The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-12-27
Rs..nce Of Old. BEN. Mason.

Romance Of Old Ben. Mason.
When indianapolis sat down to its
bBeakfast and its newspapers on Sum
day last, it uttered Concerted exclama-
ton as it read that "Old Ben. Mason
had gone to the poor-house. Indian
apolis held its breath; It was unable to
put its astonishment into words. ssPoor
old Ben. Hasohi'' was all It could say.
After the first shock of surprise every
body glanced over Mr.. Mason's life, as
far as possible, to see what chain of Ill.
fortune had brought him to . pauper's
home. He had been a citizen of Indian
apolis most Of the time since the begin
ming of the war. He kept hotel here,
and made fortune att. He embarked
in other enterprises with success. He
went into the real estate specula-
ton when the whole town was
real-estate crazy. He was worth $751;
600 when he left the Sherman House in
1856, which he had conducted fer sew
eral years. In 1871 he went into the
speculations which impoverished him.
He is sixty-six years old, and, by his
own request, was taken to the poor
house last week.
There never was sermon preached
that had tbs force of this unadorned
story Of reallife. No romance woven
by the master mind Of fiction ever was
SO full of actual pathos.r The stage has
presented no drama that appealed SO
powerfully to the sympathies of the peo-
pie of this city. Ben. Mason, once
prosperous, prodigal and generous, now
old, friendless and homeless-the door
of the poor-house the only one that is
open to him. ~ ,.-.-ar i.
There is . lesson in this history of
prosperity, 80 quickly followed by hope
less adversely. His own words were !:
" For forty years l Lave lived on the fat
of the land. I have lived i',sst and de-
MED myself nothing. The best w.
none too good" Perhaps if Mr. Mason
had practiced little self-denial during
his forty years of plenty, the humilia-
ton of going ''over the hill to the poor
house, might have been spared him.
He admits that by economy he might
have saved more money, but thinks it
would have gone, like the rest, in bad
investments. This is fallacious reason
ing. 1t need not have gone in bad in
vestments, if the sound judgment had
been exercised that should have been.
The evil day comes to all if prudence
does not prevail against it. Whoever
involves his whole capital in specula-
ton when he is no longer young and
able to retrieve q possible misfortune
invites disaster, and marks out the road
to q pauper.'s grave, over which he must
surely travel If not saved from it by
private charity. Prudence in financial
matters has become much too rare a
virtue. Every body can not live on the
fat of the land and deny themselves
nothing, and yet be untouched by the
legitimate vicissitudes of business and
the direful results of their own prodi-
gality.
i" This is a world of ups and downs,
and we are all creatures Of circumstances
at BEST" said Mr.. Mason. There is a
foundation of truth and great deal Of
sophistry in that statement. Every man
is to a great extent the architect of his
own fortune. Persons who in the long
course of prosperous life deny them
selves nothing are likely to see the day,
as Mr.. Mason has, when they will be
denied something by others. We do
not say this as reproach to Mr.. Ma
son, but that his fate may be lesson
to others to provide as well as they can
against the day of adversely. The rainy
day has set in for him even earlier than
usual. Sixty-six is not an advanced
age for any man. Under happier cir
cnmstances he might look forward to
many peaceful and contented years yet.
As it is, he rejoices that his race is al
most run.
The el-keepers of Indianapolis, for
their own sake, should rescue the old
man from the poor-house. Some one
of them should give him subordinate
position, in which his services will am.
ply compensate for food and clothing,
so that he may yet live comfortably, if
not con the fat of the land" Captain
Wightman, of the Mcguire House, Of
fers to give him three good meals day
if somebody else will lodge him.-Indi-
asai,elis Saturday Herald.