Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-10-04
A TRICKY GAME.

of . great city do not know how the
other half lives. That is, there are o.
cupation. which prove remuneratiye to
Que man, that would never occur to an
other. purpose In this letter to give
an account of gentleman Who came Ia
thl, little city two weeks ago. and con-
trived 10 make some money In way
that few men would ever so much as
think Of, even II there were no immoral
ity In II.
The gentleman In question was q tall,
powerful, handsome man, perhaps thlr-
ty-two years of age, ~ell-dressed, q
good singer aud talker, aud full of good
humor. while engaged In selling medl-
clnes on the street. be alsays wore q
beautifully shiny silk hat, aud q heavy
black moustache, which contrasted
pleasantly with his cleaning white teeth.
During the week he spent Ia town he
was accompanied by his wife, q lady of
excellent department, demure, reticent,
hut looking at times as II the proceed
lngs In the cool evening air we're some
thing of q bore to hsr. hut what she
thought, she never dl,ulged, but pa
tiently, unsmilingly, at behind her hus-
band, with her back to him, until the
performance, under the two faring lam
b~aux, had ende.l. If the weather Was
unusually lnclement she wound her
long fur muller about her neck. That
was all she ever did, just waited. They
aiso serve who only walt" LET me
whisper In your ear. Have you ever seen
an American audience that would over
turn q wagon In which q demure, we'll
dressed lady was seatedf She vas .
silent appeal Ia mans natural chiyalry.
lie took out license 10 -ell medl.
cine., aud he never sold anything else,
unless II were some of my esteemed fel.
low citizens, whom have known for
over twenty years.
Well, our handsome, accomplished
aud genial streetfaklr, sang songs, told
stories, and sold tooth-powder, corn
sal,e, catarrh cure, liver medicine and
blood purifier. Night after night he
sold hls medicines, and when all VA.
done he told the crowd 10 come up and
get their money back. And he actually
gave every man his money back, and ten
cent. additional, which be called his pie
money, or money with which 10 buy pie.
Early every night he would warn the
crowd not Ia expect money back, but,
nevertheless, he continued 10 give back
the money.
lie also had other schemes 10 keep the
crowd laughing, one ~ which was Ia
get the people % vote q lung tester Ia
the greatest dude In town. and when the
vote had been taken, the recipient found
hI. present 90 consist of q nursing bottle
with nipple attached. II any man at
tempted to say profAne word, the
fakif mildly reproyed him, saying, That
gentleman forget. that there are ladies
present. lie has forgotten that his
mother was q lady" - u came about
that the crowd Was generally Jo,ial aud
orderly. The rascal knew well enough
that .ullen or bolsterous crowds are to
be feared. And be- wa. keen AZ raIof
Ia his witty retorts. 10. In one way OF
another, he kept his crowd orderly aud
good tempered. Moreover, be never
gave back money until the close OF the
evenings performance. Once he en-
ployed fine guitar player, and In this
way he held his crowd la the end.
Saturday night had come, and the
fakIr offered two packages of mesilcine
for fiftsen dollars. Then he took out
gold watch, q beautiful thing, opened u,
anil wound Il With . key. All this time
be had an open satchel depending from
his neck. lie took ~ q watch, held up
a ten dollar bill, said over jumble OF
words, folded the bill, claimed that be
passed IL up his sleeve, but really shut II
la the watch. Then he wound Japan
sllk handkerchief around II and PLACED IL
In cigar boz. Then he Wrapped up three
other gold watche. aud placed them Ia the
boy. Then be tied the box up within
another handkerchief, aud haungued
the crowd about as follows
"The gentleman Who gives me hfteen
dollars for this medicine shall have this
box and hs contents. The medicine
alone I. well worth the money. ! shall
not give any money back. The medicine
Il we'll worth all you pay for u. These
things that you have seen me pat In the
box, one for yourself. Que for your wife,
one for the baby and one for your moth
er-ln-law, are not gold. do not know
what 10 call them. Some call them
watches. I don't. but II must b. q
smart man who canno, trade one OF them
for wagon. pony or donkey. Many
Of you are working men. IL you have
watch of your own, the boss cannot
work you over time, or turn the hands
back on you. Many of you have been
working an hour day over time. Give
me ten dollars for this medicine, and
walt until the close Of my sale, and
will give YOU this boz and contents.
will place your name on the box and
leave II here In your sight
Men began 10 buy. Had he not given
back money every time, although he had
always said he would nott Their names
were placed on the boxes, and you may
guess that they watched the boxes we'll.
Undoubtedly there were guiiible buyers
whose egotism led them TO surmisc that
the dealer Was intending to give them .
particular benefit. In other words that
they we're his special fayorite.. In q
few minutes he had taken In elss. -.
The dlstribution now commenced,
prefsced fret by q song, telling how
slck each man would feel on Monday
morning. lie also gave q sly insinus.
; ton that the boxes better not be opened
! there, and told each purchaser of medi-
I cine how sold he Was, and how his wife
would beat him next morning with q
stove poker. and advised that the whole
worthless treasure should be hidden
under some fence rails on the way home
. In short be made sll the fun Imaginable
Of every man, til the part Of the crowd
/, which had not Invested WAS convulsed
. or reeliug With laughter.
> snow" siId he, ~ the spirited horse'
we're hItched 10 the wagon, ''if any ol
? YOU happen TO come down town Monda,
, eyening-dont come on purpose-per
haps there will be . surprise for you"
fIaving famed the spark Of hops Int
glow, he bade the crowd good nigh
. and the hired driver took the shiny hat
aud the demure lady and the streaming
|. ismbeaux out Of sight. II wac nos
. eleven o'clock, and at nve In the morn
; Ing. they left town on the early train
Meantime, some foolish fellow ha'
|. opened his box, even before the wagoI
: drove away. The gold watch vas
!. mere brass shell, with . paper dial
worth cent or two, and the ten dolla
= bill inside was Q green medicine sdver
tIsement, having The general appearsnc
D Of greeuback, but the mediclne-thsi
. Of coursc, WAS very valuable.
D The strangest thing OF al u thls, ths
/ reputable citisens-mcn Of sense and Q,
4 perience-coad play Into the shsrpsr'
lkanda q. III.