Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1915-08-13
DIVERGENT
PATHS
By DONALD CHAMBER.


dress, in one hand h roll of parchment.
| fancied that the original was either
distinguished public man or a philan-
thropist-quite likely the latter. Meet.
ing man who appeared to occupy an
average position in the town accosted
him and asked him whom the statue
represented.
There's a story connected with it."
he replied, land if you will sit beside
me on one of these benches | will tell
1t to you"
We seated ourselves, and he told me
the following story:
This is Rogers park. and that is
statue Of Ben Rogers, who founded 1t.
More than fifty years ago Ben and Sam
Rogers were boys, somewhat ragged.
playing marbles and ball and such 9th.
er boys games right here where this
park Is now located. 1t was then a
vacant tract and considered worthless.
Now the property bordering on it Is
worth millions.
sam Rogers. the younger brother,
was picked out for failure In life be.
cause he couldn't hold on to his money,
He was what was called chicken heart
ed, and whenever he saw any one In
trouble for want of money down went
his hand into his pocket. Ben, on the
contrary, was marked for a rich man
He looked out for himself and rolled
up money in a small way from the time
he was ten years old.
ben Rogers stayed right here In
this town and accumulated money
slowly till the man who owned the land
ON which we are sitting died, and 1t
was sold out for song Ben bought
1t and conceived the idea of making a
park of 1t. He secured options ON all
the bordering property, then gave his
original purchase to the town ON con-
dition they would make park Of 1t.
Sam Rogers when about twenty five
years old left the town, regretted by
every lmpecunious person In 1t. The
more successful citizens said, "A good
radiance" At the end Of dozen
years Sam came back and surprised
every one by bringing fortune with
him. When asked how he got it he
said 1t was by pure luck This was
all they could get out Of him, but
learned the truth long after his death.
He had loaned man hundred dol
lars to save piece Of property he
owned. the property afterward be-
came very valuable. and when the
owner died, having no one else to
leave It to, he left it to Sam Rogers.
Sam on his return resumed his CIV
ing to needy persons, only he now gave
| $40 where formerly he had given 10
cents. His brother, Ben, had been saw
ing his money and had got enough to-
gether 10 begin to think about making
an investment on a larger scale. 1t was
soon after Sans return that the orig
inal owner Of this property died. Ben
not having enough money to carry out
his enterprise called ON his brother
to go in with him. Sam said that he
didn't want to make any more money
than he had already, but he would
loan Ben all he wanted.
II was then studying law with Ben
Rogers attorney and know whereof
Pm going to tell you. Sam paid no
attention to the securities his brother
gave him and one day woke up to
learn that he had been swindled out
of all he possessed. He never told
any one how he lost his fortune and
enjoined secrecy on his brothers at
torneys. By this time he was too old
to make another fortune and lived
precarious life till he finally died from
want of proper sustenance and medi-
cal attendance. A number of persons
whom he had befriended bought lot
In the cemetery and buried him there.
Ben Rogers became the most tnfiu-
entail man In the town, and when any
important town matter was to be de-
cided he was called upon for his Opin-
ion. He built church on worthless
tract Of land he owned and sold off the
rest of the tract for another fortune.
He established other institutions, con-
irving to make money out of all OF
them.
when he died he left money for
suitable monument, desiring that he
should be buried in the park that bore
his name and which 1t had given him
so much pleasure to have provided for
the enjoyment of the people OF his ma
tive town. His executors had been In
structed by him before his death TO
provide that statue, for which and It's
pedestal $4,000 had been provided In
the will"
When the narrator had finished his
story | expressed a desire to visit the
grave of Samuel Rogers. He told me
that the cemetery was not half mile
away, and | determined to take
stroll In that direction. He also tolo
me where to find the grave In among
the less desirable lots. | thanked MIN
for his story and passed on.
When | reached the cemetery l ask
ed a we'll to do looking person sa"
there II he could direct me TO the
grave of Samuel Rogers. He looked a'
me doubtfully. then said:
81 reckon you're looking for the mon
ument of Benjamin Rogers. the philan-
thropist and founder of Rogers parA'
It's in the center of the town.
PASSED on and presently al h'ue