The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-06-14

all the gold Of Peru and Mexico and
the islands of the sea to England.
Five millions, worth of shares were
put ON the market at 6 800 share.
The books open, in few days it is
all taken and twice the amount
subscribed.
Excitement following excitement
until all kinds of gambling projects
came forth under the wing of this
South sea enterprise. There was
large company formed with great
capital for providing funerals for
all parts Of the land. Another COM
pany with large capital-s 5000. 600
of capital-to develop wheel in
perpetual motion. Another company
with q capital of 6 100000 to In
sure people against loss by servants.
Another company with e2,500,0 900
capital to transplant walnut trees
from Virginia to England. Then, to
cap the climax, a company was
formed for "a great undertaking,
nobody to know what it is" And,
10, 100000 in shares were offered
at 6 100 a share. Books were opened
at nine o'clock in the morning and
closed at three o'clock in the after
noon, and the first day it was an
subscribed. "a great undertaking,
nobody to know what it is"
But it was left for our own country
to surpass all, about 81 years ago. We
have the highest mountains and the
greatest cataracts and the longest riv-
ers, and, of course, we had to have the
largest swindle. One would have
thought that the nation had seen
enough in that direction during the
morus multicaulis excitement, when
almost every man had bunch of
crawling silkworms in his house, out
of which he expected to make a for
tune. But all this excitement was
as nothing compared with what took
place in 1864 when man near Titus
vile, Pa. digging for well, struck
oil. Twelve hundred oil companies
call for billion of stock. Prom
inent members of churches, as soon as
certain amount of stock was as
signed them, saw it was their privilege
to become presidents or secretaries or
members of the board of direction.
Some of these companies never had a
foot of ground, never expected to have.
Their. entire equipment was map.of a
region where oil might be and two
walls of grease, crude and clarified.
People rushed down from all parts of
the country by the first train and put
their hard earnings in the gulf. A
young man came down from the oil re-
gions of Pennsylvania utterly dement,
ed, having sold his farm at fabulous
price because it was supposed that
there might be oil there-coming to q
hotel in Philadelphia at the time was
living there, throwing down a $4,000
check to pay for his MONDAY meal and
saying he did not care anything about
the change! Then he stepped back to
the gas burner to light his cigar with
$1,000 note. Utterly insane.
The good Christian people said:
''This company must be all right,
because Elder So-and-so is president
! of it, and Elder So-and-so is secre-
| tary of it, and then there are three
or four highly respected processing
Christians in the board of direct
ors." They did not know that when
professed Christian goes into
stock gambling he lies like sin. But
alas for the country! 1t became q
tragedy, and thousand million dol
| lars were swamped. There are fami-
lies to-day sitting in the shadow
of restitution who but for that
great national outrage would have
had their cottages and their
homesteads. hold up before
the young men these four great
stock gambling schemes that they
may see to what length men
will go smitten of this passion. and
want to show them. how all the
best interests of society are against
it, and God is against it and will
condemn it for time and condemn it
for eternity.
| Some day when you come out OF
your place of business and you go
to the clearing house or the place
of custom or the bank or your own
home-as you come out of your place
of business just look up at the clock
in the tower and see by the move
| ment of the hands how your life is
rapidly going away and be reminded
of the fact that before Gods throne
of memorable judgment you must yet
give account of what you have done
since the day yoY sold the first yard
| of cloth or the first pound of sugar.
1 pray for you all prosperity. Stand