Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-13
SOLD.
How a Merchant and steam
boat Captain We're Taken
in and Done For.
sharp Practice.

Some weeks ago, while the good
steamer - we'll, We will call her the
RUBY, In order TO give her a name, was
lying at the wharf, acouple Of gentlemen
aud q lady came ON board with their bag
gage to take passage to New Orleans.
She was advertised to leave at 4 O'Clock
in the afternoon, but owing to some fall
ure on the part OF shippers to come up
with freight In time o did not get of
and laid over until the next day. The
Captain, who Is u Of the finest fellows
IN the world, not wishing to cause MS
passengers the expense and trouble OF
returning to their hotel, called upon
them and informed them that they were
welcome to remain aboard. The gentle-
men expressed some little di5app0lnt-
ment at not getting of, "a they were
both on their way to New Orleans to in
vest very largely In sugar but the Cap
tain was so affable, and they we're 50
genial and hearty, that with @ mere re-
greet that it was impossible to get OF, the
matter wss dropped.
The hint, however, about buying sugar
was not lost on the Captain, whom we
will call Smith, and 3 vision Of hundreds
Of hogsheads Of the sweet stuff brought
up the river IN the Ruby fiOated through
mis- mind. rs invited m two strangers
TO take q driHk, ordered Piper Heidsieek,
sluDg several bottles OF it under their
coats, and the trio 0 got on extremely
Intimate teTms.
The Captain fessted them that night,
and Wined them till their was no rest
and the next morning the same treat
ment began anew. Champagne COCK
tails and a gorgeous breakfast aboard the
bost, commenced the nextdsy. The su-
gar buyers were delighted, and swore the
Ruby should bring up the river every
pound Of sugar they bought In the city.
| after breakfast the Captain had some
I business up town, and invited his new
made friends to accompany him on the
visit up the bluff. They complied, and
in the glad exuberarce resulting from
numerous bottles OF Heidseick, all hands
were very jolly.
Tnev walked down Front Row tOgeth-
er, and stopped at several stores, at each
OF which Capt. Smith introduced his
friends, taking occasion to whisper TO the
parties to whom he introduced them, q
word or two about the amount OF money
they had, and the sugar they were going
TO buy. AT one store espscially-a large
frst-clsss grocery establishment he In
troduced them, and remarked to the pro-
prIetor, whom we will call X that they
were first chop and no mistske-Tesl
gentlemeu-lots Of mOney-Old friends
oceans OF credit-did bigger business Ia
sugar than all the men in Memphis put
together,n and much more Of the same
sort, OF course this had tremendous e.
feet on our friend, the grocery merchant,
and the strangers became great E1en in
his eyes. When tie time came
for the Doet to leave, u Of the sugar
buyers concluded, as his business was
pressing, he would go by rail. D meet
the Ruby in New Orleans. The other,
and his wife, proceeded down the river
the honored guests Of Captain smith, OF
the Ruby. Ga the way down he Cap
tain continued to wine then n the
best state-roem, the best seat at the table,
and the polieest waiter were theirs. just
bgfore reaching New Orleans the Cap
tain, happening to bein the clerks office,
discovered that ~iunctlonsry making out
IA bill for the passage of Mr.. Sugar buyer
and lady, ior the trifug sum Of $40. for
passage down the river. "Sse here"
says the Captain, "tear that up, you
id fool; havn't you got spy letter
sense than that? That fellow Is gcin
to buy lots of sugar, and ship it by our
boat. II you present MIN with a bill he
get msd.n So the bill was torn Up,
ana the Captain left the Office to get the
sugar buyer up In his own cabin 70 a
bottle Of wine, where We will leave them,
and recur 10 the partner who left the
boat at Memphis 10 go hy rail.
AS 0 SIS the Ruby was we'll out In
the stream, this gent proceeded to KS
grocery store, where be had been so
heartily introduced and, informing
Gentleman OF his change OF
mind. asked him In an otf-haGd way
TO let him have $3.50 to pay certain ex
ire and unlocked for expenses. de
would send the money back by his friend
Capt. Smith, Of the RUDY. The irtro-
aud endorsement that Smith had
given him, and the manner II which
the request was made 0lssrmed the
usually wary merchant of all suspicion,
and with assurances that II afforded MIN
the greatest pleasure to be able to accom-
modate Capt. Smiths friend, handed out
the $3.50, and sugar merchant No.2 went
his way rejoicing.
The Ruby, meanwhile, with sugar
merchant No. l and wife, arrived at her
destination late in the evening, and
sugar merchant No. 9 was on the levee
to meet them. Hands were shaksn and
a bottle OF wine cracked, and on the
Captains invitation sill hands sailed up
town to see the sights. The only OhJsc
ton made YVES by sugar buyer No. z
who, having just arrived, had not had
time to see his banker, and did not have
money enough TO go UP as he should
wish. This, however, was easily reme-
died, and q hundred and fifty dollars
were secretly and rapidly transferred by
Capt. Smith, from his pocket, into sugar
hand. That night they deter
mined to go to the hotel, leaving the
Captain with many pFoteetstions that
they would be down early in the morn
ing, and would commences leading theiF
sugar Immediately,
The morning came, but no sugar nor
buyers. The day passed and still
they did not come. The second day
" dAwned, and came and went" u still
they came not. Capt. Smith began to
feel like mariana in the mOated
grange" and to smell q large sized mice,
but he said nothing, The Rlty got q
load without the sugsr, and came back
up the river to Memphis. The day she
Capt, Smith came up town. as was
his wont, ard made his way to KS gro
Gerry. X, was there, ell smiles, and, sitter
shaking hands with Capt. Smith, be
says: Well, you brought considerable
didn't you w slnltn Nlnceui Y
q bold face on it, he answered
esrelessly, "Nn, they didn't get ready to
ship this trips pretty clever fellows,
those sugar buyers, should say" re-
marks Y. Pretty clever fellows"
achoes Smith, " nice men," "Responsi-
Die men, says Y. Responsible Oh,
Why, did you do either Of them
any favors?n dubiously asks Smith.
. Well, no, did your" answers y.
. No." says Smith, but the HpoN came
% hesitatiugiY that lt meant yes" al
let one of them have q little money y st
.sst said \ "D-n il all, and so did y
out Smith, and than be tells the
whole story, and the pair mutually won
der how they could have been 50 badly
in, and swear never to tell 1t 10
anybody. But we know all about 1t, and
may be TOE won't tell.