The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-01-15
A NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENT AT
A FAIR.

A correspondent of the Louisville
Democrat gives bit of his experience
as follows:
My last letter was dated at Chicago.
l don't expect to date another from that
enterprising city. My malevoleht stars
must have been in the ascendant, else /
never should have wandered out to
Chicago. / had no particular business
there, only to fish, and was under the
impression that l could catch them in a
bucket at the hydrants, utterly forget
ting all about the great lake tunnel.
Nv first visit to Chicago was in my
tender years, in 1856. 1t was the time
when Chicago took such q sudden rise
by means of jackscrews. By these ma
chimes they raised the entire city house
by house, some two or three feet.
know all about various confidence
games, but consider myself just as like
ly to be taken in by the simplest of them
as the veriest greenhorn of Iosey coun-
ty. How oft these sharpers must have
bewailed their bad luck at my not hav-
ing plenty of money.
With all my experience, dropped in
to a fair held for the benefit of some
society or other. [ thought would ex-
pend dollar or two, and see what was
going on. So I bought a ticket and slid
in. l went to- table where refresh
nents were sold, and called for some
oysters, chicken salad and coffee. A
beautiful syren, with big black eyes, lit
tie white hands and most bewitching
mouth, spread the edibles before me.
I don't know how it was, but l felt
strong affinity for that ministering angel
at once. While eating and drinking,
and devouring her with my eyes in the
meantime, we struck up a sea taring
conversation. At last arose and hand
ed her a five-dollar bill. She put it in
little box, and forget to give me any
change, bat instead thereof a sweet
smile unto me, saying:
care you stranger to Chicago
eyes, madam, am from Kentucky"
''Is it possible? l am a Kentuckian
Also"
"Ah! knew it,
The reply was whispered, but it pro-
duced a faint blush, a dropping of the
beautiful eyelashes, and gratified
smile.
Would you like to walk around the
room and look at our fancy articles ~
quoth the syren.
She took my arm, and raising herself
by it to her toes, she murmured, 1--WE
are not strangers, you know"
Go away Grant, with your Presiden-
this minute. Nor with Colfax, who
was married this morning. Go away
jackscrew, you can't raise me any high
er.
We wandered through that room.
talking-sweetly talking-of things that
might be. Pretty soon we came to a
silver tea set that was to be ratified off.
Would l take chance? OF course l
would. Then a wonderful cake, with a
valuable ring concealed i'll it, appealed
to the cupidity of the chance takers.
was persuaded to take a chance in the
cake. And so things glided on until 1
concluded that if l took many more
chances my chances for getting home
would be rather slim. So refused to
| tempt fortune any further.
Anon a costly work-box met our ewes,
but bravely resisted all appeals, until
the little black-eyed scoundrel took me
on another tack. Leaning heavily on
my arm, and absolutely resting her
cheek oil my shoulder, with those wick
ed eyes and silvery tongue, she said:
won't you take chance for me p
| Oh we'll, Hutcher, folks preach about
the fall of Adam, but 1 never blamed
him. though l don't think the fellow had
half the excuse had. | needn't tell YOU
that took that chance, and kept on TAX
| ing chances for the unprincipled and
beautiful wretch that had me in tow un-
| til had not dollar left. Yes, / was
penniless, and then it began to dawn OH
me that the young lady was working foI
the success of the fair and that l had
made first-class fool of myself, as
| usual.
There 1 was, bankrupt in money, in
self-respect. had been robbed-yes
robbed; for where is The difference be-
tween pair of Derringers and a pail
of black eyes. in a robbery? You par
with your money because you can't helI
it. l know that society looks with len
lent eyes upon these female guerrilla,
who haunt these charitable fairs, but i
is my opinion that when all the robberI
come to take their final trial, and re
ceive their final sentence, that little Chi
cago rObber will take her place by til,
side of Jack Sheppard.