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diff --git a/26867-h/26867-h.htm b/26867-h/26867-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..743d158 --- /dev/null +++ b/26867-h/26867-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1365 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of John Jones's Dollar, by Harry Stephen Keeler + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + sup {vertical-align: text-top; font-size: small;} + h1,h2 {font-weight: normal;} + h2 {margin-top: -.5em;} + hr {width: 45%; margin: 1em auto; clear: both; visibility: hidden;} + table {margin: 0 auto;} + .td2 {padding-left: 2em;} + .td1,.td2,h2 {text-align: right;} + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .center,.p2,h1 {text-align: center;} + .figcenter {margin: 0 auto 2em; width: 600px;} + .trn {border: solid 1px; margin: 3em 15%; padding: .25em 1em;} + img {border: none;} + p.cap:first-letter {float: left; margin-right: .05em; padding-top: .05em; font-size: 300%; line-height: .8em;} + .dcap {text-transform: uppercase;} + .p1 {margin-left: 6em;} + .p2 {margin-top: 2em;} +// --> +/* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of John Jones's Dollar, by Harry Stephen Keeler + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: John Jones's Dollar + +Author: Harry Stephen Keeler + +Release Date: October 10, 2008 [EBook #26867] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN JONES'S DOLLAR *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/001.png" width="600" height="448" alt="" title="" /> + +<h1><big>JOHN JONES'S DOLLAR</big></h1> + +<h2>By HARRY STEPHEN KEELER</h2> + +<p class="p1"><i>Take a board with 64 squares on it. Put a grain of wheat +on the first square—two on the second—four on the third. +Keep doubling in this manner and you will find there +isn't enough wheat in the world to fill the sixty-fourth +square. It can be the same with compound interest.</i></p></div> + +<p class="cap"><span class="dcap">On the</span> 201st day of the year +3221 A.D., the professor of +history at the University of +Terra seated himself in front +of the Visaphone and prepared +to deliver the daily lecture to his +class, the members of which resided +in different portions of the +earth.</p> + +<p>The instrument before which +he seated himself was very like +a great window sash, on account +of the fact that there were three +or four hundred frosted glass +squares visible. In a space at the +center, not occupied by any of +these glass squares, was a dark +oblong area and a ledge holding +a piece of chalk. And above the +area was a huge brass cylinder; +toward this brass cylinder the +professor would soon direct his +subsequent remarks.</p> + +<p>In order to assure himself +that it was time to press the button +which would notify the members +of the class in history to approach +their local Visaphones, +the professor withdrew from his +vest pocket a small contrivance +which he held to his ear. Upon +moving a tiny switch attached +to the instrument, a metallic +voice, seeming to come from +somewhere in space, repeated +mechanically: "Fifteen o'clock +and one minute—fifteen o'clock +and one minute—fifteen o'clock +and one min—" Quickly, the +professor replaced the instrument +in his vest pocket and +pressed a button at the side of +the Visaphone.</p> + +<p>As though in answer to the +summons, the frosted squares +began, one by one, to show the +faces and shoulders of a peculiar +type of young men; young men +with great bulging foreheads, +bald, toothless, and wearing immense +horn spectacles. One +square, however, still remained +empty. On noticing this, a look +of irritation passed over the professor's +countenance.</p> + +<p>But, seeing that every other +glass square but this one was +filled up, he commenced to talk.</p> + +<p>"I am pleased, gentlemen, to +see you all posted at your local +Visaphones this afternoon. I +have prepared my lecture today +upon a subject which is, perhaps, +of more economic interest +than historical. Unlike the previous +lectures, my talk will not +confine itself to the happenings +of a few years, but will gradually +embrace the course of ten +centuries, the ten centuries, in +fact, which terminated three +hundred years before the present +date. My lecture will be an +exposition of the effects of the +John Jones Dollar, originally deposited +in the dawn of civilization, +or to be more precise, in the +year of 1921—just thirteen hundred +years ago. This John +Jon—"</p> + +<p>At this point in the professor's +lecture, the frosted glass +square which hitherto had shown +no image, now filled up. Sternly +he gazed at the head and shoulders +that had just appeared.</p> + +<p>"B262H72476Male, you are +late to class again. What excuse +have you to offer today?"