Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-03-06
Up TO THE TIMES.
Major Handy in New York "MaiI
and Express
DIScOURSES ON CURRENT TOPICS
How Western Farmers are Taken in
Expense for Bicarbonate Of Soda
In the U. S. Senate.

What fools these mortals ber' This
was the text, in substance, if not in
form, of discussion at a recent session
OF the Old Stagers' Club. The subject
came up apropos of newspaper re-
port of how Broadway newsman was
buncoed out of 80, which he advanced
solid-looking citizen on pair of
brass bound eyeglasses. The Old Stag
ers, in the confidence of an executive
session, instead of wondering how
such games could be successfully played,
frankly confessed that they one and
all had been the victims of Just such
games equally transparent.
"For my part" said the veteran
contractor, who has the reputation of
being hard-headed business man, and
who has built railroads and bridges all
over the country, ''for my part. 1 am
free to say that was fool enough TO
attempt to beat the three-card monte
game. 1t was in San Antonio, Texas.
l cannot account for it. for had heard
of that swindle and read about it a
thousand times; but when | came to
see the cards laid out right before my
eyes it seemed the easiest thing in the
world to pick out the right one. In
the attempt to do that thing lost all
the money had about me, besides a
watch and revolver. Fortunately a
friend of mine had. unknown to me,
watched the game, and afterward bull
dozed the gambler into giving me back
$l5 and revolver. 1t just shows what
fool man can be.
''The fellow who beat me out of that
money" the contractor went on to say,
turned out to be famous character
in his way, and l got to knowing him
very we'll. think they called him
Canada Bill. One of the smartest
tricks that he ever played came under
my notice. On the train from Chicago
to st. Louis he swindled fellow pas
senger to the tune of several hundred
dollars. The man who was robbed
found it out and wired the police at ST.
Louis to meet the train there and ar
rest the offender. Having sent his tele.
gram he was foolish enough to tell
other passengers. and SO the matter
came to Bills ears. The latter then
went into another car, where he got
into conversation with a commercial
traveller, upon whom he made such an
impression that they exchanged business
cards. On arriving at the depot Bill
offered to carry the commercial trav-
lntn tc n md Nl,rx
arrested he protested Indignantly, and
claimed that he was travelling for a
mercantile firm. and in proof of his
identity showed the sample case and
the business card which he had bor-
rowed from his acquaintance on the
cars. This acquaintance was confused
by the audacity of this impersonation
of himself before his very eyes, but
venturing to protest, found himself de-
nounced by Bill as the real offender
The police took him into custody,
while Bill quietly walked to neigh
boring hotel with sample case in hand
andregistered under his newly assumed
name. I mention this incident to show
how plausible such swindlers can be
and how resourceful they are. 1t is
only fair to say that within an hour
Bill had hunted up professional
bailer, bailed his victim out, and
jumped the town.
eve farmers" said the Western
Granger, are after all the favorite
suckers. Out in my State of Iowa
they spring something new ON us every
few months, and we bite every time.
Not long ago fellow went around my
county painting patent medicine adver'
tisements on barns and fences. 1t was
his practice to pay farmer So, some
times less, for the privilege, ION condi
ton that the sign should not be painted
over for year. For this money hi
would take receipt. and here is where
the trick came in. After showing 6
receipt in due form for the amount tht
fellow would substitute for signature
a promissory note for $500. Several O.
these notes, duly signed, were taken to
the nearest town where there was /,
bank and negotiated. Not one of tn,
victims of these swindles suspected
anything until they were called upol
to pay the notes.
"Another clever thing worked ON u
was the highland cranberry swindle
We can't grow cranberries ON suol
land as we have in our country, an,
vet they are in great demand, particu
larly at Thanksgiving and Christmas
A fellow came around in buggy, driv
ing from farmhouse to farmhouse
selling what he called highland Gran
berries seed. His stock in trade con
sisted of few bushels of clover see
and box of splendid cranberries. H
was glib talker and made us all be
lieve that we had only to plant thes
seeds to make the most profitable crop
| that we had ever known. The thin
} became craze, and we bought ever
/ pound of his clover seed and more tina
he got US. We paid him $40 pound