Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-12-08
Skating on Thin ice.

Milwaukee Journal.
81 can skate right along the edge o
states prison and still keep out"
SO said Theodore Stegner, the pro
prietor of n get rich quick con
Germ Of st. Louis. The boast was the
cause of his undoing. The saying
made woman whom he trusted sus
picious. She decided that man
| who could skate so skilfully would
bear watching, especially since Steg-
| ner had some of her money in his
| business, Being employed in his Of
| flee she became his nemesis. She
copied letters aud secured evidence
by which the reckless skater was
brought to bay. He was convicted
in the United States court on the
charge OF using the mails to defraul.
Stegner skated too near the edge.
The ice is thin there. 1t broke under
him and let him down into the deep
water. Remember that story about
the man who wanted Il co1chman
He asked each applicant how close
he could drive to the edge of preci-
pice. Each protested he could drive
closer than the others. But one OF
the men answered that as for him he
would drive as far from the edge rs
possible. He was employed. The
prudent person keeps away from the
edge.
In these days books with Il serious
purpose have but small circulation.
Both literature and the drama pre-
sent life from one sided view. The
consequences Of sin are covered up.
The curtain goes down before the
moral is pointed out. 1t is therefore
the duty of press and pulpit to
strongly urge the lessons of moral
obliquity. He, or she, who skates
near to the verge of wrong risks ac-
cident and ruin. That is the lesson
aud the warning.
Take the case of Nan Patterson,
whose trial for the alleged shooting
| of Caesar Young has attracted wide
spread interest, SO far as the moral
goes it makes little difference wheth-
er or not this young woman is guilty
of murder. She skated too near the
| edge. Her relations with this mar
ried man spelled danger. These I'M
| hallowed relations were such as to
| lead surely to some humiliating, if
not criminal, crisis. The situation
meant the ruin of two homes, if not
more than that,
The young woman who follows ill.,
directed inclinations which lead her
| to "hirtn with some other woman's
| husband is skating on thin ice. A
| swerve, an accident, a sudden break
ing of the ice-the girl is ruined
And SO of the man who forgets his
duty to his wife, and, trusting to his
skill as "A skater, ventures on the fra
gile edge of Illicit love. He gets go
ing and cannot stop. He hears
the creaking ice, but plunges on to
doom, The ice gives way and the
man goes under.
See the skaters. Some of them
are innocent gir.s who do not know
how thin is the ice where they are
! skating. A mother neglected to eN.
! plain. The young woman sees others
skating near the water, Surely there
Is no danger. On she goes! Ano
some are skating on the edge out o.
bravado, or merely for the spice o.
danger. Take care! II can skate
right along the edge Of states prison
and still keep OUT said Stegner, a,
he skated into deep water. II car
skate right along the edge of sin ane
shame and escape it all" said Mar
Patterson as the ice gave way.
There is plenty of safe skating
Why seek the edge? To know thai
the ice is firm beneath you, isn't thai
the real, rational enjoyment? The
ice is smooth aud treacherons a
best, and it will tax all your strength
to glide steadily and smoothly anc
happily on. Content yourself away
from the verge. Because all along
the way, If you but look for them, ar,
tho signs: Thin Ice-keep or"