</p> + +<p>From the hollow cylinder emanated +a shrill voice, while the +lips of the picture on the glass +square moved in unison with the +words:</p> + +<p>"Professor, you will perceive +by consulting your class book, +that I have recently taken up +my residence near the North +Pole. For some reason, wireless +communication between the Central +Energy Station and all +points north of 89 degrees was +cut off a while ago, on account +of which fact I could not appear +in the Visaphone. Hence—"</p> + +<p>"Enough, sir," roared the professor. +"Always ready with an +excuse, B262H72476Male. I shall +immediately investigate your +tale."</p> + +<p>From his coat pocket, the professor +withdrew an instrument +which, although supplied with an +earpiece and a mouthpiece, had +no wires whatever attached. +Raising it to his lips, he spoke:</p> + +<p>"Hello. Central Energy Station, +please." A pause ensued. +"Central Energy Station? This is +the professor of history at the +University of Terra, speaking. +One of my students informs me +that the North Pole region was +out of communication with the +Visaphone System this morning. +Is that statement true? I +would—"</p> + +<p>A voice, apparently from nowhere, +spoke into the professor's +ear. "Quite true, Professor. A +train of our ether waves accidently +fell into parallelism with +a train of waves from the Venus +Substation. By the most peculiar +mischance, the two trains happened +to be displaced, with reference +to each other, one half +of a wave length, with the unfortunate +result that the negative +points of one coincided with the +positive points of maximum amplitude +of the other. Hence the +two wave trains nullified each +other and communication ceased +for one hundred and eighty-five +seconds—until the earth had revolved +far enough to throw them +out of parallelism."</p> + +<p>"Ah! Thank you," replied the +professor. He dropped his instrument +into his coat pocket +and gazed in the direction of the +glass square whose image had +so aroused his ire. "I apologize, +B262H72476Male, for my suspicions +as to your veracity—but I +had in mind several former experiences." +He shook a warning +forefinger. "I will now resume +my talk."</p> + +<p>"A moment ago, gentlemen, I +mentioned the John Jones Dollar. +Some of you who have just +enrolled with the class will undoubtedly +say to yourselves: +'What is a John Jones? What is +a Dollar?'</p> + +<p>"In the early days, before the +present scientific registration of +human beings was instituted by +the National Eugenics Society, +man went around under a crude +multi-reduplicative system of +nomenclature. Under this system +there were actually more John +Joneses than there are calories +in a British Thermal Unit. But +there was one John Jones, in +particular, living in the twentieth +century, to whom I shall +refer in my lecture. Not much is +known of his personal life except +that he was an ardent socialist—a +bitter enemy, in fact, of the +private ownership of wealth.</p> + +<p>"Now as to the Dollar. At this +day, when the Psycho-Erg, a +combination of the Psych, the +unit of esthetic satisfaction, and +the Erg, the unit of mechanical +energy, is recognized as the +true unit of value, it seems +difficult to believe that in the +twentieth century and for more +than ten centuries thereafter, +the Dollar, a metallic circular +disk, was being passed from +hand to hand in exchange for +the essentials of life.</p> + +<p>"But nevertheless, such was +the case. Man exchanged his +mental or physical energy for +these Dollars. He then re-exchanged +the Dollars for sustenance, +raiment, pleasure, and +operations for the removal of the +vermiform appendix.</p> + +<p>"A great many individuals, +however, deposited their Dollars +in a stronghold called a bank. +These banks invested the Dollars +in loans and commercial enterprises, +with the result that, every +time the earth traversed the +solar ecliptic, the banks compelled +each borrower to repay, or +to acknowledge as due, the original +loan, plus six one-hundredths +of that loan. And to the +depositor, the banks paid three +one-hundredths of the deposited +Dollars for the use of the disks. +This was known as three percent, +or bank interest.</p> + +<p>"Now, the safety of Dollars, +when deposited in banks, was not +absolutely assured to the depositor. +At times, the custodians +of these Dollars were wont to +appropriate them and proceed to +portions of the earth, sparsely +inhabited and accessible with +difficulty. And at other times, +nomadic groups known as 'yeggmen' +visited the banks, opened +the vaults by force, and departed, +carrying with them the contents.</p> + +<p>"But to return to our subject. +In the year 1921, one of these +numerous John Joneses performed +an apparently inconsequential +action which caused the name of +John Jones to go down in history. +What did he do?