The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-06-16

"HoW IN she world did you come to
buy such pair Of fowls Z" said Mrs. G.
"You certainly never could have tried
them"
{" If I had, [ certainly never would
have bought them. Edmonds has cheat
ed me for once in his life, but he'll never
do it again"
"Did he sell you that pair of chickens
as young and tender :"
"He did, to all intents and purposes" +"
81 didn't believe that of him"
Nor did [. He's always up to the
market, and deals close, but his things
have been good Well, he'll make moth
ing by this operation; no man ever cheats
me twice. He's had the last dollar of
my money"
"I don't knbw what we'll do without
BUTTER" said Mrs. c., "if you stop
buying from HIM"
"There is lst as good butter in the
market as his, replied Mr.. c., as he
commenced blping to portions of the
tough chickenFhe had succeeded in car
wing by main strength
"Perhaps there is, but we never sue
ceeded in getting it SO uniformly good as
that of Edmoads'."
You maysend for it, if you choose,
but | will never spend another dollar with
the bare-facel, cheating rascal" ," said Mr..
c., in anindignant tone.
The attempt to masticate the chicken
proved altogether unsuccessful, and was
soon abandoned The children ate the
dressing while Mr.. and Mrs. g.
made the vegetables that were on the ia
bic serve for their first course, and sup
piled all deficiencies when the dessert ap-
peared,
To have been so completely taken in,
annoyed Mr., G. terribly, and he
could not 50 much as smile at the adroit-
ness with which the thing was DONE
Edmonds came to market every Saturday,
and Mr.. G--had usually bought from
him as much butter as would last for the
week. On Thursday evening succeeding
the affair of the chickens, Mrs. g.
remarked with some surprise in her voice,
that the small piece of butter on the ia
BILE was al that remained ofthe six pounds
bought OIL the last market day.
And tomorrow s only Friday" said
at uad to last US up to Saturday, un-
til within the last two months, but now it
always gives out"
urfamily's no larger"
"No; nor do we use any more of it in
cooking than formerly"
Mr.. G--thought a moment, and
then sad with some animation-"I think
[ understand it. Have you noticed any
difference in the size of the prints,n
On reflection, Mrs, thought
she had noticed them as appearing small
er."
"Thk'sit, you may depend ont; the
butter 6sn't weight. A man who will
cheat ih one way will cheat in another"
"He wouldn't dare do that"
"Why?"
"The risk is too great"
ga rogue will risk a good deal"
"His butter would be taken from him
by clark of the market"
"I's my impression that Edmonds
hasn't much butter in his tub by the time
the clerk gets along to the place where he
stands. There's the temptation. But
well give him trial. Send for our u
sual quantity on Saturday. won't go
near him-and we'll have it weighed"
This was done, and, sure enough, a
loss in weight was discovered. Out of
six pounds, four were light.
Ave got my man now!" exclaimed
c., not attempting to conceal the
pleasure he felt. "Next Saturday he will
probably become more familiarly acquaint-
ed with the clerk than he has yet BEEN"
It was too true, as g. had dis
corered. In his anxiety to render his dai-
ry operations profitable, the farmer had
been tempted to encroach upon the legal
weight of butter due his customers. He
had been coming to market so long, and
hs butter had been so often examined by
tie clerk, that the inspection Of his tub
bad ceased to be riged, Moreover his
customers were early, and it frequently
Happened that but few prints remained
when the clerk came along in his way
IF from some forty or fifty pounds he
could pinch off enough to make FIVE or
six prints, it would be handsome gain
every week He looked at it on every
side, calculated the risk and the benefit,
and finally resolved to make beginning.
Twelve prints out of forty we're tried:
from these he gained two extra which
sold for fifty cents. Emboldened by this
result, the next week he tried twenty
pounds, and made one dollar by the op-
Grafton. When the clerk came round,
the light butter was usually all gone, or if
any remained, itwas so managed thatnone
of it found its way into his scales.
After selling the tough chickens to
c., the farmer felt little uncomfor-
table, for c. was an old and good
customer, and he didn't wish to lose him.
OF course, when the fowls came upon the
table c. would discover that he had