The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-01-03
FENcE-RA1L PHILOSOPHY.
Western Plowman.1


 See here, young man, ain't much up in book larnin'," and it don't take much of 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 experience.
 Just stop poisoning this air that I've got to breathe, by throwing away that cigar, and let me give you a few doses of truth free, gratis.
 l understand you are fitting yourself for business. You have been preparing yourself by getting good business edu- cation, which is good start, my boy, good start. Probably one of the maxims you learned at the business college was to avoid the cntanglements of debt. That's good advice, too; but I see you don't intend to practice it.
 Don't owe any man dollar, do you say4 Well, now, let's see about that. A debt is an obligation to pay something in the future, and interest is the little peri odical 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 principal is. For instance, how much does that cigar cost you? Ex- actly five cents, and you smoke and give away, say tour day. Not too high an estimate, is it? No; thought not. We'll, that makes 20 cents day, or $73 year. Now we'll call that $73 year interest money, and if money IS worth six per cent on good secerity, figure that this sum represents the interest on SI ,2I6 oo Now, then, by forming this habit of smok- ing, you virtually agree to pay $73 year, which is the same as mortgaging yourself tor SI ,2I6 66 at six per cent interes'.
 But this isn't all the incumorance you have placed upon yourself. understand you have blowout with the boys occa- sionally. You don't get drunk, of course not. You merely play billiards for the drinks, and you don't indulge in these little frolics oftener than twice week, do you2 Well, to be moderate, put it twice a week. And yoa spend on these occa- sions an average of one doDzrS We'll put it at that figure, making two dollars a week, or $Io4 year. This sum is the interest on $I 733 B for which you have mortgaged your manhood. Now how do you figure it that you don't owe dollar, when you are paying the interest on nearly S3 GOO? And it isn't like paying the interest on an ordinary debt, either, for when you borrow s 600 and investit, you have the property the money buys, which, if judiciously purchased, will pay back the interest and an income besides, while these habits of yours are dead in- vestment and can never produce an in- come Of an honest cent
 Do you hear that bell? It is tolling of the number of years in the life of Dan Summers who ended his miserable exist ence 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 mortgased himself, just as you are doing now, and every year he piled up the indebtedness on his man. hood until it became too heavy for him to carry. Then Death toreclosed on him, and his poor bankrupt soul has gone to his Maker
 Pm only plain, old fellow, and don't know anything about sugar-coating the little doses I deal out; but it's honest medicine, all the same. Will you have a match to light that other cigar2 Won't, eh We'll, won't you take chew of to- bacco2 No1 Then come over to the saloon and let's play for the drinks. What Gone back on all those things Then, my boy, shake l You've torn up that S3 900 mortgage, and when you want $3 900 to help you out in your business, just call on me. Pm always willing to lend money on unincHmbercd manhood.