Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-15
How Senator spoon,r Made a Fortune.

Senator SpoOner is worth today In the
neighborhood of $3.50, 900. Eight years
ago he was worth $4,000 less than moth
ing. He was earning a salary of $40, 900 a
year as lawyer for one of the leading rail
road systems of the Northwest, but his ex-
penditures were always more than his in
come. He bought everything he wanted
and hunted around The corners to find
things to spend money on. His debts crept
! up on him before he knew it, and when he
reached the $50, 900 limit he began to be
worried about them. He had started life
as poor boy, had received good educa-
ton and had inherited from his father a
wonderful legal mind. He had done much
to make others wealthy before he began to
make money for himself, and it was his
little head that had conceived the Omaha
railroad system and it was his brains which
aided in carrying it out and making it a
success. In doing this he was thrown into
contact with Mr.. Porter, the superintend-
ent of the system and was made its lawyer
at the above salary. One day, about Ell ght
years ago, Spooner was sitting in Porter S
office talking business when the latter sud-
denly said:
John, how much do you owe?'
Lawyer Spooner looked up little sur
prised and said
O"My debts amount to about $4,000, and
| do not know what under heaven | am 60
ing to do to pay them"
Twenty thousand dollars said Porter.
"Why we pay you 5000 week and how
is it that you have got so deeply in
debt?"
II don know" said Spooner, 81 have
never speculated and | can't think where
J.. the mischief the money has gone to. 1t
has just gone"
well, Spooner, said Porter, Il am go
ing to give you a chance to start anew, and
| will pay your debts, and with that he
wrote out a check for $4,000 and handed
it to Spooner
The future senator grasped the check
eagerly, and his face lit up. Then his
eyes filed with tears arc he broke down
crying. His first thought had been the Joy
at being relieved from debt, and the sec
ond had shown him the impossibility of
his maintaining his self-respect and taking
the money.
Il cannot take this, Mr.. Porter" he
blubbered out. Il am sorry to be in debt,
but cannot sacrifice my manhood by be-
ing an object of charity to any one, and
with that, still very much affected, he
handed back the check.
From that time, however, the million
aire railroad superintendent kept his eyes
on Spooner. He counselled him as to the
spending of his money, and advised him
as to its investment. Within year
Spooner had made enough to relieve him
of his Indebtedness and to have little
ahead. He cut down his extravagances.
and continued to make money until he got
the nucleus of a fortune. He has now
learned how to invest his money and to
save it, and though he is by no means a
stingy man, he has become good practi
cal business one, and the prospects are
that he will die like the other money-bags
who sit around him. with a good pile out
side his coffin The turning point in his
life was that interview with Porter, and
the railroad superintendent, who has made
fortunes QUITO Spooner's brains, had the
of turning him into the road |
of making fortune for himself.
FRANK g. CARPENTER