</p> + +<p>"He proceeded to one of these +banks, known at that time as +'The First National Bank of +Chicago,' and deposited there, +one of these disks—a silver Dollar—to +the credit of a certain +individual. And this individual +to whose credit the Dollar was +deposited was no other person +than the fortieth descendant of +John Jones who stipulated in +paper which was placed in the +files of the bank, that the descendancy +was to take place +along the oldest child of each of +the generations which would +constitute his posterity.</p> + +<p>"The bank accepted the Dollar +under that understanding, together +with another condition +imposed by this John Jones, +namely, that the interest was to +be compounded annually. That +meant that at the close of each +year, the bank was to credit the +account of John Jones's fortieth +descendant with three one-hundredths +of the account as it stood +at the beginning of the year.</p> + +<p>"History tells us little more +concerning this John Jones—only +that he died in the year +1931, or ten years afterward, +leaving several children.</p> + +<p>"Now you gentlemen who are +taking mathematics under Professor +L127M72421Male, of the +University of Mars, will remember +that where any number such +as X, in passing through a progressive +cycle of change, grows +at the end of that cycle by a proportion +p, then the value of the +original X, after n cycles, becomes +X(1 + p)<sup>n</sup>.</p> + +<p>"Obviously, in this case, X +equalled one Dollar; p equalled +three one-hundredths; and n will +depend upon any number of +years which we care to consider, +following the date of deposit. By +a simple calculation, those of +you who are today mentally alert +can check up the results that I +shall set forth in my lecture.</p> + +<p>"At the time that John Jones +died, the amount in the First +National Bank of Chicago to the +credit of John Jones the fortieth, +was as follows."</p> + +<p>The professor seized the chalk +and wrote rapidly upon the oblong +space:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">1931</td><td class="td2">10 years elapsed</td><td class="td2">$1.34</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"The peculiar sinuous hieroglyphic," +he explained, "is an +ideograph representing the Dollar.</p> + +<p>"Well, gentlemen, time went on +as time will, until a hundred +years had passed by. The First +National Bank still existed, and +the locality, Chicago, had become +the largest center of population +upon the earth. Through the investments +which had taken place, +and the yearly compounding of +interest, the status of John +Jones's deposit was now as follows." +He wrote:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2021</td><td class="td2">100 years elapsed</td><td class="td2">$19.10</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"In the following century, +many minor changes, of course, +took place in man's mode of living; +but the so-called socialists +still agitated widely for the cessation +of private ownership of +wealth; the First National Bank +still accepted Dollars for safe +keeping, and the John Jones +Dollar still continued to grow. +With about thirty-four generations +yet to come, the account +now stood:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2121</td><td class="td2">200 years elapsed</td><td class="td2">$364</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"And by the end of the succeeding +hundred years, it had +grown to what constituted an +appreciable bit of exchange value +in those days—thus:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2221</td><td class="td2">300 years</td><td class="td2">$6,920</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"Now the century which followed +contains an important +date. The date I am referring to +is the year 2299 A.D., or the year +in which every human being +born upon the globe was registered +under a numerical name at +the central bureau of the National +Eugenics Society. In our +future lessons which will treat +with that period of detail, I +shall ask you to memorize that +date.