The Forrest City times., 1891-09-25
A GOOD LESSON.

they were flooding the country with circulars, setting forth the ease and safety with which the rural customer could pass off counterfeit money, and the astonishingly low price at which he could procure that which even bank experts at times failed to detect as counterfeit. Of course. then, as now, the scheme of those vagabonds was to get their dupe's good money and give him bundle of blank paper, cut the size of greenbacks. or bundle of sawdust. The green-goods men are very careful of their precious liberty. and do not care to run the risk of handling genuine counterfeit" bills, as one of them called it in his cir cular
 Near Ayers Hill, in Potter county, Pennsylvania, about ten years ago, lived 8 sturdy, healthy young farmer. Ali Mayo. As he has since left that part of the country no harm will be done by giving name and location. In some way the goods men of New York got his address, and he got one of the regulation green goods circulars. Al had good little farm, a wife and one child but he was not contented with the slow returns of farming; he wanted to make money faster The tempting circular struck him very forcibly. At first he threw 1t aside as being rather risky. Then he began to argue with himself; .It bank experts are deceived by the mon- ey and it passes just as we'll as the genuine, where is the great harm in using little of it. The fact of who makes it doesn't make such a great difference Al had never been en- gagged in anything that was not fair and square, and his neighbors never questioned his word. He prided him. self considerably upon that, but finally bis scruples gave way and he opened with the Now York parties. Of course he said nothing about it to his wife. If man has good, first-class wife. he never con- Sults her when he is going to do any thing that isn't just straight; he's afraid she might dissuade him from his fell purpose
 At about the same time that Al was corresponding with the sharpers, his lather-in-law, who lived in one of the lower counties of the state, received Q green-goods communication. Like AL he had never heard of their schemes, and like him he laid aside his consci- entiOus scruples at the tempting allurement and decided to be some thing of villain himself as it prom ised to pay so we'll. As a matter of course his negotiations were conducted very secretly. for it would never do for Major Stout & pillar of the church to be caught in any shady transactions.
 Al and his father-in-law were deal ing with the same firm, and by some fatal chance both appointed the same day to meet the gentlemen in New York and close the business and each entirely ignorant of the others journey landed in New York only an hour apart. Al had given as his excuse for visit to the great metropolis that he wanted to buy new team of horses, and the Major wanted to get some farm tools. Al was cautious, and to avoid being robbed of the money he took with him with which he was to purchase the spurious wealth. he sewed all except few dollars in the lining of his coat; the other he put in his large, old-fashioned wallet and carried in his pocket
 Each were met at different ren- 'dczvous by a delegation of the New York parties, and after some prelimin- ary signs and passwords, conducted to a place on Chatham street. The party with the Major in hand reached the business office first, and they were en- tertaining him with stories and jokes and cigars preparatory to getting down to business. The party looking after Al entered and took a room adjoining the one whore the Major was being worked Al was little shy, and in- sisted on the business in hand being attended to at once; he did not care to hoar yarns, or partake of anything to drink. A package was produced by the sharpers, said to contain five thousand dollars in counterfeit money. Well, open it up and count it. I don't take anything blind, said Al.
 'Oh. it's all right the goods are there; but it isn't safe to open the pack age here.
 This isn't safe business, anyway, and I'll take the extra risk" remarked AL as he reached out to take the pack age and open it. One of the fellows pulled the package away and the other turned out the gas. leaving the room in darkness. Both fellows caught hold of AL and with the dexterity of ex- ports went through his pockets before he really knew what was being done. Then they gave him U shove and dipped out of the room, locking the door after them.
 Al began to shout and slam about the room. and that alarmed the chaps in the next room with the major, so they. too. turned out the light and skipped. leaving the major bewildered end in the dark. AL in feeling about - find the door, struck the one be- tween the two rooms It was locked. but anything to get out 90 he placed Ais shoulder against 1t and 1t flew off Ahs hingeA The major was alarmed ~ being nncerimoniously deserted by Ais QoInpaniOns. and the splintering Aoor " " his fright Al entered eQ11 s9agh tho door, feeling
 TIT IT the dark. and stum-
 R ko major. who was detsz~
 D I'll his life dearly. Al was
 ocoinr treachery. % tho two
 n11a1 lnstantly. Both fought