Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-12-28
Quite a Mistake.

THE other night an elderly and clerical
looking individual came aboard Pull
man car at point about two hundred
and eighty miles east of here, and en-
gagged berth for this city. He took the
lower berth of a section, the upper half
of which had been engaged by two dap
per looking individuals, who, shortly af-
ter the train started, came back from the
smoking car and took seats in their sec
ton. The trio soon struck up travel
ing acquaintance, and Judging from the
pleased expression Of the three counte-
nances, this acquaintance was mutually
agreeable-and, as will presently be seen,
profitable.
The elderly gentleman, whom, for the
sake Of identification, we will call MI
Greene, was a retired merchant from Cen
trail New York, who was on his way to
these parts to invest few surplus shin
plasters in corner lots and Kansas lands.
He was one of those benignant old sun
flowers whose smiles beam alike upon the
just and the unjust, whose well-filied
pocket-book is always forthcoming to
change ten or twenty for some casual
companion who doesn't happen to. have
any small bills about him, and whose
worldly goods are but as legitimate spoils
for the confidence gentry-that is to say,
judging from outside appearances. His
two companions, whom we will call
Messrs. Sharpe and Ketchum-because
their rightful designations are unknown
to our informant-need no minute descrip-
ton.
By and by the conductor of P. P. G..
came around to collect his fare for berths
The elderly gentleman, being first in or
der, produced a pocket-book at once, well
W. ar,6 xvoi1 fi1lo6 nd mid
fare, and then came the turn of the other
two. Now, Sharpe had plenty of money,
while Ketchum, though laden with ex-
change on New York and Buffalo, had run
out of currency. Sharpe paid his small
| bill, but Ketchum ransacked his pocket
| book and vest pockets in vain. Sharpe
/ very generously offered to pay his com
| panion's bill, but the latter would not hear
| OF any such sacrifices on the part of his
/ friend. He would, however, gladly ac-
/ cept cash for one of his drafts, if Sharpe
would be so kind but unders no circum
stances would he accept any other favor.
1t transpired that Sharpe would be SO
kind. So Ketchum produced draft pur.
porting to be drawn to his order, on the
Commercial National Bank" of Buffalo,
amounting to S157.40. But Sharpe could
not make the change. Would the elderly
/ gentleman be so unutterably gracious as
to break a fifty for him Of course he
would-but he couldn't But happy
thought struck Sharpe. If his companion
had such delicate scruples about permit
ting him to pay his bill, perhaps the elder.
ly gentleman would purchase the draft
Certainly he would do that, but investiga
tion revealed that he had nothing smaller
than a one hundred-dolla bill, except some
desultory change the conductor had
1 given him for a five when he paid
his bill Finally Sharpe and Ketchum
laid their heads and their finances to-
gether and succeeded in making up a
purse of $203. 40, including the draft for
$15740 and $46 currency, whereat the
elderly gentleman gave them two one-hun
dred-dollar notes and his So in change
they generously throwing in" the 4(
cents-wherewith Ketchum paid his bill
and the conductor went on his way re-
joicing, while the fnanciers prepared to
retire by having their hunks made up.
Morning came and revealed the fact tina
Sharpe and Ketchum had found it con
venient to stop off at some casual station
during the night, though the elderly gen
tleman was found in his berth all right
The conductor, fearing from indications
that his passenger had been swi1dled, ap
preached him and said, 81 am afrait
that that draft you got last night is
fraud"
Well" was the bland response of the
imperturbable Greene, :" I presume it is
but if it's any bigger fraud than the tw,
$100 notes were, why, then, l amt 81
in good money ai,ee
think / amn The ell ga,
man then said that he r r,; i
, the habit of passing counterfel money
but he happened to have them with him
and, having taken somewhat exact mea:
ure of the two chaps who had attempte
to swindle him, he had quietly detel
mined to beat them at their own game.
"If youw want anything more" said hi
ssto make this affair all satisfactory, l ca
} give you good references, either in Kanss
City OF New York, where / live" Our il
: formant didn't demand the references
e Kaaasas City Times.
4 Utah may have its plural wives, o1
e serves Mr.. Quilp, but other parts of ii
r country have very singular ones.-Bostc