The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-03-18
a..
CAREER
By DONALD CHAMBERIIN

who when he was but seven years old
showed signs OF towering ambition
Even at that tender age he discerned
that while there were a number of
sources OF power. the one that covered
the widest field was wealth. AT any
rate. he saw persons living In fine
houses and driving about In style, and
he not only envied them. but resolved
that as soon as he was able to accumu-
late money 1t should be the object of
his life.
When Edward was fourteen he said
goodby to his father and mother and
went to the city to begin career. Be
ing bright and ready at all times for
WORK, ne found situation and not only
kept It. but advanced rapidly. As he
grew older there was no desire In
MN Tor money In itself. hut for the
power and prominence 1t would give
MIN. Except for the first few years
ne spent In the city. he did not accumu-
late by saving. The fortune that came
to him was the result rather of daring
operations, for which he seemed to
have genius.
After awhile Edward Wilkins had ac-
cumulated so much money that 1t seem
ed impossible he should ever be poor
His safety lay In having so much CAPT
tai that he could carry through any
scheme he undertook. II he wished to
Guy all the corn In the country and
mold 1t at his own price he was able to
90 so. Did he choose to buy rail
way he could first depress the stock.
then purchase 1t and hold II at his own
valuation.
wilkins had no desire to exercise the
power his wealth gave him. He was
content with knowing that he possess
ed 1t. He did not care for political
preferment; he took no interest In in
huencing the course of the government.
| When the great tinancier was forty
years of age he had reached the sum
NIT OF his ambition. He had acquired
enormous power through his wealth,
but since the exercise of that power
would give him no enjoyment he had
come to the end of his desire. He was
Ike Alexander, who complained be-
cause there were no more kingdoms to
conquer.
When an active brain tires Of what
has occupied and fed 1t there comes
craving for something to take its
place. One such person will spend
years building a sumptuous residence,
which is more likely to be sepulcher
than home. Another will turn au-
thor, taking comfort In giving to the
world theories for which 1t has no use
wilkins, now that he had reached his
goal in half lifetime, began to won
der what would be the end of the 9TH
er half. After a continued rise to the
summit would he descend again to end
his career in the valley?
One thing he had lived long enough
to recognize. Life appeared to him a
constant shifting. Nothing seemed to
endure unless 1t was inanimate. and
even that, though slowly. was continu-
ally changing its form. There were
mountains where there had been val
leys and valleys where there had been
mountains, Cities had been buried for
centuries. forgotten. then uncovered to
serve as curiosities. Whole sections
OF land had slid down into the sea and
passed out of sight
What would become of his great for
tune? He knew that after his death
1t would pass back into the great ocean
of wealth. But would he retain 1t for
the rest of his life? Now that he had
achieved It he no longer valued 1t and
cared not SO much what was to be-
come OF 1t as what was to become of
him. Enough to give him the ordinary
comforts essential to old age was all he
desired. But that much was of great
moment to him.
One night he dreamed vivid dream.
He dreamed that he returned to the
farm and was boy again. Yet he
possessed all the experience he had ac-
quired. His ambition was gone. He
said to himself: Here I am. and here
wish to remain. My body is not as
1t was, full of life. 1t is tired. All
desire is rest
It was a strange dream. this old
spirit in a young body. II made a
marked impression on him at the time.
but gradually passed out of his mind
with other forgotten things
When wilkins found that he had at
tanned his desire he bethought himself
what he could do to replace the object
he had lost. Like many other rich men
under similar circumstances. he decid
ed to build himself magnificent resi-
dence. He had long owned the farm
on which he had been born. His ia
ther and mother had died there. and
he had no use for the place So the
house was shut mp aud the land left
untitled. though he gave orders that
the house and fences should be kept
in repair The farm marked his be-
ginning: the palace lie was about to
build would mark his end
He spent n year on designs for his
residence. then began to build. Four
years passed and 1t was NOT finished
Tndaad ha did uof wish In finished