A BIG SCHEME.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3215, 19 October 1881, Page 3

A BIG SCHEME.

" I've got the biggest of the age," said a man about 40 years old, as ho dropped into the chair by the city editor's desk in the Banner editorial room, this morning. Ho wore a brindle-colored duster, and his head gear, an ancient plug, hid his ears from view. "Have, eh?" said the person addressed. "Yes, sir-ee. Biggest thing you ever heard of. I'll revolutionise the hull country. Make me rich, and you rich, and everybody rich." " You don't appear very rich." "I don't. 'Cause why ? I've been foolin' away my time just like you are doing now. I've worked harder than a mule for three years and not a cent laid up. About three weeks ago an idea struck me kinder suddent like. I begun to think. I laid awake nights and thought. Finally about four o'clock this morning, while lying in bed thinking, I suddenly riz up, and my wife, she says, « What's the matter ? Got a nightmare ? ' I told her no, that I was going to be rich. She called me an old fool and turned over and went to sleep, but I was too happy to sleep. I got up and walked around till breakfast, and then I set out for your office. I had heard that you were willing to help the poor, and so I said to myself, ' I'll confinde my secret to the Banner.'" "Possibly you've found a pot of gold ? " "No my scheme is this: There are thousands of men in this country who are rich. There are more who are not rich. Now my scheme is to have these rich men to help the poor to get rich. See ? And when we are all rich, what a beautiful world we'll have. How do I propose to do this ? For instance I pronose that every man'and woman in the State who can afford it shall give me fifty cents. That will make me rich. See ? I will take that money and start me a _ family grocery, and then we rich men will take up a similar collection for you, and then you are rich. Then with you on our list we'll take up the next man and make him rich, and so on, and so on until everybody is on the rich list. See how it works ? Beautiful, isn't it?" "I guess it is." "Oh, it's a boss. It's a wonder somebody didn't think of it before. So simple you know. Why, we can all be bondholders in a few year 3, and own stock in railroads and canals and National banks." "Well?" " I want you to publish the scheme, and let the people know what we are doing, and how they all can get rich, and tell 'em where to send their fifty centses—Elijah Pudd, Station D., Nashville, Term. ' You see, I being the originator of the plan I ought to be made rich first so as to show 'em how it works. Now, tho honor of organising the plan is glory enough for me, so if you say so, I'll let you have the privilege of paying in the first half dollar, and you can pay it now, and I'll enter your name on the fly-leaf of this book, mentioning in brackets that you are the first man. Shall I put you down for fifty cents ?" " I don't think I care to." '"No? Remember, it's nothing to me who puts his name down first. It's a privilege that will be granted to but few. If you want, you can pay twenty-five cents now and band me the rest at another time. Shall I put down twenty-five cents ? No ? Then I'll be more liberal still; give me ten cents, and I'll enter your name and give you credit for the full amount. No ? I'll go, and as you won't give me a dime, maybe you wouldn't mind loaning me a chew of tobacco? No? All right." And he passed out. An hour later the reporter found him working on the streets with the chain gang, and ns he passed along, heard him mutter : "It's a very poor man who won't give ten cents towards making another man rich."