Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-09-13
HOW A W0RKINGMAN MAY Save A MILLION
Must Hoard His Entire Earnings For 5000 Years.
II He Can Subsist on Half His Income He Will Re-
uuire Only 64OO Years to Become Millionaire.

truQSe alOuS through summer 5 neat
and winters storms. Years and de-
cades come and go until they grow
into centuries, and still he works on,
fc: his task is only begun. He sees
but still he labors on, for the greater
part of his task is still before him.
Christians are prosecuted in vari-
GUS countries, the Roman Empire
disappears, the dark ages come and
still he labors on, his task not yet
completed. The crusade, are fought.
America is discovered, modern sci
ence awakens the world from it's
shroud Of darkness, and still he la
bors on. The string events of mod
ernhitsyor oectw ltg ctaietaeta etaoi
ern history transpire and bring us
down to the present moment, and
would you believe it-our Carpenter
Is still laboring on. not yet having
saved million dollars, yet not hav-
L. 5 missed single working day from
sickness or Wy cause In all these
centuries. Let us see how his task
would stand at this time We are
not counting interest, but purely the
earnings of labor. We have seen
that his savings would be 1913 per
year; this would be $31,300 per CEN
tury. but adding twenty-five leap
years per century, it would be $31.-
325 per century. To determine how
his account would stand at the be-
ginning of the present century, null
tiply $31,325 by Lineteen, and the
result is $595,175, and add $1S7S
for the six years of the present CEN
tury and the amount is S597, ,053. So
the task at thc present time would be
only little more than half done.
Let us in Imagination bring him be-
fore us. Here he comes, time
SCARED, storm scared, labor Scared.
We ask him questions. He tells us
interesting stories of how he has
builded homes for princes and peas
ants in many countries, of how he
worked on the Coliseum, the Alham-
bra and st. Peters. He mentions IA
miliarly such masterpieces as Michael
Angelo. He praises his good fortune
in having steady employment during
all these centuries, and that his
wages were always promptly paid,
and that he was allowed to make up
the time lost by going from one job
to another by night work-but sud
denly he says: Il must not tarry. I
am the drudge of the ages, with the
task of earning a million dollars. l
must get it honestly, therefore,I must
earn it. My task will require many,
many years, even centuries, so
adieu With this he leaves us. But
does hc net leave many reflections
concerning our millonaires and their
millions? What shall We say to those
who obtain not only one million, but
many millions in the few years of the
atult period of single life?
Il is plain that no man can earn a
million dollars in brief human life,
however hlrd he may work. But
many have become milliOnaires, and
while It is impossible to do SO hon
estly, in a strictly ethical sense, we
will admit that some have done so
legally. This shows that these men
have been enabled to do this only by
the many advantages of the institu-
tions of this country and aided by
the protection of the law. Then, do
these men owe nothing to the coun-
try and to the law? Indeed, they
owe much. But as rule they sys-
tematically dodge" taxes during life,
and at death are permitted to make
any disposition of their vast posses
sions that they may desire to order
in their will, without any contribu-
tion to the Government that made
possible the accumulation of their
vast fortunes. Is it not Just and fair
tnat a percentage should go to the
Government? The people of other
countries think SO, but we, as usual,
are behind.