The Topeka state journal., 1905-07-27
THE EVENING STORY
AZ commencement.

AT Commencement.
The decennial meeting of my class
at college was a very enjoyable affair
Having been out in the world ten
years, we had had some experience
and were still young. At the banquet,
held at place where other class din
ners were in progress at the same time,
we exchanged experiences, and it came
out that every man had been at least
reasonably successful.
When I had had enough of the
speaking, in order to escape the heat
and air laden with tobacco smoke I
went out on to a balcony. The only
seat was by a window opening into
small room where sat four venerable
men at dinner. I could not help over
hearing what they said and soon be-
came deeply interested. 1 made out
that they were graduates celebrating
the hftieth anniversary of their gradu-
alton. 1t was not long before 1 had
all their names. They were Alcott,
Bates, Oviatt and Wells. They were
telling their experiences.
my life," said Alcott. "has been one
succession of failures. AS you all re-
member, L was graduated one of the
lowest men in our class"
THAT'S because you wouldn't study.
You might have been one of the first,
said Bates.
l.
job at reporting and slaved along, try
ing to make a decent living and rise
to something better. But whenever a
man was wanted for first class posi-
ton some one else was chosen. did
some scribbling and occasionally hit
off something that pleased my friends,
but not the public or the publishers,
which brings the same result. In my
old age I am still scribbling and for
small pay"
The next mans experience was that
of Bates. II was good man at talk
ing in a crowd while in college and, as
you remember. was the orator on class
day. Soon after getting out into the
world 1 drifted into politics. Most of
my life has been spent in congress.
was supposed to represent the people or
my district. That was all bosh. l rep
resented the political boss. There were
certain perquisites to my Office that en-
abled me to accumulate some money,
but I was obliged to divide with the
boss, and he finally wanted the lions
share Then announced that would
retire. 1 went out of Office with a, fine
send off. should have been sent to
but I'm getting too confidential. wish,
Tom Alcott, had your record 1t is at
Come. DOCTOR" said Wells, Its your
turn next"
MY record said the doctor, "is
worse than Bates. On graduating I
chose medicine for a profession. At
that time we doctors knew very little,
comparatively, and worked in the
dark. 1 had a streak of bad luck that
would have consigned me to expulsion
from the profession had it not been for
a plausible, sympathetic way had
with me that especially caught the wo-
men. BY dint of overcharging the rich
1 managed to make a few fees every
year that gave me a living, but it's
only lately since some new discoveries
| in medicine have been made that can
say my fees have been honestly
earned"
'Well. boys" said Wells. st suppose
it's up to me to give you the worst fail
ure of the lot. I have <1o right to be
here, for, as you know. 1 was rusticated
three times and shortly before gradua-
ton was fired by the faculty for general
cussedness. If I had known these con-
fessions would be in order would have
stayed away. However, mean as I am,
I'm not mean enough to let you fellows
do all the confessing. I made up my
mind to get rich, and have got rich
And how have L done it? 1t would take
a volume to tell all of the mean things
I've done. I began by trying to get
things for less than they were worth
and to sell them for more than they
were worth. jewed everybody down
| to starvation prices for what I bought,
! irrespective of their necessities or the
value of their wares. By this means
rose steadily until I organized my own
company to do business and elected my
4
didn't kill off competition, competition
would kill me. The consequence is that
| I've ruined everybody that has sought
to succeed in my line except a few who
are now with me in the trust. That's
my record, and if you can find meaner
one I'd like to know it,
Soon after the confessions were all in
| the old men broke up from their last
class meeting, and went back to the
banquet room of my own class in a
very thoughtful condition. Commence
ment took place the next day, and
among the oldest graduates I found a
man who was in college with the men
whose confessions had overheard. and
l asked him if he knew them.
know them! OF course do! knew
them in college, and know them now
Bates represented his district in con-
gress for thirty years and was an honor
to his country. DR.. Oviatt stands very
high in his profession and would have
been rich had he not spent the most of
his time attending the poor with no pay.
Wells is one of the most prominent
business men in the country, and his
success is only eQualed by mis- munifi-
cence Alcott is the only one who has
not accomplished much at earning
money, but he is truly artistic, and true
art is unremunerative. Alcott has writ
ten some beautiful things, but they are
all too refined for the public taste. There
are not four better men in the world
than Alcott, Bates, Oviatt and Wells"
What meant the discrepancy of these
two views? Were the men who had
made confessions right, or was their
standing in the community as they de-
served? I leave the problem to be
solved by better minds than mine.
F. A. mitchell