Dodge City times. [volume], June 09, 1877, Image 3

About Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892

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TO CORRESPONDENTS.
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accompanied by the name of the author, not
necessarily for publication, but as c idence of
good faith on the part of the writer. Write
onlyon onusideof thepaptr. Be particularly
careful in giving names and date, to hare
all letters or figure plain and distinct.
Tbe I'ps anil Downs of Business Men.
The recent death of one of the old-
time mcrch int-pnnces of Boston, who
leaves an insolvent etite, anil the still
more recent failure of an old-established
Boston house that had weathered the
three great financial storms of 1837, 1857
and 187.1, recalls to the Traveller some
remarkable instances of financial niin
can-ted by speuiHliou in untried fields.
In 1858 there was a Ianre firm cnrared
in the boot and shoe business, probably
at in u time me largest in lioston, much
concluded to dissolve. The aggregate
of the available cash means of the firm
was 81,200,000. The senior partner in
vested his money in piling securities,
and died a few ears afterwards, ha imr
doubled his capital; the junior partner
did the same, and when he died lie Inn
nearly trebled the amount. The other
partner accepted the honorary position
of president of a bank, and liecame in-
;, terested in wild-cat speculations in min-
Ulg UUU 1IC11 IUUII11UUS, UUU lO-U.lJ lit!
is almost a pauper. About forty jcars
ago a j oung m m liegan as porter in a
large concern on South Market Street;
he roo gradually' from one position to
another till he had acquired knowledge
and money enough to start for himself,
and he chose the then new field of St.
Louis. By industry, application and
shrewdness he became one of the lead
ing merchants of that citv. About
tw enty years ago he decided to retire
from acthe business and return to his
native Stale. He h id a clear
cash fortune of SsOO.OOO. Pur
chasing a be-uitiful estate with
in twenty miles of Boston, and
adding thereto by elcg-int and costly
buildings and outbuildings and con
servatories, ho settled down to enjoy
himself. But he was not satisfied, lie
saw that others had mote than he pos
sessed; he could not go back to the old
drudgery of business to increase his pile,
and in an evil hour he came across one
of those plausible men w ho pointed out
to him the sure way through w Inch by a
single stroke he could double his for
tune. He yielded, and invested his all
in a patent that w as not w orth the paper
it was written on, and that man to-day
is laboring h ird to g-iin daily bread for
himself and family.
In 1858 one of the leading commission
dry-goods merch ints in Boston o er
reached his competitors in trade and
made him-clf whole in that terrible
financial crisis, w hen most of our lead
ing houses went to the wall. As col
lateral security for notes given for about
$30,000 he took shares in an uncom
pleted railroad connected with a coal
mine. Di-cov eiing th it this stock held
as collateral represented more than a
majority of the whole stock, he employ
ed brokers in Wall Street to bear the
stock and buy it up for a song. Ho suc
ceeded, and he afterwards admitted that
he cleared $400,000 by the operation.
The war came on, and"hc succeeded in
obtaining from the Government several
large contracts. At the close of the w ar
he could chink out at least two millions
of dollars in solid cash. But lis w as not
. satisfied. There were such men :ls
Oakes Ames and John 1$. Alley, of the
Union Pacific; Tom Scott, of the 1'enn
svhania Central; Jaj Gould, of the
EYic, and Vanderbilt, who could dis
count him four to one. and he wanted
tobeoncwitlitheni. .jovcrnment lands
and Government appropri itions and
Great Western ltailroad schemes were
all the rage, ami he went in, seeing in
the future his tw o millions swelling to
ten millions. He has lo-t his own
money and led his iieighlmrs to ruin,
and is to-day an object of pity.
Thirty j ears ago a v oung and prom
ising 1 iwyer w as retained bj a railroad
corporation in New England then labor
ing under great difficulties. Ho soon
got at the true inwardness of the situa
tion, and, availing him-clf of the knowl
edge, invested right and left in its secu
rities at low figures. Those scnuities
afterward lcc-ime apprecntive values,
and he found himself almost a million
aire. He purchased a splendid estate,
became a liberal patron of the Kits, a
leading agriculturist, ami was esteemed
for his benevolence. His income was
almost princely, but others were worth
more, and he was still young. His am
bition was to mount to the top, and in
one brief year, from being possessor of
$900,000 he was to all intents a pauper,
and died a recipient of charity.
