Butte semi-weekly miner., 1886-05-08
AN OLD TIMER ,
Great Experience With Swind1es Made
Him Hard to Beat.

From tie Chicago Herald.
NO, you can't come any o your dodges
on me, said a grangerfed passen, ,er az the
man with the big, juggling ring full OF bus
| checks accosted him with the inquiry if he
was going any farther west than Chicago
You can't play me for sucker tell you.
I've had my eye-tceth cut have. Why,
I've had three lightning rods put on my
place, every one OF which cost me seven
prices. I've been stuck OH Bohemian oats,
Russian oats, Australian oats, hulless bar
ley. gold-dust wheat, Seneca chief wheat.
red line wheat and all O. them things The
last man who caught me on this scheme
said he represented a big company and
that he was only allowed to sell ten bushels
to ore farmer at SO per bushel Bimeby
he came around and said he'd sell me fifty
bushels on the sly for cash, proyidin' I'd
sign an agreement not to tell on him. He said
he'd takin' a ikin' to me, an would lust
as soon see me get rich as his own father
took the fifty bushels, paid him $500 and
signed the agreement. Three months later
| found that agreement in the bank q
promissory note for $500 more, which
had to pay. I've been caught on worth
less fruit trees an fertilizers an other clap
traps by the dozen. One time I ordered a
new revised edition OF the Bible. an the
blank order which l signed turned up
promissory note for S1OO. Bout a year
ago a stranger stopped at my house just
before dinner time. He said he was an
agent for the Bible Society an was not
permitted to eat meals without payin' for
'em, but would be pleased to sit up if I
would take pay. OF course agreed, an
you just ought to have heard that man
pray. lie was prayer from way back,
an my appetite nearly made ME sick be-
fore he got through askin' the blessin'.
After dinner he asked to sign receipt
voucher that he had paid or the meal.
Three months later that note turned up
IN the bank as q note for $65. | had to
pay it. Last summer | built a new barn,
and OF course wanted lightning rods on
it. A man came along with wagon, and
dicke. ed with him for con-
tract. He praised the barn. and said
he wanted to do good Job in my
neighborhood, SEEM as l was a prominent
man an my recommend would be valuable
to him in his business, an drew up plans
or an elaborate system of rods, which he |
agreed to put up for $40. 1t was dirt chea |
Ind so l signed his contract. After the |
work was done | paid him the SO, and !
,'posed that was the end ont. But It |
wasn't. The SO was simply for putting up |
The rods. For the rods themselves had |
% pay $3.50. I've paid royalties on pat
'Lted farm machinery which fellows come |
llong and find in my possession, and, claim
ng that by using the machines l had in
rinzed on their patents, threatening to
me ii did not settle up. I've
bought Il hall dozen receipts for the
manufacture of fertilizers, and as many
ure cure for the hog cholera. I've been
aiken in on freight receipts, lotteries, card
ames, insurance frauds, patent right ven
lers. widders, bogus ministers, spurious
harity agents an all sorts O. skin games,
'ut I've got my eyes open at last, stranger.
I'm goin' farther than Chicago, but ef
'ou think you kin git half-dollar out o.
ne for that little piece O. pasteboard and
nat brass check yer barking up the wrong
rec. Do you take me for a man VIII, has
ad no experience in the affairs O. this