Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-25
oUTwIrrrNG THE YANKEES.
Smart Tricks by which Street Peddlers
swindIe Unsuspecting COuntrymen.

Who has been selling electric belts here
for two weeks came here accompanied oy
two minstrel performers, and erected
stage in a lot near one OF the principal
streets. In the evening the Ministries
played the banjo and cracked jokes a 'e"
minutes, and then, crowd having oeen
gathered BY their really good perform
ance. the doctor would lecture. nat
was most noticeable was that be never r.
heated the lecture, but always hAd some
fbinr entirely new TO saw. He was az Brst
kent so busy selling that be never nad
any time to talk anything but business;
but when his allotted time here had come
10 \ close. he became quite socia0le and
made many friends. On the evening ne
fore he LEFT a party gathered IN the nolei
parlor and discussed The business ne was
ENGAGED in, and the different ways Whlch
different people had OF conducting II.
Among those ul esent that evening was
q man whose curiosity TO know how so
many PEOPLE could be induced 10 buy elec1
trio belts elected these remarks from the
doctor.
oThe first and most IMPORTANT ele-
ment of SUCCESS in selling any
such thing is the ability TO induce people
10 have faith in the article sold. And it
has been nv experience that faith on the
mart OF the patient is the greatest possbleiI
help ard the efficacy OF any medicine.
have had people come TO me with all
sorts OF complaints which they tnought
electricity would cure, and l have really
effected cures BY merely telling them
what | gave them would cure them,
when il they took what gave without my
advice it never would have the slightest
effect.
All of you probably have seen or heard
Of peOpe who pretend 10 extract tcetn
without pain. l do not believe II possible
70 do this. Nv theory is that they only
work upon the imagination. and get the
patient thoroughly impressed with the
idea that il will not hurt, and pull the
tooth so suddenly that they do not realize
the pain | gave mesmeric exhibitions ~
Saratoga once, instead Of such perform
ances as we bad here, and | advertised
that would extract teeth free OF charge.
The first day drew sixty teeth, and only
one child made the least sign OF feeling
pain, The next day people came in
shoals to baye teeth drawn. l could not
give nv whole time for nothing, and |
could not charge for extracting teeth, so
l restricted this bushes to one hour. or !
course hurt those who had teeth drawn,
but they did not realize it, as they we're
mesmeri zed.
"Y0u wonder what kind Of people buy
electric belts. Well | have found that
intelligent people. 1t is a fact that / have
heard Of cases where the wearer Of one
did not think be had been benefited ny II
after fair trial. but even in those few ]
have been able to convince the people that
they should try il little longer. When
q man trys such thing, and is, or thinks
he is, benefited BY il, be recommends II TO
others. | attribute most Of my success
10 ny having been able To convince intel
Iigent people that il did them good. And
Of course that ability lies principally in
being able n talk so as TO meet any argu-
ment, and answer it convincingly. | sup
pose A certain amount Of what you call
cheek IS necessary"
"sppaking Of check" said the landlord,
f'the checklist thing ] ever heard Of IN
that line happened here lately. A man
came here and took out 81 license to sell
in the street. He then hired a buggy for
a short time and stationed himself at one
Of our principal street crossings. He
took out a s. bill. Gentlemen be said.
holding up me bill, Il am here to adyer-
tise the goods Of a company which adver-
tises In a very novel way, as yo1 will
recognize shortly. Now, to begin. I am
going 70 sell this 81 bill for 81 3d. He
sold II very readily. Then he sold the
81 30 Tor 81 50. and 50 on, till he had only
10 cents. Now said he. i will throw
this dime among you. and the one who
gets It may keep it, Then he bought the
dime for 20 cents, and so on, till his last
purchase cost him 81 10.
"Then he took out some rims. Now
he said. i am going to sell just one dozen
Of these rings. l am not going to tell you
anything about what they are or what
am going TO do afterward; and l will not
sell the thirteenth ring for any price. no
matter how high. | will sell the twelve
for 81 EACH The rings were bought al
most instantly. He next asked those who
had bought them to hold them up, so he
could see where they were. Now said
he, you don't expect me to buy them
back. do youg All said they did not.
"Next he sold twelve watch chains for
50 each in the same way, and twelve scarf
pins Tor S. each. He made no claim that
they were worth any thing, and appar-
emily the people thought all this was
merely preliminary to his real object.
thing Ike this: That - all i shall sell
now. You don't any or you expect me-
10 buy these things back, do your Well,
am not gong 70 do so. But shall be
here tonight. and want all who have
bought anything of m 10 be here as near
their present positions as possible, and l
viii then tell all have lett untold now.
Please make way now for me TO drive
through And he drove 10 the stable aud
away 81, paid 81 for a license,
and probably not more than 81 for
the buggy, and had taken in sec for
stuff that every one knew was worth very
little. The railroad depot was quite near.
and train was just about 10 start. No
suspicion Of foul play on his part was
manifested by any ofihe people until they
saw him board the train. Then thew re-
allied that they bad been taken I'm. They
wanted policeman Who had heard and
seen ~ all 10 arrest the man, but he said
nothing had been done 20 warrant an ar
rest. The goods sold bad not been mis-
represented, and the man had simply
proved smart enough to outwit them. So
be got away with the swag, and those
who bad bought bis stuff were willing
enoue b 10 let the matter DROP" ri-
"Well" said the doctor, "that was
pretty cheeky business, hut ] think what
happened In Montpelier just before I got
there was more 50. a man came there
ana hired room in the principal hotel
and, leaving his bag there, he went 10
store and bought a small keg Of wagon
grease, paying 7jc for IL. This he took
20 the hotel, where he went 20 work
openly and filled a lot Of pill boxes with
the grease. Then he stationed himself
on the principal street, a sold ID as
con salve a. l5c. a box. He WAS "a good
taikcr, and claimed that his salya would
do almost ANYTHING short OF n miracle
Then his price was very low. He adilv
sold out all his stock, aud left town early
ueRf morning with abOut NiB 1roNf 10.