Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-08
Daily kennebec journal.
Everyone Knew Everyone EIse's Bust
ness, So He Said.
The New Yorker Who Tried Being Big
Toad.

II do not assert that my tale has any
moral tied to it. but if any young man
wants it he can have 1t. Maybe there
are some who could win out of it, but
couldn't be fixed in any way to try
it again.
The man who opened the talk had
been asked by several men much
an offer that had been made to them
He was very knowing man and ap-
parently was willing to diffuse his
knowledge unto the world. He was, so
he said, from New York City and was
travelling for his banking firm selling
bonds.
Il don't know who said it," he con-
tnued, but it was by some one who
had been there. YOU can gamble. and
this is what he said: There are criti-
cal moments in every mans career
when a decision decides destiny
The critical moment in my life was
when 4 Yankee from New England
town played the siren to my hopes. l
tened, but l believe l am one of the
first to tell the result. He demonstra-
ted to me that a young man could live
cheaper in a small town-on one-half
the money he could earn in New York
and get more out of the existence. He
applied the theory to me personally.
He had the place and half the money
to offer.
Some of the allurements of this gold
brick dealer We're. as l viewed them.
enumerated in the following order:
No competition, unlimited credit, a So
cal position at the jump and no ques-
tons asked, immediate membership in
the club, the acquaintanceship of the
leading men. To these were added the
possibilities namely, chances to get in
on the ground floor of the business and
matrimony in rich family.
ITO a man who had been sleeping in
4 hall room. third floor. back. and eat
ing an occasional meal under the same
roof, in the house of Hungarian over
on the East Side. this picture Of the
New England man looked like the
sweet fields beyond the swelling flood.
Il reached the New England town.
or city as they call it, Sunday morn
ing. If any Of you are going to a New
England town on trial don't get in on
Sunday. If the forecaster can locate
a tornado in the place select that date.
In that case you might find things live
ly OF course, all depends upon what
your are going for. l lived in the
house of one Of the descendants. l
could not have stopped at the tavern
on the salary I had accepted. This
was the first awakening. My venera-
BILE landlord and his good wife were
frugal indeed. They had family
prayers and retired early. l had been
drilled in both. 1 might have changed
my quarters, but inquiry brought in
formation about other places which
made them no more desira bic. When
ever 1 left the house in the evening l
was requested to return early, so as not
to be a nuisance. They didn't call it that.
but that was what they meant; and on
the following morning l was interro-
gated much closer than had ever been
in my home.
1.-The man who had led me into this
beautiful dream life said to me one day
that as soon as the season opened he
hoped to introduce me into society.
He said society would be home in about
two months. l asked HIM if there were
no people in town on whom 1 could re-
hearse. as 1t were, until the time elect
returned. But l learned that there
were no rehearsals. There were but
two classes in the place, the aristocrats
and the commoners. Any association
WIFI the idllei Cut olI ali oPPAoAN" ~
the circles of the former.
Finally 1 was posted for member
ship in the club and was blackballed.
But that turned out to be a mistake.
The man who did it apolOgized. He
thought was another man of the same
name. l was afterwards accepted. but
I think there were some who never
quite understood it, Whenever a game
became interesting to me the other fell
lows had engagements and went to
fulfill them.
II had some friends to dinner at the
club, one Sunday. 1t was dry AFFAIR,
in spite of my attempt at bribery. for
which l was lectured by the officers of
the club. When the season opened l
found some invitations and accepted
them. The same rule applies to accep-
tances in a New England town that
applies in other town. To accept Gre
ates an obligation. The obligation is
cancelled only by reciprocity. like
A.. ,,..;,,ooo1 ;Joo Rut the obligation