River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-03-20
BEATING A BuNco.
A Green Countryman striRes a Big snaE
at Chicago.


Us curious feature in human ature
that while man viii peril his life 10
assist stranger who is being forcibly
robbed, he viii turn about and delight
in seeing thai same man taken in and
done for by skin game or a bunco
man. On the next bench to us in Lin
coin Park, Chicago, one day last fall,
sat a long. lean, lank stranger who had
hayseed and onion tops scattered all
over him to prove his hailing place, and
he gave himself away in every move he
made. Pretty soon slick young man
approached him and extended his hand
and exclaimed:
''Well, well, hut how are you Ste
vens?n
''How ar YEP" replied the man, as he
looked up in puzzled way.
''Whatl Don't you know me?"
why, your face looks kinder familiar,
but can't place ye.
Cant place me, ! am William Scott,
nephew of the judge of probate in
Grassville! j saw you hundreds of times
in the two years lived with my uncle. :"
''Oh, yes. / thought ] had seen you
before. And you knew me right OFF,"
1.-THE minute l set eyes on you"
SLOWS every body down there?'
"All tolerable. You live here?"
Eyes. look after about fifty houses
and stores here for a capitalist"
GOSH You must get big wages"
''Oh, hundred week"
"You do. BY gum! but you are smart
er than fox traps Mebbe you can help
me to a job?"
Il think so. Indeed, was going to
make you an offer"
We were on to him from the start as
bunco man, but had no thought of in
terfering. "Hayseed" should take the
papers and keep posted.
'How would you like to come here
and assist me at a salary of $500 per
month";" queried bunco after bit.
''le whitaker but you don't mean it,
IL do"
GIVE US yer hand on it! Say I'll work
all day and sit up all night for them
wages! Say, will ye bind the bargain
right now?"
IL will. That is, u"
mo fiunking out nowl I've got a hun
dred dollar bill here, and I'll give We
fifty to bind the bargain. Yes, by gosh!
I'll give We sixty!"
Il was going 70 say that / ought to
see my employer hrst, but l know it
will be all right. ! g;ill take your $50,
be little short just now. You Anow
where the Palmer House is, of course?"
THAT ALFRED big stone tavern?"
''Yes. Meet me there in one hour
from now TO sign a contract and begin
work.
IN be right thar, and I'll work like
boss. Gin me $40 out of this bill"
He handed out bill, and the young
man scarcely glanced at it, so great was
his hurry to return the forty and get
away. / think he mistrusted us, al
though we pretended not to see or hear
any thing. When he was oat Of sight
"Hayseed" came over to us with grin
on his face, and queried:
'How did act it, boys?"
"What!'
my young man from the turnip-
fields"
But you-you--
''rm from Cincinnati. / do little
business with the three cards and the
shells when home. Thought I'd see
what they were made of in Chicago"
But you gave him hundred dollar
BILL
''Exactly-one of the counterfeits of
1874. / had fifteen of them once. I'm
just $40 ahead, I'm going now. If he
should return before you leave tell him
that Stevens has gone to meet him at
Mr.. Palmer's big stone tavern. Two
hundred a month! Wake, snakes, but
hain't / jist struck golconda with a
big GIN Y. Sun.