Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-02
FenCe-Rail Philosophy.

Dee here, young man, / amt much
up IN book larnin'." and it don't take
much OF a sum in figures to stagger
me; but I've lived in this world twice
as long as you have, and have got some
practical sense pounded into my head
by the hard knocks of eSper ence.
Just stop poisoning this air that I've
got to breathe, by throwing away, that
cigar, and let me give you few doses
OF truth, tree, gratis.
understand you are fitting yourself
for business. You have been preparing
yourself by getting a good business
education, which is good start, my
boy, good start. Probably one of the
maXlms youlearned at the business col
lege was to avoid the entanglements of
debt. That's good advice. too; but
see you don't intend to practice it.
Don owe any man a dollar, do you
say? Well, now, let's see about that.
A debt is an obligation to pay some
thing In the future, and interest is the
little periodical sum you pay to keep
up the debt. Now, if you know how
much interest a man is paying, | think
you can figure up how much the prin-
clpal is. For instance, how much does
that cigar cost you? Exactly; five
cents, and you smoke and give away
tour day. Not too high an estimate,
is 1T? No; thought not. Well, that
makes twenty cents day, or S73 a
year. Now, We'll call that S73 year
interest money, and if money is worth
SIX per cent on good security, | figure
that this sum represents the interest on
81, 2l6.66. Now, then, by forming this
habit of smoking, you virtually agree
to pay S73 year, which is the same as
mortgaging yourself for S1,216.66 at
lsX per cent interest.
But this isn't all the encumbrance
you have placed upon yourself. l I'M
derstand, you have blowout with the
boys occasionally. You don't get
drunk, of course not. You merely play
billiards for the drinks, and you don't
indulge in these little freaks oftener
than twice a week, do you? Well, to be
moderate, put it twice a week. And
you spend on these occasions an aver
age OF one dollar? Wen put it at that
figure, making two dollars a week, or
SlO4 year. This sum is the interest
on S1,733.3 50, for which you have mort
gagged your manhood. Now, how do
you figure it that you don't owe dol
lar, when you are paying the interest
on nearly So, 900? And it isn't like
paying the interest on an ordinary debt,
either; for when you borrow S., 900 and
invest it, you have the property the
money buys, which, if judiciously pur-
chased, will pay back the interest and
an income besides, while these habits
of yours are q dead investment and
can never produce an income of an
honest cent.
Do you hear that bell? 1t is tolling
off the number of years in the life of
Dan Summers who ended his miserable
| existence yesterday. He was as smart
a young man five years ago as you are
to-day, and he had just as brilliant
prospects before him. But he mortgao-
ed himself just as you are doing now,
and every year he piled up the indebt-
edness on his manhood until it became
too heavy for him to carry. Then
Death foreclosed on him, and his poor
| bankrupt soul has gone to his Maker.
I'm only a plain, old fellow, and L
don't know anything about sugar-coat-
ing the little doses deal out; but it
honest medicine, all the same. Will
you have match to light that other
cigar? Won't, Ell? Well, won't you
take chew of tobacco? No? Then
come over to the saloon and let's play
for the drinks. What! Gone back on
all those things? Then, my boy, shake!
You've torn up that $4,000 mortgage,
and when you want $4,000 to help you
out in your business, just call on me.
I'm always willing to lend money on
unencumbered manhood. Western
P0aOMlan.