, 1890-12-18

tried to get INTO business mouse, OF
had studied law or medicine? In
ench case | would have found my
self in n line of work where there
was really no place for met / would
have been In the position OF super,
ilous man, and might have starved
to death. / will 20 slow, lest / iaii
into other errors similar to those 1
have escaped"
He then proceeded to go slow-so
very slow, In fact, that numb Der OF
months slipped by and several hun
dred dollars were spent, without any
results whatever,
One day when he was coming
away from the Office ofa court re,
porter, where he had just learned
that it would be foolish for him to
study stenography, rs the profession
was swamped by the numbers tha'
were docking into 1t, he met his
cousin Felix, man who had
travelled much, and who Understood
we'll the ways of men. =,
"I have heard of your difficulty" }"
said he to Simon, "and have q So
luton to suggest You have been
trying for some time to get 10 here,
but find every avenue closed. The
trouble IL that there are too many
people in this city for the amount oi
work to be done. Your services are
superfluous. 1t Is always that way
in the sections of the country that
have been longest settled. Why
don't you go West? There is plenty
of work for everybody In growing
cities like Chicago or st. Paul. Iou
have relatives and friends there who
will help you To get In"
"Ycs. nisaid Simon, 81 must get
somewhc I'll try it In the West. "
Thus began the wandcrings OF
Simon Howard, which, II there
were space here for an extended
epic, would form an Odyssey 10y
themselves. The Chicago uncle-by-
marriage, who had made II little In
wheat, declared that he had seen
dozens of eXpe rienced men walking
the streets month after month III
search of job. The Minneapolis
cousin said that every vacancy there
had several hundred applications.
He recommended Dakota and gave
Simon u letter to n man In Fargo.
The latter was not to be found, and
Simon, after u vain effort to get
"in," started for 1t. Louis. On his
way he met travelling man, who
assured him that the city was
dead" and advised him by all
means to go to Alabama or Tennes-
see. There was u great demand
there for active, intelligent young
men. He gave Simon several letters
to merchants in Chattanooga.
\ day or two later Simon pre-
sented one of these letters.
Dear mc,n said the recipient,
do you know that you are the
forticth man who applied to me for
work in the last two days? Why
don't you 20 to TeXus?"
At FL Paso IL was suggested to
him that he should try the new
country in Indian Territory, and,
after failing there he went to
Denver. Here, for the first time, he
learned that great things were In
progress on the Pacific coast, and
hurriedly set out in that direction.
While these events were taking
place months were passing and
money going out, ~ still had, ~
supposed, about 500 remaining.
But soon after he arrived at q
Southern California city, he re.
ceived letter from his bankers
that made him very pale.
He had mlscalculated, II seems
either in addition OF substractlon
(Simon was always bad in mathe-
matics), and the money was all
spent.
Now you see," said Simon tc
himself, almost breathlessly, al
must find something to dol really
must"
Necessity makes heroes out o
some and towards out of others
When Simon went out to look for
work that morning his knees trem.
bled under him, there was IL cold
weight in his stomach, and when
he spoke 1t was with weak, quaver
ing voice.
The advertisements in the news,
papers told of places, but for every
one there were fifty applicants
When men asked him about his
experience" and learned that h,
knew nothing of any kind of bust.
ness, they seemed to wonder at his
auducity In asking Tor work.
Late IN the afternoon 1t happened
that he fell in with man whom he
had seen among the applicants for O
certain place.
SAY, | got that place." said the
man; II go to work tomorrow.
"Do you" said Simon.
"Gcs. Are you fXed?'
"No.n
"Well, | know what IL Is like tc
be out OF job, and III Just give you
II pointer. / know of place you
can get, II you go after 1t immedi.
ately. No experience Is needed. All
they want Is man who IL honest
and intelligent, and any one who
can see you are both of these.
could have taken 1t. but the pay
isn't much--only ten week"
The man then gave him the adj
dress, and added: 81 was there
about five minutes ago, and they
had no one. You may get ii sure. y
AT las" muttcred Simon, with
a gasp.
1t was only few blocks distant
He ran most of the way.
As he opened the door q young
man came out.
Are you looking for this job?''
said he to Simon, with grin
"well, ] just got it, Sec?"
Simon went slowly down tho
steps into the street 1t seemed to
have grown quite dark all at once
and ne could no longer hear the
noise of the wheels upon the stone
pavement. He walked strairh,
along, his head down and his sense.
dead.