Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-06-06
His Last
Investment
By MICHAEL J. PORTER

the age of twenty-five, was left a leg
acy of half million dollars by an
uncle, his friends said of the lucky
man:
George is all right. He won't risk
q dollar of that money in speculation.
He Is a young man with a wise old
head on him."
Young Mr.. Colville had been living
for several years on an income from
that uncle. He had lived quietly and
conservatively. He was a man of
leisure, SO to say, but not spend
thrift. He kept out Of debt, did not
permit his tailor to rob him, and his
tips to chauffeurs and walters were
on ten per cent. basis. He was just
the man to invest half a million dol
lars in real estate and wait years to
see it double in value. When 1t was
known that the money had been de-
posted with trust company to await
a safe investment, all the gray-haired
men in the club congratulated the
young man again.
The man who argues that he or any
other man can suddenly receive a
great sum of money without making
any change in him is wrong. It is
money that makes most of human ma
ture what it is. In this case it did
not compel Mr.. Colville to seek more
aristocratic quarter to live in-his tips
did not increase-he did not seek to
cut a dash in any direction. He con-
tinued to be quiet, reserved young
man, apparently entirely satisfied
with the world at large. And that
was where he received his friends.
In the first place, for a long time
previous to getting his money, young
Colville had felt sure that If he had
some spare capital he could become
a millionaire by speculation. In the
next, now that he had 1t, he was look
ing around for good things. He was
doing 1t very quietly and saying moth
ing. If he found good thing he
would gobble it and let other folks
take care of themselves. He heard 1t
whispered one day that wheat was go
ing to jump 20 cents bushel, owing
to the wars in Europe. He invested
$4,000 and wheat took sudden drop
OF Is cents.
Mr.. Colville was somewhat aston
ished that things had not come out as
he had figured they would, but not at
all discouraged. He took a flyer in
cotton, and his investment few away
with him. 1t wasn't that he was
wrong in his figuring, but that every
body else was wrong. The M. & M.
irrigation company came under his
notice. No, they didn't advertise in
the papers, and they didn't send him
the circular that insured investors 100
Per cent. profit. In a restaurant one
evening he heard one man whisper 1t
to another. He found the headquar-
ters of the company after quite a
search and invested $4,000. Six
weeks later the federal authorities
had the swindlers in limbo.
There were other things the quiet
and conservative young man went into
to his financial loss, and in the course
Of year he dropped a fifth Of his Tor
tune. In each and every case his
acumen and logic were right. He
would have made instead of lost II so
and so hadn't stepped in. No, 1t was
no fault of his. The wisest brokers
and bankers had been caught. He had
lost 100000, but he knew way to
get it all back and as much more with
It. Quietly-very quietly-a company
of capitalistsh had brought up a big tract
OF land in the west through which a
river ran. It was a golden river. It's
bed was paved by nuggets. When
the waters had been turned aside
those nuggets could be shoveled into
empty sugar barrels. Dividends? One
thousand per cent. at the very least,
and then there would be a sinking
fund left to buy a mountain of radium
somewhere.
The Information reached Mr.. Col
Vile like a whisper. He didn't know
where the headquarters Of the COM
pany was within five miles. and he
found himself very nervous for fear
the entire stock would be taken be-
fore he could offer his money.
At / o'clock on a certain Saturday
afternoon, as Mr. Colville sat in the
parlor of his bachelor apartments. his
valet announced:
"A young woman to see you. sir.
and she won't give her name"
"Why won't she?" was asked.
Dunno. sir. Women are queer
creatures"
"You said that was busy. did
gouf"
'"The busiest day you have had for
ten years. SIR"
But she wouldn't 60 awayf"
mo. SIR"
''Is she wild-eyed and excited?"
mo, sir. should say she was
calm as q lake. l mean q small lake
sheltered by trees"
"You asked her to state her bust
pess?"
II did. and she said 1t was none Of
my business"
We'll, You may admit her."
The caller was q girl of twenty,
and Mr.. Colville at once recognized
her as stenographer he had seen in