The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-04-15
ONLY A
A Scene Between Two Rival Bunco-
Steerers in Chicago.

It's a curious feature IN human nature
that while a man will peril his life to as
sist a stranger who is being forcibly rob-
bed, he will turn about and delight in
seeing that same man taken in and done
for by a "skin" game on a bunco man.
On the next bench to US in Lincoln Park,
hicago, 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 a
slick young man approached hin and ex-
tended his sand and exclaimed:
"Well, well, but how are you, Stevens?'
How ar you? replied the man, as he
looked up in a puzzled way.
what! Don't you know me?"
"Why, your face looks kinder familiar,
but I can't place ye."
Cant place mel 1 am William Scott,
nephew of the judge of probate in Grass
vile. 1 saw you hundreds of times in
the two years 1 lived with my uncle"
ooh, yes, I thought I had seen you be-
fore. And you knew me right Off"
"The minute I set eyes on you"
elbows everybody down there ?"
Gail tolerable. You live here ?"
eyes. I look after about fifty houses
and stores here for a capitalist"
"GoshI You must get big wages"
ooh, a hundred a week."
"You do. By gum but you are smarter
han fox traps! Mebbe you can help me
to a job!"
II think so. Indeed, 1 was going to
make you an offer"
We were on to him from the start as a
bunco man, but had no thought of inter
fering. "Hayseed should take the papers
aud keep posted
Glow would you like to come here
and assist me at a salary of 5000 per
month p queried Bunco after a bit.
"Je whitaker! Bu5 you don't mean
it?"
81 do"
"Give us yer hand on it. Say, I'll
work all day and sit up all night for them
wages. Say, will we bind the bargain
right now
81 will. That is I"
"No funking out now. I've got a
hundred dollar bill here, and I'll give ye
fifty to bind the bargain. Yes by gosh
I'll give ye sixty"
II was going to say that I ought to
see my employer first, but l know it will
be ali right. 1 will take your $50 but
only for day Dr. two, as I happen to be
a little short just now. You know where
the Palmer House is, of course? Z"
"That ALFRED big stone tavern p"
eyes. Meet me there in n hour
from now to sign the contract and begin
work"
"Tu be right thar, and I'll work like a
boss. Give me $40 out of this bill"
He handed a bill and the young
man scarcely glanced at it, so great was
his hurry to return the forty and get
away I think he mistrusted US, although
we pretended not to see or hear anything.
When he was out of sight "Hayseed "
came over to us with a grin on his face
and queried:
Chow did I act it, boss?"
"What?"
"My MISUNDERSTANDING
felds?"
"But you-you-"
"Tm from Cincinnati. I do a 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 a hundred dollar
bill"
"Exactly-one of them counterfeits OF
1874. l had fifteen of them once. I'm
lust $40 head. 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 l jst
struck a golconda with a big "G."-N
Y. Sun.