The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-09-03
Eife's Yicissitudes.

a WeA-knoWn man-abOut-toWn, who
finds his chief delight in the study Of
human nature, and who believes that
Denver offers better field for that too
rarely practiced art than any other SPOT
on the face of the earth, told Tribune
representative good many entertain
ing and amusing stories in pleasant
hours chat, the other day.
He was seated in a comfortable chair
that allowed him to loll back and rest
his feet on the window-sill, smoking his
cigar and lazily and dreamiE watching
the smoke as it went up in little rings
and was then caught by the wind and
sent scurrying out of the window and
blown away into nothingness.
+" Did you ever think much of the vi.
cissitudes of lifeP'' he asked, suddenly.
knocking the white ashes from the end
OF his cigar, and looking SO earnestly
into his companions face as to really
brighten him into a philosophic mood.
The latter answered that he had rare
ly given the subject consideration, save
when vicisSitudes themselves made if
imperative.
"We all have our little experiences,
continued the student of human nature.
A smile crept into his face as he went
on, examining the burning end of his
cigar critically: II read little scrap in
snewspaper one time that amused and
Interested me exceedingly, not so much
because of its alleged funniness but be-
cause the writer had suggested some
good ideas without knowing it. He
.yas telling of two men who met acct
'dentaify in the cars One said to the
other. Have not met you somewhere
beforeS And then the fellow spoken
to went on to tell him that he probably
had met him somewhere, saying, Three
years ago l was Secretary of Young
Mems Christian Association. After that
l commanded ship for a while, then
worked In a restaurant, kept hotel,
ran a newspaper, and last summer /
travelled with Barnum as a cannibal.'
"'Life is full of vicissitudes,' re-
marked his companion, to which the
fellow of many experiences responded,
laconically, "She am; very full, in
deed ..
&C | think Of that little yarn every now
and them" continued the gentleman,
laughing quietly to himself, !" as look
around me in Denver and see poor dew
lis whose experiences have been almost
as remarkable as those of the chap in
the story. You have often read in the
New York papers of noblemen's sons
serving in the big restaurants like Del
monico's and the Brunswick as walters?
Well know that such things often &C.
cur. A man can make big tumble in
a very short time. Talking about wait
ers, it was only few days ago that
there was real live Countess-a Swed-
ish one-washing dishes and making
herself generally useful in the American
House. Funny, amt itP / tell you
this is the country to live in if you want
to have heightened people do the ordi-
nary work. 1t was not long ago that
had my boots blackened by little cod
ger whom afterward learned was the
runaway son of Chicago millionaire.
The vicissitudes in that little fellows
life are beginning early. y
g sat here at my window the other
day-you see | have good view up and
down the street for good ways-and
counted no less than half a dozen peo-
pie as they passed whose histories l
knew were peculiar enough to form the
interesting plots of as many novels.
One man passed with big bundle of
handbills under his arm. Though thor
oughly respectable in his appearance,
one would never dream in passing him
that years ago he was a wealthy man,
Mayor of one of the large cities in the
East and with a political future as
bright as any man ever had. l don't
know how he came down. He tumbled
all the same. He could probably tell
you something about the vicissitudes
of life.
"There goes a man," said the stu
dent of human nature, leaning out of
the window and pointing out middle
aged man who was moving along with
the busy throng with q step that told as
plainly as words that ambition had
ceased to be a motive power, ''who was
at one time member of Congress from
the State of Illinois. He was consid-
cred an able man with great future.
To-day he would be glad to get a case
III UnO pO1ltO SOulO uIIbo WOulu pay lllu
a fee of five dollars.
"You' never imagine that Jay Gould
had any poor relations, would you? 1t
seems hard to think so. One would
think that man so rich as he, and
owning dozens of railroads, in the Off
ces of which sinecures are as plentiful
as blackberries in July, would look aft
er all his poor relations. And yet right
here in Denver nephew of.Jay Gould,
the Railroad Prince, makes his bread
by driving street car. He amt at all
proud. and would probably own with
out blushing, if you were to ask him,
chat Jay was his uncle. '
GA good-natured, although dignified
oldfellow who sells jugs and earthenware
TO Denverites, was a dozen years ago
Minister to foreign court. He has evil
IDENTIFY forgotten-or given up as dead
and not worth thinking about the past.
Vicissitudes have not ruined happy
disposition and belief that life is worth
living. XIX.
"There are half dozen other men
in Denver who have found that for
some people at least there is system
of equalization or leveling in this world
that is, they get a sorrow for every
ioy. A man who was once Secretary
to Chevalier Wykoff now sells beer in a