Passaic City record., 1892-12-31

gulseS, ana nav
often seen the man who wishes to Dor.
row small amount of money to buy
food, or lodging, or railway ticket,
and has lost or mislaid his purse; he is
the son or other relative of friend oi
mine, and has often heard my name
mentioned in terms of the highest es-
TEEN. 1 have met the individual of
polished manners who mistakes me for
Mr.. Blank, of Blankville, tone of our
leading merchants" and after apologiz-
ing for his error, wishes me to look at a
prize he has just won in lottery.
have also been visited by pretending
namesake in search of another namesake,
from whom the stranger might borrow
the price of ticket to Albany or Bos-
ton. The list might be extended, but
the foregoing must suffice.
= The stories that are poured into my
ears are always plausible, and I have
yielded to enough of them, and found
afterward that they were utterly false,
to convince me that the heart of man is
deceitful above all things and desper-
ately wicked. For decade or so I
have considered myself familiar with,
and proof against, all the ways in which
designing men seek to obtain money
under pretenses more or less false
generally more. But quite recently 1
encountered new expert in this field of
enterprise, and. am sure the reader will
share my opinion that his ingenuity de-
serves the honor of publicity.
One day, about a month ago, a
stranger presented a card on which was
written; "S. NJ. Crosby, first officer
steamship Glamorgan, Liverpool, Eng
land" Wondering what his business
could be consented to see him and met
q medium-sized individual whose garb
indicated the mariner, as it included a
blue coat of ''reefer" pattern and blue
cloth cap. He was bronzed and certainly
looked like one who had spent much of
his life on the water and had recently
been in the tropics for q considerable
period. As soon as we met he repeated
the declaration on his card, that he was
the first officer of the steamship Glamor-
gan, which had recently arrived at Phila-
deiphia from Australian. Japanese and
Chinese ports.
"Have you any advices," said he, ssof
box from China by our steamers"
!, 81 have not," answered.
"There is box for you on board the
Glamorgan, he responded, (which was
taken on at Shanghai or Hong Kong, /
am not sure which. It contains Chinese
and Japanese curios to the value of about
three hundred dollars. It is addressed
to you at New York City, but there is
no street or avenue named, only New
York. We have been inquiring,. and you
are the only man of the name to be found
in the city. We presume it is for you,
as there is the word ''author" upon the
box in addition to your name, and I'm
told that you are an author. We want
to be quite sure of your identity aud that
the box is for you, as it is valuable
one"
/ replied that I was the only indivi-
dual in the city of exactly that name,
and my profession was that of author
ship, but certainly knew Of no box on
Its way to me.
SIT is strange that you have no ad-
vices concerning it," said Crosby, 'sbut
after all it may not be so strange. !
understand it is intended for present
and perhaps the party who sent it
wanted to surprise you. Quite likely
you will find letter in the box that
will tell you who it's from. There's no
freight to pay on it; it was put on
board by our own agent either in Hong
Kong or Shanghai for some friends Of
theirs. The agents explained that it was a
present, and said they told the sender there
would be no charge for freight. II
came in the hands of the captain, and
was not put on the steamers manifest. "
81 am very much obliged to the cap
tain Of your steamship and to you
agents." answered, stand also Obliged
to my unknown benefactor. When
receive the box certainly hope to know
more about it.
Then the conversation turned on tn,
etearmer's voyage, which my visitor
said had been quite eventful, as at ons
time they had good chance to go t.
Dayy Jones locker. 'sWe caught I