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Show .KEARN1Y STREtT DIALOGUE. "They've lowered my salary," said Smith with a groan, "and upon my word I don't see how I shall live." "What do you get?" Mr. Shrewd-man Shrewd-man inquired. "They did pay me thirty dollar a week, but they have put me back to twenty-five, and bow I'm to float on a pittance like that I can't for the life, of me see. They cut me down politely enough; explained the thing on tbe score of hard times; but I think .1 , I 1,.,.-Tl.aro'- an many fellows hunting employment now, that it's really bard for even a man like me to bold bis place and keep bis salary Iromdwindling down. I think I must try some other business. busi-ness. Think of a man like me devoting de-voting his time and talents to the j interests ot a firm aud getting only twenty-five dollars a week for the sacrifice." "You have a family, I presume. "O, no. I'm too smart lor that. I'm not on the marry not very much. All I can do is to take care of myself, and up-hill business at that." "Seems to me that twenty-five dollars ought to keep you quite well, and give you a chance to save something some-thing for the future." "Jupiter Ammon!" Smith exclaimed exclaim-ed with an incredulous air. "Yon don't mean it?" "Certainly I do." "Don't ridicule me. I feel blue enough as it is. "I'm doing nothing of the kind. I whb never more Berious in my lile. Many a millionaire has got bis first thousand dollars on a Bmaller salary than you are getting now." "O, yes, Borne of these old skinflints skin-flints that could live on an onion a day and a quart of cold water tbey might do it. 8ome men would get rich on a dollar a year. But a man like me, with his standing to keep up, aud taHtea and ambitions to gratify he must have money. I'd Bmile to see myself rolling up a fortune on twenty-five dollars a week, when I've never been able to keep out of debt on that." jjo you eat a great ueai : "No, I'm not a remarkable eater. Why?" "Unless you eat enormously, thirty dollars a week ought to feed aud clothe you." "Do you think that I live merely to get my board and clothes?" 'That'BaU anybody gets. It's an old saying that tbe richest man in the country only gets his board and ciotht-B tor all hw bard work. Some men live in bigger houses than others, but, after all, the struggle ol life ie a mere combat for food and clothing. How much do you pay, may I ask, , for what might be termed the necessaries neces-saries of life ?" "For my bread and butler, six dollars dol-lars a week." "And foryou-:room rent?" ( "Five dollars." "A hundred, dollars per annum ought to clotheyou, which we wilicau $2 per week, and allowing $2 more for washing, etc., and a total of $15 per week would result. You would still be able to eave $10 a week out of a salary of $25, which would amount to the snug sum oi $400 a year." . "Yes, and to $5,000 in ten years, and $50,000 in 100 years, and $500,-000 $500,-000 in 1,000 years. By the time I was 100,000 yeaib old I would be almost as rich as my friend Mr. S'anfard." "All fortunes result from small commencements. The $10 a week that you might save now, might serve to put you on the high road to fortune. for-tune. You seem to have no conception concep-tion "of the prodigious rate at which money increases at compound interest inter-est When you attempt to be sarcastic sar-castic on the Eubject you display your ignorauce. Five hundred dollars annually an-nually saved and invested for 1,000 yeaiB would accumulate bo colossal a fortune that mathematicians would fail to portray its immensity. A single penny iiu uul nt uuuipuuuu interest, - would, in 2,000 years, amount to a solid mass of gold 1,900 times the whole weight of tbe globe. You have thought little on this subject. sub-ject. There is do mystery in tbe &rt of gelling rich. That is why we havn so many rich men. It is an easy thing to accumulate wealth when once you btart the ball in motion. The main taint; 'B !o make ft commencement, and this you are unwilling to do.: The wonderful , powers of compound interest, tbe vast lever of geoneirical progression, even when applie'i to the most insignificant insig-nificant financial affairs, you know nothing whatever about. You understand under-stand billiards, however?" "O, yes; I am quite a scientific shot." "And you t-moke?" "Of course." "And dance?" "Yea. I'm an excellent waltzer." "And drink?" "Some." "And drive fast horses?" "Now and then." "And play faro?" "That'a rather personal." "Well, no matter about that. You squander, in varioui ways, the coin that would finally Btart you in life. You neglect your opportunity, and you will always be poor." "All right. Other fellows have their fun and bo must I." "Did you ever reflect that these are getting to be times when fun must be laid aside, and when the majority of men must content themselves with the necessaries of Lie, aud be satisfied to combat stern realities, without stopping to think ot luxuries or diver sion? TbousandB of good men are out of employment. Their applications appli-cations for just Buch situations as persons like you hold are made m vain. They are capable, induBln-ous, induBln-ous, sober and earnest. The ranks are full, however. Prudent management manage-ment compels every Urge establishment establish-ment to keep its working force down to a minimum number, thus increasing increas-ing the army of the unemployed. Tnis is no time to expect promotion . or to grumble at tbe salary you get. On the contrary employes should be timnklul that tbey have anything to do, and have any salaries at all. Tba times are bard, and tbey may be harder. hard-er. The laborer is worthy of his hire, of course, but when nobody wants to hiie bim he's in a bad boat. You bad better take your $25 a week, Mr. Smith, aod be thaukful, and the more you save of ii the leas danger there'll be that you'll get to the alms house before tbe present prostration is over " and Mr. Siirewdman bustled off an street, leaving Mr. Smith quite aston- ishtd. Free Lance. ! Stu Francisco Call. |