The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-01
CREDULITY OF MAN.
TWO GOOD STORIES ILLUSTRATING
A BROKERS' THEORY.

some Men Will Believe Almost Anything
Without Logical investigation IL some
body They Happen to Know Appears to
He in Earnest.
They wandered from subject to sub.
ject in a listless way over their coffee
and cigars. as men often do when they
have enjoyed a good dinner, until the
broker got On his favorite hobby-the
average mans credulity. His companion.
lawyer, disagreed with him, and that
At once started them on d lively argu-
ment. After IL few minutes Of general
discussion the broker said:
We'll, I'll give you al instance. 1t is
a pretty good story anyhow. and per-
Sectly true. almost incredible as it seems.
IN the town where ! vas born there lives
an old river captain Iamed Stewart. vino
Is a great practical Joker. The proprie-
Tor of one Of the twu hotels in the place
$ Il rather pompt1s and conceited old
man. Stewart walked into the Office Of
the hotel one da, il few wears ago. and
drawing Il aon dollar bank note asked
the proprietor i he could change an
eleven dollar II. The old fellow said
yes and tool the bill. which. sure
enough. had tie number eleven in the
corners. and It glancing at it handed
the amount il change to Stewart.
The joker had added another figure in
ink to the numbers on the bill. and as
the proprietor did not like to aci1nowl-
edge that he had never seen an eleven
dollar bill before he had only glanced at
it casually before putting it IN the
drawer. Stewart walked on of the ho-
tel and told all the men he met about the
Joke.
About fifteen minutes after Stewart
went away a man walked in and said to
the proprietor:
MIR. Kennedy, | understand that you
have an eleven dollar bill here. May |
look at it: never saw one
Kennedy produced it. and the man
maryeled over it for several minutes.
Before he got through examining it an
other man walked i'll and asked to see
the bill. and then another and another.
Finally kennedy's curiosity became ex-
cited, and he thought he would see what
the bill really looked like. He saw at
once how it had been fixed and his
face was a study. The boys shouted
with laughter, and the old fellow had to
acknowledge that the cigars were on
him, and he set them up like a man."
Hum! that was funny" commented
the lawyer.
We'll. here's another instance" said
the broker. Stewart went to a picnic
one day with some men. and one of them
had on a brand new hat he had Just
bought in the city. 1t was an almost
white derby. and if at once attracted
Stewards attention.
We'll he said, going up to the
young man. you've got me of those new
hats. have you? Let's lock at it
The fellow took it off with some show
Of pride and handed it over for inspec-
ton.
4 saw n of them hats the other
day in the city said Stewart to the lit
tie group Of men who had gathered
around him. and | had half a mind to
get 1t, but as | was in IA hurry | didn't
stop. They are something entirely new
They don't burn. You know. I'd like to
have that hat, Whatll you take for it,
II dontt want to sell it answered
thS oHhIi, SiihHliS VIII pleasure at |
being the object Of so mnch attention. i
didn't know it was iireproof though.
Are you sure about it?
"'Oh, yes replied Stewart confident
". Sell it to me and I'll show 0
"'No. if you're sure III try it myself.
And the young countryman walked over
10 a Woo fire. followed by the crowd of
men who had been gaping with wonder
the reported qualities of the new hat
How will | put it in:' he asked Stew
who stood near by with a look of in.
.ense interest on his face.
"'Oh, chuck it right in. 1t can't hurt
t. replied the joker.
so the innocent victim threw his hat
nto the fire, which of course made short
work of it. The mans face was con-
'ulsed with rage and establishment. and
lis temper was not improved when the
Of men burst into a roar. He
ooked around for Stewart, but that
,entleman had discreetly disappeared"
"Oh, come off! Go and tell that TO
he marines as your experience You
ant make me believe such fairy sto-
les" said his auditor
Those stories are perfectly straight.
knew the men myself."-New York
Tribune.