The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-29
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By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

Edward Wilkins wAs. farmer boy
who when he was but seven years old
showed signs Of a towering ambition.
Even at that tender he discerned
that. while there were a number Of
sources Of power. the 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 500 as he was able to accumu
late money it should be the object OF
his life. .-,s>:
When Edward was fourteen he saio
goodby to his father and mother and
went to the city to begin u career. b..
ing bright and ready at all times TO:
work. be found a situation and not only
kept it, but advanced rapidly. As he
grew older there was no desire IL
him for money in itself. but for the
power and prominence it would give
him. Except for the first few years
he 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 a genius.
! After awhile Edward Wilkins had ac-
cumulated so much money that it 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. If he wished to
buy all the corn in the country and
hOld 1t at his w price he was able to
do SO Did he hOose to buy Il rail
way he could first depress the stock.
then purchase it and hold it 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 it. He did not care for political
preferment: he took no interest in IN
fuencing the course OF the government
When the great %tinancier was forty
years of age he had reached the sun
rlit of his ambition. He had acquired
enormous power through his wealth.
but since the exercise of that power
would give him no enjoyment be had
come to the end of his desire. he was
like Alexander. who complained be-
cause there were no more kingdoms to
conquer.
When an active brain tires of what
has occupied and fed it there comes
a craving for something to take its
place. One such person will spend
years building a sumptuous residence.
which is more likely to be a sepulcher
than a home. Another will turn au
thor. taking comfort in giving to the
world theories for which it has no use.
Wilkins. now that he had reached his
goal in half a lifetime. began to won
der what would be the end Of the 9TH
er half. After u continued rise to the
summit would be descend again to end
his career in the valley?
One thing be had lived long enough
to recognize. Life appeared to him a
constant shifting. Nothing seemed to
endure unless it was inanimate. and
even that. though slowly. was continu.
ally changing its form. There were
mountains where there had been val.
legs 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 Il OF sight.
What would become of his great for
tune? He knew that after his death
it 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 be no longer valued it and
cared not so much what was to be-
come of it as what was to become of
him. Enough to give him the ordinary
comforts essential to old age was all be
desired. But that much was Of great
moment to him.
One night be dreamed a vivid dream.
He dreamed that he returned to the
farm and was a boy again. Yet he
possessed all the experience he had &C.
quired His ambition was gone. He
said to himself: Here l am. and here
l wish to remain. My body is not as
it was. full of life. 1t is tired. All I
desire is rest"
1t was a strange dream, this old
spun II q youA6 OOOy. ~ AA0OC q
marked impression on him at the time.
but gradually passed u 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 Il magnificent resi-
dence. He had long owned the farm
on which he had been born. His ia.
ther and mother had died there. and
be had no use for the place. So the
house was shut up and 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 ne was about to
build would mark his end
He spent Il year on designs for his
residence. then began to build. Four
years passed. and it was not finished
Indeed. be did not wish 1t finished