The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-07-28
"a better cause. It Is my way Of TN
dulging mYself." he said. $3.50 u

la better cause. 1t Is my way Of TN
dulging myself" he said. rs
Mr.. Lawson admits that a millionaire
Is nothing, unless he does something.
He ought to know, for he has made u
million over night. He would rather
his name would live as Il common bene-
factor than as a onatoc OF libraries,
or sponsor of enfeebled colleges.
And he considers that II he succeeds
in breaking John ID. Rockefeller and
the system, his name will not only be
forever written In the memory OF Wall
street, but 1t will be a national possess
sion. as. broad as liberty itself. n
! his achievement one OF the greatest
since the martyred Lincoln deprived
the southern planters of their property
in the shape OF human lives.
Mr.. Lawson ts not eloquent. His
voice is dry. and he is compelled to
speak III a conversational tone. but IL
he was an orator his magnetism could
be no greater. Men leaned forward to
hear his words. n he Is one mar who
cannot talk too long.
On his Iowa trip Mr.. Lawson showed
how we'll he likes publicity. Tuesday
morning he arose shortly.after 8 o'clock.
just as his train was leaving Omaha.
He asked for the papers and read with
great interest h had been said about
him. He IA read a paragraph at a
time and absorb 1t all. Wednesday
mornings oman Bee was given to him
and he turned over The pages hurriedly
There was not one single line of type
In the paper about his address at Fair
bury. The other papers had two col
umns each.
Mr.. Lawson was plainly nettled. He
had evidently hoped for q copious men,
ton in the republican organ of Nebras-
ka. But Editor Rosewater's reporters
We're either asleep, or the editor-in-chiet
had determined to show his ~disapprovaI
OF "Frenzied Finance" by failing to
mention the Fatrbury address.
There vas a sequel TO this, which
showed even more that Mr.. Lawson
was q trife partial to notice in the
papers. When a representative of the
Omaha Bee stepped on the platform Of
Mr.. Lawson's private car at Missouri
Valley n introduced himself to Ed
ward insolvency, Mr.. Lawson'g pri-
waite secretary, the first greeting which
the Bee correspondent received was the
statement that he surely wanted moth
ing as he had printed nothing in the
morning paper. He tried to explain, but
failed.
"A few minutes later the correspond
ent met Lawson. He was introduced
as a Bee representative. Strengthening
up to his full height INC looking down
upon the gentleman who represented
Edward Rosewater's paper, the author
OF "Frenzted Finance" said:
"Oh. yes. you are the man who did
not mention that we were in the state"
We'll, Mr.. Lawson, 1 was not there"
meekly responded the reporter, shocked
but not entirely squelched.
Il realize that you were not-you
must nave been absent" coolly an
swered Mr.. Lawson. with a touch OF
kindly sarcasm.
This desire for "newspaperiety," may
be taken to indicate two things. Mr..
Lawson may want advertising for per-
sonal reasons, in the event he is work.
ing a gigantic manipulation in securi-
ties. But, as l was by this time thor
oughly "Lawsonized," I take it he de-
sires to have his actresses we'll reported.
that his gospel be spread among the
people.
After ALL" he said to a little group
OF newspaper men at Missouri Valley.
IT the people can't hear me. you kno
what to say. They will read it, n
that is where the good is DONE"
Mr.. Lawson's plan to break up the
system is not a political doctrine at all
1T may be a little later. He says he
has no TIM to even think Of accepting
political honors should he be nomi-
mated and elected to high office as a
reward for his good work.
Some queer ideas. has this Lawson OF
Boston about what he should do with
his money. He seems to think he is do
ing just the right thing with it. He has
a wonderful amount of sense in dispos-
41l6 VI II. 1 Sdld liz COQld IOI COIl.
scientiously give a hack driver who
happened to be taking him to a depot, a
large fee for the haste he had made on
the trip, because the felloW was just as
apt to take the money and get drunk.
go home and abuse his wife and do al
infinite amount of harm, as he was to
take it and pay a monthly installment
on his furniture. He believes it to be
a very difficult thing to dispose Of mo-
ney, but when opportunity offers. and
he knows the money Is sure to be right
lyused, the Boston millionaire shows he
has had a message from Mars or some
other planet and gives generously.
A number of his party were sitting on
the rear end of the train the other
evening, and n OF those self sacrifc-
ing women of the Salvation Army
wearing a straw bonnet, and juggling
less a person than Cleopatra danced,
stepped to the platform, and asked
quietly:
Gould you help q little?"
She probably did not know whom shs
was addressing. Mr.. Lawson quickly
enough to pay all the obligations Of the
local army and lay in rations for
months, administer to many a sick per-
son, or send flowers to dozens Of bed
sides, and furnish hundreds Of bowls OF
soup to the weary wanderers-$30O.
Wherefore, earnest, exalted, inwardly
Illuminated. magnetic, gentle and affec-
tionate, millionaire, and many times a
millionaire, Thomas w. Lawson SEEM
ed to me, just what he said he was
a patriot.
/ decided to heartily endorse the sem
timent Of an old man, feeble and wan,
who crawled upon the platform where
MIR. lawson was speaking at Fairbury,
and, grasping the speaker by the hand,
said:
You mean a brighter and better day
for us all, God bless you Thomas w.
Lawson Of Boston,"
A Famous Book.
Messrs. Harper Bros, New York.
have been telling of the circumstances
under which Ben Hur came to be pub
lished, reports an exchange:
General Lew Wallace called on the
publishers in person. with his manu-
script. He explained that it was @
book which dealt with the life OF
Christ. On Mr.. Harper's remarking