Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-04-12
COUNTRY eunco sTsEREas.


seed being relieved OF mis- shining gold
By TIC GAshy swell, who recognizes
him on the street as an old friend, hns
been told 80 often that one would nat
urally suppose that that Is all that can
be related on the subject
But this IL not so. The rural dis
tricts have many bunco-steerers. who
lie in wait for the urbanite who settles
in the blooming lea to squander the
dollars OF New York In New Jersey.
| These buneo-steerers are innocent
looking yokels, who don't appear to be
overstocked with everyday intelli-
gence, and no city man would ever inn
sgine them capable of iieecing him.
They don't step up and say: Are
you Mr.. Smith, OF Rochester, and fol-
low it up by inquiring after the health
Of the family
They go to the barber-shop, that
boundless bureau of information in
every town, and ask:
who is that man who just moved
into the yellow house on Brick HIP"
/ .'Bunkardl'' replies the barber, as he
gives his victim a spirited upper cut.
Then the bunco-steerer mounts his
stills. and struggles through the in
carnadined mud 70 the residence OF Mr.
Bunkard.
After the door is opened, he says:
us Mr.. Bunkard in?"
And when he is toie that Mr.. Bunk
ard is in, and Mr.. Bunkard appears,
the rural bunco-steerer asks:
''Ah, Mr.. Bunkard. would you like
to buy some hickory at five dollars per
cord?n
As matter of fact, hickory is so
scarce that carriage makers use ash
, when they make hickory wheels; but
Mr.. Bunkard does not know this. He
) would know how to take the farmer in
, in Wall street grain-pool in which
, there is no grain; but when it comes
, to firewood, he doesn't even know that
. hickory is superior to pine. So he or
= ders two cords of hickory, and in the
4 course OF few days receives one cord
. of chestnut, for which he pays ten
!. dollars.
4 Then the bunco-steerer goes to the
q florist and tells him what an easy vic
r tim Mr.. Bunkard is; and in few days
4 the florist goes around and sells Mr..
n Bunkard dozen onions for Roman
hyaeinths. But he first dips them into
4 hot water, that they may not develop
:, and expose the swindle.
y In the spring-time, these creatures
r who live on the fat of the city man, como
around to rake up the place, and re-
n move the dead leaves and ashes. They
IS make bargain to do it for fifteen dol
n lars. Mr.. Bunkard thus thinks he is
f, getting bargain, and he orders them
/ to go ahead. They start at eight in
e the morning, and have the job finished
p by noon-time; and when he comes
o home at four they are waiting for their
d money.
1, After day or two, Mr.. Bunkard is
a told by a plumber that he ought to
:. have his place cleaned up. But he
Il up purposely left it in such state that
!e he would have to employ others. So
" the plumber sends his brother up, and
Id he gathers ten dollars for doing the
I'd job that was only worth five to start
n. on.
r In the summer. man comes anc
ly offers to cut the grass for two dollar:
ic per day; and he purposely runs Mr.
he Bunkard's lawn mower over stones ant
le breaks it beyond repair Then he rec
ne ommends Mr. Bunzard to get Para
d. CELSIUS mower down in the village, a
m Crowley's; and if he does so. Crowle,
ct gives the buneo-laborer a good com
he mission; and whether he does or not
:" the laborer secures d days employ
e, ment raking the stones out of tn,
grass.
When he renders his bill. he adds
day that he never put in on the place
ng aud if Mr.. Bunkard mentions it, h,
says it was rainy day, and that h
III spent it chopping up barrels for kin
ding wood in the cellar. Then he, tn
~ bunco-steerer, has the expressmal
nc drive off the roadway a foot or so an
"a hack the lawn to pieces, to create
~ fresh job.
III the AUTUMN, MI bHUhdIu 10 w Ill
W ed upon by u man who tells him this
if he wants green lawn next summe
he must have some fertilizer put OF
- Then he suggests that blind drain b
~ put down the middle of the road,
~ keep it from being washed up againS
- the house and down the cellar VIII
' dows After he has left with an order
-. his brother calls on Mr.. Bunkard
under different name, to see if he ca
- sell him a barrel of cider. The eide
' which i short in measure, is put
~ the cellar to develop into vinegar
Mr. Buukard is told that it will /
\. vinegar in three months, and Il
- vender leaves small hole in the ba
~ rel so that it is soon empty, and NJ
- Bunkard never learns that it original
=. contained water.
~ And in the winter it Is just the sam
- for at that season Mr.. Buukard ell
NJ, ploys a man to care for his furnac
no and he leaves all the drafts on al
H. burns up all the coal he can in the
hot terest OF the coal dealer; and occ
TO- sionally lets it go out at night to free
i the pipes, in the interest of the plur
in Der.
MIN And so, year after year, the COUNT
o. bunco-steerer works his little gam
w. and has the art to conceal his art