The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-27
YOUNG MAN. BE HONEST.
Uncle Jonas Catches His Brisk Young
Nephew Initiating Him.
From the Mem York Sum

81 am on the turf now said fiashy, black
eyed young man, still in his.teens, to an ac-
quaintance whom he met at the Gutenberg
races a day or two ago. II am out for money,
and everything goes"
When did you quit your uncle's hook shopy"
asked the boys acquaintance.
Las week Wen sdy. He fired me out for
the funniest rackets you ever heard of, and I'm
just sore enough on the old man to give il dead
away. The old man was going up Center
street one day last summer and he stopped IN a
secondhand tool shop to see friend. While
he was there he got Iiionkeying with a second
hand signal box. 1t was little cast iron thing
with the word police on the front and a brass
button on the top. When he pressed the button
IL set lot OF clockwork going in the box, and
made as much noise as an alarm clock. He
was stuck on the thing. and bought it for a
with it, and he said he would stick it up
on the wall and ring it il any toughs tried
to make trouble in the shop. Well. that's just
what he did with it. He screwed it up in plain
1t to make it look as il they went somewhere.
Then he took some bronze paint aud touched up
the letters so that nobody could make any mis-
take in reading them. don't believe he thought
of what great graft the box was until hehad
it up about a week. Then he made 1t useful for
the first time. young fellow came in with
wanted five cases on it. Uncle Jonas held the
coat up and sized 1t up with the fellow that was
trying to soak its The coat was big enough for
two like him and the old man says: Dots
nice coat. Ees id your ownf'
"Betcher life. says the young Teller
Wait till l call my bruder,' says the old
man, and he turned and jammed the button
down hard on the signal box. The young Teller
just gave one glance at the box. and he shot out
of the door and left the coat behind He amt
been seen around there since. After that the
old man gave me to understand that was to
come along kinder slow any time he rung the
box, so that if people didn't scare, they would
take it that the call was for me. and then he
would consult me about the goods that were
offered. He worked the call on a man with a
gold watch next day, and tie man snatched the
watch out of his hand and skipped. After that
he was more careful, and when a crook came in
with ring day or two later, he laid the ring
down out of reach and touched the button, say
ing that he would call his son and get his opIn-
ion about the stone. The crook looked at the
call box and ran his eye along the wires which
ran toward the front of the shop Then he be-
gan to swear, and made jump for the side
door. Next day nicelooking fellow came in
and described the ring, and said that it was
stolen from him, and that he had cornered the
man who stole it and learned where it was.
"'All right; will send for it., says the old
man, and then he touched the button again.
3" Il will come in again in half an hour, says
the nice-looking young Teller, and skips out the
door. Did he come back? Nav. Well. the old
man worked the new snap every chance he got,
but sometimes he got fooled, and then had &c
come to the front and be consulted, always
dSklu Diu you ring, SIT! Oue Gay when Tie
old man was out to dinner a Teller come in with
stud. 1t was a real bug and wanted to wiz
it. So sprung the call box ON him. He shot
out of the side door and dropped the ring in
my pocket Two minutes later me uncle put
his hand on my shoulder. and two big tears rar
down his nose as he told me that he was sorry
that he had found out that l was not honest
He gave me a calking old lecture on honesty
being the best policy, and told me that he haC
been watching me from the hack part of tn,
shoe and seen me git the chenuine tiamont.
| had to give it up to him, and he is wearing il
| now while am on my uppers. Oh, yes, he free
me, 'yust as soon as ne found | wasn't honest.
You go up there tomorrow and see if he don
| ring the box on you and try to bluff you out o
your watch. Then ask Tim about me-