The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-18
The Almighty Dollar.
TChicago Times. November 18th


The readiness and promptness with
which the average American citizen will
nut himself in a position to make a dollar
was taken advantage Of on yesterday after
noon by young man who drove up to the
northeast corner OF La Sale and Washing
ton streets in a'buggy. He was nicely
dressed, smootll-tongued young man, and
he carried small satchel slung around his
neck. No attention was paid him first,
because most Of the peddlers who stand at
that corner "strike" 4 man for quarter
or more. But when he went down into
little box under the seat and brought up
double andfuls Of rings, and commenced
scattering them about by scores, then the
people began to look. After gathering
crowd about him the young man announced
himself as an agent for the Double-Rolled
Beltham Gold Company, OF Mount Ner-
non. n. Y" Before he went any fur
Their, however, he just wanted ninety cents
for one dollar. This chance TO make ten
cents caused the crowd to turn up num-
Der OF the required sums. For each ninety
cents the giyer received q 81 bill. After
disposing OF about $40 in this manner the
Young man produced some lockets, which,
he stated, he would like to sell for fifteen
cents. A number of them were pur-
chaser, each one was handed down wrapped
in 81 bill. The demand for these Iockets
was great. The young man couldn't hand
them out fast enough. About fifty OF these
were disposed Of, and then the young man
went down into the depths Of that mysteii-
Gus box and brought up twelve gold watches.
These, he said, he would sell for twenty
FIVE cents. He paused after this statement,
and perfect sea Of dimes flashed around
him. "Wait minute" he said; 81 want
twelve men in this crowd to buy these 6ne
double. case stem.winders. Gentlemen, the
price is ten cents; but the twelve men who
put up the largest sums get the watches"
The previous experience Of the crowd led
them to argue that If they put up half a
dollar they might get the watch and 81 or
more back. The result was that Mr.. Mann
was kept very busy for about five minute$
taking in the bills. They ranged all the
way from 81 up to $40, and as each was re-
ceived by the agent another bill OF similar
denomination was wrapped about it and
slowed away in the satchel. This giving in
Of bills continued until he had nearly $500.
During the collection he had kept up
running fire OF talk, and not until he saw
no more was to be invested did he stop for
minute. When he had received all that
could lie squeezed from the crowd be SUD
denly pulled bis own watch from bis pocket
and remarked: "Gentlemen, it Is twenty
minutes past 4. ] have an engagement down
here. and will return in half an hour and
give the watches to tue gentlemen who put
IN the most money! He then got down
out OF bis buggy and walked west on Wash
inston street, followed by the crowd. \
dim suspicion entered the minds OF the
men and boys who had put up money that
they had been sold, and cries OF "Stop
thief" "Hang him " and the like. filed
the air. He continued on his way unmoVed
and serene, with the crowd bowling at his
back. No one seemed TO dare to tackle
him, each one being ashamed of having
lost the money by trying to get twice as
much money as he gave, and so, with the
exception OF the loss of Il fine seaI-skin
cap, which was snatched by n one-armed
boy, WHO had been beaten otlt Of seventy.
five cents, the agent walked away from
them, .aad met a couple OF pals, and was
driven away in hack. The sbaf1ed and
Swindled crowd returned to the old corner
to vent its spite upen the horse and buggy,
bsat it was discovered that the rig had been
driven away Immediately after the fellow
left by man who had been hanging about
all the time. A ten-ninutes' talk and the
loss OF about S45 and $40 hat by the
young man had Melted him in the end be-
tweea $500 and $500. On how maes other
occasions the trick had been done is not
known, bu. it is safe to estimate that the
clever young man will leave town with
about $1,000 more than he had when lie
came here