The enterprise-recorder., March 24, 1910, Image 2

About The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933

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No man, asserts the Chicago Trib
une, ascends above his ideals.
If people wero 113 afraid of hurting
tholr stomachs us they are of catch
In If cold, submits the Atchison Globe,
they would live longer.
Pig fines have little effect on the
llg trusts. They never dance, avers
JLe Atlanta Constitution, without the
therewith to pay the llddler.
No, the editor tiocMi't worry, as
sents the Christinn ltegister. Letters
from irritable people give the wrl'ors
much more pain than they do tl.e edi
tors. "Do re.ipiin," said I'ncle Ebon, In
the Washington St.u"dai some men
walks tie How because of di ir debts '
Is because it's warin " an' 1110' cum- 1
fable dan ghtiu' c.nt an' buildiii'
fences or sla.te ha' i-now." j
We are new Sihi;-,oli square 111 til)
face, lokhowh il ( .- the Clciclat.d
I.i aib r. with tl.e n v s that (a 01;
Wnshiiig'.on u'e with Lis l.nile. Thi.i
mils: In hushed up. ' n't h : the 1 Ml
(Inn think that .j-,nity ai.il vennlty
go hand in 1.,.!. 1
(leogrnphii ally, pni; ' ii ally, cconoml
cally and prm !. :i'!y tin- t r-t a !il :.-! 1
111 tin i f a c i.t:.. I 1 miiI; 1:1 the 1'iii.cil
Stalls today, - "written lion.
X'lui rl"s N, I-'i .!! in the Atlahiic, is
UntJiii !.::; unit .-s th" solo purpose
of t a."'.ii kK'!i an lii.s:i-ntion is to
urn Min.e k 1 1 ; :i : inn I'ei-t to tic In
i nl' able and in ve r-c nilii.n injury and
c .-t cf the Ai..' : ii an lnoplf.
Arms ih" .'1! ilv. ,'iiil c dini'iial: It '
Ui'iild be mi1 iir: unai' for Canada and ,
for ll.i fil l' i .-flatus fl-oald t!,a Ca- (
liadin:-. ;:nri:;!.'i,; (i:;h,'iil; ni'i'ii a ,
jmlii y of Mililtii.Sni. It would invite (
nisjii inn, if i.nt 1 ;irir als. The inter- :
c-ts nf !..o:!i c-' initries li'1 in pioinut.-
ii!K tlieir ; !';i 1 1 li'a'ii'i. in lowerlni; !
tl.i: (,-iriff wall il.at natnls as n bar '
to ooviniri e nml :!,: j- (.la-aii r devi l- ;
inii :i: ra'ln r tiir.a !n bui'-leliln !
tl.;ii.-tl'. es w itli a;iiii:iii"H',s. j
f:!,all we tin' a ren ienltiire In the j
country i-choel? Ar-lt jcnirsalf this j
Ciii Mimi, Hi ea:ini iid. the I armors
(Itiiile. If yon have a boy or girl old
u.oti;:h to be in school It is u vital
cpiestlon. In fait tile whole subject
cf education in the gravest problem
Ve have to solve. It b' cms to i.s that
Me are on the eve of a change In our
educational system nnd when this
cbanne has heiii ninde, agriculture,
domestic science and other industrial
studies will hold an important place
la every school curriculum.
Recognizing that nil the loading Eu
ropean nations are rapidly developing
aerial fleets of both llghter-than-alr
nnl heavier-thiinalr muchlues, Gen.
James Allen, the chief signal officer
C'f our nrniy, made an especial plea in
his annual report to the secretary of
war last week for a definite plan of
aeronautical development in the army.
It is to he hoped this will be given
the attention it deserves, prays the
Scientific American. Our war depart
ment was tho first to order an aero
plane, and it should not fall behind
dow in aviation or aerostatics.
Some statistics from Kansas City
tend to add another bit of evidence
to that already accumulated in favor
of rigorous suppression of the "gun
toting" habit. Missouri, cites the Chi
cago Record-Herald, is one of the
states which have recently passed
stringent lawg to reduce the abuse,
the Missouri method being to declare
the carrying of concealed weapons a
felony. This law took effect in August,
and for the four months since then
the number of homicides in Kansas
City has been 11, as against 18 in the
similar period of the preceding year.
This is not proof that it is a good
thing to prohibit the pistol habit. It
is Just one more hint, but considering
the neglect which has been the fate of
other hints of the enme kind it is all
the more needed. Strangely enough,
in the south, where a local sense of
honor attaches, to exploits with re
volvers, the legislatures are now most
active to suppress their use, while In
the north, where tiie revolver Is the
oretically good for the honest citi
zen's defence, but actually good for
little except the criminal's aggres
sion, the laws are comparatively
weak.
