"I'VE SOLD THE TREASURY DRY!** 143 



pocket and seldom has the proverb, "Easy come, 

 easy go," received more apposite illustration. 

 From promoting a church to buying a castle, 

 from street railroads in Boston to Sea Islands in 

 Carolina, my check book was always busy. In- 

 cidentally it was lavish when my sympathy was 

 appealed to and for all such gifts I have nothing 

 but scorn to-day, now that I know what real sym- 

 pathy may mean and from behind the scenes have 

 witnessed the hollow mockery of advertised phi- 

 lanthropy. 



My first large investment was a good one. A 

 Boston firm brought to my attention an oppor- 

 tunity to buy an interest in the street railroads 

 of that city which opened a clear path to their 

 control, and I acted upon their suggestion. The 

 advice was given in good faith, the scheme was 

 a shrewd one, and the possibilities of profit were 

 great, but I failed to carry the project through 

 for reasons that will appear. 



The Sea Island gold brick cost me a fortune 

 and its story is worth telling by way of illustrat- 

 ing the fable of the camel which was allowed to 



