New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-09
THE sUPERFLUOUs MAN.

| IN
6een snortened to Sim and them quite naturally.
fauiiiars as 7" Simple Howard"
There was q senior, with a reputation for VIII,
who said Of him The people who maintain Thai
Simple Howard Is an idiot are Anite wrong. lie
is merely an anachronism. He is several hundred
centuries out Of date, though whether before T or
after his time can hardly be determined Inc
trouble with him is that he 50 persistently Will
believe what he is told
Unless it Ike necessary. in the fairness OF
as something quite out Of common, we may say
that, while he was in college, Simon showed
no marked characteristics. other than this one
mentioned by the senior. He studied his lessons
faithfully, paid his debts regularly and INDUCED
in no performances with the paint-pot
1t took three out Of The four THOUSAND dollars
TO put Simon through college. This does not
happen to he the right place to discuss the ques-
ton OF the game and the candle; 1t is enough to
say that when he started out into the world, the
young man had cash assets to the amount OF one
thousand dollars His parents were dead. and
he had no brothers nor sisters; nevertheless, he
possessed ample stock Of reatives-uncles aunts.
and cousins-scattered In various pars OIL 'he
Simon had enjoyed his college life so well that
he was 10Th to leave when the course was COM
pleted. lie therefore decided to CONTINUES ms
work for n year longer. in the belief that this
would secure for him place as tutor. But when
he talked the matter over with the president, he
was compelled to change his mind.
The president said 81 can never conscientiousy
life is open, TO become a teacher Now, Mr.
Howard, L should imagine You were best suited
advise that you go to any large city, Where you
have friends or relatives. and secure place
in some big wholesale house. There you wo9ld
have an outlook in life. But whatever You do
don't teach" .,
THANK you for the advice said Simon;
shawl w f SaNs later he presented himself at the
bookkeeping seM 'V department. Of the grea. firm Of
Dott 4 Carry, and asked to see his Uncle Martin,
who presided over one aisle Of desks. lie put
his case as briefly as possible, for Uncle Martin
seemed to be greatly hurried.
"Do you know anything about bookkeeping 7"
asked the business man.:
/ Nothing at all, replied Simon; =" II you think
it advisable, however, ! will go to . business
college. l have still a little money left -,
.You have?" said Uncle Martin; " then Will
profession ae for example. There's your
uncle, Harvey Blood. See what good thing he
has made out of it. lie claims that. his practice
am. after twenty years experience with the best
houses in the city. on salary Of S175 month! .
II man has no capital and no expectation of any,
he is fool to go Into business ne ,s.r IN .uch mat
ter than that of Uncle Martin After thanking
him. Simon proceeded to 20. In search OF Uncle
Harvey, who lived In small town at the other
II he has so much practice, thought the young
man. it is quite possible that he may need an
assistant. ] can study medicine and earn my
When he called at his uncles office, q bright
looking young man whom he found there informed
him that the doctor was out. Simon sat down TO
wait, and the young man went to a desk and
began to turn over the leaves of a medical book.
Are you physician? ?" asked Simon,
"Oh, no." answered the other: Il am DR..
Bloods assistant in the office, and l am studying
with him.
"why. then. You have the place intended to
ask for exclaimed Simon.
Indeed" said the other with an injured air !:
well there were several that wanted it. but |
guess can do all that the doctor needs TO have
done
cause Of his visit. but added that he had wish
to interfere with existing arrangements.
:" If you want TO study medicine said Uncle
Harvey, % would advise YOU to go to medical
I think will do so, said Simon.
But" continued the doctor, :" ! must first tell
you in all candor that / think you will make a
great mistake il you study medicine ut all. The fact
Is the profession is horribly overcrowded The
medical colleges keep on turning doctors out by
the thousand where there is not room for them by
the hundred. IL is noble profession and all
that. but man is in great luck IL he can make
money enough In 1t to pay his lawyers fees in
Dear me-" exclaimed Simon.
why. see here. now" said the doctor; if
you are looking for a profession; why don't you
make fortunes in it us easy as lying
80 Is that so ?" said Simon.
There is frend of mine in the firm OF Mort;
will give you letter to him. and he will advise
yoi In the matter. will bell you in advance
that Lis income L. about $4,000 a year. yet the
other nsh don't look upor him as whale by
View" said Simon.
Several days later when that celebrated cham
he found a mild-corntenanced young man waiting
for him with letter in his hand.
All, he said, when he had read y through !:
"you want to study law, do you? Well, If you
come to me for advice-and don't know what
else DR.. Blood could have sent you for-I can give
i in short mntb GSeT f. Let this profession alone
me- Call again some other time, Mr.~ah~um.S
THANK YOU said Simon
IL began to he evident to Simon that the task
Of. getting started in life was serious and diff
cult undertaking. II WINS likely to consume
somewhat longer time than he had supposed and
sum than $1,000. This already beginning
to disappear, for having come OF poor but ex-
travagant parents. Simon did not understand the
a 7 can aSU see said Simon, "that it is quite easy
for q man TO make dangerous mistake in his
choice Of life pursuit. Suppose had undertaken
business house, or had studied law or medicine !?
In each case would have found myself in line
of work where there was really no place for me-
! would have been in the position Of superfuous
man, and might have starved 10 DEATH will go
slow, lest fall into other errors similar TO these
have escaped
u
fact, that number Of months slipped by and
several hundred dollars were SPENT without any
results whatever
One day, as he was coming away from the Office
of a court reporter. where he had just learned
that it would be foolish Tor him to study stenog-
raphy, as the profession was swamped by the
numbers that were fiocking into IL. he met his
Cousin Felix. a mar. who had travelled much and
who understood we'll the ways OF men,
II have heard of your difficulty said he 70
Simon, and have solution to suggest You have
been trying for some time To get in here. but find
every avenue closed. The trouble is that there
too many psope ~ inns cy cr the amount
GUS. II is always that way in the sections OF
the country that have been longest settled Why
don't you go West? There Ia plenty Of work for
everybody in growing cities. like Chicago or St.
Paui You have relatives and friends there who
will help you 10 get In.
yes said Simon; must get in somewhere.
I'll try IL in the West.
Thus began the wanderings Of Simon Howard,
which, IL there were space here for an extended
snic. would form an Odyssey by themselves. The
Thicago uncle by MARRIAGE who had made little
- dce1ored that he had aenu dnvaua az