The Globe-republican., 1903-03-05
"A STUDY IN ;
'DEGENElACY

}DEGENERACY}
Observation-Disclosures
ira man deliberately turns his back
on the things he knows to be good
and true" said Uncle Crosby decidedly
to a group who had been talking over
old times in the Northwestern mining
camps, and wastes his time on soul
destroying fads, 1t isn't long before he
becomes what scientific men call de-
generate. No man can continue to Side
step the blessings Of providence without
getting his moral nature properly bumped
IN the end, It's a pltiable sight at & al u
times But the saddest case I ever saw
was that Of Tom Howard, who used to
deal faro in the old Diamond Center min
ing camp.
when Tom first struck the camp he
was worthy Of the liking and friendship
Of any one. He wasn't genius q.
that make man admired and respected
wherever he goes. There were men in the
camp who could in1bibe more tangefoot
than Tom few who could shoot
straighter, and one or two who could play
Z better game of poker. Still Tom had a
sufficient supply of these talents so that
no one was ashamed to call him a resi-
dent of Diamond Center camp. To all
appearances he was man among men.
But the fairest peach sometimes rot
ten at the core, and SUI lquent develop
ments showed that Toi. Howard the
man we had loved and trustees, was at
bottom only weak, llow-hearted, four
tlusher.
TN not sure whether It was, weakness
or just pure viciousness that led to Toms
downfall but he had been in the camp
what a viper we were cherishing. One
game in Jim Townsend's place to start
up, I wandered over to Toms cabin.
When | came in he was reading a paper
which he put down In sort of ashamed.
penitent fashion. Just out Of curiosity !
picked II up I was 50, shocked ana
/, Srieved that for minute couldn't say u
word, 1t was one of those Eastern papers
about culture and society, and how 50
cents and an old basket and yard of red
silk one could make beautiful cradle
for the baby. Being an Older and wiser
man, and having fondness for Tom
liVWdIGi tdiheu W iiini III q iutiSi'J
way and showed him the moral and men
tai ruin that was sure to follow from the
habit Of reading such literature
And, Tom said 10 him impressive
ly after | had pointed out some Of the
other evils Of such lndulgences, Tom.
once when ] was In tho Fast ! met thu
man that edits one Of those papers. At
least he wore trousers and let on to he Q
A nI do 1rnn ha cni1
never smoked or taken a drink OF good
WHISKY, ana didnt even understand aoW
we natlohal sahe was lIayeu. Anu ALL
Whlle ne got 80 Ihat lle ussu W wli.s
Sluetalks WIN Young Wiuows, a,lu
ramos lor Bachelor Glris, anu Suuil
stul' l cali haruiy ush you " p.liSot
liia[ put IL IS lne run anu nnUMn " mjli
sucli COURSES as sou aie pu'Sut''s VIII
leu anr w. . - e. . I. A. +
LON WASH tien so lal gume ~ t ue
genelaey out may he was liolIllcu az snu
picture l hau uraMli, ne was lnihney
pel,tehl anu plohiiseu heVeI ~ iooh a.
sucl paper again. w lo9h we wv VI
Lilree copies ne aaIllitleu ne naa a tha
burned Wen, 1neh, ana tnet scat. ~ wv Nv
usnes. W!snnlg 70 give lenl c l,s "
REFORM ana mike a. i.al o. hiilisriI uSal'a
! pfoliiissl wouluii seli lile poys upu ~.
hls lall IRON srace' lhen ne ply. o'i nls
poots, saw that ms gun was loaueu, uoua
a Dig uIink Oh reueye alu surrey 9vet w
TOWNSEND 10 take Iis tlith a. ueailals
laro: nc Waiken icy ,snu heiu LIS , nsad
up llhe nan VIZ nag i,'aue up ui1 MIN, ny
10 leslst ieapIatlon uAo ueselNe Wy i 'ee
gpeel ol MS irlo" men, AS ne sttu o oit
! looked a. MN, alinvst wa'ii ' thamrS w
hohest pIiue IN ny eyes as L thousHt
now hau saVeu MIN from ruli'
''But while Tom no doubt meant to act
like man he was weak And | think
he must have kept back one of those
Happy Homes for Humble Heiresses pa
pers and read 1t on the sly. For time
he kept up whlted sepulchre front and
deceived me into thinking he was a fit
,Dtrson for gelf-resrectlng man TO asso-
)ciate with Then he fell And the man
ner Of his fail showed that man can't
indulge in any vicious habit without Its
corruptng his whole nature and making
him selfish and regardless Of the rights Of
others
about week after had the heart
to-heart talk with Tom an English tour
list came to the camp. He wore the lat
est fads in clothes, and an eyeglass, and
altogether was the sort If man one would
have been justified at shooting on sight.
He was a lord, or some other big social
duck In his own country. Still he was a
harmless kind of party and 1t would have
been perfectly safe for any man in the
Diamond Center camp except Tom How
ard to associate with him. was away
from the camp when tho tourist arrived,
or I would have warned Tom of the risk
he was running, for as a result of read
ing those Eastern papers Tom even then
had a touch of the longing for social
functions that later was to make him an
outcast with good men, As the poet says.
TT Is the little rift within the lovers lutte
that later will queer the game Having
that weakness, and knowing that he had
il Tom Howard should have fought
mighty shy of The tourist, But he didn't,
dThe tourist was anxious TO do some
hunting and offered big pay to any one
who woud act as his cutie. Tom took
the offer and one morning he and The
fourist started for lie hils. Afi,r they
had Lcen out a couple Of hours Tom
snmehow got senarated from tbe strang-
or Then hc hoard cries If distress and
h,irrvine In tia direction of the sound
saw s,a, tha he Tourist nm a free clineing TO one
NJ Tho h,ar"hos far dear life At 1he foot
NJ The tree was HE giIzzlv. who was
EARNESTLY invItlnr the tcnrisf NOT ia he
Val HStNly iHf'tilS III sNN'iSN nv y" |