Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-06
Business Versus,
Luck
By. THOMAS c. DEANE

There's n lot Of luck in the world"
said John. Jones, who In his younger
days bad been an inreterate gambler.
When I was betting on the cards my
friends used TO consider me all gone
wrong. So was. but 1t was not the
chances OF the game that did II; 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. b. >o.. s@,.-
Il was playing one Of those games
once when was handed note from
Tom Andrews, an old friend of mine.
asking me 10 send him $500. Within a
few hours I had won 5000, and the
$500 was a very small affair TO me. /
thought of sending Andrews the
money.
ut 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 l doubt II this more than
flashed through my mind.
Il didn't get cleaned out that day.
but did within a week. didn't have
enough money to buy breakfast with.
/ was walking along the street looking
longingly into restaurants when who
should come along but Tom Andrews.
~ was much obliged to you for
that lean you made me the other day.
be began.
..What loanr You wouldn't believe
It. but had forgotten all about the
500 I 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 a blank. I'm awful
sorry, he said. 4 wanted that money
for a friend. not for myself. he had
once saved me from ruin. The day
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. 1
was under a great obligation to him.
and vet ] hadn't the money for him,
so told him that ! thought ! could
borrow 1t for him. but as he was go-'
ing into speculation with It ! thought
the lender should be interested In his
profits II be made any. knew yoii
took flyers with cards. and ! didn't
know but you'd take one In another
way. wrote ron all about Il In the
note sent asking for the loan which
was Didn't you read It ]!
.'So. I dtdn.tr snapped. may
take chances on cards, but I'm not
such q fool as to loan money to man
1 never heard of to speculate with.
Let me have half dollar to buy q.
breakfast with
.Tom let me have SO. ] ate up
dollar of it and sank the rest In the
usual way.
.Abont that time fell In love. Ny
Girl wouldn't have me unless l broke
| of gambling entirely; so. as ! couldn't
do without her. ] promised never 10.
touch q card again. We were married.
and TO please her went into the
safest business could find. ! set up
corner grocery. But | must estab-
llish d trade, and the only way to do
lthat was to trust those who hadn't
| the money convenient to pay with.
This drew in the class OF persons who
run ND big bills and let the grocer
whistle for his money. started IN
with q $4,000 capital that l had won
at gambling. and It gradually got con-
yerted Into uncollectable debts. 1
Skinned along for awhile. Then one
morning the sheriff came down on me
and closed me out
~ went home to my wife and told
her that I didn't see the difference In
itnkIng 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
| 1 was no manager. II 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. was tempted to
| try the cards again, but my wife
wouldn't hear of it was too old to
get situation. and was so wracked
with worry that my health broke
down.
Zone morning on opening my mail /
| found a letter from man had never
heard Of fnclosing a check for SS4.5o0.
The letter said that some years prevl-
Gus he had purchased with money
loaned by me a suburban tract, which
he had laid out into lots and had re-
Gently sold the last lot He had prom1
ST-I NH