The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-02-21
SEEING THE ELEPHANT.
An Unsophisticated Young Mans
City Experience.
He Finds Accommodations and Amuse-
ments in Chicago Come Rather
High-How City Sharpers Man
age to Thrive.

''1f you toll me what time the next
train leaves for Iowa without charg-
ing me for it I'll be much Obliged"
said a stranger, evidently from the
country, to the Herald reporter at the
Northwestern depot n day or two ago.
He was a young man scarcely more
than twenty-five, whose rather hand
some features were we'll Drowned by
the sun.
When the reporter had impaired the
desired information, the young man
continued:
MAY be you thought it strange
that I said without CHARGE but if
you had had my experience during the
past two days you wouldn't wonder at
it. Besides I am dead broke, and if
hadn't taken the precaution to buy
a return ticket before l left Clinton
County I'd have to hoof it home"
you've been extravaganza, have
you?" asked the sympathetic reporter.
'Extravagant amt the word, 'tisn't
strong enough by half. I've been the
prodigal son, only I've got beyond
him, for I haven't got the husks of the
pigs with which to fill my empty
stomach. It hasn't been my fault,
though, for if I'd been left to myself
I'd have been economical enough.
Come to think of it, it's my fault after
all. 1t all comes of my not being able
to say no. But never could. I do
honestly believe that if a girl were to
ask me to marry her couldn't re-
fuse her, even if were engaged to
another young lady,"
The beggars took charge of you,
eh?"
Il guess you'd scarcely call 'em so.
Let me toll you about it. 1t is my first
visit to this big city, and I came in for
good time. When I'm home shave
myself. My beard hadn't got twenty
four hours old, but my hair didn't
seem to set according to the style Ihad
noticed on the cars and along the
street as I had walked, grip in hand,
up to the hotel. So stepped into one
of the tonsorial parlors and took a
vacant chair, at which stood a rosy
checked fellow with baby mustache,
hair parted in the middle and lisp in
his voice. When he had cut my hair
and as you see he has cut so close
to the scalp that I'll not need a comb
for three months-he wanted me to
stand a shampoo. l said / guessed
not, upon which he fired away, telling
me that he knew of this, that and
t'other one who got the cancer, bald.
head, scald-head and other troubles
from failure to keep his scalp clean,
and added that mine was in the worst
condition of any PERSONS he ever saw.
l told him to go ahead. I'll say moth
ing of the pain of that operation, for
it is over now. and shall never try il
again. neglected to say that he
talked constantly. never stopping for
second. He then forced shave on
me, that he did. BAY rum, ,ir?' he
asked, when he had carried me
through that torture. I nodded. Then
he wouldn't release me until I had &C
guessed in a demand that I have my
mustache dyed. Most people would
think a fellow would be satisfied with
that robbery, but he wasn't. He lit
= orally forced me into taking hair 10.
ton, a cake of pomade and bottle OF
bay rum. / turned two shades whittier
than the powder he'd spread so freely
on my face when asked for my bill,
which was seventeen dollars.
"Oh, that'll never do" objected the
reporter.
"That's what I said, but the boss OF
the shop said twas always ten dollars
for a dye. The lotion, pomade an6
bay rum were five dollars, hair cut
seventy-fve cents, shampoo the same
shave, twenty-five cents; bay rum or
face, ten cents.'
"But fifteen cents is yet unaccount
ed for" persisted the reporter.
Yes, we'll, the boot black got that
and he wanted a quarter, but he con
sented to compromise ON that when
told him they only charged a nickel a.
Clinton"
"And you mean to tell me you pait
such an outrageous bill?"
THAT did. Of course / knew i
was somewhat exorbitant, but was 6
stranger and the five or six BARRIERS in
the shop all said the prices were wha'
,a1l swcll people paid and it was only
;znoraD! fellows from tho country thu