Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-01-19
OLD SAM HILDEBRAND.

CIOseu-tudI OSCaint lusplTeu
and, while under that inspiration,
concluded to come to the great
State of Missouri and practice my
profession. l am a professional
man. Remember that. don't
know that my profession is of any
particular value to the civilized
world, but when l reflect that some
OF the greatest and brightest intel
lects in the land have bowed to us
members of my professional do
not know but that we are abso-
lutely essential to the modern type
OF the higher civilization. am a
gambler. | have no hesitancy in
making this confession, from the
fact that l look on the profession
as one OF the great prosecutions
and tribulations, besides lawyers,
doctors, members of congress and
other worthless that the world calls
wise have come to US in their hours
Of trouble for amusemement and
consolation. But | must not stop
to moralize. Some way, guess, |
must have been born a moralizer.
and even when trying to tell a
plain matter of fact story l can't
help hurglarizing the ancient TEN.
pie OF philosophy and dragging
forth some of its most profound
secrets.
As was trying to tell, | came
to Missouri to practice my pro-
fession. This is story of my per-
sonal experience, and of course it
is not necessary that | should men
ton the town | stopped at; but l
stopped at a town. / remember
that. | opened palace of fortune
"A den, | presume you would call
it-and began business on a large
scale. 1t wasn't such grand scale
after all, when l tell you the plain
unvarnished truth, for only had
a capital of about $1,000; but /
went into business early in the
winter after the cotton began to 90
into market, and of course money
was plenty. l found plenty of fools
who wanted to send me to the
poor house, but some way | al
ways sent them home with consid- !
erably less paid in capital than
they had Immediately after the
sale OF their cotton. But thew al
ways sold more cotton and came
back. Some way they never could
learn the lesson l was trying to
teach them. | am a reformer. and
being reasoning animal, | know
that my kind are so obstinate that
they Will not learn only by exper.
ience. Precept is nothing, prac-
tice Is everything, / won large
amount of money in a short time.
l opened fine bar-room. have
q constitutional objection to selling
whisky, but / am a very tender
fact, almost sentiment
tal-and the boys always got 80
thirsty that ! concluded I would
open bar-room for their benefit.
/ soon became quite wealthy.
Shortly after the opening of the
new year | found by actual count
that | had something over $4,000.
| looked on myself as a kind Of a
financial monarch. had bar.
keepers and dealers Of fortune, and
had nothing to do myself but keep ,
40 account of my enormous gains.
had ropers and cappers who went
out and invited the moths to come
10 and glance at my cleaning, red
hot candle. They invariably burnt
their wings. Very few of them
bad any wings to speak of-tbat ,
g, financial wings-when they wen,
'orth from the presence of nv nc.
'omplished and we'll paid lieut.n. !
lnts.
One evening, late in January ,
Tommy Van Rugsit came in with
! long haired old granger. knew
10 was fearfully and wonderfully
green on sight, besides Tommy ,
possessed Invaluable judgment in
The selection Of his victims, and as
be was working on liberal COM
there was no doubt In my ,
mind that the new conner had sold
several bales Of cotton that dsy
md that there wore $500 or 5000