Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-12-27
! PECULIAR
FACULTY

CeOUv1UAt ~ Anas1nn rson 49,
clAS1en, III.

] a ~ hlaek shssp Il ths famif,
! nsvse liked y stndy when was A.
school. and aflr quitting school
didn't IKE TO wusk. I REMEMBER that
= Z boy during IL marble season
took no intsrsst n ne rama exren4
''for keeps" and usually won ali tn
Other boys marbles. WIEN came q
from playing IL game with my pock.
ets loaded down with alleys and ace,
and bullseyes my father would look
Ut them wondsringly.
When was eighteen was put IA
WORK. " employer owned 4 Lam,
numbsr of dwelling houses, and they
were mostly vacant. The reason for
this was that hs would DO nothing for
his tanantA Thsy were al mortgaeed
b the same man. who couldn't get thu
interest On the mortgages. The mort.
saeee came Into the once one day
tearing mad and told my employer
that b didn't know how to manage
ssch property and the houses must be
put into the hands Of some one else.
Hatwsll, the owner. offered to put
~ management IN my hands, to
whlch Johnson. The mcrtagee, assent
- suppose Hartwell thought he
could make M 10 what be liked. But
n that ~ was mistaken. offered a
hig comn1ss1oo 70 agents to recon-.
mend tAs housss and gave the tenants
everything tAey asked The result
was that within . year l had the
houses an occupied. an In prime or
Der and paying . good interest on the
investment.
When cot things running had
nothing moro to do. % 1t out into
the world for q bit Of excitement. l
etrolled down the street, with my
hands in my pockets and saw q red
Dag out ut the door Of q handsome
dwelling. I'd got some idea Of the
value Of such property and thought
rd 10 IN and attend the sale. Per-
haps I would buy the property.
hadn't any money even to pay the
percentage Of the amount Of purchase
demanded when the property Is knock
ed down to the highest bidder. but
that didn't trouble me bit. had
the assurance OF Satan himself So
went in and found q lot Of bidders.
each one acting m II he was afraid he
would have the house on his hands. l
estimated that the property was worth
Z lot more than any OF the bids. 1
don't know why 1 did 30. only
know that I felt certain Of It SO
raised the last bid by $1,000. That
scared everybody else OF. for put on
Z look as much AZ to say, -rm bound
to own this property II have to pay
double tn value for T." The conse-
quence was that II was knocked down
to me for $1,000 The auctioneer
called on No for the usual percentage
Of purchase, which was $500. As
had nothing but my wits to satisfy
him. l proceeded to exercise them.
asked him = be would take my check.
and he replied. ''Not without It being
certified" Then asked him II he
would wait till cent check to the
hank for certincatton, and be said he
would. Since I hadn't any check or
check book-or bank for that matter
to draw o. I was wondering what
move I shsuld make next. when the
owner Of tn property rushed In and
asked u the sale had taken place.
When told that II had he sank In
chair and noaned.
1--WE got the money" he said. with
which to pay Oh the mortgage"
II thought the case must be one OF
foreclosure" l remarked. ave bought
the property dirt cheap. Pm ready 70
sell It back to you for IS per cent Of
what it's worth. consider 1t worth
$4,000 I'll sell 1t to you for $4,000.
The man fretted and fumed and DICK
cred. but 1t last he accepted my terms.
-Just yeu give me 5000 for my
bargain" said. and I'll sign any
paper yoa like"
He agreed to do 70, and made
quick profit. Then I told him that
what 7 had said VS. true. and
thought I could sell the property Tor
$4,000 He declined 10 bother with
ne. bot within . year sold Il Tor
$4,000 II was al nuck. A railroad
terminal station was put up near the
propsety.
I slnpped that $4,000 around In all
eoets Of investments isssd every time l
put Il IN l pulled \ out with lot Oh
other dollars stitching TO IL. Some
times doubled \, twice I trebled H.
and on one deal I increased n tenfoio.
When l had got a few hundred
thousand together. went home ana
asked father how be was getting on
He said he was very hard up our
interview ended In my drawing nm
Z check for double what he needed.
than I sailed out to look around i''
more chances. ~
Not long after that friend soiu nle
that he haA asked my father 10 s
plain my success Ny father toid n,in
that was no good on the principe,
That spnvS~m ort5fnarv mOrtaiS, tnht