The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-09

! udU n&ue oiS name as We'll known q,
that Of the Father OF Our Country. 81,
1t was who knew each morning wheth
er the rains had fallen on the plain.
beneath the Andes, how many cattl,
! on the hoof had entered the gates OF
Omaha and Kansas City, how tight tn,
| pinch Of starvation set upon Russian
bellies and whether the sultan's sub
| jects had bought their bread Of Liver
pool. Flesh and grain. meat and bread
Strauss held them in his hand, and
he dealt them forth In the markets OF
the world,
| Is it any wonder that I looked hard
at the portly. red faced man standing
there on the steps Of his temple
| where. with his women and children
/ he had been worshiping his God:
N.Y." said Grace. Mrs. Strauss is
| plain enough and just common look.
ing"
Il have noticed that women find Il
hard TO reconcile themselves to a rich
| mans early taste in their sexJ
she don't dress very stylish. that's
true" Hillary observed thoughtfuily.
But it weren't so very long ago. I
guess. that she was saving his money"
Strauss. surrounded by his women
folk. marched up the avenue In solemn
order. We followed along slowly ON
the other side Of the street.
He didn't make his pile ut the En-
terprise market" Grace rema rked. She
spoke the idea that was in all our
minds. How did he and the others
make their money?
Il guess they began like other folks, -
Hillary contended. saving their earn
ings and not putting all their money
In their stomachs and on their backs"
This last was aimed at Grace. who
was pretty smurtly dressed.
WELL. said Slocum dryly. probably
by this time Strauss has something
more than his savings in the bank"
Thus we followed them down the
street. specializing on the great pack
er's success. on the success Of all the
fortunate ones in the great game Of
the market. wondering what magic
power these men possessed to lift
themselves out Of the mass Of people
like ourselves. Pretty simple Of US. per-
haps you think. hanging around on the
street good winter morning and COS
siping about our rich neighbors. But.
natural enough. too. We had no place to
loaf in except Ma Persons smelly
dining room and nothing to do with
our Sunday holiday but to walk around
the streets and stare up at the hand
some new houses and our well dressed
and prosperous neighbors. Every keen
boy who looks out on life from the city
sidewalk has pretty vigorous idea
that II he isn't as good as the next
man at least he will make as much
money II he can only learn the secret
We read about the rich and their do.
ings In the newspapers. We see them
IN the streets. Their horses and car.
riages fash by US. Do you wonder that
some poor clerks on a Sunday gape at
the Steeles and the Strausses from the
sidewalk?
What was the golden road? These
men had found it-hundreds, thousands
or them-farming tools, railroads, gro
ceres, gas, dry goods. 1t made no
matter what Fortunes were building
ON every side. The flowers Of success
were blooming before our eyes. To
take my place with these mighty ones
Il thought good deal about that
these days. And | remember Grace
saying sentimentally to Slocum that
Sunday:
"You feIlers keep thinkin' of nothin'
but money and how you're goin' to
make it. Perhaps rich folks amt the
only happy ones in the world"
Yes" Hillary chimed in, there's
such thing as being too greedy to
eat"
What else are we here for except
to make money!? Slocum demanded
more bitterly than usual.
He raised his long arm in explana-
lion and swept 1t to and fro over the |
prairie city. with its rough,
patched look. l didn't see what there |
was In the city to object to. 1t was !
lust a place like any other-to work,
lat and sleep in. Later. however,
when I saw the little towns back east,
he pleasant hills, the old homes in |
he valleys and the red brick house on
he elm shaded street in Portland, then
knew what Slocum meant
Whatever was there in Chicago In
1877 to live for but success?