Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-22
UNDER THE GASOLINE.
The Confessions Of a Prosperous
and Weu-Known Fakir.
A Man Who Always Knew What to Do
When He Got Strapped - Profitable
Speculations in Mouth Organs and
Axle Grease-Other Rackets.

"There are heaps of fellows burning gaso-
line III different parts of the country who
call themselves dandy fakirs, but [ am not
bit modest in my barking, and | tell you
that ! am the king of them all" said Davy
Harrington, of Hoboken, to a New ork
Sun reporter "I've been in the business
eighteen years, and l guess what Eve made
and bowed in during that time wouldn't fall
far short of fifty thousand dollars. Not
that haven't been strapped at times, but
I've never been on my uppers, and never
see place that couldn't work for a nights
lodging and three square meals in a first
class house. never booze, and always keep
my face clean and my clothes slick. Let tine
tell you, young man, that don't care what
your business is, if it is above ground ana
In the light Of day, or the light of a gasoline
torch either, the secret of success is in max
ing good front, keeping your clothes clean
and studying human nature. Be jolly if
you can, and turn the laugh on every
body that tries to kid you. The crowd will
always be with you then. The jays always
like to see the village smarties downed by
fly fakir, and consequently it does me proud
to have clown say something cunning to
me and give me a chance to down him.
sheepish. He always answers back in
half-nearted way, and as he sneaks to the
rear one of his friends say: Gosh blame me
eff he didn't hev We there, Hank
"Then begin to rake In the dimes and
quarters. M pertlckler line is selling any
thing there's money in. Don't care what
it is; it's bound to go if it is new and good
for any thing, and at a pinch will sell
~,
people think they are cheap. [ am always
sldnning around, looking for job lots. re-
member four years ago got hold of a lot of
German mouth-organs that were damaged
by smoke and water 10 a Broadway fire.
There was twenty-five gross of them, and 1
took the lot at a dollar a gross. The rock
bottom price on them was 81 40 a gross. l
took them home and sot the boys 10 fixing
EN- up. Each one was wrapped in red
paper, and they was done up IN dozens in
red wrappers. The wrappers was all
spoiled, and every instrument had to be I'M
wrapped and wiped off. There wasn't one
in the hull lot that wasn't as good as the day
it was made Well couldn play a note
when got them, but sot right down and
tried, and in less than week could play
Home, Sweet Home and The Last Rose
found it easy enough to learn new tunes,
and when / knowed four tunes l took two
gripsacks full of the mouth-organs and
started out
s'The first town struck was Hackeusack,
and m one night sold nearly a gross of
them at a dime each. [ came back home on
a late train, and started out next day with
bigger load, and struck Paterson. l did
town, Dover, Philipsburg, Easton, Scran-
ton, Wilkesharre, and back through Belvi-
dere, Trenton, New Brunswick, Plainfeld
and Elizabeth. Ny boys kept send
ing me stock ahead. until one day when |
was waiting in Elizabeth for box to take
over onto Staten Island l got telegram
telling me that l had sold all but one, and
that the baby wouldn't give that one Up. In
little more than month had sold the
whole twenty-five gross for over Sl4 gross
and cleared over $3.50. It was the best job
l ever did and it showed me that there is
nothing ike music to catch the country
lads. No; 1t wouldn't pay me TO pay s. 40
for new lot and continue the business.
Fakirs amt built that way. 1t don't pay
TO bum around the country and shout for
less than four or five hundred per cent
profit.
Il once made stake on lot of pongee
handkerchlefs, selling them for ten cents
when they cost me about two, but the next
10 cost me five, and l lost money on the
"TRIP. One hundred per cent amt enough
THE funniest deal | ever made was 10
buy out 8 lot of old-style wall paper at a
cent roll and peddle that through Penn
sylyania. / had fellow with me that had
an elegant voice and he used TO sing 10 get
a crowd l was strapped il Scranton once
with this same fellow. That was fifteen
years ago We were walking around town
without a kel 10 our names. when
stopped TO look at 8 fellow gressing the
axles Of a wagon. lie stepped on my corn
and made me yell When l told him what
allied NE he said that axle grease was tie
best thing IN the world for corns, and he
told ne TO take some Of il WITH me. That
set ne 70 thinking, and l told NY pal that il
wouldn't be a bad fake 70 go into the corn
salve business. ] borrowed dollar of the
barkeeper in the Lacy House, and bought
box Of axle grease for twenty-five cents.
Then | went 20 a drug store and
got about a hundred little pll boxes
for the baiance of the money. We filed
all OF the boxes out OF the big box, and that
night we started business on pack King case,
and sold sixty boxes az twenty five cents
each hizn slnRiAg and me sectuTIne. Yes.