The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-03-26
THE FAKIR'S STORY.
AS Told by Drummer Dawson to
an Attentive Audience.

AS Told by Drummer Dawson to
an Attentive Audience.
On cold winter evening the usual
crowd Of loungers was congregated in
the only store in one Of the rural vii
lagos of New England. The men werc
seated on benches near 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 dozen indi-
viduals FIVE were village worthless, such
as the blacksmith and the. shoemaker,
and the others were farmers. :. The only
member OF the company not resident
Of the region WAS q. commercial drum
mer whoNvisited 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
local incidents, each narrator thriving
to Guido those preceding him. Finally
burly old farmer who had been an at
tentive listener, winked at the drummer.
and cried:
.'Comc, Dawson, let's hev one of those
yarns of yourn. You can beat these
fellows all boiler, know"
Dawson smiled. He was typical
Yankee, although he had travelled much,
was well dressed and possessed city
polish. He had the reputation of being
o 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 to
contributing his share to the common
entertainment, and, after lighting CT
gar, said
well, boys, j see you expect some
thing and l propose to crafty you by
telling you one of my stories which am
sure I've never related here.
About seven years ago ! chanced one
night to be in manufacturing town in
Massachusetts. / had completed what
business had to do there and l could
not leave on train until the next morn
ing. AS strolled idly from the hotel
where was stopping, l saw big
crowd standing in q public square a few
rods distant In the center of the
crowd was q patent medicine wagon
sustaining fiaring torch, in the light
Of which the face and figure of the pro-
prietor of the wagon could plainly be
seen. The man was haranguing and
gesticulating vigorously. l. 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
q snowy, half-Mexican costume, wear
ing sombrero and sustaining upon his
shoulders masses of coal black hair; 1t
was not his singular aspect, say, that
caused me to halt, but because dis
cerned at once that he, was a genius in
the business.
."'Now, my friends said he, I've
been briefly setting forth to you the al
most miraculous virtues possessed by
Filters grand hair restorer, 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 thank you
for your patient attention. wish now
to give my reasons for what may seem
to you my undue enthusiasm in their
behalf. / will tell you an exceedingly
romantic and wonderful, but neverthe.
less perfectly true story-a love story,
in which was the hero; and
when l have finished and corroborated
what have said in q way which you dc
not now dream of, am sure that you
will agree with me that i have only
mildly praised the medicines which
have to SELL
1.-THE crowd, composed of men an6
boys who worked in the factories, wa.
by this time open-mouthed. 1t was evil
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, j was not in my
present business; was only cook OF
a fishing-smack. was poor, but hon
est and respectable. I'm no Longer
poor, but, thank God, my prosperity ha,
not injured me. I'm still as honest al
j ever was AND, l stA regard all man
kind as my brothers. Indeed, as YOU
will see, that's why I'm here tonight
I'm here to benefit my fellow men a,
well as to make money.
"'As was saying, was cook on ,
fishing-smack-a strong, lusty young
fellow with only my willing hands t.
depend on for living Well, one daS
when the smack was at anchor of
Block Island l was strolling along the
beach, wondering whether would eve
De able to make more than ten dollar
d month and my board, and enjoying
the marine prospect, also. 1t is a beau
tiful sea view there, gentl omen. OLE
ocean can there be seen in Ill IT
grandeur. While thus idly stroising
noticed a young lady in a boat severa
] rods from the shore. For some reason
which was not clear to me she ros,
from the seat where she had beef
rowing, and, losing her balance, fel
overheard. Twas always, gentlemen
one who was equal to sudden cmer
i gency, and quicker than yon could sa,
lack Robinson had pulled off m,
| iacket. torn off NV shoes and plunge,