Arizona republican., 1908-03-07
MISSED FORTUNE BY AN ACRE.

If I'd only bought an acre on the corner of Greeley street and the av- enue I'd have been well fixed by now. remarked the oldest inhabitant. Il
 could have got it for one O them val
 Ter back bills you just showed in the drawer had the bill. too. l wasn't like the feller that didn't have the sus-
 penders. It wasn't yaller- back. Q
 course, becus they didn't have them
 with yaller backs then. but had the
 greenbacks. an I could have it jest
 as well as not
 At it again. are you?' said the gro cer Why don't you try to forget it?"
 You don't know" said the oldest inhabitant You don't know what it
 is to look around you an see all the chances that you missed jest on ac- count Q not knowin'. l can walk around in any given direction an see right where l might have made a few hundred thousan dollars jest as well as not. All I need have done was to put every blame cent I could rake and scrape into real estate"
 "Too bad." said the grocer. You, Bill. you've put that 25-cent coffee in the 40 cent bin. Now. you get right to work and take it out again. A person needs to stand right over you and watch you ever blessed minute"
 No you don't know" repeated the oldest inhabitant. with a sigh. You aint been here but ten or twelve years
 Whats that got to do with it?'' said the grocer. Do you think have to take root somewhere to look back and see where I might have been better off today if had had the sense to look ahead? I guess not. l can look back and remember the time when I was earning good wages and spent every blame cent of them. Didn't get nothing for my money either. If I couldn't spend it "a lend it. I'd lent it to some man I thought was a good friend of mine and then when l got up against it and wanted money I'd have to borrow at per cent d month. That's the way I done. If had all the money l paid out for interest on borrowed money I'd have been well fixed myself. If I'd saved my money when l earned il and turn ed my friends down when they tried to make a touch I'd be the head of trust today. or something of that kind. Anyway. wouldn't be scooping prunes out of the barrel for you.
 That's different. Right back there ons Dimsey street" began the oldest 
 'I know all about Dimsey street" the grocer. You could have got the option or the whole street for a chew of tobacco and a warranty deed for a plug of it. l could have been hearty. strong man today. in stead of a lantern iawed wreck if had put my strength and activity in the right direction. l didn't look ahead far enough. that's all. I didn't appreciate it. It was too common. All the young men I knew had health to burn. just the same as your neighbors had land. l had more than I could use, so I put it into late hours and strong liquors and things like that. The result is that today I can't join my friend in a social glass without for it. and TmDoc Burnham's perpetual meal ticket. If had some of that health which l might have kept I'd be all right.
 ''I tell you" said the grocer. shak- ing his finger in the face of the oldest If I could get up in the with q red tongue and go downstairs and eat three or four slices If bacon. a couple of eggs. and half a lOzen buckwheat cakes with an appe- lite and be good and ready for my linner by the time it come noon I'd give all of Dimsey street and the acre 1n Greeley street and the avenue that -ou never got, with every cent of as- 'essed valuation on the whole ca poodle"
 That's all right" said the oldest 1 but maybe you don't 1 lnow that I've seen cabbages growing l light here where we're standing. - From the Chicago News.