Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1888-08-08
SOMETHING FOR NOTHING.

we hope 10 get. Our stray dollars,
those that we can spare,and sometimes
those that We cannot, go into the Lou.
isiana lottery or some other game Of
chance, and we are all playing for the
big prize. None OF us would aim at
anything lese-- until after the first tel.
egraphic ammo uncements. and then we
all wait with feverish impatience tor
the printed list to see if we have not
drawn something" AS our horizon
narrows, how much more closely do
We scrntinize trlfes. Without intend-
ing to morallze, it must be said tina
all plans for the sudden accessl,n of
property, all wildcat schemes, al
prize boxes and chances come under
the gambling desire TO get something
for a relative nothing What do they
accomplish Wasn't it Solomon of
old who declared out of the depths OF
his wisdom born OF experience, they
that make haste to be rich fall into
snare" And surely Solomon had rare
opportunities for observation. No
man could have had so;much of fe-
male society as he did without having
had his eyes opened. But it is not
only in regard to fortunes or large
sums that this propensity is manifest
ed. Where is the man, or woman
either, that ON leaving the car with the
nickle stlIl pinched between thumb
and forefinger who will not feel GER
tain cover, satisfaction 10 the thought
that the conductor has forgotten to
collect it for fare? Nor is it only a
free car fare that can so delight saw.
ing soul.
There are passes. What wont peo.
pie do to get one! They will ask for
pass when there is not another thing
in the world for which they would
condescend to beg, and for the pleas.
ure Of using 1t they Will go oul OF
their way, spend money for car fare
to the thealer, or for Incidental ex-
penses when travelling. Why. even
capitalist, who could pay his way
from San Francisco to New York and
back again every day in the year, if he
were so minded, will apply in person
to the directors OF the several roads,
will delay his gong for several days
when time is precious and all for the
sake of getting pass over a portion
of his journey, to the amount ut $l2
or $14. To ride free, to get in free, to
belong to the noble army OF Dead
heads is his one ambition. Why is
there such demand for samples of all
sorts? Why are people willing to
carry away and use a ruler, or a look
ing glass, or fan all marked up with
an advertisement, unless it be that they
get it Tor nothipge Only on such a
supposition can be explained the ma.
MIA for picture cards and for crazy
quilts. The gay pasteboard and the
scraps of silk are all supposed to be
given away. Without writing a tenn.
perance article, one may make the
statement that u large percentage OF
drunkenness is attributable ID the
practice of treating" so prevalent III
America. Not imbibe when someone
else is setting up the drinks Who
ever heard of snah abstinence Not
the barkeeper, surely. England was
the first to appreciate this fact, and
now in lieu of the gro served to the
sailors from time immemorial, Jack
Tar may have his grog money, and 80
be saved from drinking his quantum
of liquor, because it is to be had with
! out price.
Nor is ii only children who will
stuff themselves to repletion and to
the verge of gastric fever at flee
feast. The least said about our society
"feeds" the better. Those first at the
pen generally fare the best in a gas
tronomic sense, though they may lose
fork of the brnadc!oth clawhammer,
and many u man IS tolerated tor his
brandy and cigars and many woman
for her entertainments.
But do we prize what we get for
notbings Easy come, easy co. Is
exemplitied every day, and our magpie
treasures are absolutely worthless, and
the irony of fate is that in time we
come to regard them SO. All the same
we are ever IN pursuit of some ignis
fatuus whose light is sold to us by no
soulless corporation which comes from
no gas pipes and will be measured
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