The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-15

4 New Yorker Who, After Sundry vicissi-


notice, in an interview which was printed
in the sun. that. at the age of 80. he was
about TO set out on a lecturing tour around
the world for the purpose of earning the
amount needed TO pay the debts incurred
by the firm i'm which he had been part
ner. The American hum0rist began at
once to carry out his plucSy resolution,
and is at this time vending his way west
ward. Everybody must wish him the best
OF success.
Most men, upon reaching the age OF %,
are ant 10 think that their active career
must come TO an end, and that they must
retire from competition with the younger
generation. Whatever may have been
their fortune I'm the world, it is regarded
as fixed. II success has crowned their
efforts. they feel that they are entitled
TO rest for the remainder OF their years;
# they have had poor luck, they feel that
it is too late to tr.- for better Those OF
them who are engaged in business may
not withdraw from it; but. as rule, they
desire to take things easily. Yet II is not
always thus A mans luck may change
FOR the better after he is Co.
one can find men in this city who were
failures in life up to the time they reach
ed the age OF 90. and who then began to
win the success which they had never
previously been able to attain. At 90 a
man has had long term Of training and
discipline. which he may be able TO turn
10 account from that time onward
There Is "A case Illustrative OF this state
meut that will serve as specimen OF
other Illustrations OF the kind which
might De- given.
The case is that Of a man who i've
years ago, had reached the age at when
/ Al H.. IN. Pm
amount OF money he needs. Nearly half
a century ago. when yet some years UNI
der ~. he was a clerk in Third avenue
business house; but, soon after reaching
his mai Ority he was seized with desire
20 strike out for himself and TO gain the
advantage Of the few hundred dollars
which he had been able 10 scrape togeth-
er. lie secured partner in fellow-clerk
who had about the same amount OF capl-
tai: and the two went to "A Long Island
town 10 which they had been recommend
cd rented little store, put up sign,
| laid in small stock of goods and waited
for customers. The first year was bad
one for business; the competition of Other
stores against the new firm was very
close the system of trust was in vogue.
bills were hard 10 collect. the business or
the place was not done after the New
York manner: there seemed 10 be an IN
surmountable prejudice against the IN
/ truders The senior partner got discour-
aged but he determined 10 run the store
Tor az least another year, meanwhile re-
! ducing personal expenses TO the lowest
notch. and trying TO sell at the cheapest
prices, and TO please everybody. AGAIN
! che vaar was dull. and at the end of it
he offered to sell out to his partner Tor
Sl0O i'm cash He would take that amount
/ buy a ticket 10 Nebraska. settle in new
town of which he had hear. invest his
few dollars IN as many lots as they would
buy at SO or $i2 a lot. open land Office,
boom the place, speculate In town iols'
and start life i'm a young country, fresh
as "A Third avenue daisy
When he learned after he got into NeDra-
ska that he could buy lots In the new town
even cheaper and easier than he mad eS-
pected his prospects looked bright lie
sold several Of them in the first month
at an advance in price he procured more
with the proceeds Of the first sales; he
took ND "a claim OF 100 acres near the
town. Things were going pretty well;
he foresaw a fortune as Spectator in
Western lands and lots he was not an en-
thusiast, but a practical man Of affairs
vet he doomed the place for all II was
worth. lie picked up several thousand
dollars as he grew older, was looked upon
as a leading citizen. After a few years
his BoomtOwn collapsed. as plenty OF
other Nebraska towns Of the Kind have
collapsed since that time. The railroad
had not struck IL: lots could not be sold
at any price: people began 10 move away
somewhere else: the liquor shops were
closed: the boomers hurried 10 another
town that had been laid out on the line
Of the railroad: his capital, which had
been nut into corner lots. disappeared
nearly all of il. There was 10 show for
him there
But still he had his quarter section Of
farming land near the town, and ne
thought he could scratch living out Of
that an times improved. lie moved into
his shanty on the farm, broke up some
acres OF the land with the help OF strand
"a darky. put. In seed corn. and In the
fail took in a crop. which he had TO sell
al the buying price, which was away
down. But be got enough for 1T to en-
courage him 20 break up more land and
plant a larger area In corn, the demand
for which was sure 10 increase. There
had been two years Of tolerable luck Tor
him, with hard work rough living, and
many trying experiences. The third year
wass year OF Nebraska Billiards,
drought. grasshoppers. and the worst
times ever known lie weathered the
year through in his shanty, though his
Afro-Amcrican helper had gone off 90
other pastures.
The fourth year was ruin and despair
He sold his mule, his farm implements,
and the farm itself for enough money 70
get him out Of the country and carry him
TO California, where ne would be glad
10 get any kind OF work at a dollar day.
At Sacramento he got a place IN a store;
he rose TO be bOokkeeper, and In course
of time he received an offer Of an inter
est i'm the concern. He now determined
TO settle down for lite in California. re
took a trip to New York TO marry the
Young woman to whom ne had been en-
Gagged before he went West. and soon he
was back in Sacramento with his wife.
He was now between thirty and forty
wears old The business prospcred. In
time his wife died. leaving two children
both OF whom, while yet babes. followed
her 10 the cemetery. He could not stay
I'm the desolate place; he drew out OF the
firm the amount due him, which. for
sundry reasons. proved TO be less than he
had looked for lie went up TO Oregon TO
get out OF the world; he became an agent
for an insurance company, the times were
bad: everything was drifting; he got a
rolitica, Office which he held til turned
our when the wrong party carried the |
election.
He was disheartened. He tried one
thing and another for year after year,
with VARYING success. His funds ran low. !
he was 20 years old He made up his |
n.ind TO 20 back East and see how things /
tooL. "a A, New York after an absence |