Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-05
AT the End of the RalnbolO
MANS 1NHuMAN1TY.

How true it is" remarked the school superin-
tendent shat mans inhumanity makes count
less thousands mournl have just been reading OIL
most affecting story of a young man who served q
term state penitentary. He left that institu
ton with honest discrimination to walk In the
paths of righteousness but the fact that he had bea
a convict was fatal to all his ambitions He sos
several jobs when his employers learned that ne
had been convict they discharged HIM Finally no
was driven evil courses by the hostile attitude OF
the world and he is facing another term In the
penitentiary" r..s
az have heard and read thousand such stories, and
have no doubt they were all fakes. Anybody whe
talks about the inhumanity Of man is discoursins
through his hat If has fault 1t is that ne -
an easy and will fall for any tale or Woe AoH
NAV take my word for 1t, Mr.. Superintendent that
there is something wrong with the gentleman vine
energies from the pententiary and fnds II lmposslps
to connect with honest employment Several of my
best friends have the penitentiary. andI no.
tced that it depended themselves whether they
won lost out afterward.
tirernent for kidnapping horse. When he LETT the
prison he went into strange community determlnea
to start life all again He changed MS mans
90 grew red vhiskers, and disguised himself as
much as he could. I doubt that his motives
were excellent. He got a job without much eThort
for he was a man Of good address and skilled in SELL
ing dried peaches and cheese and kindred goods. no
was working in grocery and it seemed probable that
he would live happy after, when one DAY q GUS
toner came in and recognized him Inc eustoIusr
hannenaa 70 be a cheap skate. He made it his bus
ness 10 inform the employer that spinningron hao
bald portfolio in the peniteneary, and the grocer
discharged him at once This story was written ~
by a sentimental editor the time and II went tne
rounds Of the newspapers. and the SOD SQUAD was
quite busy quoting that poem about mans inhumani'Y
to
cbean customer in a grocery had done a low down
trick: and cheap customer probably acted con-
scientously although he was bum sport The
grocer was held up monster of such hideous
mien that to be hated he need but to be seen
know that grocer well. He was related to me by
marriage he having been the first husband of my
fourth wife: ana he that he didn't fire Spin
ninaton because he convict but because OF
the deceit he practiced. Had he come to me- said
the grocer and told of his misfortune and ex-
pressed desire to make good, Ia nave helped him
u,it, riaa s1re But he came me wearing a pen
name ana a galaxy Of red whiskers, pretending that
he was an escaped Sunday school teacher He got
JOB under false pretenses and couldn't trust Kim
after THAR
another of my friends who served few years in
the penitentiary Zeke oliver. He was a teller in
hank and absent-mindedIy of the banks
money in patriotic effort put the bucketshops
ont of business. When had served his term he
came right back to- his native village, and nothing
could be finer than that mans experiment he
didn't pretend to be martyr. He didn't abuse the
courts or that the whole fabric OF society was
rotten He didn't lecture write books He neSer
talked about his unfortunate past The fact that
he had been peniteneiary was something that
couldn't be changed. He didn't try to explain II
nor yet point with pride his record He just went
to work as though nothing had happened
"EIe got a fob with a gang. working slips
day. He worked like and did it cheerfully,
and in a week the whole talking about the
excellent sportsmanship he displaying. And the
whole town gave him encouragement. He had
ter job in a month in year had responsible
place with good salary 1t would be entirely USE
less to talk to Zeke Of mans humanity man -
knows institution it doesn't exist. n tho
is all right blot his record will put him
-. WALT MASON