The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-03-15
HUNTERS OF FORTUNE
Make the Keeping of Wealth Diff
cult to Capitalists.
An Army of FRISirs and Inventors Arc
in Constant Pursuit of the
Man Who Has Made
Money.

In Chicago to-day, says the Tribune
there is a comparatively young mar
with a strong chin and good executive
ability who within a few years has
made million dollars or more through
exploiting some successful inventions
In looking back over the making of the
fortune, however, he confesses that the
holding of that fortune against the ar
| my of fortune hunters in Chicago so far
exceeds the capacities which he pos
sessed in the making of the fortune that
it was child's play merely to make it,
would you believe it?" he asked the
writer. raising his voice in his earnest
ness, there's a company organized
right here in this building with a capital
of 100000 put into process for aging
whisky in ten days to the ripeness ordi-
narily represented by three years, and
yet all it has to show for the business is
pile Of oak shavings through which
the highwines are supposed to be fill
tered to accomplish the results.
"And here the other day an acquaint-
ance brought a man in to see me who
was introduced as having a process by
which he had been turning copper into
gold. Tell him about it, prompted my
friend. The chemist looked all around
the room with some show of suspicion,
then put up his hand to one side of his
mouth and whispered: That's right;
was making the gold out of the copper
all right till the government got on to
it and made me stop!'
Il have been attending a great school
for the last year and half" said the
speaker, waving a hand around the
we'll furnished Office room from which
he controls his affairs 81 may be con-
Quoting the school, but there is no mis-
taking that I am the student who is get
ting the greatest benefit from the
schooling. Incidentally l have learned
a whole lot about my fellow man which
has not been calculated to endear him
to me especially.
Il have never laid claim to more than
common sense and practical measure
ment of things along that line, but it
would surprise you to know how much
advice | am asked to give to those who
might be suspected of having advice to
give. For instance, not long ago one of
the wealthy and influential lawyers in
this town had me come into a meeting
with himself and some other inuuiring
capitalists. They had an inventor of
wonderful 'soidified soap before them
giving demonstrations as to its value
in removing grease from the HANGS and
from fabrics The fellow in showing it
had smeared grease all over his hands,
and after rubbing of the soap over
them the grease disappeared as if by
magic.
We'll, I took off this ring when he
was done and asked for the grease pot.
That's great stuff, isn't it?' the lawyer
asked as took up the grease Still,
I'm glad to see you so about it in prac-
teal sort of way, he added, and he was
looking on while | smeared the grease
over my hand and then turned and
picked up Just an ordinary cake of soap
that had been lying on the basin.
rubbed the soap over my hands, dipped
them in water and the grease slipped
off my hands quite as easy as it had done
from the hands of the inventor who had
used the 'solidifled soap That, of
course, spoiled the whole invention.
The philosophy of the capitalist is
that the man who puts up money back
ing a mans invention in any line is
simply backing that mans magma
lions. When a man has put $4,000 into
such an invention as starter he has
got into a position to follow it with
$4,000 good. And he may have it to do
for the reason that even the hardest
headed man has no guide line on the in
ventor which will indicate when the
inventor has left possibility for dream
land
There are several types of the in
ventor which l have learned to know in
the last few years." resumed the sue
cessful young man. "There is the pro-
fessional inventor, who has an in
ventive front, and yet who has never
invented anything in his life. He is in
evidence at many meetings where rep
resentatives of capital are found, in
quiring There is the inventor whose |
will work in his own shop.
but which won't work anywhere else.
There is the man, too, who has spent all
the money he has in his patent and |
wishes as much more as he can get to |
send in the same direction. There is the |
suspicious inventor, who will not let
you know enough of his pet idea to
Judge whether it is worth anything or
not; the man who has been stealing |
IDEAS all his life, and, finally, the real
nventor-the man who wants a shop, |
Just as the great artist wants a studio;
he man who has small idea of the value
4 money save as it will equip him with I
his perfect shop that shall produce his
invention in perfection under his own
supervision"
had Break.