The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-11-14
BARNEY BARUCH
AND JIM WHEEZI

War Industries Board and later man
cial adviser to President Wilson at the
Peace Farley in Paris. jim Wheezy
is a negro coal miner down IN the
Jelilco mines amid the Cumberland
mountains.
But comparison Of the two is
worth while. Before the war Jim
Wheezy, who is but 20 years old this
spring, was "portering" in a barber
shop in one of the mountain towns,
and when making was good he got
often as high as six dollars per week.
Baruch was head of his own enter
prises and had an income that was IN
itself fortune.
When the war came on Jim Wheezy
abandoned the barber shop porterlng
Job and went to work in the coal
mines. He advanced all right. Now
he pulls down $40 or $40 a day-zzev-
ery day that he is willing to devote
hours to the job But Jim is one OF
those fellows that thinks that six
hours is plenty for any strong man to
work. He is an advocate Of the short
er hours and longer pay agitation that
is now causing so much unrest IN the
industrial world.
baIuCn S lIlCOIlC uIu NV llNA SooS
with the oncoming of the war he
abandoned his private business, and
went to work. for the Government for
the munifcent sum OF 81 per year,
and paid his own expenses. Heforgot
all about the eight hour day work.
a-day plan, and toiled after hours
with never murmur.
Jim Wheezy is nightly tickled with
his pay envelope. He only bemoans
the fact that the stnpend is not larg-
er. But that does not prevent him
from enjoying the spending of his
money, and it goes just as rapidly as
he gets it.
The silk socks that Jim wears cost
heaps of money. But when he pulls
them on they feel mighty comfy" to
the feet that were more often than
not sockless before the wartime era
of prosperity. And Jim don't think a
thing Of spending a days salary for
pair of No. los to encase those
black feet and daintly colored silk
hose.
The silk shirts that 60 to make up
another feature of his Senatorial
adornment are more or less of a SYM
DtlOllN. lluH 10 INC TASTE VI tllN tAi
list, .jim's shirts might offend because
of their gaudy coloring, and the cl ash
of the vivid hues. But to jim they
come as near perfection as human IN
genuity can attain
And jim Wheexy's neckties are in
keeping with his hose and his silk
shirts. His collar is one-only one
of the reasons that his head tits
backward at different angle than
when he was "portering". And the
merchant in the home town has to go
some to get suit of clothes that is
good enough for Jim. When he is
finally arrayed, in his own opinion
Solomon in all his glory had nothing
on him.
But with Baruch it is different. His
income, it is true, has not advanced
by leaps and bounds, like Jim's. Blu
if he were to sit up nights and veal
ten shirts to Jim's one, his income
would outlast him for many years.
When it came time for Baruch tt
obtain his fall clothes few days age
the public made discovery. Barucf
had never bought his own clothes
He had never had time to worry abou
Ine az
source of such delight to Jim Wheezy
1t was Baruch's custom to have maj
who knew how to make all OF his pur
chases. Baruch accepted the Judg
ment of his agent and paid the bill
without question. And Baruch, while
not a conscious dresser, was Away
perfectly groomed.
But this autumn the Baruch ward
robe was not replenished. His agen
told him that the shoes he was &C
customed to wear would cost S45. /
would cost him $3.50 to get a suit sue
as he was accustomed to wear. Ant
all the rest of the outfit was price,
proportionateiy.
There is nothing doing in the pur
chasing line. The outlay would no
make any appreciable dent in the Ba
ruch purse, but it set him thinking
The only reason for these unprece
denied advance in prices, he reasoned
was lack of production. If he, an
others like him, could make their oil
clothes do, it would lessen the deman
to lust that extent, and in the sam
measure atone for the lack Of pre-
duction.
InClQeTLdliy LuS hhiooLiS cin" "sa
would have spent for his fall outht
saved to him personally. But Jir
Wheezy just has to have all the goo
things that are going. And as 70
saving, Jim just cannot endure tn
word. He figures there is plenty
time for that later on.
One of Jim's old customers at tn
barber shop tried to argue with tn
resplendent, dark-skinned coal mine
He told him about the Government
thrift campaign. He told him abol
the War Savings Stamps that coul
be bought in October for $4,21, an
how on January /, 1924, they, woul
be worth SIS each. He explained how
500 Savings Certificate could
bought in October for $84.20 and no
il would be worth face value on jan
uary /, 1924. And the $1,000 Cert
ficate, now purchaseable for $S4
will be worth face value when JAM
ary l, 1924 rolls around.
OF course Jim Wheezy has not ha
the training in finances that Barue
has. but the recklessness OF Jim's e.
penditures, when compared with b;
ruch's, gives an object lesson thu