Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-08-20
LETTER FROM SPRINGBORN.
He Tells the Story of His Downfall.

The Marshfeld Times in its last Issue
contained the following letter from
Theodore Springborn who is serving
five year term in Waupun:
''The first wrong I did without my
knowledge, purchased a house and lot, |
expecting 10 make a home of ii, but
later | decided to build. looked up
my cash account, deducting ali the funds |
that | held in tlust. | then purchased
the two adjoining lots and started to
build. A short time after one of my
clients asked me for papers that | was
to satisfy for him out of loan that |
had made him. then found that [ had |
not deducted this amount out of my
cash and had used it, supposing it to be |
my own. [ secured loan to pay for
the building. [ gave my client some
excuse and let the matter rest for a
while, thinking that | would be able |
to replace it out of what my business
brought me. Finally | collected all [ |
could on outstanding insurance accounts |
and paid it up. At the end of the month |
[ was unable to balance my account with |
the insurance companies. | asked them |
to wait on me short time, but was re-
fused. In few days later | received |
letters that | must pay or they would |
send their state representatives to col |
lect either from me or my bondsmen. |
[ did not know what to do. [ feared to |
explain to anyone and ask assistance, |
thinking that [ would be refused and |
exposed. To satisfy them | used money |
| held in trust for some one else. When
my father died [ had his last expenses |
amounting to 1925. | worried to know
how | would replace the money, until |
grew sick. l was i'll nearly eight |
months. l could not pay attention to
my business, and was under double eX
pense. | did some insurance business |
but it was hard to make collections,
people seemed to have the 'hard |
times fever. The insurance COM
panies made their usual demands on
me. [ lost $125 in premiums on lum-
ber risk at Eau Pleine, Wis. In Sep |
tember, 1893, there were a number of
losses north of the city. One loss of
$50 the company refused to pay. To |
save the good reputation my agency |
had | paid it. At this time the COM |
panies asked me to cancel all their |
business out of the city and all of their |
business not within water protection in |
the city. [ lost about $3.50 in the eX-
pCnSe and return commission which | |
had to pay. | found that / was doing |
very little business and then ventured |
into several patent schemes, thinking |
that they might bring me returns, one |
of which was an adding machine.
After spending nearly $3.50 in labor and |
material they proved failure. | ac-
cepted q horse on an insurance amount |
and lost nearly 500 IN this deal after
paying for its care and board. then
secured the agency of the Billings Flour |
Cabinet and Table. advertised eight
states by letter; [ purchased models for |
agents and had various other expenses. |
This proved failure, after losing nearly |
$400.
This last venture was the Telephone
Exchange. The party that constructed |
it made good money and I thought | |
could do the same. | built a line to
Arpin at a cost of about $3.50. While |
it was up | tried to keep it in working |
order and paid over So to keep it in
repair. built another line to Stratford,
little over fourteen miles in length. |
placed four instruments on this line at
$50 each and lost all but $40. | had |
telephone poles cut at a cost of nearly |
| $50. | then rebuilt the exchange, en- |
larging it. | purchased a new switch |
| board and phone on it. This expense |
was, as near as | can figure, $500. The |
above instances are only the heavy |
| losses. | could name very many small |
| losses from $40 to $50 which occurred in
my business. | lost a good deal on
accounts. | have letters and papers to
prove that [ losta the money. [ don't
want any one to think stole the money
and still! have it. At the time was eX-
posed Cast August [ did not flee to
save money, | was advised to go. I
hardly had 900 cents instead of $4,000
or $4,000 as was claimed. My shortage
is 81. 200 as near as l can figure.
| I hope [ have explained so that all
will understand l will say that | was
honest before this trouble and | did this
with the intention Of making it good,
and [ shall make it good if [ live to be
free man and will be given a chance to
work and earn, | will prove that |
meant to do right. [ found no pleasure
in doing wrong and suffered good deal.
Yours truly,
THEO. SPRINGBoRN.