--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Anderson, Nephi collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 9 published: 1918-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Anderson, Nephi, "Gold Mines and Riches," *Improvement Era* 21, no. 9 (July 1918): 759–762.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2109unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2109unse start_page: 759 end_page: 762 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2109unse publication_year: 1918 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Gold Mines and Riches GOLD MINES AND RICHES 761 The next morning I went up on the hills again, and there T.met an old friend of mine whom I had not seen for some time. He was a miner, he said, working for himself under a lease contract. As he was his own boss, and as we were both glad to see each other, he lingered for some time with me in the warm sunshine near the shaft, and we told each other our more recent histories. In our younger days we had been confidants, sowe talked freely to each other. "I understand that you are a rich man now," I said. "Rich! In what?" "Why, in gold, of course. How else should a miner be rich?" My friend looked at me keenly, in a manner he had. "There might be other ways, even for a miner," he said; "and now you call my attention to it, I suppose I am rich." "Well?" I questioned as he paused; for there was some hidden meaning in his words, and I wanted the story. "I might as well tell you about it, seeing that you know so — much anyway" this latter with a bit of irony. "You remember when the big slump came in mining stock, some years ago?" "I do, to my sorrow." "Well, I had speculated a little for myself and for others, but I had made no money. One day, a widow, a neighbor to us in my home town, came to me and said she had ten thousand dollars which she wished to invest in a certain mining stock. She had heard that the stock was a safe investment, she said. I also had heard that statement, but more recently I had heard things to the contrary. The fact of the matter was that I had made a big plunge in that very stock, and if recent rumors proved true, I would be a ruined man. I therefore jumped at the chance here offered to get out clear. I sold the woman my stock and took her money. "I then took the first train out here to Tintic. I came up here to the mine, looked over the ground, heard the stories flying about, and saw what was coming. What a narrow escape I have had! thought I. I remained right here and saw the stock drop day by day until it nearly reached the vanishing point. For a day or two I gloated over my good fortune; but, somehow, I didn't care to go home to tell about it or to exhibit it. I was afraid I would meet that neighbor who had some beautifully engraved sheets of paper, now worth only a few dollars at the most. Oftener the picture of this good woman came to me. As far back as I could remember, we had been neighbors. As a boy I had always felt free in her home, and many a cookie I had had from her cake box. She had no children and her husband had left her well-to-do. I was sure the ten thousand dollars she had invested was only a part of her money. 762 IMPROVEMENT ERA "But I couldn't get the woman out of my mind, try as I would; and slowly there came to me the idea that what I had done was not quite the right thing. 'It was purely a matter of business,' a subtle something whispered to me, 'why bother more about it?' 'Yes,' I managed to reply, 'the transaction was straight enough, but I knew the stock was shaky, and I should have warned her.' 'She might have gone to someone else.' 'True, but she came to me, more's the luck, or the pity.' 'But you have the money, and you need it much more than she does.' 'True again,' I acknowledged, 'but that's not the point at issue. Legally I can keep the money. It is mine.' But this thought came to me time and again: 'What effect will the keeping of this — money have on me I don't mean on my bank account or my worldly affairs, but on me, myself?' "Well, to make my story short, I went home, and straight to the woman and told her the truth about the stock she had " bought. Then I gave her back her money "She took it, of course?" I asked. "Yes; she just thanked me kindly. The simple soul had no idea I had done anything out of the way or heroic," said the speaker with a quiet laugh. "But, say, come down to my workings. I want to show you a beautiful prospect." "Where you have obtained the riches you have been speaking of?" "Now, don't play the dullard," he admonished. "My riches are not of the earth, earthy; but they are right here!" He struck his chest soundly as he said it. "My conscience!" I exclaimed. "No," he corrected. "Mine." Q Liberty By Louis L. Allen The spirit of American liberty was born in the patriotic hearts of those who bore arms at Lexington and Bunker Hill. Many of these men were not American born, but they were dedicated Americans in the fires of a new republic. These men who drew the sword in defense of American rights had come here from most of the countries of Europe. They left their native lands because of the oppression of kings and nobles. In the great silent forests of our land they found freedom in the air they breathed. They built up strong bodies and pure minds in the simple surroundings of the early colonies, and when the time came to decide between self-government and government by a foreign power, they stood almost as one man for liberty. Here, then, could be worked out for the first time in the history of the modern world a pure democracy. A land where the people could rule themselves and where it was not necessary to take away from anyone what he considers his legitimate rights. When the day came, the mother country concluded she could pass laws that would be binding on these colonies, without their consent. They raised up in their might and drove her from the land. This was one of the most important steps toward liberal government, and the emancipation of mankind from the tyranny of kings and nobles, that ever took place in the history of the human race. It was a great light which was to lead other nations from the oppression of the chosen few and make them freemen in all that the term means. We should be proud that America has given birth to such conceptions as these; that its object in the world, its only reason for existence as a government was to lift the common man out of the slough of discouragement and even despair, to set his feet upon solid ground and tell him, "Here is the high road upon which you are as much entitled to walk as any other man." The American Revolution was the birth of a nation, it was also the creation of a great free republic based upon ideas of liberty of which heretofore men had only vaguely dreamed, but which it was proposed should spread to all mankind. The singular fascination of American history is that it has ! 764 IMPROVEMENT ERA been a process of constant recreation, or making over again, in each generation the thing that was conceived at first. The world must soon realize that the passion of this country is to be permitted to live her own life according to her own principles. The only thing she profoundly resents or will ever resent, is having her life and freedom interfered with. The world must soon realize that the promises of the fathers, and the ambitions of the men who gave up their lives that this country might live, have been vindicated. Well might the world say, "America promised to hold up the light of liberty and freedom for the guidance of our feet, and behold she has redeemed her promises." In the course of time this nation was born and dedicated to the cause of human liberty. The Constitution of the United States is a God-inspired instrument. It has well been said, "It is not right that man should be in bondage one to another," and hence the Constitution of the United States should be maintained for the preservation of the rights and the protection of all flesh, "according to just and holy principles, that every man may act in doctrine and principle, pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I [the Lord] have given unto them, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose." With that spirit the greatest land of freedom that has ever blessed this world was established, and stands forth today an example and a star of hope to all the down-trodden peoples of the earth. Hither have come countless millions. We have welcomed them to our shores and have extended to them the right hand of fellowship. All that we ask is that they become genuine Americans in the full sense of the word. We do not ask them to forget the things they loved at home, but when an issue arises between America and the land from which they came, we expect them to respond at once, "America First." We have taken the ideal form of popular government and applied the policies which have led a continent to the Altar of Liberty, and glorified the Republic. Let us stand today as Americans have ever stood, for America first, last, and all the time; and we should echo the words of our great national song, "My Country 'tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty." Everyone should pledge himself in this high and ardent hour that in death and earnest loyalty, in patient painstaking and care, he shall watch her interests, advance her fortune, defend her fame, and guard her honor as long as life shall last Buhl, Idaho