The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-22
BY HENRY M. NELLY.
Copyright, 1903, by Henry Nj. Nicely.

The House of the Gray Lives can be
found in nearly every big city. 1t is
a hotel where, for a few pennies, a
man, once a favorite of fortune, can
get a clean bed and DEMONSTRATING
food and thus save his self-respect by
escaping commingling with bum and
outcast in the roOkeries of the slums
In such a place the human docu-
ments are as plentiful as the guests
These documents range through all
the passions from comedy to tragedy
Only two are seldom seen there. They
are hope and ambition.
But, of them all, tragedy reigns
supreme. 1t is not the stirring trag-
edy of romance that makes event
after event follow in quick succession
TO lead to a death we'll worth the
dying. 1t is the tragedy of blasted
hopes and scared ambition; it is the
most pitifu1 of all tragedies, for there
nothing ever happens. 1t is the great
waiting place for the end.
Almost n Carnegie Millionaire.
This isn't so bad when you get
used to it," said a weary-looking man,
as he took his seat in the restaurant
of the most typical of these hotels in
the Western worlds metropolis. Il
hear a lot of these fellows kicking
about ii, but what do you expect when
you pay only 20 cents for your room
and Is cents apiece for your meals?
Il have probably been used to as
good living as any one here, but I'm
not complaining. In fact, if l hadn't
cd 70 ba iY11anar71ant CHI ho
living in way that these people don t
even dream of.
You know they say that Andrew
Carnegie made forty milionaires from
the heads of departments in his con-
Germ when he started his big profit
sharing plan. Well. if I hadn't been
determined on being my own boss,
should have been the forty-first.
IT was in his employ for years. 1
started in the bookkeeping depart
ment, and I kept at it, until was in
charge of big force of men. But l
always had more independence than
common sense, and / was not salts
fed. 1 wanted to be my own boss.
So far as l could see, at that time,
/ might work like a slave all my life
and never be anything but one of
Carnegie's men. Carnegie offered to
raise my salary when l resigned. In
fact, he made me a very good offer,
and would have put me in charge of
one of the big departments-but. as
] say, 1 wanted to be my own boss.
81 started in doing a little real es-
tate business in Pittsburg. My friends
all called me a fool, but | had got this
idea in my head and l couldn't get
it out; or rather, l did not want to
get ii out for l thought I was right
And the first year or so seemed to
justify me.
my business went along swim
mingly. for I had many good friends
Then came a chance to get into what
looked to me like a gold mine. A big
contractor was planning a gigantic
building operation and I happened to
have an option on the piece of ground
he wanted. He came to see me, talk
ed the whole thing over, and the re-
suit was that L put every cent of my
money into the scheme.
Yes. it went to pieces. I guess all
those schemes go to pieces. And the
worst of it was that, Just at the time
I realized I was bankrupt, Carnegie
started his profit-sharing plan and
made forty millionaires at a sweep If
/ had listened to him and taken the
position he offered me. I should have
been one of his big men, but-well,
instead of having millions to-day, 1
haven't a dollar-nor hope"
killing Time with Checkers.
All day long these men sit around
and play checkers and dominoes. The
lounging rooms are crowded with
tables. and, from morning till night,
the tables are crowded with the dere-
lets, all intent on one thing-killine
time-forgetting.
Men who have been there for
months have played their favorite
game every day and night in all that
time. With most of them. it is all
they have to do: with many, it has
become their one salvation to keep
them from thinking too much until
something happens in their lives
For that is all these men are doing
waiting for something to happen.
The curse of drink is seen on every
side, the curse of gambling stalks the
halls and corridors but worse than
all, the curse of lost ambition has laid
its heavy hand on nearly every man
and crushed ever hope and dream he
may have had.
Men who planned to govern men,
now fight their only battles on a
checker-hoard. Men who once dream
ed of wealth and power and the 1ight
to command, now click their domi-
noes on the table and talk for DAYS
of how they won hardplayed game.
And, crowded all about them. two
and three deep, are other men, sitting
or standing, but all intent on the one
interest that life now holds for them
the nightly games in those bare,
dreary rooms.
In the Power of the Shadow.
Two men took chairs in the corner
of the western court. One did not
belong in the hotel, that was evident.
His step was buoyant, his eyes bright
and hOnpfu1 IA
have looked that way six months be-