Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-05
Making Haste to be Rich.

Cashier Gould of Portland is now an in
mate of the State Prison at 1homaston.
wearing the garb of prisoner. living up
on fare such rs other convicts have. occu-
pyipp felon's cell, and bound to work at
hard labor for the State for the term of ten
wears. This is not such state OF things
as Mr.. Gould expected when he first broke
his trust with the stockholders and patrons
of the bank with which he was connected
and began to steal their money tor his own
speculative purposes. II he thought OF
the State Prison at all it was with no fear
that he would ever be confined in it as a
felon. He moved warily at first, taking
care that he should not step so far but that
he should be able to conceal his operations
and make good his thefts from the bank if
he deemed it necessary or best to do so.
The downward road in vice and sin is the
same to defaulter as to any other GRIM
inal. The descent is gradual. The first
stem Ia a small one. so small that there ap-
pears no difficulty in recovering from 1t.
But he is like the swimmer who en-
ters the outer circles of whlrl-
pool. Gradually he is drawn in
ward and onward until escape is impos-
sible and the great vortex swallows its
HELPLESS victim Gould went on and on,
trusting that his skill was sufficient for
any emergency but after few years he
found he was no match tor the whirlpool
into which he had entered, and encoun-
tered the remorseless fate which befell
him. He intimates that others proved
false to him and were responsible for his
fall. but a man who enters upon deliberate
robbery and pursues it year after year,
has no excuse for his crime, no reason to
blame others because he is found out,
convicted and sent to State Prison.
When an examination of the facts con-
nected with Gould career in crime is made
IL discloses the canse of it to be his greed
for money and the desire to be hastily
rich. He was not content to wait Tor hon
est aceumulations to make him rich, bu,
he wished to seize the golden Prize Al
once, and resorted to robbery and specula'
ton MS thousands have done before him ant
are even now doing in spite of the terrible
examples seen on every hand to warn then
of the disgrace and destruction TOWARD
which they are surely fastening. Mr.
Gould was man of undoubted capacity
He may have been emotionallv religious
as some of the greatest criminals arr
known to be, or he may have assumed the
cloak of religion in order to cover tht
great sin of which he was guilty, bu
whether 1t was one or the other or neither
1t can Justly be no reproach to tru'
religion, which would have taught hin
better had he followed its teachings. Th'
cause was the want of honesty in the man
and the temptation to be hastily rich which
seized upon him and led him to ruin.
There is almost mania among the PEG
ple of this country for getting rich, ant
hastily rich. 1t shows itself in all com
muuities. 1t is fostered in the school, il
society, in thousand ways. and b.
dazzling examples of so called success il
gaining wealth. 1t should be preached
against. opposed by the press. and es
pecially by the influence of fathers ant
mothers. Honorable enterprise is praise
worthy. but making haste to be rich b
dishonorable means is SINFUL and its re
ward is usually shame and disgrace.