Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1911-08-25
MONkEYING WITH CHANGE.

Every normal human being has IN
his makeup something of the spirit OF
taking chances. Not only the legiti-
mate chances of the commercial world
in which a man acts on his best judy
ment and stakes his investment funds
on what he believes to be a winning
venture, but the kind Of chances in
which he stands to win or lose vastly
more than he puts into the PROPOSE
ton, in which a single turn Of the
cards or dice or the mark .444 w
termine whether he is to be flush or
busted" 1t is the prevalence of that
spirit that gives occupation to most of
the, leeches that gain living by their
knowledge of human nature, and the
way in which they flourish in spite of
efforts to put them down proves the
accuracy of their knowledge.
1t is not uncommon to hear of men
who have gone against chance and
won 1t is less common to hear OF
those who have done so and lost, for
the very reason, probably, that that
class is so numerous that the expert
ence causes comparatively little COM
ment. But once in while a case
comes to light that is sufficiently strik-
ing to bring home the lesson of eau
ton to others who may feel tempted to
monkey with chance. Such case Is
! that of George R Herringer, who was
! practically ruined by flurries in the
Chicago wheat pit in 1906. He ended
; his experience broken in health and
fortune, and has just completed long
rest and search after physical recuper-
alton.
i "Suh, it was a humdinger of beat
! ing l GOT was Mr.. Herringer's COM
ment to reporter who talked with
him the other day at Syracuse, N. Y.
Then he gave the young man some
wholesome advice advice, thus:
There is nothing in it for the small
operator. l was considered passably
shrewd in my time, but they sheared
my fleece. Every small gambler is a
neophyte, when combating with the
big fellows, with their millions behind
them to gain their end. There's the
same fascination in it as in fast motor
ing, though; as in seeing the bases full
in the ninth inning and the best hitter
on the home club facing the best pitch
er of the opposition; the same thrill
that one experiences when some fleet
horses swing around the final turn of
"a race course and head for the wire.
But it never get you anything, and,
son, l should know"
1t is easy to say that this is just
an expression of the fear of man who
has been bitten. It is more than that
it is statement of an exact truth. The
small operator takes even greater
chances than "the big fellows" for he
has to depend for success on the mani.
pulation of men who act without his
knowledge either of their plans, &C.
} tons or motives. Mr. Herringer got in.
!; to the market with some half million
dollars back of him, yet called himself
a small" operator. If he was bound
to be bitten with that amount of CAPT
tai what chance has the $50 or $50 a
week clerk? None. And the "small
man who has good Judgment and uses
1t will keep out of the game.-Duluth
Herald.
Judge Burr Of the 9th judicial dis
trict has an interesting article in the
Towner News-Tribune of August 49,
on the question of crime, from which
we take the liberty Of selecting the
! last few paragraphs which we believe
fully, covers the question and which