THE CRICKET.
Sweft poet cf the henrth. chirp on, clilrp
,llr '
Wir- rich than Mralna of lnurcatw or
Are tl.l
I01
In w
eu oft eml. iii'd). In moments
w. ory
slie.
Hmnsur village u.ime unu
V:ik thy swe t rjirntH lit
siunm.oo tin- no!:!- 11' J
itu'Ii pvf-ntlil1
iH'.llt lO 'IIU'll
lis siuh
Th.il unit "lit wui.icvr fi"ir mountain-
mlf
At.h- may Knot thy i.i IK.vv.a minstrel
sy. I-finu- llv" tli v
Iviiliinn he
.,T,-in p. ..f blissful hour.
;il.l 'it our i v nunc hymn;
ti...n tli- V"leu Hum hull
Or hi
1 linn Ji"to from dlstiint clioniMm.
Cash Versus Credit
By James Sheldon Miller
4
4
4
4
4
"Are tin j;oing to the tiieaM"
niuht?" ii-hcd Sain Brown of .lo.iii.-
n,
as they walked toward li.onc alter
tlieir day's work.
1 think not," replied .Johnson. "Mir.
.h'hiisMi wants rue to lietp her tail;
(kr.vn a carpet this cvcnlnu. llcsidcs.
1 am saving my cuirirt. i s just now to
renew lay subsci'lliilou to a K'lentliie
paid'. It expires 111 11 mn
"I tliotiM like to t.tlx a paper
said
Hi-own, dolefully, "but time are to
ninny bills to pay since I cjniineiiced
lioin-ekeepiliB that 1 can't seem to
save cnonli."
Je:htison turned and 1 lied at bis
companion lnt titly.
"Sam, I think ycni are making a mis
take," he said smith nly.
"A inbtaUo? How? What do you
mean?" ashed the other, with a touch
of resentment.
l'eter and Sam had been friends
since their schoolboy days, and the
former had, ilurini? years of associa
tion with the latter, grown to under
stand what his t ni" inent. So he pur
sued the subject 110 further, but saon
Vatic l'.rown (.(.od-iii'-'bt .
At tho tii'e of i.lulitein. the two had
(iitived 1111 appn Micenhlp to extend
tin 'ei (ill fear eiu-s, at the end of
wlild, time' both were w.ll iralnc .1
in. ehatdes. ami able to cam a salary of
tw. Ive (1 elars n week. Not loin; af
tervvai'l, both married and became
iieiclibors. Trier's wife was a thrifty
lifle l.ily, and to Inr he cntriiMi'l
the niaiiai-'cnient of the household expense.-.
Kent was low, fuel and edi
bles were cheap 111 the small contry
town, and with strict economy could
be pa ill Sor from an allowance of sev
en dollars a week; whatever .'Mrs.
Johnson saved out of this sum she
was to have far pin money. Two dal
lars were to bo laid aslde for cloth
ing and other Incidental expenses,
while the remaining three dollars were
to be placed in the bank. Another
law of the household w hich was to be
to thtt young cotiide like unto that of
the Medes and Persians, was to pay
cash for everything bought by them,
Iirown'B wife as on entirely differ
cnt type of woman from Minnie John'
son. She was a large girl who moved
slowly, mid did not seem to possess
the talent either for planning or car
rylng gut a plan. She often strolled
over to her little neighbor's house dur
ing the morning, and stood chatting in
the doorway.
"I declare," sho would exclaim, "you
do fiy around at a great rate. You're
always doing something. But don't
you get lonesome here by yourself? I
do, when Sam's away so much that
sometimes I sit down and cry."
"I've no time to be lonesome, re
plied Minnie, punching a fork into
the loaves of dough, preparatory to
their last "rising."
Sam was very fond of his big, dark'
eyed wife, and would not trouble ber
with questions of economy. When the
week's pay was brought into the house
the two bought whatever they most
needed. The twelve dollars dwindled
ns a dream, and before the following
Saturday night there was no money
in hand.
The grocer gradually induced them
to buy their goods on "trust," and be
fore very long they made the same
arrangement with the butcher. The
latter Invariably managed, in cutting
the meat, to increase by one third a
day's order. The grocer, by adroitly
naming various dainties among his
supplies, contrived to secure a good
order whenever he called.
Not many weeks had pasBed before
the Drown's found that they had not
sufficient funds to meet their blls. But
then the butcher and grocer were very
accommodating It would, be all right
next week.