</p> + +<p>"The socialists still agitated, +fruitlessly, but the First National +Bank of Chicago was now +the first International Bank of +the Earth. And how great had +John Jones's Dollar grown? Let +us examine the account, both on +that important historical date, +and also at the close of the 400th +year since it was deposited. +Look:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2299<br />2321</td><td class="td2">378 years<br />400 years</td><td class="td2">$68,900<br />$132,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"But gentlemen, it had not +reached the point where it could +be termed an unusually large accumulation +of wealth. For larger +accumulations existed upon the +earth. A descendant of a man +once known as John D. Rockefeller +possessed an accumulation of +great size, but which, as a matter +of fact, was rapidly dwindling +as it passed from generation +to generation. So, let us +travel ahead another one hundred +years. During this time, as +we learn from our historical and +political archives, the socialists +began to die out, since they at +last realized the utter futility of +combating the balance of power. +The account, though, now stood:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2421</td><td class="td2">500 years</td><td class="td2">$2,520,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"It is hardly necessary for me +to make any comment. Those of +you who are most astute, and +others of you who flunked my +course before and are now taking +it the second time, of course +know what is coming.</p> + +<p>"During the age in which this +John Jones lived, there lived also +a man, a so-called scientist called +Metchnikoff. We know, from a +study of our vast collection of +Egyptian Papyri and Carnegie +Library books, that this Metchnikoff +promulgated the theory +that old age—or rather senility—was +caused by colon-bacillus. +This fact was later verified. But +while he was correct in the etiology +of senility, he was crudely +primeval in the therapeutics of +it.</p> + +<p>"He proposed, gentlemen, to +combat and kill this bacillus by +utilizing the fermented lacteal +fluid from a now extinct animal +called the cow, models of which +you can see at any time at the +Solaris Museum."</p> + +<p>A chorus of shrill, piping +laughter emanated from the +brass cylinder. The professor +waited until the merriment had +subsided and then continued:</p> + +<p>"I beg of you, gentlemen, do +not smile. This was merely one +of the many similar quaint +superstitions existing in that +age.</p> + +<p>"But a real scientist, Professor +K122B62411Male, again attacked +the problem in the +twenty-fifth century. Since the +cow was now extinct, he could +not waste his valuable time experimenting +with fermented cow +lacteal fluid. He discovered the +old <i>v</i>-rays of Radium—the rays +which you physicists will remember +are not deflected by a +magnetic field—were really composed +of two sets of rays, which +he termed the <i>g</i> rays and the <i>e</i> +rays. These last named rays—only +when isolated—completely +devitalized all colon-bacilli which +lay in their path, without in the +least affecting the integrity of +any interposed organic cells. The +great result, as many of you already +know, was that the life of +man was extended to nearly two +hundred years. That, I state unequivocally, +was a great century +for the human race.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p>"But I spoke of another happening—one, +perhaps, of more +interest than importance. I referred +to the bank account of +John Jones the fortieth. It, +gentlemen, had grown to such +a prodigious sum that a special +bank and board of directors had +to be created in order to care +for, and reinvest it. By scanning +the following notation, you will +perceive the truth of my statement:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2521</td><td class="td2">600 years</td><td class="td2">$47,900,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"By the year 2621 A.D., two +events of stupendous importance +took place. There is scarcely a +man in this class who has not +heard of how Professor P222D29333Male +accidentally stumbled +upon the scientific fact +that the effect of gravity is reversed +upon any body which vibrates +perpendicularly to the +plane of the ecliptic with a frequency +which is an even multiple +of the logarithm of 2 of the +Naperian base 'e.' At once, special +vibrating cars were constructed +which carried mankind +to all planets. That discovery of +Professor P222D29333Male did +nothing less than open up seven +new territories to our inhabitants; +namely: Mercury, Venus, +Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, +and Neptune. In the great land +rush that ensued, thousands who +were previously poor became +rich.</p> + +<p>"But, gentlemen, land which +so far had been constituted one +of the main sources of wealth, +was shortly to become valuable +for individual golf links only, as +it is today, on account of another +scientific discovery.