Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-07-12
English Adyenturers.

English Adyenturers.
The London adyenturers of other days
deserve word, nsy several words; for it is
in bloated metropolis that the chariatan
can test to the full the truth of John Sterl-
ing's saying, that one dupe is as impossible
as one twin. Witness the qusck mentioned
by Archenholz, who announced q new
method of cutting the nails 50 as to super
beautify the hand. His days were not long
enough for all the danes who hocked TO him.
Living in most prodiggl way he put to-,
gether heap of money in couple ofyears.
and then disappeared, leaving e3, 900 worth
of debts. ArchenholZ also knew an Italian
who had been ballet dancer al St. Peters
| burg, and could neither read nor write; but
| then the mother wit of cheat requires 10
education. a brother knave manufactured
| him commission, and he gave himself out
| for Russian colonel. In this character be
pushed himself with the ef1rontery of his
| kind into the best London houses, and never
| left without having extracted money. The
Russian envoy unmasked him in vain; he
could in those days only warn limited cir.
Gle. After three years this Merry Andrew
left our capital with capital of his own,
which set him up in business as a merchant
at Dunkirk. London was true Tom lid
dler's ground for such knights Of industry.
One de Champigny, sometime q colonel
in the French service, cams to London after
the Seven Years. War, and reduced mend-
cancy on the grand scale to system which
he practiced for eleven years at s. stretch
with perfect success. He never went Oh
foot, but always in his own carriage, and
frequently gave great dinners. His wit and
tact were such that even the notoriously
stingy opeued their purses to him, and one
of his stalking horses-generally held in re-
serve-was subscription list fog"his great
"History of England" OF which he did &C.
tually print one or two volumes.
Cox's extraordinary enterprise, which he
set going in 1771, comes rather under the
head of lunacy than ofswindling. His fixed
idea was to combine the wealth and luxury
of Asia with the mechanical inventions of
Europe in series of extraordinarily artif-
cal productions. To realize his monster
whims be devoted considerable private
fortune and an imaginative bent which was
far above the common, and loaded with hi5
fantastic commands the most skillful en-
gineers, inventors, cockmakers goldsmiths
and jewelers. in France and England He
thus, ere long, saw hmselfin possession of q
vast collection of marvels and masterpieces,
finished to the highest perfection Of the art
workers powers. CoX's scheme vas to
transport all these 10 Asia for sale to
Eastern potentates. He, however, kept
the colleclion-not an unfit precursor Of
those modern shows which we call exhibit
tions-some nine years in London, where
he charged half d guinea for inspecting it.
Gold, silver, diamonds and other stones
were worked into all sorts oil ANNA! forms
-camels, elephants and SO on-which
moved and seemed to Breathe birds that
sang, ducks that swan, game that ran
about in q thicket. A castle six feet high,
which cost over 100000, was destined for
the Great Mogul; and copy oft was ac-
tually sent to Pekin for the Emperor of
China. But debt, with its lengthening
chain, fatally encompassed the visionary
he never could realize more than 9 fraction
of his large scale Asiatic programme; only
part Of his collection ever got to India and
the rest was sold in London.
Then there appeared in 1880 that king OF
native quacks, the Scotch DR.. Graham, with
his occult celestial bed, which cost, or so he
said, :G16,000. His house in Pail Mall he
called the Temple of Health and Hymen,
of which deties ne proclaimed himself the
high priest. This temple was decorated
with glass of all colors, precious vases filed
with rare perfumes statues OF the human
form divine in their groves of Blarney cos
tune, and the rest of it. His book on the
"Prnciples of Health" cost half guinea,
and recommended cleanliness, moderation.
early rest and early rising; sleeping in the
light. especially in moonlight, singing, drink
ing his divine balm at ''only 2 guinea
the BOTTLE" and sleeping, first at
100 guineas night, and then for ESQ
note, in the marvellous and celestial magnet
ic-slectric bed, the first. the only one in
the world, or which ever had existed. 1t was
situated 10 the holy of holes, to the right OF
his orchestra and in front of his Charming
hermitage" IL was isolated on six massive
and transparent columns, and covered by 3
vast canopy of brass rods which commun
Gated with an enormous electric machine
lodged in an upper chamber. In the bed
posts were inserted vases OF ether, which
wns first volatilized and infinitely eubdived
by the electric fluid, and then breathed with
the atmospheric air by those who chose to
pay DR.. Graham for nights lodging. The
sheets were of purple and sky blue satin,
and the mattresses perfumed with the most
precious essences of Araby. The electric
cylinder conducted into the bed chamber
and into every part of the bed the all divine,
celestial electric fire; the fluid which ami
mates and WHITES everything-incIudiDg
"She," aud, in this case. He" too; for it
sounds like vulgarized ante-climax to the
African tale. To ell this was added the
melodious tones, or "toons" Of the harmon
ca, the soft sounds of the flute, the charms
or agreeable song, and the mellifuous notes
of the organ. The farce drew host of
wealthy gulls until 1884, when Graham,
showing the better part of valor, sold eft
everything by public auction, and safely re-
tired with bis Westminster Rerie'o