Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-08-17
AN ELECTRIC BLUFF.
HOW A GENIUS REASSURED THE Ho-
TEL MAN AT JAYvlLLE.

quick WORK AZ the Long distance Iele-
phone, Which the Landlord Had Not
Been Acquainted with Very Long-Draft
Cashed and Dinner Thrown In.
Ibid ever tell you about the great
bluff 1 invented and worked off on a
country hotel proprietor" asked Meek
In, the lazy inventor, as he tilted back
his chair and lit his pipe. "It would
have been blamed inconvenient 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: was making a
flying trip through the west in search of
man who was said to have invented q
process for tempering copper by electric
ity One evening about dinner time l
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 had registered. WANT
ed to catch the 9:13 train for Indianap-
oils, so l could spend the night there.
When l had finished my meal, fished
around in my pockets for dime to tip
the waiter with. / found 1 hadn't
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, l hadn't any cash, but had $50
draft on New York in my pocketbook. l
let the waiter go without his tip and
walked out to the office, where l found
the landlord. ostentatiously took up
pen, asked the landlord his name, and
made the draft payable to him.
Now said 1, 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 tho light.
At last he looked at me sharply and
said:
"'Your name Meekin?'
"'Sure thing, said L
"'T. J. Meekin?'
"'Sure.'
How do I know it?'
"'You don't, but I'm telling YOU
said l.
elbow do know you amt one o
these yere film flammers?'
you don't. Do look like film
flammer?'
WAL, We mought an We moughtn't,'
was the landlords encouraging reply. 1t
was getting near train time, and was
getting nervous In glancing around tho
nfffpo with fhn fni,,t homo fhot T,l
some one I knew, my glance fell upon
long distance telephone over in the cor
ncr. Right here was where l invented
my bluff in Jayville at s As p. m.
"'See here, Mr.. Man, said to the
landlord, you know bank draft when
you see it, don't you? Well, that's
bank draft. Now, it don't make any
difference to you who 1 am if 1 can
prove that the drafts good, does it? All
l use it?'
"'Ye can if ye know how to work
the thing. Just put her in yistiddy, an 1
amt on to the game yit.
"'All right 1 replied. Now you
come over here to the telephone with
me, and I'll soon satisfy you that your
suspicious of me and this draft are all
wrong.
ave went over to the phone; the
landlord leaned up against the wall
watching my every movement. Luckily
no one was around but an old man
asleep near the stove and stupid Ger
man porter. l picked up the receiver
without ringing, and this is what the
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,
Crandall, old man? This is Meekin.
NJ double-e-k-i-n. Yes, Meekin, T. J.
How are you? Say. I'm in Jayville,
Ind. Hotel man says your draft number
BAT on my account is no good How
about it? Well? Good for So, 900, is it?
Sure? You are, Ell? Good joke on your
old bank, amt it, Crandell? Cost you
q bottle when get back Sure it IS good,
arc you? Ha, ha! That's good Well, so
long. See you next Monday.
with that l hung up the receiver
without ringing off, and turned to look
at the landlord. His eyes were bullying
out, and when asked him if he required
any further proof he gasped ont:
" WAL, swum to gracious! Eff that
amt the finest thing ever see! Talk
ing to New York, Ell! Waal, l never
thought to see it. Here, come over here
and get yer cash. The dinners on me-
Never see anything so wonderful since
tho circus was here last.
II took the money, thanked him and
nearly laughed myself into Mysteries all
the way to indianapolis. Electrical
Review.
Mamma.