Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-02-13
TESTING A TALKER.
1t Is Easy When One Has the
Necessary Cash.
A Positive Man Who Was Blufred Out OF
n Dead Sure Thing-sccing the
Roll OF Ellis Made All
the Difference.

w ell uOWl toward inc lrOnb enO
of the smoking car sat four or five
men, and one of them was man of
CAB. Not only that, but he was a
positive man-an aggressive man
decided man. He was free with
his opinions and beliefs, and one
listening to him got the idea that he
was the sort of man who believed
he was dead right and was willing
to put up his cash in defense of his
opinion. Opposite me sat drum
mer for a Cincinnati house, and as
saw him looking over the top of his
paper and apparently trying to size
the man up, l observed:
Don't you like to meet with a
positive man?"
Positive" he blurted out. 81
can make him take water in five
minutes.
"Well, I don't know about that"
"Thcn I'll show you. Lend me
your handkerchief, please. Now if
you will trust me, let me take what
small bills you have.
He took his handkerchief and mine
and made q ''wad." Around it he
wrapped about forty dollars in
greenbacks, making q roll of Doodle
which he could hardly put into his
pocket. Then he nodded to me and
we went forward and, after min
ute, he said to the man of CAB:
Il have a little wager with my
friend here. How many times did
Abraham Lincoln serve as presi-
dent?"
1.-TWO, of course" was the reply.
care you positive?'
"Certainly | am"
Didn't re serve three?'
ono. sir What's the matter with
you?'
'The matter is, l think he served
three terms, and am willing to bet
on it. Come, now, how much have
you got that says he only served two
terms?'
How much? Why, man, I'll bet
you a hundred to onen
'Put 'er right up!" said the drum
mer, as he pulled out his roll. II
don't want no such odds as that, just
say two or three to one
Il don't want to rob you, ;" replied
the man of CAB, with his hand in his
pocket.
Put 'cr up! Here's a thousand
to two thousand that says you're
dead wrong"
'Ill take you even for five hum
dred dollars"
"Put 'er up! Money talks p
howled the drummer Il say three
terms, and here's the long green!"
"Why, man, we all know that"
eve don't either. You say two
terms, and l say three. l offered you
even money, but I'll do you better.
Here's q thousand to five hundred.
Select your own stakeholder.
1T doesn't seem as if | could be
mistaken" mused the positive man.
Put up, say!" shouted the
drummer, as he waved his Doodle n
the air. 'T'll go you thousand to
two fifty that he served three terms!"
"Well, it may be possible, of
course, but I'm so sure of it that"
''Then put up! Here's thousand
to two hundred!''
81 guess l won't bet. We are all
liable to be mistaken, you know, and
perhaps it was three terms.
The drummer and l walked back
and sat down and lighted fresh
cigars, and as he returned me my
property he said
"You see, you don't want to size
man up too quickly. There are
positive men and there are men of
CAB. There are aggressive men and
there are men of brag. When you
can't tell the difference. try my way.
When you shake big roll at a man
one of two things will happen. If
he's a positive man down comes his
cash. If he's only a windmill on
legs he'll crawfish. l could have
bluffed that chap over a stone wall
with ten dollar bill. IN. Y. Re-