Omaha daily bee., 1885-07-14
A Stranger Works the Town and
Jumps His Board Bill,

1t Is astonishing that among otherwise
sharp busin ess men, there en- be found
80 many dupes ready to be gathered In on
any sort Of a slckly advertising scheme,
when Huently pictured by some glib
tongued stranger. Such a scheme has
been again worked In this city, and was
literally patronIzed, while the legitimate
advertising men, representing responsible
papers, have been finding 1t rather bare
shedding.
About ten days ago q young man, CIV
Ing his name as w. r. Woodruff, ap-
peared at the Pacific houHe, and engaged
board for a week, representing that he
was going to work a hotel advertising
scheme. After engaging his room, and
getting what information he desired
about the city, and who among the busi-
ness men were good advertisers, he
sneaked out without having ven the
courtesy to say good day, or to give any
reason for not remaining to occupy the
room which he had engaged. A few
days later, George Ferguson, the young
err of the proprletors, spied the young
man, and took him to task, as George
can, when he tries, but the fellow begged
off, on the score of poverty, and ex-
planned hat he had to economic asmuch
as possible, and had therefore secured
board in q private house. BE had not
the manhood to let the hotel men know
of his change of mind, until cornered,
and seemed so sneaky, that he was told
that he must not get any advertising on
the strength Of any representation
that he vas going to put any
of his books into the Pacific,
as they would not countenanoe any
scheme of his. 1t seems that he did make
such representations, however, and kept
that hotel In the list of those where his
advertising scheme would be placed.
This scheme was a very simple affair, con-
sisting of a %pasteboard cover, In which
would be kept q copy of the illustrated
London News, the pretense being that
guests of the hotel would be 80 delighted
to read the paper, and look at the pic.
lures. that the advertising cards on the
cover would attract great attention, and
would result In a great boom for those
who improved this rare chance to get
places to display their m and busi-
ness.
The fellow succeeded IN getting a good
ly amount of patronage on this scheme,
and In the meantime he represented to
the woman, with whom he was boarding,
that he was expecting his partner, and on
his arrival he would pay up. Friday
last, he collected from the advertisers,
and at night he told his landlady that he
would settle In the morning, anyway,
and If his partner arrived on the evening
train, he would be able to pay that very
night. He went up town to meet the
trains, and late at night returned and
went to his room. When the call was
made for him to rise In the morning, the
bird had flown, he having sneaked out In
the night with what little baggage. he
had.
The lady thus vlctimIzed, is Mrs. L. 81.
Mitchell, on Washington avenue. She
has sent word along the line, whittier he
is supposed to have flown, and still
hopes that he may be caught and brought
back to answer for his conduct. The
young man Is a very glib talker, and
boosted that he had worked successfully
all the cities of the land, and looked with
rather disdain on Council Bluffs, as be-
Ing too small for q young man of his
ability, and for such q brilliant adver-
tisi7g scheme as he had devised. Still
he condescended to stay here, and allow
the merchants to take advantage of the
chance offered. He Is q young man, light
c~omplexioned, blue eyes, light colored
moustache, weighs about one hundred
and twenty-five pounds. He wore
q suit of brown, with cutaway coat, a
light drab, stiff, high-crowned hat. he
should be passed around.