Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-03-05
IT WOULDN'T WORK.
A Parent who Tried Bob Ingcrsoll's Method.

The Springfield Republican is re-
sponsible for the following account
of a Yankee parent who tried Col.
Ingersoll's method, with not very
satisfactory results: 1t thus re.
lates:
Colonel Ipgersoll says he keeps a
pocket-boOk in all open drawer and
his children go and help Them
selves to money whenever they
want 1t. "rhey eat when they
want to, they may sleep all day If
they choose, and sit up all night If
they desire, l don't try to cOerce
them. l never punish. never
ecold. They buy their own clothes
and are masters of themselves"
A gentleman living ON Marshall
street. who has boy that is full as
kitteny as his father, read the
article and pOndered deeply. He
knew that Colonel IngersOll was q
success at raising children in the
way they should go, AID he thought
he would try it. The boy had
caused bin considerable annoy
ance, and lie made up his mind
that he had not treated the boy
right; so he called the boy in from
the street., where he WAS putting
soft soap on a lamp post In order to
SIC the lamp-lighter climb it, aud
said to him;
"My son, have decided to adopt
q different course with you. Here
tOfore / have been careful in giving
you money, and have wanted to
know where every cent went to,
and my supervision has no doubt
been annoying to you. Now Pm
going to- leave my pocket-book in
the bureau drawer, with plenty OF
money in 1t, and you are at liberty
to use all you want without asking
me. want you to buy your own
clothes and feel as though the
money was yours. and that you
bad not to account for 1t. Just
make yourself at home now and
try to have good time"
The boy locked at the old gentle.
man, put his hand on his head, as
though he had '.got 'em, sure" and
went out to see the lamp.lighter
climb that soft.soap. The next day
the stern parent went out into the
country shooting, and returned on
the midnight train three days later.
He opened the door with latch.
key, and strange yellow dog
grabbed dim by the elbow Of his
pants aud shook him, he said,
"like the aUgur"
fNho dor ho r. oil N ., Il ri, n 90, Il a, ~ +, I
the sou came down in his pight.
shirt and called him off. He told
his father he had bought that dog
of a fireman for Sill, and it was
probably the best dog bargain that
had been made this season. He
said the fireman told him he could
And u man that wanted that kind
Of a dog.
The parent took off his pants,
what the dog had not removed,
aud in the hall he stum bled over q
birchbark canoe the boy had bought
of an Indian for 80, and an army
musket, with an iron ramrod, fell
down from the corner. The boy
had paid So for that. He had also
bought himself an overcoat with q
sealskin collar and cuff and com
plste ou:dt Of calico shirts and
silk stockings.
In his room the parent found the
marble top of a soda fountain, .
wbeslbarrow aud a shelf filed witt
all kinds of canned meat, preserves
and crackers, and u barrel Of ap
pies. A wall tent aud six pair o
blankets were rolled w ready fo
camping out, and q buckskin shir
and u pair Of corduroy pants lay or
the bed ready for pulling on. S,z
fish-pOles aud basketful Of fish
lines were ready for business, All.
an oyster can full of grub. worm
for bait were squirming on tn,
wash stand. The old gentleman
looked the layout ever, looked q
, his pockettook Ia the bureau draw
er, as empty as q contribution box
. and said:
, "Y0ang man, the times hav
. been too tiush We will now return
, to q specie basis. When you wan
, money come to me aud l will Civ
. you a nickel and you will tell m
+ what you intend to buy with 1t o
. I'll warm you. You hear me-"