In 1843 a young man from a neigh
boring town, who nad been a fortunate
business man till the crisis of 1837,
started afresh. A few ears found him
at thetop of the ladder, his credit good
and his transactions immense ; he had
acquired a second and hindsomo for
tune. In a day, as it were, he lost all,
and he had not money enough to buy
he began again at the bottom, and laid
the foundation for a third fortune, which
was destined to be threefold greater
th in the other two. But ho was a man
never to be satisfied. Three jears ago
he could have sold out his immense real
estate and realized $3,500,000 Three
months ago he was forced to borrow
money from his mends lor the actual
necessities of himself and family.
An Extravagant California Farmer.
Lucky Baldwin's llanch, near Los
Angeles, says the San Francisco Chron-
...... . -...,......0 ...... ........ u ..........
out the country as the palatial hotel that
bears his name, and many noted East
ern capitalists, on their visit to Califor
nia, make a point of visiting the south
ern counties on purpose to take a view
of his f irm. Last week a well know n
New York financier arriv cd in Los An
geles on a visit, and on the follow ing
morning was up bright and early to
make atonr of the ranch under the guid
ance of his host. This gentleman w as
loud in his encomiums of all he saw
the semi-tropical fruits, the fine crops,
the broad pastures and then he asked
to see the famous stock of animals of
which he had heard so much. Wend
ing their way towards the stables some
tw u miles distant, they came across a
ten-acre held of wild Bowers, which,
from their variety and brilliancy of hues,
astonished the stranger. "es,"said
his host, with a quiet smile, " that's
my polishing crop," and when his guest
tuiied to him with an inquiring gaze,
he resumed : " You see, I need a great
deal of beeaw ax to polish the furniture
of the Baldwin, and that's the bees'
pasture." The v isitor was puzzled, but
still, remembering on what a vast scale
some affairs in California were conduct
ed, he simply made a note of it. A few
inclosures passed, they came on a large
field, in w Inch w ere pastured immense
nocks ol sheep, and when his guest ex
pressed his wonder at their numbers.
his host remarked quietly that " it was
not a oau nog crop." "ltogcrop!"
exclaimed his companion. " Why, these
are sheep." "True," said Mr. Bald
win, " but pasturage is scarce this year,
and many prefer shearing their flocks
and then killing them to fatten the hogs
that command a good price in the San
Francisco markets, w hile sheej) are al
most w orthlcss." Our financier began
to imagine he was being quizzed, but
on second thought he acknowledged
that this might be also the case and
held his tongue. Crossing this small
plain they came to a field that was be
ing plowed, and, driving up to a team,
Mr. Baldwin drew up and asked how
they worked. The guest glanced anxi
ously at his watch and exclaimed.
"I've only an hour to spare, and
want to ee some of your horses."
"Well, look at that team,"
was the reply; "how do they work,
.Tames?" he "continued to the driver.
"The bay is quiet, but the sorrel is a
little skittish, sir," the plowman an
sw ered. "Oh, bother," said the strang
er; "I want to look at your tliorougfi
bieds, and not at rlow-horcs." " What
do you think I paid forthem?"saidMr.
Bildtvin, quictlj. "Oh, perhaps $500
for the span." " Multiply it by ten and
j ou are nearer the mark," was the re
ply. "Five thousand dollars!" ex
claimed the stranger in almost speech
less astonishment. "And then nuke it
four times as much and you've got the
correct figure." "Twenty thousand
dollars!" echoed the guest,"and what in
thunder arc they?" "Only Grinstead
and Kutherford." "Here, let me get
aw ay," w as the stranger's reply. " 1 fiat
you turn acres of flowers into furniture
polish, and flocks of sheep into a hog
crop, I can believe, but that jou put to
the plow two of the finest thoroughbreds
iu America. I'll never credit." And,
despite Baldwin's assurances tint the
slignt woik was of benefit to the horses,
that illustrious stranger swallowed the
flower and hog stories, but would never
believe that it was possible to "speed
the plow" with a $20,X) team.
How the 01 Hone Wm Appraise.
