Arizona silver belt., 1893-07-08
CREDULITY OF MAN.
TWO GOOD STORIES ILLUSTRATING
 A BROKERS THEORY.

somo Men viii Relieve Almost Anything
 Without Logical Investigation If some- body They Happen to Know Appears to
 Be in Earnest.
 They wandered from subject to sub. ject in listless way over their coffee and cigars. as men often do when they have enjoyed Q good dinner, until the broker got on his fayorite hcbby--the average mans cfedulity. His companion. lawyer, disagreed with him, and that at once started them on lively argi- ment After few minutes of general discussion the broker said:
 Well I'll give you an instance. It is pretty good story anyhow, and per fectly true, almost ineredibleas it seems, In the town where was born there lives an old river captain nimed Stewart, who is great practical joker The proprie- tor of one of the two hotels in the place is & rather pompous and conceited old man. Stewart walRsd into the office of the hotel one day few years ago. and drawing out one dollar l,ank note asked the proprietor if he could chahce ar eleven dollar bill. The pld fellow said yes, and took the bill. which. sure enough, had the numb'r eleven in the corners, and just glancing at it handed the amount in change 70 Stewart
 'The joker had addeG another figure in ink to the numbers on the bill. and as the proprietor did not like to acknowl. cage that he he'd neyer seen an eleven dollSr h::iii before he had only glanced at it casually before putting it in the drawer Stewart walked ont of the ho- tel and told all the men he met about the joke.
 About fifteen minutes after Stewart went away man walked in and said to the proprietor:
 MT Kennedy ! understand that you have an eleven dollar bin here May l look at it? 1 never saw one.
 Kennedy produced it, and the man mayelei over it for several minutes Before he got through examining 1t an- other man wallsed in end asked to sec the bill, and then another and another l Finally Ecnnedy's curiosity became ez- cited. and he thought he would sec what ! the bill really looked like He saw at onco how it had been fixed and his face was study Tine boys shouted with laughter. and the oll fellow had tc acknowledge that the cigars were on E!n, and be set them up ike q man. "Hunai that was funny commented the lawyer
 Well, herea another instance said the broker Stewart went to a picnic enc day with some men. and one of then, had on d brand new hat he had just bought ia the city II vas an almost white derby. and it at once attracted Stewards attention
 Well he said going up To thr young man. you've got one of those new hats. have youy Lets look at ity
 The fellow tookit of with some show of pride and handed it over for inspec- | t!on
 T saw ono CT them hats the other ! day ia the city. said Stewart 10 the lit. 1 tie group of men who had gathered around him, and had half mind to get it, but as l was il hurry didn f 1 stop They are solnething entirely new | They don't burn. yon know I'd like tc have th5t hat What'll yoa take for it:' ] don't want 10 sell it, answered the owner gyinning with pleasure al 1 baihg the object of 70 much attention l ! didn't know il was hreproof though ! Are yp1 sure about iiy
 ! Oh yei replied Stewart confident ] y. Sell il 10 me and I'll show you
 No ii you're sure I'll try it myself ' And the young countryman walked over | to wool fire followed by the crowd of men who had been gaping with wonder { at the reported qualities of the new hat
 How will put itinT he asked Stew. art who stoud near by with a look Of iir- l tense interest ou his face
 Ch chuck t right in II can't hurt i .t replied the joker
 1 "So the innocent victim threw his hat l into the fire, which of course made short ' work of it The mans fnce was con yulsed with rsge and astonishment, and his temper was not improved when the l crowd of men burst into roar He looked around for Stewart, but that gentleman had discreetly disappeared. "Oh come of! tio and tell that to i the marines as yoCr experience. You can't make me believe such fairy sto- ries. ssid his auditor
 "Those stories are perfectly straight; l knew the men myself "-New York | Tribune