Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-05-04
By COL. WILLIAM WAYNE BELVIN.

Railroad and millionaire recently beaaar and in
mate OF Backwells Island workhouse. Now on his way
back to responsibility and fortune0
r HAVE been wined and dined by the royalty and
| nobility of urope-and l have eaten vagrants
fare in the WorEhouse on Blac. 5ells Island
have hoated loans for governments - and have
begged the price OF meal from strangers on broau
have been associated in business with some of
the greatest men this country has produced - and
have thrown in my lot with paupers for dime
I married the most beautiful and accomplished
woman on the Pacific Coast = and she divorced me
| have been gentleman and vagrant. a plunger and
a manner a millionaire and derelict
The man who first said They never come back"
was worse liar than Satan, and has done more mis-
Cbef To-day at the age of iftythree just of the
workhouse without funds without a home with only
INV wits as my capital and stockintrade, find it
necessary to all over again I'm going to do 1t
This is not swan song
causes Of my decline and fall? What did OF
education and refinement of Imagination and ideas
an ex-mlhonaire learn from the level OF the bread
line the Streets the park bench that was my bed as
long as the kndlness Of the policeman held out?
beggar on Broadway The coins thai dropped into
nv oustretched hand were few but the lessons borne
mon me were heavy. The first of them AS ye SOW
SO shall reap.
- tbe high tide of fortune from day pounding to
pieces on the shore, am willing to write it.
How is your money "persnective'2 That is an
,mportant question My lack of true money "perspec
tive" put as the great cause of my fall In strict
fustce it was also the base OF my successes
Lost NV money perspective" long -efore | was
+u,eptyone When l eighteen my father gave me
$50 900 10 start in had been through Bethel
$50 *S and the Miami Military School had
Melted in record time the course at New YORK pusl
ness college And yet | started out with my S20oOo
LIN absolutely no more real business ideas than the
average college boy has at that age had learned
Ieesons hut had knowledge Of what they
meant ar their practical application than fish 1t Is
tbs common fault of educational methods
an.aoed in the tobacco industry in Danvle Va
Within a year l had cornered the tobacco market OF
tba south and my original capital had grown to $780,,
400 Then my father died and my share OF his fortune
as $500 600 With this 100000 went TO Seattle
WSasb and speculated heavily in land and railroad
tnterests There / under the notice of Henry
Willard. 4 49,, tarod
dabbled in millions Lesser amounts than hundred hundred,
.,oveand meant nothing to was only twenty-five
nd Inc beneficial check of proportion was lost to me-
- could make no allowance fer vanishing point
when willard filled went down with him!
Not long ago l walked through Long Acre Square
- as cola and raining drew my thin coat around
NE and wondered where I would sleep A taxioao
80 nm in front of Rector's Out of it stepped bust
80 man with whom l had once put through a deal
that Melted each of us half million From the taxi
' came vision in furs and jewels |
recognized her She actress
at one Of the music hallsa woman
who had already wrecked two men.
! knew the mans wife-ln happier
wifi and had 0fte