</p> + +<p>"This second discovery was in +reality, not a discovery, but the +perfection of a chemical process, +the principles of which had been +known for many centuries. I am +alluding to the construction of +the vast reducing factories, one +upon each planet, to which the +bodies of all persons who have +died on their respective planets +are at once shipped by Aerial +Express. Since this process is +used today, all of you understand +the methods employed; +how each body is reduced by heat +to its component constituents: +hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, +calcium, phosphorus, and so +forth; how these separated constituents +are stored in special +reservoirs together with the +components from thousands of +other corpses; how these elements +are then synthetically combined +into food tablets for those +of us who are yet alive—thus +completing an endless chain +from the dead to the living. Naturally +then, agriculture and +stock-raising ceased, since the +food problem, with which man +had coped from time immemorial, +was solved. The two direct +results were, first—that land lost +the inflated values it had possessed +when it was necessary for +tillage, and second—that men +were at last given enough leisure +to enter the fields of science and +art.</p> + +<p>"And as to the John Jones Dollar, +which now embraced countless +industries and vast territory +on the earth, it stood, in value:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2621</td><td class="td2">700 years</td><td class="td2">$912,000,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"In truth, gentlemen, it now +constituted the largest private +fortune on the terrestrial globe. +And in that year, 2621 A.D., +there were thirteen generations +yet to come, before John Jones +the fortieth would arrive.</p> + +<p>"To continue. In the year +2721 A.D., an important political +battle was concluded in the Solar +System Senate and House of +Representatives. I am referring +to the great controversy as to +whether the Earth's moon was +a sufficient menace to interplanetary +navigation to warrant its +removal. The outcome of the +wrangle was that the question +was decided in the affirmative. +Consequently—</p> + +<p>"But I beg your pardon, young +men. I occasionally lose sight of +the fact that you are not so well +informed upon historical matters +as myself. Here I am, talking to +you about the moon, totally forgetful +that many of you are puzzled +as to my meaning. I advise +all of you who have not yet attended +the Solaris Museum on +Jupiter, to take a trip there some +Sunday afternoon. The Interplanetary +Suburban Line runs +trains every half hour on that +day. You will find there a complete +working model of the old +satellite of the Earth, which, +before it was destroyed, furnished +this planet light at night +through the crude medium of reflection.</p> + +<p>"On account of this decision +as to the inadvisability of allowing +the moon to remain where it +was, engineers commenced its +removal in the year 2721. Piece +by piece, it was chipped away +and brought to the Earth in Interplanetary +freight cars. These +pieces were then propelled by +Zoodolite explosive, in the direction +of the Milky Way, with a +velocity of 11,217 meters per +second. This velocity, of course, +gave each departing fragment +exactly the amount of kinetic +energy it required to enable it to +overcome the backward pull of +the Earth from here to infinity. +I dare say those moon-hunks are +going yet.</p> + +<p>"At the start of the removal +of the moon in 2721 A.D., the +accumulated wealth of John +Jones the fortieth, stood:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2721</td><td class="td2">800 years</td><td class="td2">$17,400,000,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"Of course, with such a colossal +sum at their command, the +directors of the fund had made +extensive investments on Mars +and Venus.</p> + +<p>"By the end of the twenty-eighth +century, or the year 2807 +A.D., the moon had been completely +hacked away and sent +piecemeal into space, the job +having required 86 years. I give, +herewith, the result of John +Jones's Dollar, both at the date +when the moon was completely +removed and also at the close of +the 900th year after its deposit:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2807<br />2821</td><td class="td2">886 years<br />900 years</td><td class="td2">$219,000,000,000<br />$332,000,000,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"The meaning of those figures, +gentlemen, as stated in simple +language, was that the John +Jones Dollar now comprised +practically all the wealth on +Earth, Mars, and Venus—with +the exception of one university +site on each planet, which was, +of course, school property.</p> + +<p>"And now I will ask you to +advance with me to the year +2906 A.D. In this year the directors +of the John Jones fund +awoke to the fact that they were +in a dreadful predicament. According +to the agreement under +which John Jones deposited his +Dollar away back in the year +1921, interest was to be compounded +annually at three percent. +In the year 2900 A.D., the +thirty-ninth generation of John +Jones was alive, being represented +by a gentleman named +J664M42721Male, who was thirty +years of age and engaged +to be married to a young lady +named T246M42652Female.