Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-04-12

at rough guess, Gal tramps I'm Massa-
chusetts and 26.5 times as many, or
the daily average was 4Gl. indicating
1860 in Massachusetts ana 4G.3IG In
the United States, an increase of
1I2.0 per cent. while the Increase In
population was only 3O.OS per cent, or
not much more than a sixth as great.
Since 1880 the tramp army has tiuctu-
ated according to industrial conditions.
The figures for 1870 Indicated 5G,S.Ei
tramps In the United States. which Is
thought to represent the present size
of the vagrant army. n gain since 1870
Of 235.4 per cent-three and four-ilfths
times that of the population. Many
diverse views are given to account for
this remarkable Increase. Professor
McCook's tramp correspondents con.
stantly maintain that most of them
are "men out of work" Most people
are not disposed to credit the theory
that there Is any connection between
tramping and trade, but after getting
together In tabular form the Massa.
chusctts figures Professor McCOOk Is
inclined to accept the statements of
his correspondents. But II this view Is
correct why does not the number of
tramps. swollen In times of depres.
sion. decrease on the return of pros.
perity? 1t Is doubtless explainable by
the fact that when men become thor.
oughly habltuated to this sort OF row.
ing life 1t is almost impossible to In.
| duce them to return to Industrial EN-.
pigments.
The speculative spirit Of the age has
done much to turn the minds of young
men In the wrong direction. without
doubt some large fortunes have been
built up by speculation. but the rec.
Ords of every speculative market will
show that where one man has acquired
riches by this means, hundreds have
been utterly ruined. The pathway Of
speculation Is strewn with financial
wrecks. In considering this subject 1t
should not be forgotten that the world
hears only Of the few successes. The
many failures interest us comparative.
| ~ HNtlC, ucuCc We SctuOiu utC Notu Va
them except when they end In suicide
or n penitentiary sentence. william ].
Onahan, president of the Home Savings
Bank OF Chicago, says truly that too
many young men to-day have become
infected with the passion for specu.
lnting In stocks and grain. There Is
a haste to grow rich. Conservative
methods In business IRE regarded as
too slow ana out Of date. The hope OF
gaining fortune without labor has be.
come very alluring. All this. however.
IL Il fatal delusiOn. Even where wealth
Is thus gained 1t Is more often curse
than blessing. The fortune quickly
gained ana without labor generally Is
as speedily dIssipated. Yet the adver.
tisements In daily papers constantly
offer hatterlng opportunities to young
men for the making Of fortunes by
some short cut. and the fact that these
advertisements continue to appear indi.
Gates that they prove alluring. But the
fact remains that. as a rule, to which
there are few exceptions. permanent
fortunes must be the product OF sound.
conservative building; and this Is truer
to-day. almost. than 1t ever was before.
Most Of the wealthy men Of to-day be-
gan fortune. building from the ground
up. They began by cultivating habits
of thrift and frugality. and Mt time
when these habits were far more gen.
eral than they are now, and. while they
worked longer hours for less pay, they
saved more money. Fortunes built up
. In that way are likely to be much more
, permanent than those which are the
. OutgrOwths merely Of some lucky
, stroke In speculation.
One Of the rules of the POstOfiicc De.
. partment which often prOvOkes dissat-
isfaction Is that which prohibits a post
master or any member Of his family
from giving out the addresses Of pa
irons of the Office. A person may be
looking for some one whose address
. has been lost or misplaced. What Is
' more natural than to 20 to the post
. office and ask for the information? But
! the postmaster. II he obeys the regula.
: tons, will not give It. The govern
y ment acts on the theory that 1t is not
: Its business to disclose the where
y abouts Of the patrons Of the post post.
y office. Debtors may be pursued by i'm
Fortunate creditors; young women may
be subjected to unpleasant attentions;
= hundreds of people for various reasons,
good and bad, may desire to conceal
from somebody their place Of residence.
1t Is not the business of the govern
ment to expose them to annoyance.
u Experience Is school. 1t Is also
, ! tn.ins nf fimns