The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-03

Their Season OF Outdoor Work Is Now
About Over

Especial Correspond ence.1
CANTON, O.. Nov. 1.-The season of
the county fair is practically over and
with it the harvest time Of the travel
ing fakir To be sure, some members Of
the profession will continue their labors
among the ruralists for few weeks
longer, but they viii be mainly those
who have not done very well at the
fairs, or who have yielded to that weak
ness which is peculiarly strong (to use
a Hibernicism) with most folk who
make money out Of their fellow mems
gullibility and blown in their gains
The accomplished and thrifty falzir or
street preacher who has cleaned up a
neat sum on his autumn tour Of the fairs
is at this time getting ready for the
winter, though some of the greedy ones
who never stop their efforts for the
gathering Of dollars spend the cold sea-
son south in the pursuit Of business
met thOroughgOing adventurer Of the
falzir order on a railroad train near here
the other day, and to him 1 put q few
questions relative to the general mode
of life of himself and his fellows. What
he said in reply have substantially re-
produced here:
ssFakirs, y he declared, s'are like ev-
erybody else. They are human; conse-
quently they are different. I know IA
kris, so called, that are as honest as any
One-that is, they sell useful things in
variably, their only fault being that
they tuck the price on Such fakirs are
generally thrifty and are apt to be Of
a domestic turn One chap with whom
I am acquainted lives in a quiet little
interior town and has a large family.
He IS a member of the church, his wife
devotes what time she can spare from
obi <0 7<afv nd
sters are being well schooled-
Every winter the head Of the family
remains at home, and during that time
he takes a lively interest in town mat
tiers. In the spring he leaves, ostensibly
to take the road as a commercial trav
eler for a big Chicago house, but really
to make a circuit Of watering places,
race tracks and county fairs. I don't
know but he sometimes puts up a shell
game, but in fair time he sells various
harmless things at about four values.
and every season he does we'll, saves his
profits and returns in the fall several
thousand dollars better of than he went
out in the spring. Two years ago he be-
gan to invest in real estate, and when I
met him at Trenton this fall he said
he proposed in a year or two more to
leave the road and devote himself to his
houses and lots and perhaps go into real
estate as an agent somewhere His wife
knows his real business, but his chill
dren do not.
Il know another chap who is quite
as thrifty during the season as the one
have mentioned, but who retires when
the winter comes to some big city, where
he puts up at the best hotel, if the sea-
son has been good, till the spring comes
again. There he poses as a very we'll to
do rather blase man of the world. His
manners are fair, he is an excellent stO-
~ teller, he dresses faultlessIy, and he
has no difficulty in making the acqualnt-
ance of men Of good standing. He
guards against their recognizing him If
they ever chance to see him in the fax
ing season by going smooth faced on
the road and wearing a Vandyke beard
in the winter.
81 once knew fellow named Thomp-
son who followed circuses. In that way
he had visited about every town Of 5000
States. Before he got on to that lay he
travelled abroad at his business He was
a good linguist He had to be to fake
in all lands. His adventures were many
and exciting. Once he was arrested IN
Russia for a nihilist, once he came near
being taken IN in London as an Irish dy-
namiter, and once he was jagged in Dun
dee, Scotland, for trying to pass an
American quarter for an English shiI-
ling. 1 don't know where he is now, or
if he is alive even, but a true story Of
the things that have happened to him
in different parts of the world would
make mighty interesting reading.