Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-11-24
SOCIETY PESTS.
BEAU HICKMAN AND CANADA BILL

a anu SUI Deau HICKMAN, inc great Wut
a then world famous as clever trickstel
The two sports met on the steps {
4 the huge marble Capitol Hickma
. bad been pointed out to Canada Bi
= by a bootblack.
/, lis your name Hickman, pard ?" in
> quired Bill, extending his hand.
! "Thc same, sir. Whose hand nigh
| have the honor of pressng2" re
q turned Hickman, thinking that hi
new acquaintance was newly.arrivot
a western Member of Congress.
"The hand you grasp pardl" re
/ sponded Bill, 'fs one generally knowr
as being more able to deal cleverly
, than fairly. |, like yourself, am on,
Of society's razor strops. | am
, Canada Bill, by gum I"
"Shake the member two timos-fol
, I'm glad to sec you, Hickman"
+ Glow long are you going to stop il
: town ?"
stopped Off expressly to make youi
, acquaintance
"Arc you known in this city p
"No."
"Then III turn you to good account
How much money have you to venture
on a sure thingY
"Got $4,000
"WIth you p
fright here, and Canada Bill pulled
forth two huge rolls of bills.
"How would you like to turn that
into $4,000 within the next three
days"
!, "Namo the job, and I'm your man"
"Shl Wen take driRk y and
Hickman led the monte.tosser into
the card.room Of fashionable sample
room.
The next day a genteel, solemn
looking man entered the gentlemen's
parlors at Williard's hotel which were
filled with Senators, Congressman and
Office seekers and holders of all grades
He carried a small note book in his
hand, and as be approached each
group he would bow and say.
"Gentlcmen, | am collecting money
for poor widow lady and her three
children. They belong to q once.
proud but now cast.down family. If
you will aid them, please ask no further
questions, but give what you see fit"
In the entire hotel the gentlemanly
bcggar received only three donations
Of twenty-five cents each. The others
waved him impatiently aside, while
some plainly told him he was an i'm
postor. Before leaving he said quietly
to the three gentlemen who had given
him money:
"This will be paid you ten.fold to-
morrow evening at this hour"
He then took the address of each.
asking them to not fail TO be in the
parlor the next evening to get their
money, ana cautioned them to speak
to no one Of his promses-that he
was Sir Orlando Matterson, President
of the Royal London Society for the
encouragement of benevolence.
As u matter of course, before he got
block away from the hotel every
one knew all that he had said and
tonc, and all considered him as some
crazy fanatic, Then report got
about that he was an Immensely rich
but insane English nobleman, who
spent yearly hundreds of thousands in
seeking those out who are willing to
lend aid to the needy, and in reward
ing them afterwards, so that, accord.
ing to his cracked brain, the cause OF
charity might be in a general way
accelerated.
The next evening he came again,
asking aims, and everyone was on the
lookout for him. He first singled out
the three gentlemen who had given
him twenty five cents each, and very
quietly passed each an envelope with
two dollars and fifty cents, and card,
upon which was printed: "Give, and
you shall receive" "Cast your bread
on the waters and il shall be returned
to you teniold." Remember the ex-
ample of Sir Orlando Matterson as
you journey through life
Sir Orlando Matterson took seventy.
three dollars in donations from the
house that night, and it was not no
ticeable that those whom his example
had thus quickened we're very careful
that he should have their correct ad.
dress. The same result followed in
each Of the scores of hotels and sam.
pie rooms which he had initiated on the
night before. The third night he,
with q solemn face, returned to each
donor Of the previous night the exact
ten fold promised,
"lt would be a joy which would
consider cheapy purchased" said he
conddentally to a dozen gentlemen,
'1f at the cost of half a million dollars
| could teach the citizens of this beau
tiful city to be thoroughly generous to
the poor"
This night he was like the ticket
seller at the railroad depot. One, two,
five, ten and even twenty dollar bills
were showed at him on all sides, so
great had been the awakening in the
cause of benevolencc which the exam
pie OF Sir Orlando Matterson had
aroused A benign smile lowered
about bis mouth, and a tear that gilt
tered betmes in bis mild, kind eye
proclaimed the joy his soul ielt as he
showed bill after bill into his pockets
and gazed with the look Of a father
upon his converts.
"We'll split her now" suggested
Bill, as he ceased counting.
"rwonldn't give you $4,000" said
Hickman. "Let it be till to morrow
night. think | can raise little
hush money ON this racket"
Next night Beau Hickman went
the rounds, and found groups Of OK
pcctant converts waiting to see Sir
Orlando Matterson. One at time,
as fast as he could do 80, bo would
take one after another Of the most
prominent gentlemen aside and whis-
per in bis ear:
al have got . little subscription book
here which was handed TO me by u
friend as he took the train this morn
ing for New York. Sorry you got
sold on Sir Orlando Matterson. He's
skipped out That was Canada Bill,
the three-card monte man"
"Is that so2"
"Suro. Here's the book with your
name in 1t for twenty dollars"
"Well, for gracious sake, Beau, do
not show that note book to anyone
And scratch my namo off of it, will
you p
"Certainly," returned Hickman as
he erased the name. "But, governor,
I'm kind O. short tonight Couldn't
you lend mo twenty dollars until to
morrow 2"