The Bottineau courant., 1912-06-21
Business Versus
Luck
By THOMAS C. DEANE

"Thrra;s !. lot of luck in the world"
said :: J .Jnnes. who in his younger
days i:a"n an inveterate gambler.
"Whe.. " !s betting on the cards my
friends used to consider me all gone
wrong So was. but it was not tho
chances Of the game that did it; it was
the fact that gambling has bad effect
on the gambler. I'm speaking, of
course, Of fair game A man who
plays with professionals is sure to get
cleaned out. .5.... =lt
II was playing one Of those games
once when was handed note from
Tom Andrews, an old friend of mine.
asking me to send him $500. Within
few hours l had won $4,000, and the
$500 was a very small affair to me. !
thought Of sending Andrews the
money.
1T occurred to me that within
few hours more would probably have
lost all my winnings, then could draw
on him for enough to start in with
again. But I was so absorbed In the
game that doubt If this more than
flashed through my mind.
II didn't get cleaned out that day,
but did within a week. didn't have
enough money to buy breakfast with.
l was walking along the street looking
longingly into restaurants when who
should come along but Tom Andrews.
"T was much obliged to you for
that loan you made me the other day.
he began.
"'What loan?' You wouldn't believe
it, but l had forgotten all about the
$500 l had sent him. Then all Of a
sudden it all came back to me.
"'You're just the man want said.
I'm strapped. Let me have hundred
or two to begin again.
"He looked kind blank. Pm awful
sorry, he said. Il wanted that money
for friend, not for myself. He had
once saved me from ruin. The day l
sent to you he came to me and said
that he had the prettiest opportunity
Of making a big spec you ever saw.
All he needed was $500. Well, it put
me in a very unpleasant position. l
was under a great obligation to him.
and yet hadn't the money for him,
so 1 told him that thought I could
borrow it for him, but as he was 60
ing into speculation with it 1 thought
the lender should be interested In his
profits if he made any. l knew you
took flyers with cards, and l didn't
know but you'd take one In another
way. l wrote you all about it in the
note I sent asking for the loan which
was Didn't you read it?'
emo, I didn't!' snapped. 4 may
take chances on cards, but I'm not
such fool as to loan money to a man
1 never heard Of to speculate with.
Let me have half a dollar to buy a
breakfast with
"Tom let me have $40. ate up a
dollar of 1t and sank the rest in the
usual way.
"About that time fell in love. My
girl wouldn't have me unless broke
off gambling entirely; so, as I couldn't
do without her, I promised never to
touch q card again. We were married.
and to please her I went into the
safest business could find. set up
corner grocery. But must estab-
lish trade, and the only way to do
that was to trust those who hadn't
the money convenient to pay with.
This drew in the class Of persons who
run up big bills and let. the grocer
whistle for his money. started In
with $4,000 capital that had won
at gambling. and it gradually got con-
verted into uncollectable debts. l
Skinned along for awhile. Then one
morning the sheriff came down on me
and closed me out.
81 went home to my wife and told
her that 1 didn't see the difference In
taking risks on purchasers and on
cards. At least what difference there
was was in favor Of the cards. She
said that the trouble with me was that
l was no manager. If we ever did
get set up again she proposed to take
the MANAGEMENT of our affairs into
her own hands and would show me
that, while there was good deal In
luck, there were conditions on which
one could calculate almost to GER
tainty. . .-.... '...
"But we didn't get set up in hurry.
We passed through several years OF
poverty that make my flesh creep to
remember. We had several kids and
to live in comfort required an income
we didn't have. I was tempted to
try the cards again, but my wife
wouldn't hear Of it. I was too old to
get situation, and was so wracked
with worry that my health broke
| down. .t-
Zone morning on opening my mail l
found letter from man had never
heard of inclosing check for $84.5O0.
The letter said that some years previ-
GUS he had purchased with money
leaned by me suburban tract, which
he had laid out into lots and had re-
Gently sold the last lot. He had prom
Used Thomas Andrews, through whom
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