</p> + +<p>"Doubtless, you will ask, what +was the predicament in which +the directors found themselves. +Simply this:</p> + +<p>"A careful appraisement of +the wealth on Neptune, Uranus, +Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, +and Mercury, and likewise +Earth, together with an accurate +calculation of the remaining heat +in the Sun and an appraisement +of that heat at a very decent +valuation per calorie, demonstrated +that the total wealth +of the Solar System amounted +to $6,309,525,241,362.15.</p> + +<p>"But unfortunately, a simple +computation showed that if Mr. +J664M42721Male married Miss +T246M42652Female, and was +blessed by a child by the year +2921, which year marked the +thousandth year since the deposit +of the John Jones Dollar, +then in that year there would be +due the child, the following +amount:</p> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td1">2921</td><td class="td2">1,000 years</td><td class="td2">$6,310,000,000,000</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>"It simply showed beyond all +possibility of argument, that by +2921 A.D., we would be $474,758,637.85 +shy—that we would +be unable to meet the debt to +John Jones the fortieth.</p> + +<p>"I tell you, gentlemen, the +Board of Directors was frantic. +Such wild suggestions were put +forth as the sending of an expeditionary +force to the nearest +star in order to capture some +other Solar System and thus obtain +more territory to make up +the deficit. But that project was +impossible on account of the +number of years that it would +have required.</p> + +<p>"Visions of immense law suits +disturbed the slumber of those +unfortunate individuals who +formed the John Jones Dollar +Directorship. But on the brink +of one of the biggest civil actions +the courts had ever known, something +occurred that altered +everything."</p> + +<p>The professor again withdrew +the tiny instrument from his +vest pocket, held it to his ear and +adjusted the switch. A metallic +voice rasped: "Fifteen o'clock +and fifty-two minutes—fifteen +o'clock and fifty-two minutes—fift—" +He replaced the instrument +and went on with his talk.</p> + +<p>"I must hasten to the conclusion +of my lecture, gentlemen, as +I have an engagement with Professor +C122B24999Male of the +University of Saturn at sixteen +o'clock. Now, let me see; I was +discussing the big civil action +that was hanging over the heads +of the John Jones Dollar directors.</p> + +<p>"Well, this Mr. J664M42721Male, +the thirty-ninth descendant +of the original John Jones, +had a lover's quarrel with Miss +T246M42652Female, which immediately +destroyed the probability +of their marriage. Neither +gave in to the other. Neither +ever married. And when Mr. +J664M42721Male died in 2946 +A.D., of a broken heart, as it +was claimed, he was single and +childless.</p> + +<p>"As a result, there was no one +to turn the Solar System over to. +Immediately, the Interplanetary +Government stepped in and took +possession of it. At that instant, +of course, private property +ceased. In the twinkling of an +eye almost, we reached the true +socialistic and democratic condition +for which man had futilely +hoped throughout the ages.</p> + +<p>"That is all today, gentlemen. +Class is dismissed."</p> + +<p>One by one, the faces faded +from the Visaphone.</p> + +<p>For a moment, the professor +stood ruminating.</p> + +<p>"A wonderful man, that old +socialist, John Jones the first," +he said softly to himself, "a farseeing +man, a bright man, considering +that he lived in such a +dark era as the twentieth century. +But how nearly his well-contrived +scheme went wrong. +Suppose that fortieth descendant +had been born?"</p> + +<p class="p2"><b>THE END</b></p> + +<div class="trn"><p><b>Transcriber's Note:</b> +This etext was produced from <i>Amazing Stories</i> April 1956 and was +first published in <i>Amazing Stories</i> April 1927. +Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. +copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and +typographical errors have been corrected without note.</p> + +<p>The original equation given, x (1 + p)n, has been corrected to show +the 'n' as superscript: X(1 + p)<sup>n</sup>.</p></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's John Jones's Dollar, by Harry Stephen Keeler + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN JONES'S DOLLAR *** + +***** This file should be named 26867-h.htm or 26867-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/8/6/26867/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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