Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-11-06
PICKED UP BY THE WAY.
THINGS SEEN AND HEARD IN THE
TOWN AND VICINITY.

Matters of a Local Nature Commented
Upon and Placed Before the Readers of
the "Tribune" in Large Letters-some
Paragraphs May Interest You.
1t is several weeks since |
have heard the sweet song of
a travelling fakir on our streets.
and the town seems lonesome
without them. The last one [
noticed here, the sound of his
fog-horn voice is still fresh in
my memory, was standing on
a Centre street sidewalk eX-
horting a crowd of men and
boys to step inside and see his
wonderful mumified king of
the Cannibal Islands. Like
nine-tenths of the fakirs who
arrive here, whether to ex-
hibit curiosities OF. to sell cure
alls, his stock in trade was gall
and humbug. The mumified
kings, which are 8 feet inches
in height when on exhibition,
but can easily be packed in
parts in a three-foot box, are
manufactured near San Fran
cisco, and 50 near perfection is
the fraud that the experts of
the Smithsonian Institute at
Washington were almost con-
vinced that it was real until an
inquisitive professor bored
hole in the kings leg and drew
out handful of Portland ce-
ment. However, it is not to
expose the secrets of fakiry
that I write, for l know that
Barnum's saying, "the Ameri-
? can people like to be hum
4 bugged," is as true today as
ever, and l will not try to
= change the opinions of those
a who pin their faith to every
r new humbug.
But there are things in con-
nection with this business that
| believed could be amended.
| am told they pay a license fee
for permission to have a plain
talk with the good people of
Freeland concerning the de-
: ceptiOn they are engaged in.
r and whether it be fact or a
y fraud they deal out to their
: auditors, for the sum of one
dollar per day they may CON
tinue it with protection of law
and without interruption. am
not sure if the license fee is
, meant to protect the mer-
5 chants, or to prevent the pub
lie in general from being
swindled. If it is for the bust
:, ness mems protection, their
:, occupations are indeed rated
!, on a very low scale, when any
/, tramp can come with a bogus
: article and sell it for the genu
: inc, by the payment of one
dollar, In most cases no ques
tions are asked-that would be
casting reflections on the fa
y kris business. The dollar is
all that is required by the or
y dlnance which the burgess
must follow, and he has no
It power to refuse a license even
If he knows the applicant will
engage in petty swindling.
On the other hand, if the IL
cense is granted and meant to
: protect the public in genera
4 from being defrauded, then il
s assists in doing that which i
was intended to prevent. NJ
ID matter how great or glaring il
ID the fraud which the travelling
man is attempting to saddle OF
n his audience, it is good law Sc
~ long as he paid his fee; he has
a right to do it. One dollar
e gives him the privilege tc
swindle any and every one,
0 without limit or molestation.
l A person may buy only to find
himself "sold," but no obiec-
s tions must be raised. The
: duped may think sweet and
unrelentlng thoughts, but if
expressed, they must be in a
whisper. Anything that will
annoy or disturb the man with
!, the gasoline tank is considered
: a breach of the peace. He
; bought the right to cheat, if
he can, for one dollar, and the
Z burgess and all the police in
, the borough, it appears, must
t defend him if necessary until
5 there is not a dime left in the
crowd, or at least until the next
a dollar is due. Truly, laws and
= ordinances of that kind need