One day a sewing machine was left
by an agent at the home of Mrs.
Brown, that she might "try it." A few
days later he came to her, offering to
sell it for five dollars down, and
dollar a week thereafter, until the en
tire sum of thirty dollars should be
collected. With a slight reduction of
the amounts paid each week to the
butcher and grocer, Mrs. Brown man
aged to purchase the machine.
"He called at my house," said Mrs
Johnson, admiring her friend's new
possession.
"And did you get a machlmT" asked
Clara Brown.
Hcmorh the modern bnr.l to lmltnt
I he simple he-auty cf thy nnnli is'id.
That, whilst wo In cxiH'ciuiit h
We niny, ut le-eist, one; tre-usured
re-cull.
niil him In true lorn nympnthy to bnro
'i'lie iiH-iiow cjiili-nt'o u( thy Kpr.Mly
e'hlino;
t-'uy limn hist withered round tin? t :i 1 1 1 -m-eli's
cl.ulr
A truer ln;u"ii and a brighter rhyme.
Ch'rp n. then, cheery P'K t of th ln-nrth:
Te.if' thy cuiii'i-cm tln-y melody di
vine; ri'neliilin thy presence to the ends of
rrtrl :
Th;ii tu) may Jive and love in Jny
like
thine.
"No, I never buy anything on instal
iiiis. I guess I'm too big a coward.
til I'm saving the money, and he tuid
me I could have one for twenty-live
ollars by paying cash." 1
A lew weeks later a machine vs
delivered ut tho wise little manager's
home, and was paid for with money
tvivl from her weekly allowance.
About this time matters were becom
ing a tilile unpleasant for the Drowns.
Neatly every day sonic creditor called
to collect whatever he might on some
over due bill. Each week it was nee-
sary to divide the twelve dollais Into
small Ruins a dollar for the sc-wini;
Machine) agent ; fifty cents for the man
who had said ihcm n clotkeswrinuer;
five dollars for the grocer; f'J',r
lnrs for tho hut'her, and so on, until
no money remained with which to
meet the rent. The landlord was
obliged to wait a few days. And thus
matters went cm from week to week.
At this juncture, the employer of
l'eter and Sam raised their salaries
to fourteen dollars a week.
"That'll h; so much inure to put
away In the bnnk. cried Minnie, glee
fully clapping her hands, nfttr hcarinit
f this Increase in her husband's in-
ccine.
Clara was equally pleased with her
goid fortune. She and her hmband
ei included that there would be 110
more trouble.
It'll take several weeks to square
up the bills," she said, and then fell
to riinmeratlni; the wants which they
had not. heretofore been able to gra
tif. Sam thought he needed a new
salt of clothes, and bought one for
I lilrty-threo dollars 011 the instalment.
plan. About this time Peter purchased
mo from a first-class cbthler for
twenty-five dollars, paying cash for it.
The result of the Crowns' policy was
that their bills were not "squared up,"
and they found themselves as badly
ramped for funds as they had been
before.
At the end of five years, Peter's face
boro evidence to a life of quiet con
tentment and prosperity. His friends
found pleasure in his companionship
and took advantage of every oppor
tunity to visit his clean, well-kept
home, presided over by the smiling.
onergeUc housewife, with her two
healthy babies at her heels.
Sam, on the contrary, showed the
effects of the strain of constant but
hopeless endeavor to clear himself of
debt. His shoulders had begun to
droop, and the lines were deepening
upon his brow and about his mouth.
As the two friends made their way
toward the shop, one morning, Sam
said rather abruptly to his companion,
"I understand that you have been
buying a lot.
Yes," replied Peter. "I have one of
tho nicest lots in the village. I can
make a fine looking place of it in
time."
How much did you pay for it?"
One hundred and fifty dollars."
How in thunder did you manage to
save one hundred and fifty dollars?"
asked Sam, in amazement.
"Oh, that's easy enough. But that
Isn't all. I have nearly eleven hundred
more In the bnnk, and if I live and
have my health until next spring, I
Intend to build a house."
"What, have you had a windfall?"
"No, I have just saved the money in
the laBt five years."
"Now look here," said Sam; "I want
you to tell me how you've done it.
Look where I am, and I've been re
ceiving the same salary as you."
"Well, I know where your trouble
Is, Sam, but it is none of my business,
and I would rather have nothing to
aay about it.
"See here, Pete, you and I have al
ways been good friends. I want you
to tell me how it Is done."
"Well, if you are sure that neither
you nor Mrs. Brown will be offended
I'll show you the way out of your
trouble.