A horny-handed old farmer entered
the offices of one of the biz railroad
companies Saturday and inquired for
tbe man who settled lor horses which
was killed by the locomotives of a bloat
ed corporation. They referred him to
the company's connci, whom, having
found, he thus addressed: "Mister, 1
was driving home one evening last week
." "Been drinking?" sententious-
ly questioned the law er. "I'm Center-
pole of tho local Tent of Kechabites,"
said the farmer. "That doesn't answer
my question," replied the man of tbe
law ; "I saw a man who was boiling
drunk vote tho prohibition ticket last
year." "Hadn't tasted liquor since the
big flood of 1846," said the old man.
"Go ahead." "I will, simirc. And
when I came to the crossing of your
soulless monopoly, it was pretty dark,
and zip! alonz came jour train, no
bells rung, no w histles tooted, contrary
to the statutes in such cases made and
provided, and agin the granger decis
ions, and whoop! away went my off
noss a-scoouu over tue ic-iegrapu wires.
When I had dug myself out'n a swamp
some distance off and pacified the other
critter, I found that thar ou-hoss was
dead as Perry Smith ; nothing valuable
about him but his shoes, w hicli mought
liave brought say eight cents for old
iron. Well " "Well, jou want
pay for that 'ere off horse?" said the
lawyer, with a scarcely repressed sneer.
"I kinder should.N ou see," said the farm
er frankly, "and 1 don't care about suing
it, though possibly I'd get a verdict ;
for juries out in our town is mostly made
up of farmers, and they kinder help each
other as a matter of principle in these
cases of stock killed by railroads."
'And this 'ere off-hoss," said the coun
sel, mockingly, " was a Hambletonian
colt out of an Abdallah mare, w ith sev
enteen Messenger crosses, wasn't he?
He was rising four years, as he had been
lor several seasons past, and had shown
2:25 on a half-mile track in the mud.
hadn't he? And you had been offered
$10,500 for him the day he was killed,
but w ouldn't take it because jou were
going to win all the purses in the grand
circuit with him, and then going to move
to Nevada and buy a silver mine and
Senatorship with the proceeds? O, I've
heard ol that horse beiore." "I gues3
there's a mistake somwhere, sonny,"
said the old farmer, w ith an air of sur
prise; "my hoss was got by the old
man Butt's roan pacing-hoss. Pride of
Lemont, out'n a wall-eyed, no account
mare ot my own, and now that he's
dead, I may say that he was twenty-nine
novt maj 'IVt Vllirrm.! i',-l.-a
"-" '" J- ..".. .,j ...v. .....j a
hoss that he was fined forfurious driving
of, w as old Dexter alongside of him!
Sixteen thousand dollars? Bless your
soul, do you think I'm a dam fool, or
any one else u? It is true 1 was made
an offer for him the last time I was in
tow n, and for the man looked kinder
simple, and you know how it is with
hoss-trading, 1 asked the fellow more n
the animal misht have been worth.
asked him sixty-five dollars, -but I'd
have taken forty dollars." " Forty dol
lars!" gasped the lawyer, " forty dol
lars!" " les," replied the farmer.
meekly and apologetically, "it kinder
looks a bijr sum, I know, for an old boss.
but that 'ere off hoss could pull a mighty
big load, considering. Then I was
kinder shook up, anu the pole of my
wagon was busted, and I had to get the
harness fixed, and there's my loss of
time, and all tint counts. Say $50, and
it's about square." The lawyer whis
pered softly to himself: "Well, I'll be
bulldozed!" and filled out a check for
$500. " Sir," said he, covering the old
man's hand, " you are the first honest
man I have ever met in the course of a
legal experience of 23 years, tho farmer
whose dead horse was worth less than
$1,000, and couldn't trot better than 2 :31
.. .......... .......... . ....... ...ou u m ..o
pass for yourself and your male heirs in
a uirect line lor three generations, and
if You have a vonni hoc tn .tmw wi
will teach him telegraphing and find him
steady and lucrative employment." The
honeit old farmer took the check and
departed, smiting his brawny leg with J
m? uuiii uiiuu in inumpu ad ue uiu so,
with the remark: "I knew I'd fetch
him on the honest tack! Last hoss I
rrrtt 1 McJ T o.rw ... - ....,.. .....1 ..11
r-v. juubi. anvil, t.tta a uulici, uuu JUl
got was $165 and interest. ' Honesty
is me Dest policy.' " Factory ami
Farm.
