Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-10-04
THE PUDDING LANE HOAX


nothing SO well as to be well humbugged We
had in mind certain late occurrences, and,
remember, drew considerable satisfaction
from the reflection that VIZ would have shown
much keener apprehension of fraud had we
been in the situation of the victims. Sitting
among our books that hot afternoon. idly
talking metaphysics, it came to pass that five
minutes after had agreed with my friend in
whole souled pity for humbug inviting man
kind, found myself opposing him-pretty
stoutly, too, considering it was July-and
presently declared that hatred and fear of
humbug was one of the very strongest char
acteristics of the average man; that | did not
believe he could go out into the street and
sell a gold piece for pint of walnnts Though
withal dull fellow, Noble remarked that
while this was probably true, yet after all it
only went to prove his position; that APP
preaching the boy with the gold and offering
such an exchange would lead him to think the
genuine coin spurious, and that he was hum
plugged out of his bargain. This suggestion,
however, would have been beyond Mobiles
depth; probably l made it myself, and he
agreed with me.
Neither my friend nor I had ever been
popular at school. I did not care to be. So
we had in a manner struck up companion
ship between ourselves which continued after
college days. and will last through life. Not
that we like each other particularly, but we
endure each other better than either seuld
any one else. To me every one but Noble is
disagreeable and peculiar, and Noble is a
little peculiar. But we live together, endur-
ably, in the day, talking, idling, sleeping, or
doing something else equally Improving"
and walking out in the night.
how iot no fto1,po VIII
the profound psychological reflections above
enunciated were uttered; it was near the
same hour the next morning, before the The
atre Royal, in our nightly ramble, that No
BILE next broke silence by observing that he
believed we would try that. Believing for
both had been habit Of mine, but Noble
had caughtit Iput my hand into my trou-
sers pocket for a coin, but my friend inter
rupted by saying he did not propose we
should make the experiment on a single boy,
but upon all the people of the city. He pro-
ceeded to develop his idea, and l added a
suggestion or two that much improved it.
AS the first step, we drew up brief adver
tisement under q street light, took it to the
leading newspaper rooms, and went home.
The morning papers contained the following:
NOTICEl
The debts of all persons who are owing will be
paid for them on presentation of itemiZed state
ments Of same, at 81 Pudding lane, Cheapside, on
Monday, Aug. IL, between the hours of 2 and
| p m.
From what we could judge in our nightly
rounds, from the many curious eyes directed
at our house and from paragraphs in the pa
pers, the notice made quite sensation from
its first appearance By our order it con-
tinued to appear daily. Noble and / mutually
declared our full intention of standing by our
proposition to pay every debt that should be
presented as long as our fortunes should hold
out. Passing the day in our darkened house
for we were enamored of night and strove
to counterfeit her somber beauty when her
more brilliant rival held the field without
and stirring forth only during the hours
when most men sleep, it was not to be ex-
pected that we should see much stir, if in
deed any, following our strange announce
ment. And yet some years of night walking
had made us adept at reading as an index
the midnight stragglers of the street; and in
deed no class SO thoroughly know what is do
ing in all grades of society, from the homes
to the jails. as these. So, in jostling men on
the street, at the entrance to the theatres
and before the clubs, among all the tattle of
the latest book, politics, the favorite in
music or the drama, we heard always a word
1t was the second night before we heard of
any expressions as to the feeling with which
the proposition had been received generally.
My own conviction had been that the first
feeling would be skepticism, and that the con-
f, tinued publication might induce some degree
of confidence But in this was wrong By
the close of the second day it was not to be
doubted that the overwhelming belief was
that the proposal had been made in good faith.
The conclusion was that underneath the sur
face of the thing there was some scheme of
the originators for making money. AS to
Just how this was to be done few guesses were
ventured, but the almost unanimous opinion
was that it was gigantic scheme OF fearless
SPECTATORS In order to feel all the varia-
lions of the public pulse, we had allowed fol-
a period of two weeks from the first appear
anae of the notice till the day on which the
debts were C. be paid.
The belief in the trustworthiness of ouI
proposal continued throughout the third and
fourth days, though toward the close of tbs
fourth there was an appreciable weakening
of confidence, if we did not misjudge the in
dications. But Ola the fifth day the tide set
overwhelmingly backward. Several prQmi-
nent financiers had declared that in no posi-
Bile way could any capitalist or syndicate
fulfill the published offer and not be at sheer
loss for the full amounts The public re
, fected thag M name had been signed to the
notice; it was Learned that the inmates of 81
, Pudding lane were unknown; sons eTe4 de
, clared that the house was vacant. In short
OR the fifth day the public took its littlt
laugh, and settled down into the conviction
!, that the thing was humbug. Thereafter i
was known as the Pudding lane hoax.
!, There seemed to be no possibility of an.
change from this belief 1t seemed unanimoti
= and settled Noble proposed that we take th
notice out of THO papers, as the game va
played; but this we concluded not TO do
+honoh merely that we might fulfil tollr laaFf
" heard iittie more said OF the matter TO
u the next week; it seemed to have been for
e gotten Indeed, Noble and scarcely sgok
e of it ourselves scarcely thought of it. 81
If the time passed till Aug. 12. AT breakfast
e 1qeaf 10 O'Clock, Noble yawned that this wa
t fhe day Of @tiph we were to pay the city
C debts, and that we bad befE#F see our lawye
e as to the disposition of our property, Moth
d ing more was said till between the noon hou
d and O'Clock, when it happened that step
ri ped II the window to draw the curtain
d closer, for a careless ssFFant had left it part
V ly open, and CLEAN. from the stresJ mad
oAr gaslight pale. In arranging the draper,
1 casually glapcceefd! out, and noticed, it Nigh
have been, a score OF people standing on tb
/ opposite curb. This was unusual, for ou
> street il gniet one, and said to Noble tina
there was some excitement without He in
u stantly connected it with ouf experiment,
believed he was right, but attached little ina
! portance TO the matter. Nevertheless, we re
paired to another apartment, one Window O