Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-04-01

Especial Corr. of the Journal

Matters have been very quiet il
the Capital city during the past week
and one would hardly know the Leg
islature was in session il he was no,
reminded of the daily report in the
newspapers of bills offered authoriz
ing the commissioners of such and
such county to improve water ways
and sewers and to convert such and
such roads into toll roads. Many oI
the members seem to be ashamed
of themselves and stay away from
the city as much as possible. The
Appropriation Bill has been under
discussion several days and numerous
amendments to it have been offered.
Other bills have been brought up for
the members to wrangle over, but
yet very little has been done; not
enough to interest the readers of the
JOURNAL with the dullness of such a
report.
A few words on the swindling and
confidence games practiced in our
city in spite of the vigilant police
may be Of interest, and as two or
three instances of the confidence
game came under your correspond
ent's notice last week, where too con-
fiding rural chaps were duped by
slick-tongued rascals, it is always
best in all cases to steer clear of
newly made acquaintances especially
around the railroad depots. A few
days ago | was accosted by spright-
ly youth who emerged from the Ex-
change Hotel, with "How do you do,
Mr.. Bishop" He was surprised that
] did not fit into that name that he
at once fished for the real one. Twas
obliged to tell him that 1 not only
was not Mr.. Bishop of Cleveland, but
that l did not know him, ard didn't
care whether he had a valuable pack
age in the express Office or not. He
seemed to regret this indifference of
mine more than the mistake in the
name.
One Of the best swindling games
is but little practiced, owing proba-
bly, to the amount of talent demand
ed for its success. 1t is where the
country retorts upon the city. An
instance occurred a few weeks ago
while was sitting in q friends Of
flee on High street. A tall fellow
knocked at the door and came in
beaming all over to claim kindred
So pure cousin" (S5 time, removed.
He helped himself to the handle of
my friends name with an affection
that was touching in such an abso-
lutte stranger. He told him the name
of his wife and showed him the pho
tograph of his eldest daughter. 1t
is impossible for me to compute from
memory the number of heads of cat
tie he had brought to Columbus on
this trip. His mission turned out to
be to borrow 25 cents, as he was q
little short owing to some informali-
ty in bill of exchange, which sum,
he said, might as well be made half
a dollar. He was an extremely i'll
favored party, and 1 think never met
with the name he claimed until he
saw it on the sign at the entrance of
the office. My friend declined to
help him through his financial en-
barrassments, and was obliged to tell
him the two reasons which showed
he was no kin of his. In the first
place said my friend, our clan is re-
markable for their. personal beauty,
and, in the second place, it is consti-
tutional with them to have no chill
dreE. Both of these propositions
were SO confusing to him that he
went away, and in the language of
the immortal 81. n" "the pressure
became too great for him." $50 -
All sorts of plans are devised
whereby these sharpers may get a
little money without performing hon
est labor, and it seems strange that,
Notwithstanding the frequent admo-
nitions Of the papers to have moth
ing to do with slick-tongued stran-
gers, that men are daily feeced out
Of money by old confidence games
that have been published dozens OF
times.
Mot long agoI gave q description
of an apparatus TO be used in voting
by the aid OF electricity. The origi-
nator of the novel idea is young
man in this city by the name Of Sid
ney Short, who is also the inventor
Of the Short transmitter used on tel
ephones. Last week an attorney fol
Edison, who has been dubbed the
wizard of Menlo Park, visited this
city for the purpose Of taking testi
mony in regard to Shorts invention