Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-01-31
THE FAKIR'S STORY.
AS Told by Drummer Dawson to
an Attentive Audience.

AS Told by Drummer Dawson to
an Attentive Audience.
On a cold winter evening the usual
crowd of %loungers was congregated in
the only store in n of the rural vii
lagos of New England. The men were
seated on benches ncar the stove. Some
were smoking, others were chewing
tobacco, and one was eating an apple.
Two rude boxes filed with sawdust
served as spittoons. Of a dozen indi.
viduals five were village worthless, such
rs the blacksmith and the shoemaker,
and the others were farmers. The only
member OF the company not a resident
of the region vas a commercial drum
mer who visited the little village several
times each year and who was well
known to all of the inhabitants.
As is customary on such occasions in
teresting stories were told. They were
full Of personalities and highly colored
LEGAL incidents, each narrator striving
to Guido those preceding him. Finally
a burly old farmer who had been an at
tentiye listener, winked atthe drummer,
| and cried;
Come. Dawson, let's hey one Of those
yarns of yourn. You can beat these
fellows all holler. | know"
Dawson smiled. He was a typical
Yankee, although he had travelled much,
was well dressed and possessed city
polish, He had the reputation OF being
a great story-teller, and the manner in
which all present looked at him showed
that they wished him to respond to the
hearty invitation.
Dawson was evidently not averse 10
contributing his share to the common
entertainment, and, after lighting a ci-
gar, said:
''Well, boys, see you expect some
thing and | propose TO crafty you by
telling you n of my stories which am
sure I've never related here.
About seven years ago CHANGED one
night to be in a manufacturing town in
Massachusetts. ! had completed what
business ] had TO do there and | could
not leave on a train until the next morn
ing, As | strolled idly from the hotel
where | was stopping, | saw a big
crowd standing in a public square a few
rods distant. In the center of the
crowd was a patent medicine wagon
sustaining a flaring torch, in the light
of which the face and figure of the pro-
prietor of the wagon could plainly be
seen. The mar was haranguing and
ge~sticulating vigorously. | had heard
so many street vendors lie about their
wonderful wares that | felt no curiosity
to hear what he had TO say. But, as /
reached the outskirts of the crowd, !
changed my resolution; there was
something about the man that arrested
my attention. 1t was not because, like
many other such fellows, his appear
ance was fantastic, he being dressed in
a snowy, half-Mexican costume, wear
ing a sombrero and sustaining upon his
shoulders masses of coal black hair: il
was not his singular aspect, / say, that
caused me to halt, but because ] dis.
cerned at nee that he was a genius in
the business.
CHOW, my friends said he, I've
been briefly setting forth to you the al
most miraculous virtues possessed by
Filters grand hair restorcr, DR.. Hutch.
inson's freckle eliminator and complex
ion purifier, and other medicines in the
highest degree conducive to health,
beauty and long life; and l thank you
for your patient attention. i wish now
10 give my reasons for what may seem
TO you my undue enthusiasm in theil
behalf. will tell you an exceedingly
romantic and wonderful, but neverthe.
less q perfectly true story-a love story,
in which / was the hero; and
when ] have finished and corroborated
what | have said in a way which you dc
not now dream OF, / am sure that yor
will agree with me that l have only
mildly praised the medicines which
have TO SELL
THE crowd, composed Of men ant
boys who worked in the factories, wa.
by this time open.mouthed. II was evi
dent that the orator held them spell
bound and that their curiosity was ex
cited TO the utmost.
"Ten years ago, gentlemen con
tinued the vender, 4 was not in INV
present business; I was only a cook OF
a fshing-smack. ! was poor, but hon
est and respectable. I'm no longe
. poor, but, thank God, my prosperity ha
not injured me. I'm still as honest a
ever was and l sta regard all man
kind as my brothers. Indeed, as yor
will see, that's why I'm here to-nigh,
I'm here to benefit my fellow men a
well as TO make money.
las | was saying, | was a cook on
fshing-smack-a strong, lusty youn
fellow with only my willing hands 1
depend on for q living. Well, one da
when the smack was at anchor n
Block Island | "a strolling along III
: beach, wondering whether / would eve
De able to make more than ten dolla,
. a month and my board, and eniovin
the marine prospect, also. II Is a bea,
tiful SEQ view there, gentlemen. OF
ocean can there be seen in al, /,
Q grandeur. While thus idly strolinr
noticed q young lady in q boat sever,
rods from the shore. For some reaso
: which vas not clear ~ me she No,
from the seat where she had bee
rowing, and losing her balance, fe
overheard. I was always, gentlemen
one who was equal to q sudden eme
gency, and quicker than you could s.
Jack Robinson | had pulled OF n
jacket. torn of my shoes and plung,
Into the water. reached hev N 4