The Van Buren press., 1895-10-26

Our experiences, hcwsvsr, wsrs not
yet coucImded; indeed, they wefs
nearcsIy begun Neither had Wa
'rsachad the limit Of tina pnanomsnAl
growth Of cur privsts fortunsA
We had startsd from Copenhagcn,
including in our number soms COM
monplacs capitalists who were tho
ps,sseaaors OF msre million. For each
Of IN, however, this was soou to be-
come an insignificant ngurs; just
enough, perhaps. with which 60 sndow
. college or help some poor relation
over q tight PLACES, but mere bags-
telle compared with our now rapidly
aceumulating wealth.
But here We were, for the first time.
about to GO shopping in the streets OF
Steckholm. just plain, simple Million
aires and nothing more. This was the
city where we had understood things
would be reasonably cheap; easily
within purchasing power of people Like
ourselves who, while we did not have
money to burn. were poasesHed OF .
reasonable competence.
But cheapt Why we had nevre
entered town IN all our travels where
the prices OF everything were 50 enor-
NOUS Articles had appeared about US
and cur fortunes in the city journals.
and just a. soon as we reached .
store, whizz! tizz. the prices rose Like .
rocket. Every one of us was .
,sxn ,Ir~<J ,~~nr r.,n..rr tb<,an abarlraa ~,
ers And that in honest Swedenl''
We began to appreciates why it was
that rich people sometimes became sus-
picious and what is popularity termed
mean" Most of the millionaires.
when they had heard the prices, de-
ternined to wait until they should have
returned to America; then to purchase
the same things. at ffty per cent. less
than they could where they were made,
plan which had much to commend it,
not only from an economical stand-
point, but from lofty moral predilec-
tion as we'll, inasmuch as they would
thereby avoid the necessity Of lying to
the custom house officers when they
reached the wharf
One firm deputed sclerlx to call upon
US at our hotel and offer to drive some
of us to see the beautiful Sights of the
city. without expense. Five or six
conscienceless capitalists accepted his
offer, and, free OF cost to themselves
spent the best part of a day in driving
round tine town and environs. They
gracefully accepted, also, his business
card when he left them at their hotel
But happened to see him standing in
front of his store on the last day of our
sojourn In the city. Hishands were IN
his pockets and there seemed to be
plenty Of room for them; indeed there
did not appear to be anything else in
his pockets bnt his hands. He bowed
to me as I passed, though was not
one who had accepted of his hospitali-
ty; but in his department there was a
grieved and injured air, which led me
into wondering how much he was
out on account of the American
milIionaires
When on the next day we bade fare
we'll to Stockholm, we breathed sigh
Of relief, that we were once again to
be our own real selves; to be dealt
with like people who had to count their
pennies, and figure up the cast. But
how little one can tell Of the mysteri-
Gus ways of Providence!
As we came into Russia we marveled
why we were treated with SD much
Difference, and why our baggage at
the custom house was scarcely ex-
amined at all But the day following
our arrival it WAS all explained. The
authorities had received orders from
their superiors to let US alone. But
why?
asked this question Of q Russian
gentleman He smiled knowingly, As
il he fancied might be playing him .
trick But he took out of his pocket
the ~. Petersburg paper, and trans
lated for me into English the follow
ing important announcements:
"A party Of dfty American milliouaires are
on their way with private steamer and cars.
ts Sc Petersburg The party contains all the
billionaires in Amertca except Vanderbilt and
Gould Along the railway in Sweden and Nor
way they threw away among ths people
seventy-ive Thousand ruhlez."
That gentle reader, would be equiv
alent to more than fifty Thousand dol
lars in American gold. And here
rest my pen. Why should I longer
seek the paltry dole of mere sitter
ary feller," since have become . bill
lionairca-N. Y. independent.