Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-07-28
A Stock Dealers Adven-
tures-Now You See it
Now You Don't.

There are more pleasant things
to have in family than the de
Ilirium tremens. When a man
gets SO far wrapped up in the pur.
suit of bugs that he cannot tell a
bon bon from an Indian wigwam,
he should limit the circle of his
acquaintances and change his diet.
There was case OF dellrium tre-
mems at a popular hotel in East
Liberty, a few days ago, the suf
ferer being a stock dealer from
Illinois. The individual was
carefully nursed during the stay
of the malady, and eventually he
fully recovered. Among those
of his friends who carefully nursed
him during bis illness was-well,
we say John Jones, that's as good
a name as any. John was a real
clever fellow, and enjoyed a prac-
tical joke as much as the next
one. Some time after the resto-
ration to health of the rum vic
tim, a number Of the stock deal
ers determined to play a practical
joke on Jones, and the other day
they fulfilled their design to the
letter.
John had been accustomed to
his regular drinks, and perhaps, a
little more. A few evenings ago
he was sitting in his hotel, in East
Liberty, quietly putting his cigar,
when a brother stock dealer en-
tered and grasped him by the
hand. "Good evening, Jones
mercy, how strange you look;
you're not sick!"
"Me," replied Jones, as he gazed
on the new conner; ''me sick !?
never felt letter in my life ?"
Soon another of the boys en-
tered the apartment, and, on
shaking hands with Jones, ex-
claimed, Goodness! Jones, what's
set matter? Your hand is awful
hot.,' ,se.
"Matter! what the ID do
you see the matter? There's
nothing the matter with me-
One by one Jones's friends en-
tered the room, and as he well
coined each of them, he was simi-
larly greeted, and either the
"strange look in his eyes" or
''you look very bad," or some SIM
liar startling remark was always
made to him. The seventh and
last of Jones's friends thai entered
the room carried with him a ci-
gar box containing rat Of the
liveliest breed. The box was slid
under the bed and the lid opened.
Jones and his friends entered ear
nestly into conversation, the main
topic being generally Jones's bad
appearance. They had not talked
long until the rat jumped out of
the cigar box and proceeded a.
round the room in the liveliest
possible manner. AS previously
arranged, none of the boys were
to notice the rat, so Jones was the
first man to start from his chair
as the animal rat passed his feet.
"Hallo!-look there-a rat, kill
him." said Jones, but all his friends
denied having seen any rat at ALL,
Silence regained until his ratship
made another dash across the a.
partment in hopes of finding a
place of exit. Again did Jones
rise from his chair as he frantical-
ly endeavored to direct the eyes
of his friends to the rat, which
stood grinning in a corner, but
they positively denied the pres
ence of any rat. and loud enough
for Jones to hear whispered to
each other, "He's got 'em," ''Send
for a DOCTOR" How he stares,3 etc.
By this time poor Jones was
worked up to fever heat as he
endeayored to point out the in
truder to the boys, but they saw
no rat, and their only reply was,
"Let's go for a doctor" With
this the crowd save two, started
for the door, as Jones, in a perfect
frenzy of terror, at the suppose
tion that he too had the delirium
tremens, and desiring to set him
self right on the record, exclaimed.
"Boys, come back, l knew there
was no rat here, all the time. ~
To this day, Jones don't know
whether he saw rat on the oc-
casion or not.