Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-05
AMERICAN ~PUsm.D
"If Don't GetRicb, My sOnWiII,'
Said the Little Man.

New York Trihune.l
The gates had just been thrown
open at the railroad station on Man
haitian Beach, and a large crowd was
struggling to make its way past the
gatekeepers, who refused to let a sin
gle ticket go by unpunched. A dozen
men and women had already squeezed
through the gates, and were busting
rapidly toward the cars, though there
was no apparent object to be attained
by haste, when a fat little man with a
yellow valise shufled through the
gateway, and, seeing a few passengers
in front of him, bolted at full speed
toward the cars, not even pauslng
when he had put every one else behind
him. He hurried along with an anx-
ious expression Of countenance, his
portmanteau humping against his legs,
and at last dropped breathlessly into
one of the numerous empty cars. A
reporter was standing by, and he
thought: THAT man must surelyh have
known that there were at least ten
cars standing upon the track, every
one of them vacant. What can have
been the object Of his haste2" The
mystery was not elucidated by the
almost equal precipitation of a hal
dozen others, both men and women.
who followed hard upon the winner
of the race. Anxious to know the
cause of these peoples agitation, the
reporter seated himself behind the
little man who had first attracted hil
attention, and inquired:
Where, may | ask, were you ant
those other people running2"
The man thrust his chin forward
and rubbed lis temple with hi
knuckles, wrinkled his brow at tn,
same time with a puzzled expression
Because" the reporter continued
you know there was a long trail
without a soul in it, and you coull
not have anticipated a lack Of room.
why" said the man, brighteninI
up, lit wasn't for the room, but
always make it a point to get at th
head Of a crowd. Most people in tn
city do, you know, but it isn't often
get left. Some Of the people at tn
gate here kept me back, or l shout,
have been out sooner, but | manage
to get ahead of them after all. Nc
sir, it takes a good pressing mar t
beat yours truly"
"You gain a great deal of satisfaC
ton from being at the front, | SUI
poser
"Of course. Everybody does. ]
you have to do thing, doit up brown
that's my principle. | have a boy 9
home, and | tell him almost ever
night, Johnny l say, mind 20
don't let the people get ahead Of you
Aud that boy hasn't missed being o
the fsrryboat first but once in tire
months, and that was because he fe'
down. He's a chip off the old blocl
that boy, and I'm proud OF him"
What if everybody tried to b
frst2"
"Why, then we'd give them a shar
tufsle, l tell you. 1t isn't everybod
that can succeed in this world, bu
those of US that are fortunate hav
some reason to be proud, | think?"
DO you get rich faster for you
push?"
well" said the man, ruefully, g.
| don't, my boy will"
At this point the engine whistlet
and the little man snatched up hi
portmanteau and gathered himself t
gether for the rush. No sooner di
The speed of the train slacken tina
he dived from his seat and leaped upo
the platform. In a moment he ha
disappeared through the gate, strul
Cling manfully to distance a gauI
competitor, who was, no doubt. con
PEELED ultimately to yield to the s,
perior enterprise of the energetic lit
man.