Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-08
The Cost of the storm.
,ditor Of the Dispatch:

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
l hate statistics. 1 had a friend once
who was daft on statistics. He liked me
very much, because was a good listener,
and many were the calculations he recited
TO me.
One calculation was on the cost Of
shaving. He asserted that If everybody
in the world, since shaving has been in
fashion, had worn a full beard. and saved
the time and expense Of shaving. and the
money had been put on compound in
terest and devoted 10 the cause of educa-
ton. every man in the world could have
been a college graduate.
Another calculation was about smoking
and chewing tobacco. This calculation he
applied to each individual, and showed
that If the money spent in this way
were saved and put on compound inte-
rest until the age Of 60 was reached, every
man could buy all the land that joined
him.
Another was the familiar one. once pub
lished i'm poor Richards Almanac"
showing how much could be saved TO the
world if everybody would rise 0, day
light and go to bed earlier. the saving
being in the expense Of light. This my
friend claimed as being original with him
self, and never fully forgave me for say
ing j had read IL in the life Of DR.. Frank
lin. In fact, 1 do not think he would
have forgiven me at all If he could have
secured another patient listener. He
figured that if this money had been saved
and put on compound interest, and given
10 the poor, they could have owned the
whole world and two or three OF the other
planets. He never informed me what
would have become Of the middle class
and the rich in this event.
The always put his money on com
pound interest" not his own money, for
he never had any. but 1t was this theo-
retical money, or, rather. figurative money
that he could 10 so much with.
He had "A thousand other ways OF en-
riching the world. such as saving the
time OF the people at political meetings,
registrations. elections. etc.
| noticed always when the poor were
TO be actually helped he never put any
thing into the hat. but invariably let the
fellow that slept late. smoked a cigar, and
paid the barber. do the paying.
| once told him tina. he ought 10 figure
out how much America lost in wealth and
population by not being discovered a
thousand years sooner. He said he had
been thinking OF this. and would do 1t.
but he has never reported.
| read an argument once. made by an
infdel. 10 show the immense loss 10 the
world by the observance OF the Sabbath.
The figures were simply appalling. and
showed cOnclusively that no nation that
wasted time in this way could be pros
porous. But the cold, stubborn fact. that
the Sabbath-keeping nations have pros
pered, still remains. while the Pagans
have not accumulated any wealth and
wisdom TO speak OF.
/ am not going TO calculate the loss TO
Richmond and the country by this storm.
| am going To- let some one else do this.
Then Ii will be easy TO calculate how
much Richmond has gained b. not having
4 storm like this every winter since 1857.
his cannot fail TO show. that. after all.
We all have something 10 be thankful for.
There is always an unknown quantity"
In these equations and a conservation OF
forces" that these great mathematicians
never take into account.
No. every day that business is sus-
pended is 2 day lost. any more than the
hours OF sleep are lost. A great storm
like this one gives the businessman rest
and complete change" as the doctors
say, and when IL j. over he goes 10 his
work with renewed vigor. with increased
voltage" rs the electricians would saw.
ana the customer does not abandon the