Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-13
AN ELECTRIC BLUFF
HOW A GENIUS treasured THE HO.
TEL MAN At JAYvlLLE.
Quick Work at the Long Distance Tele
phone, Which the Landlord Had No
Eeen Acquainted With Very Long-Draf
Cashed and Dinner Thrown In.

phone. Which tho Landlord Had Not
Eeen Acquainted With Very LonE-Dr.n
cashed and Dinner Thrown In.
Ibid ever tell You about the great
bluff ! invented and worked of ON o.
country motel proprietor" asked Meek.
in, the lazy inventor, as he tilted back
his chair and lit his pipe. 1T would
have been blamed inconvcnient for me
if hadn't brought my inventive facul-
ties to bear ON the subject, and if had
neglected to observe the new telephone.
1t came about like this: Twas making
flying trip through the west in search Of
a man who was said to have invented q
process for tempering copper by electric
ity. One evening about dinner time
reached an Indiana town which I'll call
Jayville, as the town is still there, and
SO is the hotel proprietor. rushed into
the only hotel in the place, asked for
some dinner and was shown to the din
ing room after I had registered. Iwant-
ed to catch the 9:13 train for Indianap-
oils, SO I could spend the night there.
When had finished my meal, I fished
around in my pockets for dime to tip
the waiter with. I found I hadn't a
blooming cent in my clothes You know
I'm careless about money matters, and
never think Of lucre until I'm out Of it.
Well, hadn't any cash, but l had $50
draft on New York in my pOcketboOk. ]
let the waiter go without his tip and
walked out to the Office, where found
the landlord. I ostentatiously took up a
pen, asked the landlord his name, and
made the draft payable to him.
Now said I, If you'll kindly
take out the price of a dinner and give
me the balance Of this $50 I'll be
obliged
1.-THE landlord read over the draft for
ward, backward, sideways and upside
down. Then he held it up to the light
At last he looked at mo sharply and
said:
"'Your name Meekin?'
Sure thing said L
oct. J. Meckin:'
"'Sure.'
How do know it?'
"'You don't, but I'm telling you,
said I.
"'How do I know you amt one O.
these yere film flammers?'
"'You don't. Do look like a film
flammer?'
WAL, We mought an We moughtn't,
was the landlords encouraging reply. II
was getting near train time, and was
getting nervous. In glancing around the
Office with the faint hope that I'd sec
some one knew, my glance fell upon a
long distance telephone over in the cor
ner. Right here was where I invented
my bluff in Jayville at 8 As p. m.
"'See here, Mr.. Man, said to the
landlord, 'you know bank draft when
you see it, don't you? Well, that :
bank draft. Now, it don't make any
difference to you who I am if I car
prove that the drafts good, does it? AL
right. see you have O telephone. Car
/ use it?'
"'Ye can IL ye know how to worl
the thing. Just put her in yistiddy, an
amt ON to the game yit.'
| "'All right l replied. Now yol
come over here to the telephone will
me, and I'll soon satisfy you that you
suspicious Of me and this draft are al
wrong
"We went over to the phone; tn
landlord leaned up against tho wal
watching my every movement. Luckil.
no one was around but an old maj
asleep near the stove and a stupid Ger
man porter. I picked up the receive
without ringing, and this is what til
landlord heard:
Hello, central! Gimme New York
Hello! This New York? Gimme 1888
Cortlandt Hello! 1888 Cortlandt
Manhattan Exchange National bank
Mr.. Crandell there? Hello! This YOU
4 Crandall, old man? This is Meekir
NJ double e-k-i-n. Yes, Meekin, T. j
How are you? Say. I'm i'll Jayvillt
Ind. Hotel man says your draft numbe
347 OH my account is no good. Ho'
about it? Well? Good for s., 600, is il
Sure? You ere, Ell? Good joke on yor
old bank. amt it, Crandell? Cost yo
bottle when get back. Sure it's goot
are you? Ha, ha! That's good. Well, s
long. See you next Monday
with that I hung up the receive
without ringing off, and turned to loo
at the landlord. His eyes were bulgir
ont, and when asked him if he require
any further proof he gasped out:
WAL, SWIM to gracious! Eff til;
amt the finest thing 1 ever see! Tall
ing to New York, eh! Waal, new
thought to see it. Here, come over he
and get yer cash. The dinners on IN
Never see anything so wonderful sim
the circus was here last
Il took the money. thanked him AZ
nearly laughed myself into Mysteries a
the way to Indianapolis. Electric
Review.