Evening journal., 1893-01-31
CREDULITY OF MAN.
TWO GOOD STORIES ILLUSTRATING
a BROKERS' THEORY.

some aIen WIN Relieve Almost Anything
Without Logical investigation If some
BODY They Happen to Know Appears to
BE In Earnest.
They wandered from subject to sub
iect iu a iistless way over their coffee
and cigars. as mon often do when they
have enjoyed q good dinner, until the
broker got on bis favorite hobby-the
average mans credulity. His companion
O lawyer, disagreed with him, and that
at once started them on a lively argu-
ment. After few minutes Of general
discussion the broker said.
We'll. lll give you ca INSTANCE. II is
p pretty good story anyhow, Ind per-
fectly true, almost incredihleas it seems.
In the town where I was born there lives
an Old river captin namcd Stewart. who
is great practical joker. The proprie-
tor Of one of the two hotels in the place
rs q rather pompous and conceited old
man. Stewart walked into the Office Of
the hotel one day few years ago, and
drawing out O ono dollar bank note asked
the proprietor if he could change an
eleven dollar bill The old fellow said
yes. aud took the bill, which, sure
enough, had the number eleven in the
corners, and just glaucing at it handed
the amount in change to Stewart.
"Ihe joker bad added another figure in
ink to the numbers On the bill, and as
the proprietor did not like to acknowl-
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 out Of the ho-
tel and told all the men homet about the
joke.
about fifteen minutes after Stewart
went away man walked in and said to
the proprietor
"'Mr. Kennedy, I understand that you
have an eleven dollar bill here. May !
look at it? never saw one
Kennedy produced it. and the man
morvoled over it for several minutes
Before he got through examining it an
other man walked in and asked to see
the bill, and then another and another
Finally Kcnnedy's curiosity became ex-
cited, and ho thought he would see what
the bin 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 tho cigars We're on
him, and ho set them up like a man."
"Huml that was funny" commented
the lawyer
tVNrolI f..,.-s- .-,ofl,o.. s-,..A,.,.,., - ., !
the broker. Stewart went to q picnic
one day with some men, and ono of them
had on a brand new hat he had just
bought i'm tho city. It was an almost
white derby and it at once attracted
Stewards attention.
"'Wel.' he said rcirg un to the
young man, you've % oAo OF those new
hats. have you? Let look at itY
"The fellow tool, & off with some show
Of pride and hande it over for inspac-
ton.
"'I saw one Of tom hats the other
day in the city, said Stewart to the liJ-
tie group Of men who had gathered
around him, and had half q mind TO
get it, but as 1 was in q hurry I didn't
STOP They ere something entirely new.
They don't burn, you know. ia like to
have that hat. Whatll you take for itY
" i don't want to sell it, answered
The owner, grinning with pleasure at
being the object of so much attention. j
didn't know it was fireproof though.
Are sou sure about itY
Oh. yes, replied Stewart confident
~. Sell it 90 me and Ill show you
"'No, IL you're sure III try ia myself
And the Young countryman walked over
to wood fire, followed by the crowd Of
men who had been gaping with wonder
at the reported qualities of the now hat.
"'How win put itin. he asked Stew
art, who stood near by with a look Of in
tense interest on bis face.
"'Oh, chuck it right in. 1t can't hurt
it,' replied tAe joker.
$50 the Innocent victim threw his hat
into the iire, which Of course made short
work Of it, The mans face was con-
vulsad with rage and astonishment. and
bis temper was not improved when the
crowd Of men burst into a roar. He
looked around for Stewart, but that
gentleman had discreetly disappeared.
"Oh, come Off! Go and ten that to
thc marines Gs your experience. You
can't make me believe such fairy sto-
ries said his auditor.
Those stories are perfectly straight;
knew the men myself New York
Tribune.
Excess OF Conscience