St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-15
SHARPER HAYSEED.
"A shrewd Drummer Falls Vic.

"a
tim to Il New Bunco Trick.
New York Herald.
1t is not often that a confidence man
is smart enough to get the better OF an
experienced commercial traveller, but
now and then such thing occurs.
A case in point is told with great
gusto by the victim, who is a we'll
known traveller for prominent New
York dry goods house. Seated one day
recently in the corridor of the Fifth
Avenue hotel, he narrated briefly this
experience:
II had taken my seat" he said, lin
an ordinary day coach at Louisville
My destination was Evansville, and
was thinking with pleasure OF my
prospective meeting with Dave Mes
bit, who, as you know, is not only dry
goods mans best customer in Evans
VILE, but the jollieSt fellow in that or
almost any other city in the United
States.
1.-The train was just pulling out of the
depot when a passenger entered. lie
strolled up the car, and, upon reaching
nv seat, asked if / had any objections
to his occupying a portion of 1t. VI
course | had none, and he seated him
sell uliGCIly OpDOSllS lllS, L AASSN 'iAo A-NNNN
the forward seat turned over. He pro-
tested against my moving any of my
things; said he didn't mind riding back
ward, and in a few moments we were
engaged in conversation.
Il found my companion charming
conversationalist He was a Southern
er gentlemanly in appearance, and re-
marked in the course of our talk that
he was going on to St. Louis. Then we
discussed various matters-the tariff,
silver bill. cotton and tobacco crop, the
state of trade, and, in fact, about
everything that casual railway &C
ouaintancas might talk about. L found
nv companion we'll informed, and be
gan to develop a liking for him.
Ten or fifteen miles out OF LOUIS
vile. at a small station, a lanky green
horn of a countryman boarded the
train. The car by that time was pretty
we'll filled up, and, after desperate at
+er,pt to curl himself up on the wood
box. the newcomer strolled forward.
Hating beside us, he draWled out IN d
most pronounced accent: Have either
of YOU got any chewin' tobacco"'
INV companion replied that he had
not. and 1 said that never cheWed TO-
bacco. but added that | had some tuiu
with me- At that time every one IN
Louisville chewed tulu, and l had ac-
CURED the habit temporarily.
THE countryman laughed, but accept
ed some of the tulu, put it in his mouth,
laughed again, and remarked that 1t
war a POI substitute for tobacco, but
he reckoned he could make 1t go.
Then, without any apology, and With
out asking whether his company was
acceptable, he pumped down in va
cant seat next my companion.
" Fine weather, he said, fer crops,
by way of starting a conversation. /
replied that it was, and then resumed
my discussion with the other.
81 jes ken from Louisville re-
marked the yokel, after a brief pause.
Sold m mules thar, an now m Soin'
home Then he continued to describe
in his rude way the sights he had seen
and the things he had done in Louis
vile.
'''You were Fortunate said my &C
uuaintance, in not falling into the
hands of bunco men. A fellow like you
might be robbed hundred times in
city without ever finding it out. It's
wonder you didn't lose all the money
you got for your mules:
"'Ain't got much of it left drawled
the countryman. Played keards with
some men 1 met in a saloon, an they
got most of it. We played a new
game. [ wasn't quite up to it, an they
won most times. But they taught me
tn game an gin me pack o keards,
an l reckon there won't be many dol
lars left in my county after l get at tn
boys at hum
Hes run up against some carl
sharps,' whispered my acquaintance 10
me, and l smiled at the yokels limo
cence and nodded back that L under
stood. Then, addressing the back
woodsman, he remarked: told you
so. You've fallen in with gamblers.
It's wonder you have any money
left, you simpleton. They don't gener-
ally treat countrymen that way.
ct was a fair and square game.
replied the innocent. L bet an L lost,
but now l know tn game an | don
mind. I'll get my money out tn boys.
You see you play the game with three
keards. I've been practicin5 it, an
now | kin do it. Do you want to see 1t?
l have the keards here
Without waiting for a reply he
pulled out a pack OF cards, selected
three aces and exposed lher races.
You see, to fool man. he said, yo |
turn up a corner of one keard, an ace
of hearts, say. Then you throw 'em
this way, an you bet as how the other
man can't pick out the keaTd.
He executed the throw clunsi,y and
then, turning to my companion, said,
Now, I'll bet you $40 that YOU can't
pick the ace of hearts,
Nonsense, man. said the ether,
you're a fool. You don't know how
to play that
My advice to you, my FRIEND said
I, is to throw those cards out of the
window. You can't play the game.
You're so awkward that any one can
pick the card
I'll bet you can't pick it, he re-
iterated, doggedly, to my chance ac-