Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-04
BAKING MONEY.

1t does not need TO be asserted that
money making is Il topic of universal
interest and acceptance with all classes
of people from the self-asscrlive rich TO
the humblest poor. Money is a ood
universally %worshiped. lis affairs are
on every hilltop and valley; at every
hamlet and lireside. Money is the
cuphuiSm or synonym Of all human
comfort, iuNury OF advantage; the pos
session of it stamps its holder as u man
OF power in the community, and has
become an essential in lle organization
OF business. |. is Il topic always d.
cussed, never l4id aside, ever present
and Of cplar@cl interest day by day. in
the factory and tield. il the church and
forum. 1t has cycr been so since the
dawn of civilization and must ever ro-
main so as long rs civilization lasts.
Money is the solvent OF trouble, .,ln
charm for the hungry, the sQiacc OF
blcd soul feels tIiat with money he could
rcmove disquietude; the hungry know
he could buy food; the man Just goin@
into the Unknown feels that his grave
VIII be paid for, and not in the Potter
field. And as long rs ''earth has its
price for what il gives up and "the
beggar must pay for Il to die in
we may expect no change in this appar-
ent law of action. In earlier DAYS,
when money, or the medium of en-
change, was less plentiful than now,
aud the labor of man was held at Il
rate surprising for its smallness-when
it required Il huge quantity of work or
merchandise to purchase a piece OF gold
now valued ut Il dollar, there was small
opportunity for one to amass a large
UNI.
The law of supply and demand ruled
then with all its severity, and rs land,
cattle and ordinary property were a
drug in the market. while gold and sill
ver We're rare metals, the record shows
a general condition of what now would
be called poverty. a herdsman with Il
thousand cattle or sheep was not worth
more than an owner OF Il small farm
now; perhaps Il market gardener with
his two or three acres could buy him
out as to values in the market. Nor is
this condition OF lowness in values so
very remote; nor does the present gen.
GRAFTON lack demonstration OF its appli-
cability now; for when Il surplus OF Il
useful article is piled upon the market
how rapidly prices decline.
Nor does the recent discovery of the
richest mines of gold and silver ever
known change this great fact. And
how few OF all the auventurers into the
business OF mining come out with even
a competence. 1t is n fact we'll attested
that OF the men reported worth their
millions made in mining nearly every
II made his money by FRAUD in manip-
ulatlng the shares OF mining compan-
les, ana ottentimes the millions gained
were stripped from Woodworking peo-
pie i'll humble life, not excepting the
hostler and servant girl. And after all
the fleeing and stealing induigcd in by
these s~harpers, not Il bakers dozen
have succec ct in holding Il fraction OF
the wealth imputed to them.
Could we investigate the history Of
all great fortunes we should he sur
priscd to lind how few have beet acc.l-
mulated without the Incidental adyan-
tage of some fortunate or fortuilous
accident OF incident. Up to 1910 the
two wonderful accommodations were
those OF Girarl and Astor. Now
Gir;rd, though a wonderfully wise and
thrifty manager, had the good luck to
have ttncounled thousands thrust into
bis hands by Tie instruction OF the ne
groes i'll Hayti or Guadaloupe, who
slew Il number of wealthy men who had
deposited their money and jewels on
board Girard's vessel to bring them to
the United States. Now tins luck was
not in consequence of Giraru's shrewd-
ness, it was what we call IN accident
unusual, and perhaps never to be re-
peated.
The pith OF Astor's fortune was also
the result OF an accident or several ac-
cidents hal have never been dupli-
Gated. So we may readily see that
what are called great fortunes resulted
more from Fictitious circumstances
than from an inllere2t ability OF coed
management. Yet it must not be for
gotten that these men held on to what
they got and increased their gains by
adhering closely to the rules of economy
and simplicity taught them in the
schools Of poverty.
While'Tery rich men are scarce, and
the condition OF the millions remains
just about.as it was fifty years ago, the
people are slowly being educated to a
better COMPREHENSION Of the true meth
cd of accumulation. 1t is easily seer
chat the economy and ~frugality that
governed tie lives OF those who have
succeeded in gathering large fortunes
will give every man competence in due
| time. while waste onl unthriftinocS load
surely to poverty.
e eniflGsni,1 y s ne; ah awa s,, the vac OF
IN living permanent property and add
ing annually to the sum gained. Mis-
fortunes may sweep it all away, but
this chance must be taken in all VEN
es.-1Nu"to~ (llass.) Gazette.
EDnsc,,,vy. Dto,