Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1884-02-28

A young man writes to Pecks Sun
as follows:
81 am book-keeper in q wholesale
house, on salary Of twelve hundred
dollars year, and I have five hun
dred dollars laid up. want to make
some money, and I have thought
some Of specializing little in wheat
or pork. I know several young men
in my position who have made quite
q little money in speculating, and I
have been tempted to invest, several
times, but have not yet been able to
get up courage to take my Eve hun
dred dollars out Of the bank and put
it in the hands Of a commission house.
What would you advise me to do?
I have guessed on the market several
times, and have guessed right, and if
1 had put my money on my guesses,
I would have made considerable.
Now, tell me honestly, because l
know you have speculated, and know
all about it."
Young man. 60 and look at your
FIVE hundred dollars, and see il it is
there yet. Ah, it is all safe, is. it?
Looked sort Of good, didn't it?
Made you feel proud when you saw
it, proud that you had earned it by
hard work? Well, il you had twice
the amount, won at gambling, or in
wheat speculations, you would not
think half as much Of it As you do
Of this first FIVE hundred dollars.
You don't ever think now Of spending
this money foolishly. 1t represents
to you hard work coined into dollars.
II you had accumulated 1t without
work in speculation, and it came easy.
you would be looking for q horse that
could beat the crowd on the avenue,
in less than = week. You would be
spoiled II yen accumulated money
easy. and ruined il you lost your five
hundred. You keep right on keeping
books, and keeping them we'll, and
forget that five hundred, except to
draw the interest regular, or unless
you see q piece Of frt-class, solid
property that is offered cheap. But
don't you ever put dollar on wheat
or pork, expecting to win, for you
will lay down your bundle sooner or
later, and wake up with headache.
This is not the advice of one who
ever speculated dollar, or who ever
will, but one who has been watching
those who do speculate for fifteen
years. Not one in . hundred of them
but has lost. Those who have Won
are no better Oh, because they have
worn themselves out watching the
market and cursing their luck. 1t il
9 business that should only be done
by rich men for amusement. Tht
rich can lose and not feel it, though
some of them kick pretty hard wher
they lose. But the poor, those who
are depending on their labor, eithel
Of hands or brain, should never in
dulge in an amusement that make,
even the rich wish they were dead
You can take hundred dollars ant
go to faro bank, and guess on tn
deal. in your mind, with your hand ol
your money in your pocket, and yo'
will guess right very often, but il yo'
put your money down, the msjorit,
of the guesses will be ssainst you
and the commission the hank take
will soon eat up your hundred dol
lars. II you bet . dollar OF eac
card. and won half your bets, an
; lost the other half, it would only be
matter of time when the bank woul,
have all your money, and you wonl'
have the experience. Without argu
ing that speculation in optsons is any
thing like faro bank, though man,
spectators will tell You It 10, the re
suit will be the same, only the com
: mission has to be paid on every deal
whether you win or lose. II 70
E make deal and win, you pay tn
E gentlemanly commission man bis CON
| mission. II you lose on the deal, b
! is not going to work for nothing,
he? OF course not. The faro ban
only takes a commission when yo
. win, which shows that the faro banks
: Is not as good business man -
y ought to be. II The Sun Is mistake
. about commission being charged o
q losing deals, 1t Is willing 70 be COZ
y rected. Any way, young man. VIII
p you want to do is to forget that thcI
: is any chance for you 70 engage
speculation, for II you go into It, yo
will curse the day thst you did. No,
!: don't ask any more questions, but 9
IS on posting up those books.
d -------
: Grand Mac H>~ts.~