The Colfax chronicle., 1890-12-13
DEACON RocER's HOUSE.

i Deacon Rogers had made up his mind
to build o new house.
The deacon was q successful business
man. beginning life as an errand boy
he worked his way through his various
grades OF clerkshipin the store to where
he was employed. At thirty he was .
partner in the firm. At forty he was the
sole proprietor Of first-class business in
q growing town. The old house his father
had built was antiquated; and, moved
by the oft-repeated urging OF his vito
and family. tbs deacon had at last do
cided to build house which should be
worthy his position as leading
merchant, and at the same time an orna-
ment to the town he lived in.
! The question now was, what kind of q
house should he build? And on this
the deacon was taking counsel with him.
self.
] After consultation with his architect,
the deacon had finally narrowed his
choice down to two designs, one was to
cost $4,000 and the other $50, 600. His
| inclination was toward the more expen-
sive. Could he afford it?
With pen and paper, Deacon Rogers
carefully set down the figures of his in
come and disbursements. So much
could be relied upon as profit from his
business; SO much would come in yearly
from the Investment of past savings.
On the other side he set down the ex-
penses of his children's education, the
cost of maintaining an increased estab-
lishment q certain amount to be
prudently saved and re-invested every
year. The two sides Of the account
came perilously near to balancing; but
still there was a margin.
''I'll do it" said the deacon as he
looked lovingly at the design of the
more expensive house and thought
what vastly improved appearance it
would give the village street And
without more ado the deacon wrote
letter to the architect instructing him
to go ahead and prepare the specifca-
tions and contracts.
The letter was just sealed, the ink ON
the envelope still wet, when the
deacon's old friend, Mr.. Smith, the tax
collector, entered. In the pride of his
heart. the deacon showed him the plans
of the new house.
Beautiful indeed" said Smith, IA
building like that will give our village
regular boom; bring US in pretty
penny more in taxes, too. won't it?"
Deacon Rogers started. He hadn't
thought Of that! He made hasty cal
culation Of what the additional taxes
would be. and found that they would
more than swallow up the narrow mar
gin 'of income over expenses. 81 was
only joking. Smith," said he. s.rhata
the heuse I'm going to build" And the
deacon dispiaycd the plan Of the SIS, 600
building.
SO the smaller house was built. the
lumber dealer sold less lumbe the 9TH
er dealers sold fewer nails, less glass.
fewer stones. lighting fixtures, plumb.
ing, furniture, and so on. The contract.
or made smaller profits, and the carmen.
ters' and masons and bricklayers, and
daily iaborers. all had less to do and got
less wages And all because the village
wouldn't let Deacon Rogers
build house without fining him for do
ing it.
And the vacant lot which Law next thu
new house increased in value bv near,va
thousand dollars as soon as the bonsa
was built; and the man who had intend.
% TO used his savings in buying It and
building house upon it found ba
couldn't manage it-W. G. Wood. M.
Now. Who II the Worst Man Unbur-,
Rev. Benjamin Waugh has testified
before committee Of the British House
d Lords that every year "a thousand
'niidren are murdered for insurance
money in England" Such testimony &.
calculated to make Jack, the Ripner
eel that he is not the worst man who
yoes unhung In England. Boston Globe
The Chicago News, which has ham
ioing so much good for the single tar
'ause In Illinois, is out against the rer.
'onal property tax. Itsays:
Ihe personal property tax Is fatuou.
md It ought to be abolished. n is.
arce In the cities, and a most nr;,st
IMPOSITION in the country, where its dis.
ouraging enects are most grievouslv
cit Inc assessors can not possibly
ssess 1t with even approximate fair.
less; ana. as matter of plain fact, thev
o not attempt SO to do. They far more
requently use 1t as club for the nun.
shment OF their political enemies than
$ means Of justice, and 1t has thus
ecome kissing and by-word, odious
the sight OF the people, and a re-
roach to our civilization, which ought
De beyond dning the citizen for his
Industry, his thrift and his enterprise
But It says that the personal property
AZ Is liked fact, which can not be rc-
loved until tho State Constitution ia
mended. The News calls ON the peo-
ie to take up the agitation Of the ones-
Ion with view to the election Of
legislature In 1891 which viii prepare
nch an amendment as will mako it
ossible TO abolish the personal property
X. The Chicago single tax men have
cen hghting on this line Tor : Ions