Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-02

o. HERE was an unsteadiness in the gait Of
IA the man with the silk hat that betrayed
"a 9over-indulgence in alcoholic stimulants.
BMoreover it was evident from the watery
SqNW look of his eyes and the tremulousness
of his hands that he had been on a somewhat
prolonged Spree His clothes, recently new
and of fashionable cut, were soiled and bore
the marks Of having been slept in. Over one
arm he carried a coat and waistcoat, and it
was not without preliminary hiccough that
he addressed colorod deck hand who sat on a
barrel among the freight of the steamboat,
saying:
''Cuffy. what do you want to give me for
these things?'
The negro projected a stream of tobacco
juice over the rail of the vessel and thereupon
proceeded to examine the coat and waistcoat
with as much gravity and effectiveness as any
secondhand dealer, spreading out the garments
for the purpose on a couple OF convenient
trunks.
lone dollar, sah," he said finally.
"Oh, come now, Cuffy," replied the inebri-
ated one, ''don't take advantage OF a fellow
beings necessities, but give me something like
fair price,"
Use a po' man, sab, rejoined the deck hand,
''and can't afford ter pay city prices fer clo'es
nohow. It's heap er trouble sellin' 'em, and
dere's no tellin' what I'll git fer 'em. But, see
in dat yo want der cash SO bad, I'll say rs cents
mo-"
"A dollar and q quarter for that coat and
waistcoatl Why could sell them for at least
-hic-$5 in Washington. But I'm in hole,
and if you'll call it 81 you can have them"
Il amt got no such money, sab" said the
negro but mebbe a dollar fifty"
Very well, responded the man in the silk
hat, hastily. You are an Internal shark, but
take the things and give me the money quick,
for I'm dying for drink"
The final contamination of the deal was &C.
comLlished with dispatch, the seller of the ar
ticles pocketing the money and hurrying away
in the direction of the bar room.
80 you do an old clothing business in con-
nection with your regular trader" said a STAR
reporter. who had been watching the transac-
ton TO the deck hand as the latter was folding
up his purchase carefully with an air Of salts
faction.
Eyes, sah-jes little" was the reply. "Mos'
of US men on the steamer earn q leetle extra
money that way. You, see, sah dere's a good
many gents trabblin' to and fro in the sum-
mer time dat gifts on on jamborees and spends
ebbery cent they've got in spreein'. P'raps
dey are of on vacation trips and can't enjoy De
holiday widout gettiu' full and stayin' 80.
When de moneys all gone and they have
nothin' left but ticket home they start back
to de city. Bout dat time they git wantin'
| sumpin' ter drink awful bad man in dat
way has got ter have it or go crazy; he amt got
a cent and so he must sell sumpin'. If he has
any spar clo'es he tries to sell dem; spoin' he
has none to spar, sumpins got ter 90 just de
same. if it's de coat off'n his back. One Teller
wanted to sell me de pants he had on fer de
price OBJ drink one time
But why should persons in such predica-
ment come to you or your fellow deck hands to
sell things?"
"Who else kin dey 60 to, sah2 Do cap'n oh
de steamer amt goin' ter buy secondhand
clo'es, nur de passengers needer. So dey
comes to us wild whateter dey have to sell,
and OBJ cose We gifts de things mighty cheap,
case dey want de money SO bad. to keep de
snakes of 'em. Some OBJ de clo'es dat buy /
wear myself or sell to friends OBJ mine. but
most OBJ 'em take to de second-h hand shops in
Washington or Norfolk and git good prices fer
'em"