Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-10

opened. ! chalkeG on his space. hunted up
his two cars of stuff had the railroad
switch it to the ground, employed men to
handle and put up the stun, and, when
everything was in position, the agent
slipped bundle of money into my hand.
l protested / told him I had only done
my duty. He explained that It was Gus
tomary, and that 1t was worth that amount
to him There was $500 in that bundle
Just then felt elated, IL little conscience
stricken. II had TO do it over again
would throw that 500 into the lagoon.
worked hard in those days hard and
conscientiously many hours day, some
times twenty hours at a stretch, during
the weeks that preceded and Immediately
followed the opening OF the fair Ex-
hiblts arrived in all sorts of shapes and
there was a constant fight to get them
into the building and fixed up before the
opening. Every exhibitor was ready to
hand out. money TO gain day or a half
day. Money poured into my pockets.
In the month before the fair opened and
the fortnight after it opened l must have
received $500 in gratuities. fell IN with
a lot of other fellows who were getting
the easy money. We drank wine, we
played the races. we "sported." Nothing
was TOO BOou lot US
The gifts decreased as the fair went
along, but stll the foreigners would hand
out the money at every favor. drew my
wages with tisdain. / was getting ten
| times as much m graft as in pay. And !
was spending It as fast as ii came I'm.
! When the fair closed l was out OF work
and almost out OF money l suddenly woke
up to the realization that easy money did
not come et all times. l went to the races
1 got a Job with bookmaker. Already
was spoiled for honest, earnest work.
wrote sheets for the bookmaker and made
| $40 a day. / knew / could not get SIS q
! week by working. l was after easy
money" 1 remember that ] said TO my
| friends: "A man who works is a sucker.
Sometimes l was worth $500 and some
times 1 borrowed IS until next pay day
l played the races.
Afterwards l ran "a handbook downtown
not for myself, but for a syndicate tina
backed me. I drew 500 week and 10 pei
cent OF the winnings. Sometimes had Al
high as 5000. but most Of the time wa,
running along in debt to the concern.
Honest wage workers RidicuIed.
laughed at the fellows knew who wer
| drawing SIS a week for honest work 1 toll,
them could make that In a day. did no
realize that most of them were laying s.
week or maybe so In bank, while wa
gambling away my money. 1 wasn't ex
travagant. didn't spend any srea
amounts on clothes or on food. l spent
lot for drink. although not heavy drinke
myself
Al the end OF four years 1 had nothing
Then one Of my friends who had beel
working for $50 a week came to me with
business proposition He had Sl,eO) an'
wanted me to put in 81 800 and go into busi
ness. l didn't have the money. Today h
IL worth $50, 900 at least, and am working
for SIS a week. and working hard.
II took me almost twelve years 70 realiz
that easy money wasn't worth getting.
spent Il as fast as II came, and Z got N
material good from IT, l got a political jol
and held that for a few years. Is wa
more easy money" But there also
spent Il as fast as the money came in.
Then the thing happened TO me that ough
10 happen 10 every man. I met the RICH
girl. wanted 10 get married. Then
suddenly realized that I had wrecked m
chances in life. I couldn't ask her 10 MARI.
me. simple pirate ana parasite. l hadn'
saved anything.
Then I looked around for work. Tn
friends had made by spending m,
money passed me up. was mo s0od.