The Portland daily press., 1882-10-27
Hermann and the Hucksters.
[st. Louis Post Dispatch

Hermann looks a good deal like an idealized
and humanized Satan. He is of the darkest
dark brunette, with blazing black eyes and the
blacklist Ct black hair on his face and head.
He dresses in black, the only white showing in
his costume being his shirt collar. At the
market he was at once recognized by the ga
minis who came trooping after him, and when
he stopped at vegetable dealers stall the
crowd formed ring on the outside. "How do
you sell these soup buncbes?" said he, picking
up peck measure full of herbs. 1.-TWO cents
apiece replied the ample matron behind the
layout. "That's cheap" said Hermann, livery
cheap" and then suddenly looking into the
heart of one of the lunches he pulled out
a grab for the money, but as suddenly as it sp-
pesred it vanished, and she looked from the
bunch to the magician and from the magician
to the bunch in puzzled way. go way
with your foolishness," she said at last, and
declined to be further interested. A couple of
stalls below there was great selection OF eggs
These at once caught Hermann's eye. "Are
those eggs fresh?" he inquired of the damsel IN
charge. "Yes, sir +" He picked up one and
ratified it beside the woman's ear. She started
back at the peculiar metallic sound, whereup-
on he smiled accueiDgy at her, broke the egg
and took out two S. gold pieces laying in the
yolk. She stared, and he got $40 more out of
another egg. After collecting about thirty in
this way she suddenly declined to have any
more eggs broken As she spoke blue tongue
of flame sprung out of score of eggs on the
tray, and the whole party stepped back in af-
fright. The flame died out, and the woman
turned on Hermann with almost curse: "You
are soreererl' By this time great throng of
people had gathered around, and each new
feat of the master was bonored by round of
applause. A stall or two lower down Hermann
picked up cabbage and asked the man If it
was not imprudent to leave his valuables ex-
posed in that way. The man glowered at him,
said he was not there for joking. "What will
you take for the cabbage?" inquired the macs
tro. Give cents" The money was passed.
and the cabbage became the property of the
magician. Taking knife he cut it open, and
| before the astonished gaze OF the multitude
| there lay perfect nest of treasures Hermann
deliberately began to fill his pockets, first with
a wad of bills, hundred dollar one on the out
side, then gold watch and chain, next two or
three diamond rings, and finally heaping
handful of $40 gold pieces, and last of all a
United States bond for 81 900. Powers of de-
scription fail to paint the changes which passed
over the huckster's face as this find was being
| appraised and pouched by the magician
| Doubt fear, avarice and despair fitted one al
| ter another over his countenance And at last
when the cabbage was evidently empty, he
| and refused to be comforted. CHATS a pretty
| good trade" said Hermann, and the boys
| cheered him to the echo
a few PAGES further on was game dealers
| stand, and here the miracle of the day was
| performed. Picking up a rabbit that was lying
without any head GU the pavement, Hermann
asked the man how long it had been dead"
"Only day or two." "Smel it," said Her
mann. hereporter shifted at it, and it GER
| tainly was gamey. Don't you know how to
freshen up animals?" said Hermann to the
man. And he took the rabbit, doubled it up
| and back, and laid it down on the pavement
with head on it and evidently alive. The
| dead rabbit at once leaped in among the boys,
who chased it and finally brought it back, in
sore need of the kindly magician's good offices
| again. Then he took dove from the cote over
the stand, deliberately wrung its neck, pulled
off its head and threw it to the owner. and be-
| fore he had time to examine it, returned him
| his pigeon none the worse for wear. By this
time the crowd was so large that locomotion
was impo sible, and with quzzioal glance at
| his admirers Hermann hurredly boarded a
| car and disappeared toward the SOUTH