A strong spring bed a bed of early
onions.
Tea Broeck' Woaderfil HUe tii What
It XtM.
To simply say that Ten Broeck ran a
mile in 1:39 presents rather a barren
idea to the ordinary mind. It is some
thing to say that the fastest timo ever
made before was 1:41, but evtn that
basis of comparison does not convey to
one's mind any very satisfactory esti
mate of the tremendous pace at which
this remarkable horse ran the course at
the Jockey Club grounds. We are ac
customed to measuring tho speed in or
dinary travel by the hour, so let us seo
what Ten Broeck might do if he could
indefinitely continue the speed which he
exhibited on Thursday. He made his
mile in 1 :39i. that is, he ran at the rate
of 3G 042606 miles per hour. Dropping
the decimals, and rating nim, in round
numbers, at thirty-ix miles per hour,
he would mako 8o4 miles per day. Ho
might run over the Short Line ltailroad
to Cincinnati in 3h. 3m. 19s. lie might
nin over the Lonisville and Great South
ern Hoad to Nashville in 5b- 41m. CJs.
He might give the through sleeping-car
to New York several hours sturt and get
in ahead of it. He might put a girdle
round the earth at .the equator in 27
days 16 hours, and travel the average
distance to the moon in 276 days and 8
minutes. To appreciate the difference
between the time of Ten Broeck aad
the best time ever made before we must
take the minimum measurement. He
ran about 53 feet in one second. He
beat the best time on record by two sec
onds ; that is, in the same time he could
have run about 106 feet over a mile.
Ten Broeck could not hold out very long
at such a rate of speed, but for that mat
ter neither can jl locomotive be kept up
to its highest rate of speed for any great
distance. The iron horse mast rest like
the horse of flesh and blood and sinews.
When we talk about fast mail-trains and
through lightning-expresses that over
come great distances in short time, we
consider the fact that there are stop
pages and change of engines that are
like traveling by relays. When Ten
Broeck goes home, if he goes by rail, the
fastest speed that the Lexington ex
press will attain, even over the best
mile of road, will not equal that at
which he ran on Thursday, and the mile
stones will seem to pass him very slow
ly when he compares his experience
with that of the other day when the
grand stand with its thousands of spec
tators and the waving handkerchiefs,
gates, post, trees and carriages that
stretched along the mile whirled round
him in one flashing revolution before
the watch could tick off the fortieth
second of the second minute from the
start. Louisville Courier-Journal.
"We Passed That."
It's one thing to have an object in
life, it is quite another thing to know
when we are aiming at it. Many begin
well, but after a timo get off the course;
then their life is morehkely to go wrong
than right. The following incident has
iw moral for all who are aiming to do
right:
During a beautiful summer's night, on
on of our great lakes, the master of a
boat thought he might take a few hour's
rest, and intrustecftlie rudder into the
hands of his boy, a somewhat simple
minded lad. "Do you see that star
straight before us," hesaidtohim,point
ing to the Polar star.
"Yes."
" Well, von have nothing to do but to
keep the boat straight in that direc
tion."
" I understand."
The captain fell asleep. The boy did
tho same. The wind changed ; the boat
turned out of it3 course more and more,
till at last it had made a semi-circle.
The boy awoke; he was astonished to
see ueuiuu uu uatik iuc suu , iv. ju.
now had been straight before bim,hut he
did not the less continue with a firm
hand to steer the boat towards the south.
from whence it had first come.
Two hours after the master in his turn
awoke. He cast one glance upon the sky
and another upon the boy.
" Well, stupid: wnat are yon aoingr-
it Tim ufill Vttorttntr nlirav fitmufrht ha.
fore me, as you told me."
Ah, indeed! ana iheroi&r stmrr-
Oh, the Polar star! Why, we pawed
thatlongago!"
AntiENT asks us if those beneath
Secretary Schurz could notbeappropri
ately called under-Schurz. Rockland
Uourttr. ,