The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-03-16

for soda. taking tea af the Waldorf
and trying to Guido each other in dress
and show. New York certainly was
dull place. with all its boosted cosmo
pOlitunism.
1t was true, he thought. the foreigner
had indeed learned the secret of enjoy
ing life. There was assurcdly some
thing else in the world beyond mere
money getting. His father was
slave to 1t, but he would never be. He
was resolved OH that. Yet. with all his
ideas Of emancipation and progress,
Jefferson was thoroughly practical
young man. He fully understood the
value Of money, and the possession Of
1t was as sweet to him as to other
men. Only he would never soil his
soul in acquiring it dishonorably.
No, Jefferson was no fool. He loved
money for what pleasure, intellectual
or physical. it could give him. but he
would never allow money to dominate
his life as his father had done. His ia
ther, lie knew we'll, was not happy
man. neither happy himself nor re-
spected by the world. He had toiled
MI his life to make his vast fortune,
and now he toiled to take care of it.
The galley slave led life of luxurious
ease computed with John Burkett Ry-
der. Baited hy the yellow newspapers
and magazines. investigated by state
committees, logged by process serv-
ers, haunted by beggars, harassed by
blackmailers threatened by kidnapcrs,
frustrated lii his attempts to bestow
charity by tho cry tainted money"
certainly the lot Of the worlds richest
man was far from being an enviable
one.
That is why jefferson had resolved
to strike out for himself. He had
warded off the golden yoke which his
father proposed to put OH his should
crs, declining the lucrative position
made for him i'll the Empire Trading
company, and he had gone SO far as to
refuse also the private income his fa-
Their offered to settle on him. He
would earn his own living. A man
who has his bread buttered for him
seldom accomplishes anything. lie had
said, and, while his father had appear
ed to be angry at this open opposition
to his will. he was secretly pleased at
his sons grit. jefferson was thorough
~ In earnest If needs be he would
forego the great fortune that await
ed him rather than be forced into
questionable business methods against
which his whole manhood revolted.
Jefferson Ryder felt strongly about
these matters and gave them more
thought than would be expected of
most young men With his opportuni-
ties. In fact, he was unusually serious
for his age. lie was not vet thirty,
but he had Gone Il great deal of read
ing, and he took keen interest in all
the political and sociological questions
of the hour. In personal appearance
he was the type of man that both men
and women like-tall and athletic look
Ing, with smooth face and clean cut
features. He had the steel blue eyes
IND the fighting jaw of his father, and
when he smiled he displayed two even
rows of very white teeth. He was pop
ular With men, being manly, frank and
cordial in his relations with them. and
women admired him greatly, although
they We're somewhat inundated by
his grave and serious manner The
truth was that lie was rather diffident
with women. largely owing to lack of
experience with them.
He had never felt the slightest in
clnatiOn for business. He had the ar
tfstic temperament strongly developed.
and his personal tastes had little in
common with Wall street and it's
feverish stock manipulating. When he
was younger he had dreamed of liter
airy or art career At one time he had
even thought of going OH the stage. but
1t was to art that he turned finally.
From an early age he had shown con-
siderable skill as craftsman, and
later a two years. course ut the Acade-
my Of Design convinced him that this
was his true vocation. He had begun
by illustrating for the book publishers
and for the magazines, meeting at first
with the usual rebuffs and disapppoint-
ments; but, refusing to be discouraged,
he had kept on and soon the tide turn
ed. His drawings began to be accept
ed. They appeared first in one maya
zine, then in another, until one day, to
his great joy, he received an order from
an important firm of publishers for six
wash drawings to be used in illustrat-
ing famous novel. This was the be-
ginning of his real success. His illus
trations were talked about almost as
much as the book, and from that time
on everything was easy. He was in
great demand by the publishers, and
very soon the young artist, who had
begun his career of independence on
nothing q year, so to speak, found him
self in handsomely appointed studio
In Bryant park, with more orders COM
ing IN than he could possibly fill and
enjoying an income of little less than
$1,000 year. The money was all the
sweeter to Jefferson In that he felt he
had himself earned every cent of 1t.
This summer he was giving himself a
we'll deserved vacation, and he had
come to Europe partly to see Paris and
the other art centers about which his