The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-05-22

city, and the two heroes were grizzlod
sunburned men of semi-rural appear
ance. They occupied seat together,
and when one of them took out his
wallet to pay the trsin-boy for couple
of apples he displayed roll of bills
Ike stick Of cOrdwood In diameter.
A dapper and awell-dressed young
man on the seat in front of them there
upon became very sociable, and learn
ing that they were miners from Lead
vile coming TO Chicago to see about
Investing their wealth, he warned
them in eloquent terms sgainst the
dangers which infested the Western
metropolis and the avenues leading
thereto. THE Devil he said, goeth
about like roaring lion In q new
spring overeoat and dyed mustache,
seeking whom he may rope in. and
don't you forget it. Aboye ALL said
.theie new acquaintance, warmly,
'avoA striking up acquaintances with
in public places or upon the cars.
Many and many . ruined man can
trace his Insolvency to having in an
unguarded moment made friends with
. man who was going to his part of
the country, and had nothing but
SLIGO certified check with which to
pay the express charges on his goods.
Now, I myself, though perhaps have
h hhn
taken in the other day,-only for a
bottle of wine but then the principle
IL the same as il it had been for .
thousand dellars.' ..Shoi You don't
say SO p said one of the returned
miners. It's fact replied the affable
stranger q well-dressed, agreeable
gentleman showed me this little ma
hoge1y Ebox.-he hsnded Il to the
miners, who opened It and returned
it to him, when he put it into his vest
pocket-sand betted me q bottle of
champagne couldn't open it, We'll
that was . soft thing, said one of the
gentlemen from Leadville, contempt
uously. so /, in my finite wisdom,
thosght, answered the affabler strsn-
ger, and Jumped upon that bet as
the unthinking horse rushes to battle,
OF course I paid the wine-the lesson
was worth it-and asked him to give
me the box to use when wished to
emphasize the great moral lesson that
. man must keep his eyes open in this
-nrlH ~n6 rnf
'ssosss for, - the poet says, Thipgs
are not what they SEEM. One Of the
gentlemen from Leadville was much
excited at this story, and said. with
generous warmth, Excuse me, stran.
ger, but 1t seems to me you were
durn fool. Anybody could open that
box SILLY mothp said the affable
stranger, with alight laugh, Il was
of your opinion myself at the time,
but I found ont that was wrong. Ex-
perience teaches as the classics say.
Yonr present demeanor only serves to
emphasize the great moral lesson be-
gan by incnlcating to you-that we
are an spt to get excited, and when in
that condition to fall prey to the
cool, calculating villain whose accom-
plice wears an expressman's badge.
Now, IL were inclined to take ad yan-
tage of your confidins innocence, l
could probably win your money. But
/ have no need for wealth indeed,
am just on my way to Chicago to en-
dow q Theological Seminary, and SO
you are safe but I'll tell yen what l
will do; will bet you q trade dollar
Il purposely name this small sum be-
cause to q person in your humble rank
of life it is probably as much as q
Treasury note Of high denomination
is to q gentleman of my station-that
you can't open that box His calm,
supercilious air well-nigh exasperated
the gentleman from Leadville to fren-
zy, and bauling ont his wallet the re-
turned miner cried Gin no coyote
from the sage-brush, by jimminy, but
an eighteen stamp quartz-crusher of
the carbonate region, and when the
effete civilization of the East says any
thing about betting, $500 is the small
est sum l demean myself by going
down yinta my clothes, for, and he
plsukSd Che money. My misguided
friend said the affable stranger, as he
covered theb bet, Heaven has ordain.
ed that you should be a humble inslru-
ment in the hands of Providence to
assist in founding the Chair of Homi
lecdc Theosophy in ths new Theolog-
icaf Seminary. Here is the box. and
from his other vest pocket he produced
q duplicate box, or rather, q block of
solid wood, and handed it to the Lead
villain. The returned miner tried the
box in eleven thousand different ways
and finally admitted that he couldn't
open it. Il told you SO, my frlend,'
said the adable stranger, with mfidrre- !
proach, pity and contemptin his tone !;
when suddenly the other miner took
tho angular box aud said: sNow,
pard, 1 want to do some betting on
this yere.' Well, sir, if you wish to
aid in training up generation of pull
pit orators that will everlsstingly
knock the spots ont Of Bob Ingersoll,
will go you $780, replied the affa-
BILE stranfier. Il will bet you 81 600,
said the second miner, that you can't
open the box YOURSELF 'Oh, my
honorable friend,' said the affable
stranger, Il have already had my
great moral lesson emphasized to me
and, thank Heaven. at small cost. /
won't take that bet 'I1l bet ye $500
ye will playfully remarked the Sec
Ond miner, as he evcavated from the