Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-13
THE CITY.
A PRINuE OF nUMBUGs.
now AN IMpUDENr FAKiR suLLRp A
GROUP OF GRKEN- HORNS,


now AN IMpUDENr FAKiR eULLRp A
GROUP OF GRKEN-HoRNs.
All the proverbs that were ever coined,
the point OF which turns on the gultibility
of the human race, had a httlng exem.
plincation In an affair that happened on |
the courthouse square yesterday. II Is |
never hard matter TO draw a crowd on |
tho square. The usual resort Of politi |
clans Of certain class, countrymen, who |
having disposed OF their business have a
little leisure left on their hands, wood |
haulers, teamsters, and representatives
OF almost every vocation, that self-same
plaza that surrounds the temple OF justice
is the ONE resort whore u fakir is always
sure Of his victims, He found them
numerous yesterday afternoon, and this
is the
RATHER UNIQUE STYLE.
In which he ''sinched the suckers" Our
fakir, TO begin with. was an uncommonly
smooth talker. Most Of this gentry, II
will be noticed, talk we'll Indeed, It
often seems pity that men like this,
whose ready flow Of words and happiness
OF expression combined almost always
with humor that Is spontaneous, fall
| 10 bend their energies and talents TO no.
bier ends. Many OF them might have
made no insignificant imprint ON the
"sands Of tlmen had they only resisted
the seductive siren that leads 10 fakerism.
Enough by way of depression.
He had a lot OF pinchbeck iewelry,
tawdry stuff, rings and chains and
charms not worth nickel
la ton. A child could
tell this, nor did the operator take any
pains 10 conceal the worthlessness OF his
/ Ia la ha tA1A ha arAtuA ht
JEwELRY WAS BoGus.
Ho told them, moreover, that II they
had any dealings with him, they would
get "skinued" Just here Col. Fakir
showed his fiue artistic touch his deli
cate insight into the great book Of human
nature, WhieA as an unse6led volume lay
open for his perusal.
His excessive frnnkness did the work
I II the American people love TO be hum.
I plugged as Mr.. Barnum was fond OF say.
! ing, thrice dearly do they love to be told
that they are going 20 be humbugged. II
{ seemed 70 please The crowd that gathered
} about hlm--this announcement relative TO
, skinning--as II II were pleasing conoeit,
ludicrous fancy, aud they continued TO
+ press about his stand until there
! must have been couple Of hundred
5 innocents ready for the sacrifice. His
! first move was to hold up and display one
. OF the long, gaudy chains, and ask some
D one 10 bid on It, II was worth nothing,
4 he said, but Just as q test Of some mans
) nberality he would like TO hear q bid.
s Then an innocent looking capper would
/ offer dollar aud take Tbs, cAgln. Pretty
vi soon the arcn.consplratoT would CUltph-
4 ment the supposed buyer on hislioerallty,
I and not only give him b ok his dollar, but
8 add another 10 II, ttll letting him retain
7 the chain.
g Another capper came up presently and
Z did the same thing and got 81 back. This
r excited the crowd considerably, aud they
I began TO think that the eloquent and willy
/ gentleman was only funnlng when he
/, pleasantly remarked that he would sklr
I them before the show WAS over. They
y were simply arriving at that stag Of cred
d nifty when ali prudence Is scattered
e 10 THE FOUR WINDS,
and the most cautious are ready 10 nib
BILE ThIsisort Of thing went on for some
time, until final II fellow who gave 81
/, for watch (hesides which a WaterDurJ
was a priceless chror ometeJ) was HANDED
Z b. ok a $50 bill. This set them Wild
Il Generosity so royal, so reckless, 30 NJ
n teIg redundant, was novelty 10 that
q crowd They began TO Invest right ant
r left. A dollar, two dollarF, Ave dollars
O the entire wealth IN many cases OF TIT
victims was eagerly thrust into the ready
h hands II the fakir, with never doup
4 that the sum would be returned 10 then
n ut least doubled.
q One old fellow, horny-hapded son o
o toll from Big FOSSIL creek, bid 500 To-
another OF those glitterlng limitations OF |
Z tlmepiece, dubbed by courtesy wated. /
h was funny TO watch the pleased expires
Il sion that lit up that ancient granger
4; face as he handed over the money and 30
9 the barble 10 -etnrn. He WAS thorough
8 Iy cohvi ced that In less than i've min
It utes be would be the proud posHessor
It At least $40, perhaps 800. Alas Tor nu
/. man hopes
e THE TIDE TURNED
u but the minutes kept passing and tn
+ second crop OF investors began 10 grow
!. nervous. The confiding citizen from tn
(; Fossil district finally got tribe impa
D. tent for the dividend, and preesinI
y close up 10 the orator, 0herel
10 let him have the watch bgc
for the $40. The only aDswe
n he got was q smile. Then some Of tn
10 smsller stockholders crowded up an
It laying down their various trinkets offere
De 10 TAKE FIRST COST
'. and cay no more about II. The sam
genial smile answered them. A few {
the swlndled began 20 lose temper, en-
y indulged ia yituperatiye expressions q
y ward the gentleman that did them ~
= That worthy net ali their reproache
calmly ana mildly babe them recall wha
he had said IN the earlier stages Of n
symposium. Then seeing that i was idl
10 proloBg the discussion be descende
Il from MS box, preparatory TO leaving
A big crowd, numbering many 2
his dnpes, followed him, som
al the latter suaissratly exasperated Z
forcibIy take away the money they ha