Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-04-26
BUT HE GETS AWAY WITH 200 MEN WHO
HAD MORE SENSE THAN MONEY.

BUT HE GETS AWAY WITH 200 MEN WHO
HAD MORE SENSE THAN MONEY.
Standing up in buggy at the corner Of
New and New Court House Streets in taun-
ton, Monday, court-day, was stout man
with light hair, a little bald, jolly face, a
shining silk hat, and a tightly buttoned
Prince Albert coat. On the seat OF the
buggy We're packages of the usual ''medi-
cines" sold on court-days. The turn out
was not imposing and the crowd passed by
unheeding. Their attention was suddenly
called to him. He fired handful OF silver
quarters, dimes and nickles at the crowd and
announced that, 1.-THE only trouble with me,
gentlemen, is that I've got more money
than [ have sense, y following the announce
ment by the discharge of another handful
of silver into the crowd. From that time
on he had as many people packed around
his buggy, one hundred deep, as could get
there. There seemed to be no limit to his
generosity. The crowd could hardly be-
leve what they saw. Come up and buy
the Japanese headache remedy, gentlemen,
and I'll give your money back and more
besides.'' 1t was true. Men bought the bot
ties at 25 cents and he handed them back
their money and a dime in addition. The
fifty cent bottles of some other medicine
were equally literally dealt with. He varied
the performance by selling money. Here,
gentlemen, is 81 bill. Any gentleman can
hax-a Ct If w cold n
slant. Then he sold 81 bills at IS cents,
silver dollars at a half dollar. ''Thank
God, !" he would fervently calculate every
few minutes, II can give away my own
money if l choose, and there is no law to
stop me-" The crowd fervently echoed
the prayer, and would have defended him
in the exercise of his right to the last eX-
tremity. Such a man had never been de-
livered into the hands of the people before,
and they enjoyed it with unspeakable
gladness. They laughed at his jokes, ap
plauded his tricks of sleight- of-hand, and
kindly encouraged him to stay as long as
he wanted to.
About an hour before the fast express on
the C. & O. going East was due, the medi-
cine business was at it's height, and the ell
thusiasm was red hot. snow gentlemen"
said he, there is the celebrated medicine
that will bring you a fortune. To each
buyer will be given present after the sales
close" These bottles were 81 each and
the crowd must have bought about two
hundred of them. Some men bought two
OF three bottles, it being evident from the
former proceedings of the salesman with
the cheaper bottles, that these big bottles
meant nothing less than shower of gold.
''Thank God, he said with more than usu-
al fervor, 81 can give any present [ please.
There is nobody to stop me-" The expec-
tant crowd joined him heartily in his
thankfulness. During his sales he had es-
tablished sort of catechism of the crowd
praise. "What do you buy this medicine
for? Because you want it, amt it? And
why do you want it? Because it's good,
ain it," And the crowd had gotten SO
well drilled that the answers came in cho-
rus, because we want it," Because its
good.''
The distribution of the presents to the
buyers of the 81 bottles was the first mo-
ment at which the silver-dazed crowd
caught the light. 'sThank God'' he said
as he turned to his medicine box, ''this is a
free country and l can give what presents l
please" The crowd were on tip toe. The
presents were little glass walls holding
about a teaspoonful Of water and some seed!
Each 81 man received one. AS the thing
began to dawn on them, the medicine man
drove down to the corner and there telling
the boy who was driving, to "Drive tC
Fishersville,' - disappeared down the Way
nesboro road. He was mile out of town
in few minutes and at FiSherSville il
time to catch the $40 express.
In two hours work by throwing away
about Forty Dollars in silver he had cap
tured about Two Hundred Dollars There
have been many fakes in Staunton, but the
crowd, after the man had gotten out o.
reach and they could not capture him tt
punch his head, agreed that the equal O
this one had never been seen here before
Men with ''more money than sense" vii
be carefully scrutinized by Augusta count
49,