The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1871-09-23
sHow much Did he Lose2'

board n Cunard steamer laid wager
with the Captain that he could not give
him correct answer, within minute,
to the following questions: "a Yankee
rushed into bootmaker's store, in
Broadway, "Hcre, look sharp!' cried
he, 'just off for Califcrnia-ship sales
in half an hour-want a pair of boots
look alivcl" Down tumbled the bcots
off she shelves from which he was soon
fitted. allow much z" 'Five dollars
';Give ME chunge for this fifty dollar
bill-sharp-quick." The bootmakcr,
not having change, rushed to money
changer. "Quick, give change for this
fifty dolhnp bill-passenger just off to
California" and in n few minutes away
ran the Yankee with his boots aud his
changc-of to California, of course. In
about an hour afterwards the money
changer came down to the boot-makcr.
"!Iullo sce, quo:h he, "this is bad
bill T; pay me down fifty dollors at oncc;"
which the poor fellow, much disgustcd
had to do Now how much did the
/ bootmaker lose ?"
Come, Captain. answer, quick-no
thinking pbouL it. Eth, sir How much
did he lose 2"
"Why, one hundred dollars, of
conrse"
There was.a shout of laughter round
the table, and cries Of right" wrong"
in all directions.
''Why, you forgot cried one, "that
the bouts were paid for" Whats that
to do with it?' said another; .'dIdn I
flho YanKcc carry them OF: and wasn't
he bill tad?' "Of course it was, said
his nciyhbor, "thc Captains wight.
bot you n sovereign he's wrong"
Done; what do you say it is" "Why
fifty dollars and the boots. Am | right,
sir?'
But the New Yorker only laughed,
aud the chorus with him became lou der
The question spread from table to table,
light down, round the III, and up the
port side, What did the bootmak er
lose 2" until cur cars were deafcned
with the answers and bets.
At length it reached great big Bos
ton man, who had set up among us n
sort OF oracle, for he wore long, straight
black clothes of clerical cut, and above
his grey head and huge. Tapping ears, u
munstous shovel hat We had all ia.
ken him for a supcrannuated bishop,
until his friends let out that he was head
of great insurance office all his life,
deep i'll all the histories of policy and
premium; so that verify it was thought
assurance indeed, when pert ensign
sai /, NOW, I'll tell you what, old buyck
bet you that you don't tell right off =
what did the bootmukcr lose Z"
"Sir," said the big man with much
gravity, 81 decline the bet, bu: shall be
happy to answer your question if you
put it"
So he was :old, and then the pert
ensign again, "Now tell us quick, old
bny-what did the bootmakcr lose 2"
What did he lose, sir? Why he lost
/ y. Yuuisu, nifty uoiiars on the che hand
which he returned to the moneychan
ger, and the forty five which he gave
the roguc--hc lost, sir, Of course, ninety
five dollars and the boots But alas
for the bishop. looking brother, ludi.
crous shout OF 6cri"on from some one
who had found it out greeted lis reply
upon which he rose with heavy irown
and went on deck. Then rose the cry
What did the bootmakcr lose 2" tron,
all parts of the table. "Fifiy- FIVE dol
lars, cried Il ventursomc guess, "Forty-
five" cried another, equally confident OF
his reasons But the New Yorker smil
ed and laughed sithal, telling Us to give
reasons for our answers. The very wal
ters carried it into the pantry, bake.
house, aud galleys, whence it went t.
the sccoudcltss passengers and the fore.
castle, until all round the ship, in cir
Gle from the red hot funnel where mostly
we did congrcgatc, was heard the famil
lar cry-'what did the bootmakcr lose 2
Reader, how much was it, and why.