The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-04
A VALUABLE SPECIMEN.
The Sad Experience of a Very Credulous
Journalist.


Journalist.
San Francisco Chronicle.
One day last week gentleman employed in
the newspaper business on Montgomery street,
and who, not desiring notorety in this connec-
ton, will be called by his familiar sOubriquet,
1.-THE Judge was sauntering up Post street in
search of other worlds to conquer, when a most
singularly greenlooking specimen of the granger
variety hove in sight about half block dis
tant. AS he approached the journalist his eye
suddenly fell on an object some few feet in front
of the latter, upon which he bounced with great
avidity The curiosity of ''the Judge" for a
moment overbalanced his dignity and he asked
the greenhorn what he had found.
Examining the object very closely, the farmer
gave it as his opinion that it was nothing less
than gold quartz ''speciment, worth nigh onto
$500"
The Judge" looked at the specimen and con
CURED i'll the belief.
'sWhat am goin' ter dew with it, thought"
asked the granger. 'I've got ter ketch the Peta-
lumy boat and I've only got bout leven minits
ter dew it in" pulling out a well-worn silver
time piece There's sure to be a big reward of
fered for this here rock to morrer and can't be
here ter lay claims to it."
The Judge thought he saw chance The
quartz, he argued to himself, was probably
worth a good deal more than the rough estimate
made by the countryman. 1t had no doubt been
lost out of a collection belonging to rich man,
who would be willing to pay large sum for its
restoration to its place in his cabinet. The
Judges salary is only SIS week. He visited
in silence.
Would you-that is, dew you think you could
take this yere speciment in trust fur me, fur,
say $i5, and take care of the things I'd give we
half of the reward, you know, and you air more
used to these things, you see. Your face looks
right honest.and guess kin trust ye. Hurry
up and say what you'll do, fur I've only got just
nine minutes more
''AlI right said the Judge" and he passed
over the bright coin and pocketed the valuable
nugget, with which he quickly vanished from the
scene in excited delight and keen satisfaction.
He said nothing to his friends about his trans
action, and his landlady wondered that night
what made the Judge whistle and sing so
much in the hallway. Next morning he was up
bright and early, looking over all the newspapers
for the advertisement containing a mention
of the reward. None could be
found and the evening papers of that
day were likewise mute on the
subject. Next morning also brought disappoint-
ment The Judge began to mistrust. but he
hired a boy for the rest of the week to look up
the advertisement, though with the same dis
gushing result An idea suddenly struck him.
and he started almost for an assayers
office, where the information that the quartz
was made up of brass filings, stuck a common
piece of concrete, not long withheld by the
amused assayer Then the indignation of the
boodled Judge found its vent in accusations
right and left of the man who had thus praeticed
on his creduiity and honesty but did not succeed
in fixing the charge. On Saturday he received a