promotion in business came quickly.
/ Afler he hsd le.t the factory and accepted
/ employment in merchants shop, his
/ former employer continued TO assist him
I in his efforts TO rise Presently he began
10 exhort in the meetings Of the church.
and in 1850 he became an ordained minis
ter As minister the young man gave
rare promise Of usefulness, adding 10 his
/ gifts as q preacher the less common talent
| Of a good organizer and manager OF
church work and church business.
The war coming on, this young man,
| Ezra ID. winslow, entered the army as a
4 .,~3 a chan
1 lain, first in the army and later in the
navy.
Then came the first steps downward.
1 The young man dreamed of wealth and
resolved to seek Ii by Short roads. He
was emotionally religious, and there Is
/ little room 10 question the sincerity either
Of his faith or his piety; but he lacked
/ what 30 many Others lack a balance wheel
1 Of sturdy integrity. He seems never 10
1 have been a conscious hypocriie, or TO
have preferred dishonesty TO honest
courses; but his thirst for riches was con-
suming: and when wealth seemed within
/ his grasp bis moral nature was not strong
enough 10 resist temptation. stock spec
ulations are not necessarily dishonest. and
stock gambling is only form of stock
speculation. The young chaplain was
| idle on board his ship in the har5or OF
| San Francisco. The time was one of
| speculation, and suddenly made fortunes
were not uncommon things. He could 90
| ashore when he would, and going daily
/ the chaplain presently became q shTewd
| if not an INSCRIPTIONS gambler upon the
l Stock Exchange He made and lost
/ money in large sums, and having once
/ caught the fever he never recovered from
it. After his retirement from his chap
/ laincy and from the active work of the
| ministry, he sought both the appearance
and the reality of wealth. He was not
content with fhe steady ways Of
legitimate business, but tried to
compel circumstances and hasten
/ the coming of wealth by every
| device known TO the commercial world.
| His transactions were often questionable,
sometimes suspicious, but he adroitly
avoided exposure, and for a time, al least,
kept within the strict letter of the law OF
! honesty, even when transgressing its
spirit His downward course was not
| voluntary, except in its first steps, ard
| his dishonesty was never the result of a
deliberately formed purpose. He meant
TO make money, and this purpose was
stronger than his other resolution TO be
honest; not strong enough, perhaps, TO
overcome conscience at bound, but able
10 undermine il little by little. Another
and still more fatal fact existed. His
thirst for wealth was equaied by his de-
sire to seem wealthy, and. spending
money more rapidly than he could fairly
make IT, he found himself Obliged, in
some sort, to resort first 10 questionable
and finally TO boldly dishonest methods Of
getting the means with which to maintain
his state. He was still minister, preach.
ing occasionally. He was a business man
| with large interests. He was chosen
agent in the promotion OF church and
charitable work He had been recently a
legislator, and he was counted rich, able
and respectable citizen. He was all that
his birth and the circumstances of his
boyhood had not promised, and the temp
tation was strong TO maintain the standing
he had won, even though its maintenance
should require the sacrifice of the charac-
ter which was supposed 10 be its founda-
ton.
Once or twice, latterly, he was detected
IN doubtful pecuniary transactions, but
the secret was kept. Once, at least, a
bank President discovered that he had
4 forged an endorsement upon a note for
large amount, but the respectability of
the culprit was such that the felony was
NOIipouHutu, anu Tie IudlteT uluucu from
the public TO that public's sore injury.
The men who ought TO have sounded
warning were silent, and the now wholly
INSCRIPTIONS swinaler, still preaching
occasionally 10 other sinners, scattered his
forged paper In every direction. Now he
has disappeared, with his family, sailing,
as is thought, for Rotterdam, and his vic
Tins suffer without remedy
The public lesson of this mans life is
a plain one. by neglecting to secure ad-
equate extradition treaties with the gov
ernmenis of every civilized nation, we
hold out to such men as Winslow the
promise Of escape and immunity in safe
and comfortable retreat, without which
they would think twice before entering
upon such courses as his
The personal lessons of Winslow's life
scarcely need pointing out. His whole
history, here briefly detailed, is sermon
which cannot be easily misunderstood -
| ~. Y. EDeatng Post. ES $685.
| v- - -