Omaha daily bee., 1884-08-11
CITY WALKS AND TALKS.

ages Tor the express companies. Inese
| package sales, which occur about once a
year, are made up of trunks, valises,
bundles, boxes, etc, and occasionally a
purchaser secures quite a valuable prize
for small sum of money. The packages
are sold without examination, and the
purchaser does not know what he is get
ting until after he has paid his money
and opened up his package. The pur-
chssers are prohibited from opening the
packagesin the auction room as it attracts
the attention of the crowd and
interferes with the sale. "Some very
amusing things happen at these sales, "
said Fretwell. "One young man bought
q package for Sl.2 and got nice silver
watch and chain and $500 in old coins.
The next package that was put up was
marked @. q. d. 500, and Dutchman
bought it for $500. 1t proved to be a
box of Fishblstts medicine. He bought
another box marked U. v. ID. $50, and
that too turned out to be some OF Fish
blatt's preparations. He was somewhat
exasperated at the result of his invest
ments, but nevertheless bid off another
box marked @. o. d. $50, which also
came from Fishblatt's laboratory.
'Gott i'm himmell' he exclaimed,
who is dis Blatt6sh, anyhow Ish der,
anytings in dish house except FishblatF
Notwithstanding our ruleagainst opening
anything in our house, he uncorked this
medicine and the room was Immediately
filled with horrible stencil. He was
ordered out on the sidewalk with his
perfumery, and policeman who hap
pened along just at that time told him
to move along with his stink factory. l
picked up long and thin package and
announced that it once belonged to Sara
Bernhardt, and like its owner it had
gone astray. 1t sold for $3.50. The pur-
chaser found in it pair of blue over
alls, an old clay pipe, two
fpairs of old stockings, and other
rubbish. The next grip, which had once
belonged to Lieut.. Greedy, in my mind,
sold for $500, and contained pair of
Arctics, pair of fur gloves,
and sealskin cap. The
very next grip, which sold for dollar,
had a $36 velvet dolman in
it. This was followed by
the sale of box for 1926. 1t con-
tanned three new suits of clothes, a
feather bed, and eight or ten sheets.
The purchaser was woman, who soon
after bought fine suit of broadcloth for
So. 90. She went away happy, as tie
clothes would just suit her old man, 30
she said.'
Nv
1.-THE greatest fraud that l
have known for long time appears to
have been this DR.. Fishblatt," continued
Fretwell. "He used to send out thous.
ands of his medicine packages all over
the country, marked collect on delivery
The prices marked .on the boxes ranged
from $40 to $50, although the medicine
was all alike. He marked his boxes &C.
cording to his ideas of how much this or
that victim would stand. Hundreds of
these boxes were never taken out, but
Fishblatt refused to receive them, as
they were evidently of no value to him
l remember of barrel of this stuff com
ing back from Kansas City, as the con.
signee refused to receive it. 1t was
marked @. o. D., 1926. Fishblatt di-
rected it to be sent back to Kansas City
and collect 800 for it. This didn't work.
He then dropped to $75, and finally to
$15; whereupon the victim took it, and
then Doc. probably made $40 out of the
transaction"
~
I'll went over to Chicago the other
day." remarked an Omaha man, "and
occupied lower berth in Pullman car.
There were only six other passengers in
the sleeper. When / retired found the
upper berth was let down, although there
was no one to occupy it. 1 tried to shove
it up, but couldn't do 1t, as it was locked
down. found 1t very inconvenient to
undress, and in the morning it was very
awkward for me to get my clothes on
again. Now, why could not the upper
berth just as well have been kept up in
stead of down, as there was no call for it2
| asked the porter that question and he
said that it is a rule of the company to
require payment for whole section in
case the upper berth is kept up. SO it
seems that it is way they have of max
ing it as uncomfortable for passenger as
possible. think if passenger pays the
high price of three dollars for berth, be
is entitled to all the accommodation that
can be conveniently given without incur
ring any extra expense to the company.
so there is no possible way for lower
berth passenger to have the upper berth
kept up, is therel' asked of the porter.
Well, sab, folks dat has trabeled know
how to fix dat business. If passenger
slips half dollah into de porters hand,
up goes de berth, and don't you forgetSt.
But de company is mighty strict about
dat business, and we has to be kind o.
careful and not get cotched. So you see
the porter makes pretty good thing of
it, as he probably picks up good many
half dollars in this way"
x*x
1.-THE sleeping porters make more
money than the public have any idea Of"
the gentleman. "They make
more than the Pullman conductors, al.
though the conductors get $40 and the
porters only $40 per month salary. The
porters receive at least 25 cents from
each passenger, and frequently they get
, half dollar. venture to say chat their
income from this source ranges from