Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-19
------------- ----------- A WARNING TO FATHERS.

There is something at once pathetic and absurd ill the affidavit George F. 1ilford of New York presented to the supreme court October l5. MT Tllford is the son of the late Charles Tilford or the firm of Park x Tilford, the we'll known New York grocers. The father began life by sweeping out the store ana died two years ago leaving an es- tate of $1 1,00G,000. His son had dis pleased him by marrying an actress, so 1ilford, senior, left him an annuity or $6,Ouv and q right to be buried i'll the family vault and nothing more in hay ing or in expectation" A George Lara obtained a judgment of $oo6.4l against young Tilford and now asks the court to order the trustees to pay him his Judgment out of the S6,0O0 in- come. To this MT Tilford seriously ob- jects, testifying that his social station is such that he must spend at least $6,000 per annum or be lost. His afti- davit concludes:-
 "I have received no technical or sci entific education fitting me for any business or profession, and should be deprived of any portion of my income I will be plunged in debt anew"
 The creditor will no doubt be dis posed to scoff at this, and will say that if the judgment is paid Mir Tilford will be plunged" out of debt for the time being and that he will find it very diffi- cult to plunge in' again since nobody will trust him. and further that if his social position is so expensive he should move somewhere where he would have no social position; to Phila- delphia for instance where no one with out the right kind of grandparents has any social position at all. To us it seems infinitely pathetic that q young American should be willing to stand up and swear that he was absolutely useless. We have heard of such per- sons ill Europe who were obliged to marry American heiresses for living, but young American men are supposed to be able to do something. Mir Til ford takes it for granted that his social standing would be lost should he do stroke of honest work. He says of himself and wife:-
 ''All our friends are persons of wealth, and of high social standing, and we are compelled to spend money in entertaining the many friends who entertain us. My friends and associ- ates of my life have been persons of wealth and high social standing. I am a member of many clubs. I have absolutely no income except the allow ance I receive from my fathers es- tate, and the same is barely sufficient to support myself and family.'
 A more contemptible plea to avoid paying an honest debt was never made. But, after all, we are disposed to blame the father as much as the son. Had he put the boy to work in the grocery store when he left the high school, the family might have been spared the humiliation of having such an unmanly plea made by one of it's members. One of the first duties q parent owes child is to enable him to earn his living and to contribute his part to the ongoing of society. Old MT Tilford was so intent on making a fortune that he neglected to teach his boy how to work and now it may be too late for him to learn. He is evil dently not ashamed of living an idle, useless life and has not even ambition enough to buy an abandoned farm" where he could live comfortably on $6,OOO year and gain "high social Dosition' by paying his debts and sav- ing part of his income.-Hartford Cour- ant.