The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-13
Mushroom" Millionaire
 In a Class By Himself

In a Class By Himself 1T F the Ponzi bubble has burst, as O now appears to be the case, the young Italian wizard" may soon tell the details of one of the most original and interesting "get-rich-quick" schemes ever devised.
 Misunderstood financier, crook, or what you will, Ponzi is no ordinary man. What makes his Securities Ex- change Company all the more fasci- natin g-to those on the outside who have nothing to lose by it-is the fact that the plan is apparently feasible, nobody but Ponzi and his associates seems to know how he con- trived to deal so heavily in interna- tional postal coupons.
 With Ponzi arrested, the bank through which he is said to have paid ont millions closed for an investiga- tion of its resources and the legal au- thorities frowning on the whole iri- descent dream, it looks as if the young Italian with a prison record behind him had come to the end of a brief but spectacular career. The lure of sudden riches is as old as man and no sharper deserves any partic- ular credit for duping multitude of gulls. They are born into the world at the rate of one minute.
 What differentiates Ponzi from the common or garden variety of swim dler, if he is swindler, is the method he pursued, which on the surface looks plausible enough. When some of the smartest financiers in the country have been puzzled and have even confessed a half -skeptical faith in his scheme, it is small wonder that lone widows, bookkeepers, clerks and hundreds of other people intrusted him with their savings
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 Some of the Sunday papers published a picture. of Admiral Grayson on horse- back. probably as reminder that there was time when lis name was in the papers every day.
 Harolds Bell Wright promptly married again As long as the royalties come In his new wife will probably show the proper appreciation of his literary achievements.
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 An Austrian baron wants a wife, an elegant blonde millionairess. preferably English or American English spoken. " One mail sack will easily hold all the haron's replies.
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 A Missourian, who was held up by 2 armed with an ice pick and robbed of his trousers, has the unique distinction of being the unluckiest man alive.
 The Ohio man who has been swindied in the tin box confidence game for the fifth time ought to try locating the mys- terious pea under the shell, just by way of variety
 What's become of the old-fashioned suitor who used to hotfoot it for the nearest car line when the clock struck 1c D. m.?
 Caruso drawing caricatures for sweel charity is always an inspiring sight, and if also goes to show that such a versa tile man has no need for press agent
 Federal officials are finding 1t almost as hard to enforce the prohibition laws as the imblttered ''wets" predicted il would be.
 The most beautiful eyes in the world are now hopefully fixed on Tennessee. says the Chicago News. Now. isn't thai pretty?
 Archbishop Mannix is grieved to se' how ridiculous the British government i' making itself At last reports, the Brit ish government was bearing up well.
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 Governor Cox is showing an indepen dence of the bosses that fills them witi misgivings and chagrin.
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 An interview with the former kaise' on the present situation in Europe migh prove highly edifyins.
 E q . The printer makes his mistakes. like al the rest of us. but he seldom if eve puts an m in "Dokeys. ' E While we may regard the American nickel with disdain. it is whale il Europe.