Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-11-16

gets - easy money ~ cohtahiino''
sometimes ruined. The only money
that does any good in the world is the
money earned by hard work, and "easy
money! ruins more young men, des-
troys more happiness and wrecsks more
careers than wbiskey and tobacco to.
getber.
I am a victim Of "easy money" Il
was the easiest Of easy money. IL
was the one thing that had made me
failuro--or partly n failure-in life
where / should have been success.
came from n small town where /
had worked hard and diligently for
wages that ranged from $3.50 a week to
se-tho highest ever earned there.
I earned II and the spending Of Il and
the earning Of Il was sweet. Il went
far. I made it last. cultivated hab.
its Of thrift and industry and saving.
Since then have earned-not earned,
but received-as a high as $3.50 in a
single week, and frequently 1900 a
week, and today am almost pcnniless.
I attribute Il all 70 "easy money"
To bo fair. must say that my own
weakness was tho contributary cause,
but easy money develops weaknesses,
and all men are weak.
Easy Money az Worlds Fair.
I omigratcd 10 Chicago In tho spring
Of worlds fair year. had little
money that had saved, and a small
cum that had been left me by my
grandmother ! was determined 20 get
a foothold IN big city and fight my
way upward. had fricnd who had
a pull and, through him, I got iob
AZ the fair. 10 was In tho manufao.
lures building and, before tho fan
opened, I was placed In certain par,
Of the foreign section 10 supervise tho
placing OF exhibits.
In the hrst week that worked there
I had my first touch of "easy mon.
ey." A French manufaeturor's cx.
hibit arrived. 10 came from New York |
on tho Wabash railroad. Tho agent
hunted mo up. Ho wanted 20 get his !
exhibit Into shape before tho fair 1
opened. / ehalked on his space, hunt.
cd up his two cars Of stun and had the
railroad switch ID 20 tho ground, en-.
ployed men 20 handle and put up tho
stun, and, when everything was In po-
si,ion, tho agent slipped bundle Of
money into my hand.
i protested. told him that had
only done my duty. He explained
that IL was customary, and that Il
was worth that amount 10 him. There
was three hundred dollars In that bun
die just then / felt elated, II a lit
lie conscience stricken II ! had 70
do II over again would throw that
$500 into the lagoon
worked hard in those DAYS. hard
and eonseientiously many hours a day,
somehmes many hours al a stretch,
during the weeks that preceded and
Immediately following the opening Of
the fair. Exhibits aFivred in an sorts
Of shapes and there was constant
tight 20 get them into the building and
fixed up before the opening. Every
exhibitor was ready 10 hand out money
TO gain day or half day. Money
poured into my pockets.
Dollars sQuandered IN Rsvelry.
In the month before the fair opeued
and the fortnight after il opened 1
must have received $500 in gratui.
Lies. fell in with lot OF the other
Fellows who were getting the easy
money. We drank wine, We played the
faces, We 'spOrted" Nothing was too
good for US.
The gifts decreased as the fair went
along, but still the foreigners would
band out money at every favor. ne
rev my wages with disdain. / was
getting ten times as much in graft as
n pay. And I was spending it as
last as II came in.
When the fair closed / was out Of
work, and almost out Of money. /
Iuddenly woke up to the realization
nat easy money did not come easy at
III times. l went TO the races. 1 got a
Oh with bookmaker. Already was
poled for honest, earnest work. I
'Fo'e sheets for the boolmaker and
made $40 a day / knew / could not
'e' 80 week by working. / was af.
or easy money remember that
SAID 70 my friends; ga man who
'ofks Is a sucker" Sometime 7 ,
vas worth $1,000, and sometimes bor. ?
owed % until next pay day. 1 PLAYED
he races. ''O I