The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17

At this Christmas season one may pc pardoned for meditation upon the problems of life. Let us have done for while with questions of political economy State and civic progress, n dustriai and commercial activity anu pose:
 What are we here for?
 The immediate reply might be maoe that we are here for the work Of prep aration for a better life in the world to come But. as some of us. pernaps. the most of us. will be here Tor some time yet we may proftab1y concern ourselves with the mundane aspect of our case and ask very seriously. what we are here for. to wit, what is. or should be the object of our endeavor while on earth.
 The American ideal is to be success full in business. Our accepted heroes are the men who have started poor and become immensely rich One would say, therefore that we are here for the purpose of making our fortunes. We doubt not that to many this appears to be the chief end of man. Put money in thy purse" says Iaso- That IS the Injunction given to the youth of our land Benjamin Franklin. the sage. taught the virtue of economy in little things, so that the person who prac- ticed it should in this end be the pos sessor Of great things.
 I was visitor recently to two of our great industrial cities of the South. Having no work to do. had time to observe others who were at work. What struck me most forcibly was that those people were in a feverish activity. they had apportioned their time for the performance of certain du- ties. and 1t was apparent that there were more duties than there was time z in which to perform them. The result seemed to be that every one was in distressing hurry. continually in chase of some object and never quite over taking it. The things that were done were hurriedly done. and. I fancy. were not we'll done: and there were many things that were left undone altogeth- CT.
 I dropped Into the private office of one of my friends. It was o'clock h. the afternoon. an hour near the clos ing time of his business. He had been at his desk all day. and, at that hour. should have been ready to leave. but I could see by the state of the many pa- pers spread upon his desk that he was far from the end of his days work. It appeared to me that he had not even answered his correspondence for the day, part of the work customarily performed in the morning hours. That night I met him at social function. He was not there for pleasure. It was a part of his days work. I asked him whether he had cleaned up his desk that day. ,4
 "oh, mo-" he answered 'srhis has been a most exacting day. I have had interviews with this. that and the oth- CT, and interruptions of all sorts. de- nied myself to many, but some I had to see Their business was urgent. You are quite right: had not even read all my letters when you called TnF rAk AF rfs4 ne n der to rush home. dress and get here on time"
 Passing on the street, met an old friend formerly q fellow townsman. Did he ask me about Mobile? Did he show any interest in what was do- ing? What had been the state of my healthP No; for he did not have time: "This Is a great town" he said. T have made more money this year than ever before in my life. It is a great place for business. Something doing all the timeA My office is up wonder. You must come to see me. I am pretty busy. but I shall be glad to see you. Why, yes. I am kept on the run, of course, Must do it, or I shall be dis | tanced. Hustle! that's the motto here. 1 Now. do come. If I get. time shall | drive you about bit. You ought to l see how this town is growing. Spread | Ing all the time. Our banking capital l has doubled" and thus for a little | while; then he was off, on the run, to | keep an appointment to sell something | 10 somebody who was going to pay him price that was so much above | what the price was a month ago.
 Another friend, with whom I took | luncheon, had to have the meal served | In great haste. for as he looked at his | watch. he said he had but a given number of minutes in which to regale | his inner man. This man said to me- l a hn with which you entered this cafe. You