"I'm willing to do almost anything to
get where I can pay my bills, and
eventually have a home of nty own,
"You and Mrs. Brown come over
and spend the evening with us, and
come prepared to hear some pretty
plain talk. It hurts like the dickens
to have aching teeth extracted, but it
la better to be rid of the troublesome
things, and we are always glad when
they are out, But I (hall not allotr
either of you to take any gas or ether
while It Is being done!"
At supper Sam told his wife of hla
conversation with Peter. She stared
at him In wide-eyed wonder, then si
lently prepared for the visit.
"Now," said Peter, as both men filled
their pipes that evening, "I suppose
you have come to have the bad teeth
In your financial system extracted.
You know I told you, Sam, that I
should not give you any ether or any
of that sort of thing. You will Just
have to grin and bear what I have to
say, since you brought it cm yourself.
So If you arc ready for the ordeal, I
will got out my forceps and see what
can bo done for yon. To begin with.
I shall nsk you n few questions. Don't
you think that we have set as giod a
lable ns you have? Don't you think
we ke ep our house warm enough for
rmnfori? Have wo not dressed as
well its you have? Have we not made
as lair headway generally as you
have?
"I can answer all those questions by
saying that you have outdone us In all
these things," promptly replied Mrs.
Diown.
"You know we started In married
life at the same time. Now, at the
end cf five years, 1 have laid aside
over twelve hundred d'dlars while you
havo nothing. You want to know
where the trouble lies. All I can say
Is. that it is bad management."
Drown winced.
"I see, Doctor Johnson; you arc go
ing to be like all the" rest of the di lit
ists have about as much sinpatliy
as a meat nx!"
Johnson looked at him In hesitation,
then said,
"Well, it does make a difference
which end of the forceps one has to
ileal with. Shall I go on?"
"Yes, ytsl" quickly responded
Brown. "When a fellow's nliiios-t crazy
with the financial toothache, there's
no remedy but to submit to the dent
ist." "We will just g; back to the time
when you and Sam were man-it d,"
continued Peter, addressing himself to
Mrs. Drown. "My wife and I started
on tho same footing that you and Sam
did. It is back there that the trouble
began. Von did not start right. You
coiniin need by speniliiig eery cent
of your Income as fa.-l as you received
It. liven this did not satisfy your
wants, so you began to run into d(bt.
When one begins to run into debt he
soon becomes accustomed to that con
dition, and there Is 110 ambition to riso
above It. Your liisr blunder was in
getting credit. Yon can always da
better with cash than you can that
way. I know the grocers and butchers
tell you this isn't so, but I know what
I'm talking about. When they once
pet you In debt to theni, they're In a
position to take all sorts of advantage
of you. They expect ou to keep buy
ing of them, because you are under
obligations to them for trusting you.
"Then there's your coal bill. I notice
that for some time you've been buy
ing cool by the basket. Did you ever
figure up how much you're paying for
coal when you buy It that way? Well,
if you haven't, I'll tell you that It costs
you about nine dollars a ton. I buy
my coal In the summer, when the
price is lowest. The last I bought, was
five-fifty per ton. By the way, Sam,
how much coal do you use in a year?"
Since one year ago we've used
nbout ftiur tons. But do you know as
much about Peter's business as he
does about yours?" ask Sam, turning
with a smile to Mrs. Johnson.
"Oh, yes! We plan everything to
gether!" she replied In a sprightly
way.
"We only used three tons," said
Peter, "and yet we had all the Are we
needed. I think we can give you a
hint on burning coal. We have often
noticed that you let your stove get
red hot When you drive your lire
that way, your heat goes up the chim
ney instead of heating the room, You
can cook to no better advantage when
your pot bolls furiously than when it
bolls gently. Water can't get more
than boiling hot." And he noded
his head wisely. "Now, three tons of
coal at five dollars and a half costs
me sixteen-fltty. Four tons at nine
dollars a ton costs you thirty-six dol
larsmore than double!"
"But you know," Interrupted Mrs.
Brown, helplessly, "we are behind on
our coal bll. We have to pay some
thing on the old bill every week, and
we are buying by the basket until
we get caught up. Then we shall buy
by the ton again.
