The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-07
HOW SOME People GET RICH.


There was @ time in tie history Of the
past when tue people # the far East found
that tAe modes If locomoti5n and Of trans
pOrtati0n. iu moving from place 90 place
were altogether too slow; So they set about
TO devise some improved method.
Some men Of tile country, who were desig-
mated smart because the people SAID they
had long heads and could see further than
those Who made the laws for the country
got together and said that they would pro-
vide the way If only the governing poa er
would give them some assistance.
They Ia ked, and they drew maps. and
they blamed, and they laid a scheme before
tAs people, who saw only The bright side Of
tie g. al picture that was drawn by master
hands and they were satisfied.
Ih%n tie men with tie long heads pre-
seUgeI their scheme to tie Government. and
tod }he officials that they could not carry
out their project unless they bad hell so
some of the foremost men gave them great
grants f land which the men with the long
heads chose on each side Of the course over
which they were 10 carry out their scheme,
and they so arranged it that if any one
wanted to 20 into the country beyond thcy
should have TO cross their lands, which they
might buy at ten times the amount the
officers OF the Government would have
charged for It.
Inc meu with the long heads went on
with their scheme aud after they had OBJ
tanned al the best land they went TO the
officers Of the Government aud borrowed
money, making many promises to repay
As time passed 10y tie scheme was car
Tled out and for a time the people were
pleased with the new means Of trausDorta-
ton and communication from place to
place just as child would be with a new
toy, and without muTmuT they paid all the
tolls that were imposed.
The men with the long heads smiled, for
everything that came 10 their mill was
grist and the gTIst turned TO gold, making
them the richest If rich men. Then they
snapped their fingers at the people Of the
country who asked them for concessions,
ana IN Tia language Of great statesman
asked What are you going to 10 about d? 2"
hen there came time IN the lives Of
these Len with long heads, when they
looked around them aud discovered that in
their greed for gold they had disposed Of
all the good land that tile officers If the
Government had given them, and there re-
NAMED nothing but inaccessible mOunttinS
deep gOTges, acres OF stone, on ten acres Of
which there grew nothing, nc, not enough
10 feed one mountain goat
Then there was consultation after con-
! sultailoD, and at last one Of the men with
long heads, by means Of methods that pre-
vailed IL the country, secured for himself a
position among the Lawmakers and tried to
make one portion Of tie people believe that
this was an honor thrust upon him in recOg-
milton Of the services he had done them
Some did believe this, but there were some
wise men who knew more than they cared
to tell and they only smiled.
Then the man with a long head evolved
another scheme. The Government he knew
had more money than it needed, so he con-
ceived tie idea that the money should be
loaned 10 any one who wanted H. in uaIim-
tied sums within certain figure, aud that
/ the poor people should have chance If only
! they had 10 give as security for the repay
ment land worth twice the amount asked
/ for.
But the scheme Of the man with the long
/ head went further. He said 10 himself:
IL this can be done, me and nay partners
! VIII borrow I0m the Government money by
/ the millions, ard this we shall divide, and
/ give rs security all the bad lands that we
! have, Tor We shall not have any trouble TO
/ make il appear that 1t Is valuable Then,
/ when the foolish representatives of the
/ Government Will ask tor the money again,
We viii tell them that we cannot repay, but
/ that they have the land aud that they can
DO whatever they like with it. Great
scheme if it will only 20 through"
But there were some Of the wise men Of
/ the nation who saw through this scheme,
| and they opened the eyes Of the people 10
/ the fact that the men with the long heads
| wanted 10 get good money for bad lands, so
| there was opposition 10 tile great scheme
/ aud 1t came 10 naught
Men with long heads can fool the people
sometimes, but they cannot fool the people
all the time