The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-04-18
A FINE DISTINCTION.
Little Story Showing the Difference Be-

A Little Story Showing the Difference Be-
tween "Cheek" and "Gall.''
"Now and then hear some one declare
that a man has monumental gall, but
the fellow using the term has no concep-
ton of it's significance He simply means
! it's a case of extraordinary cheek"
! 1t was Cincinnati man stopping for
day or two in Detroit who spoke as above,
and when asked what he knew about
monumental gall'' he replied:
81 was travelling in California during
the great boom and one day got around to
Los Angeles and met chap who used to
be in the furniture business in my town.
He had arrived only the day before and
was fiat broke AS he had put up at the
best hotel, thought that was case OF
monumental gall but he hadn't begun
to show his never yet.
"After bit he came to me and wanted
to know if had any blank checks in east
ern banks l had checks on Cincinnati,
Chicago, St. Louis and Toledo and gave
him six or eight. Everybody was wild
over real estate, and this chap took walk
around and got options on three different
lots, giving his check for about SIS, 600 in
each case. Some one went up to the hotel
to ask about him, and he turned around
and took an option on the caravansary at
$3.50, 900 for 10 days. He wrote out a
check for $685. 900 as cool as you please,
and within the next "a hours had options
ON the best bargains in town.
81 gave him a dozen checks in all, and
he filled 'em out for about $150,00O. IT
any of the banks had been telegraphed to,
he would have been dished, but he had
way with him which seemed to satisfy ev-
erybody that he was heeled and was work
ing for a ten strike. | saw him make Outa
check for $50, 900 and shake it under the
nose of a man who had been offering a
nice bit of land for SAT 900. He scared
the man half to death for a minute, and
then he rushed out and put the price at
$50, 000."
"But he couldn't really buy any land?"
"He didn't want to. He was giving
that locality specimen OF monumental
gall The people were up on cheek, but
had never seen a face of hammered brass.
What dye think he did? I'll tell you
straight, and I'll give you the names of
parties to write to if you doubt my word.
Before a single one of his options expired
he sold them out to new crowd, and in
eight days he had cleared $25, 900 in as
good gold as California ever mined. The
owner of the hotel gave him $1,000 and his
worthless checks in my presence and felt
so good over it that he opened the cham
payne and brought out some cigars worth
ST each"
"And didn't you make anything?"
"Not a blamed redi Say, that cuss even
depended on me for his 5 cent cigars for
four or five days, and l sat around like
bump on log and saw him rake in fine
| fortune! He got out of the thing slick and
| clean, without a suspicion, while had to
telegraph home for misera bic little $500,
and the landlord had man watching me
| for two or three days to see that l didn't
jump my bill I've got cheek enough to
carry me along pretty comfortable, but
when it comes to monumental gall' I'm
way down the hall. used to mix the
terms, but 1 don't any more. Any fool can
have Check but the other stuff is only
to be found in chain lightning sort of
man. "-Detroit Free Press.