"Now," said Peter, "brace up; I am
going to take hold of an eye tooth
this time. You know they always come
hard. I am going to tell you that
more food goes into your swill tub
than goes down your throats. You
are proving the truth of Doctor Frank.
lln's saying that some families waste
enough to feed another family. You
cook twice as much as you can eat at
one meal, and you don't seem to know
how to Work anything over so as to
use it all up. You order a pound of
steak, and the butcher brings you in
a pound and three-quarters. You
think he could not cut any closer, but
he understands his business. Then
you Just cook the whole piece. You
can't eat It all, and it stands around,
and you finally throw it out. It is
the same way with many other things
that go into the swill tub. The great
est leak is the swill tub. we don't
propose to buy provisions to feed our
neighbor's pigs. If we have a few po.
tatoes and a little meat left over, Mrs
Johnson makes it into a eavory hash
and it is Hll eaten. Our bits of brcj
that get a little dry are made Into 1
pudding, ineu we uon t Duy so much
sirloin steak. We can buy other meat
for half tho money, and by cooking jt
right It's good enough for us.
"AnothtM- thing: I notice you )ur
your bread of the bilker. Do you real.
Ize that you are paying about twenty
dollars a barrel for your flour? v
get our flour at the lowest cash price
itnd do our own baking." '
Peter paused again, and knocking
the ashes from his pipe, slowly reiillej
it.
"We have seen these tilings all
along," he continued presently, "but,
as 1 told you, we thought it nono of
oar business, and so said nothing." "
Sam had arisen and was pacing u19
floor.
"You'ro a pretty savage dentist," he
said, pausing before his friend, "but
you're doing the work."
"Then there was the sewing ma
chine," resumed Peter. "You :;H
thirty dollars, and Mrs. Johnson
bought one just like It for twenty-five,
And your suit of clothes, too. Tliij
instalment business is ns 1 ad ns the
credit system. I've been showins ymf '
the defects o this sort of thing; do
yen care to have me prescribe 1I19
remedy?"
"Surely go ahead. Anything short
of strychnine If it will get me out uj.
debt."
Peter the'n laid before Ms visitor!
the plan that hti and his wife I111J been
following since their marriage, show
Ing them In detail how It could be fol-
lowed.
"I see it all!" exclaimed Mrs. Ilrown,
"It's as plain ns day. Hut here we
are in debt all around, and 1 don't
see how we are going ta start."
"Wife, please get n sheet of paper
mid a pencil," said Peter. Then ho
figure d out the entire amount of the
Brown's debts. "Very well," lie re
marked. "1 will lend you enough mon
ey to clear them, and leave you eight
dollars to commence on. Evcr.uhjng
cash hereafter, remember! Nct Sat
urday night you will hand me five
dollars, and five dollars a week tie re
ntier until the nmount you owe i::e Is
all paid. Never allow yourselv s to
go beyond seven dollars a week far
your home supplies, and lay ash!" two
dollars a week for your other item
of expense. After paying mo, you will
put five dollars In the bank Just as I
elei, and you will have two hundred
dollars in the bank one year from b
day."
Thank you," said Sam, "not only for
the loan, but for what is of more im
portance, the information we received
this evening. Hut but" and he si ileel
toward the door "if you ever get tho
toothache, I'll pull your head clear
off your body! "
Peter picked up the baby's pillow
and threw it at his friend and the
couple departed with good-natured
raillery and laughter.
A year later, as the two men were
walking home one evening, Sam tald
to Peter,
"Lo you realize this is an anniver
sary?" "What do you mean?" asked Teter.
"I mean that Just one yqar ago to
night you played the part of dentist1
for my benefit. Come over and spend
the evening at our house; I've some
thing to show you."
Peter and bis wife were scarcely
seated In the home of the Browns
when Sam told them that he had
drawn one hundred and fifty dollars
from the bnnk.
"What!" exclaimed Peter, sharply.
"You're disobeying the doctor's or
ders? That won't do?"
Sam went to his desk and took out
a long envelope and handed it to
Peter, who opened it and drew forth
a warranty deed of the lot adjoining
his own.
"There!" said Sam. "I didn't want
any one else to have that lot, and so I
bought it. I still have over fifty dol
lars in the bank, and I owe no man
anything."
Peter Jumped to his feet and shook
his friend's hand warmly.
"And I learned today," lie said,
"that each of us is to have another
raise of two dollars!" Waverley
Counterfeiters.
Tommy had been reading a great
deal in the newspaper about Sena
tors and Congressmen, the Tariff bill,
income taxes and corporation taxes,
and his mind was filled with legisla
tive matters. On many occasions M
miner Dati explained, as best ce ram",
the articles of which the newspapers
treated, and took pains to voice W
opinion, which was not always favor
able. With his mind so actively fertilized
and growing, Tommy could not help
asking his father, one day;
"Say, pop, why is a Senator like
counterfeiter?"
"That's too strong for me," replied
his father. "What's the answerT"
"Because," answered Tommy, tri
umphantly, "he makes and tries to
pass some pretty bad' hilte." N
York Times.