The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-07
when the BIack-Birds South
ward Fly.

Recently we noticed in the New York
papers a remark by the Chief of Police
of that city that never of his knowledge
was the city more free of sharpers,
pi~ck-pockets, and the like. They have
followed the swallows Southwark, seek
ing suckers, said he. They propose
to winter in the South. They will
beat their way over the main ia l.
way loutes to the Raleigh Exposition.
and then TO Florida, and then to New
Orleans, and clean up the rural towns
as they go, Then they will do the
Exposition crowds, and come back,
well fixed" The Chief added that he
could name at least 100 expert swindiers
who are 0 operating in the South.
This view appears to be justified by
the recent returns from North Carolina.
A Raleigh firm lost s15, by a "Drum-
mer" for Simmons Liver Regulator. A
Concord firm lost $50 by a Richmond
drummer, so-called. Wilmington was
taken by a 'skin-game' in the shape
Of cheap advertising. A sharper went
there and got a carpenter to make him
a big revolving wheel with paddles like
a windmill. He then visited the mer-
chants, and collected SIS for each to pay
for a big pasteboard card to be tackled
upon the f~y-wheel, which was to be sta
toned on a prominent street corner.
One hundred cards made $500 in cash.
Then the oily tongue ~evanesced into
parts unknown. Neither merchants.
nor carpenter, like to talk about him. 1t
makes them feel like infracting the whole
ten commandments.
In Charlotte, the Sharper took a new
style. He stole three horses, and rode
boldly into town, looking for a place to
locate a livery stable. Somebody sug
gested the Fair Grounds, and he proceed
ed to buy or lease them. This made him
a popular citizen. Then he bought out
a leading saloon. No none was paid in
any case, but as he seemed to have plenty
nobody mistrusted his final settlement.
Finally he hired a team to ride into the
country, and thereafter the places which
knew him to their cost, now know him
no wordsworth a cent!
But his first cousin soon appeared in
the garb Of 'butternut' cracker from the
mountains. The new ome appeared to
be green as grass, and protested to hail
from Golden Valley in Burke county.
He had a lot of bottles containing "Sas-
safrack" oil, "~Pennyr'yal lie and other
'yarb' lies. The druggists of Charlotte
and Concord sampled the sassafras, and
the penny-royal oils, and found them
first class. The Burke county man
seemed a mere child in business, and
asked what he should do with the two
gallons he bad in a jug. ship il to
New York! Why its worth a big price,"
exclaimed the druggists of Charlotte and
Concord. So he fixed up two Jugs, and
they were shipped. Next day, he asked
to borrow a few dollars until the cash
came from New York. When this little
feature of business had been transacted
away skipped Mr.. 'Greeney' from Golden
Valley.
Next day a note from New York asked
why the men at Charlotte and at Concord
had shipped each a gallon jug of water,
smelling of sassafras. The shippers then
''smelled a mice" We reckon that
about $1,000 has departed from North
Carolina since our late Exposition.
By the by, the fellow who robbed the
Raleigh firm was 10 doubt nabbed 10
Birmingham, Alabama. A telegram from
that place says a man giving the name Of
y. II Cooper" and protesting 10 re-
present a well known patent medicine
firm. was arrested on false cheque on W.
+. Martin Of Chicago for $1,000.