The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-01-17

~ Wtts, We agreed the land was worth
$4,000. That's what they call a tradih'
figger,' an Joe give me piece Of city
property in Chicago worth $1,000, too,
he said, but that WAS also "a tradin'
figger,' cause it was 16 mile from the
courthouse, an all under water when
! see it after the trade was made"
Exactly
"Well, / didn't say nothin' when
see Id been beat, but while was won
derin' il Joe actually thought there was
oil on that land, long comes this ere
McTagg, an says;
| "Mr. Grassneck, J. hear you've sol
that 40 acres joinin' your place.
Eyes says /, I've sol it. Wan to
buy it?'
Say says he, lis that straight
sale, or have you got string tied onto
lit?
"'Mr. McTagg,' says I, the lands en-
tirely out o my hands. Was you look
in to buy it?'
Say says he, 7 wish you'd tell me
the truth about this ere sale, cause if
you do, you'll likely make some money
out of it, an if you don't. you WON'T
"Then l says, mfr. McTagg. amt
got time to talk to men that doubts my
word Jus like that.
well, we had some more O. that kind
o. talk, an he wants to know if Joe
Hockensmith d like to sell, which /
knowed he would, cause he'd been ask
in me to buy it back at small figgcr,
SO told McTagg if he wanted the land
to go see the owner. Then he says:
It's like this: I'm authorized TO
make mighty good offer for that land,
but | got special reasons for not wantin'
to deal with Joe Hockensmith. got
good advice can't make no trade with
him nohow, but a man like you ought
to make pretty fair bargain-that is,
if our scheme amt leak'd OUT
II asst him what scheme he was re-
ferring to, an he says: You'll hear Of
it as soon as anyone"
(which you have found to be true,
eh?" said the judge.
"Then," continued Ezra, not noticing
the interruption, I asst him how much
he'd pay for the land, an what terms he
wanted, an how much l get for making
the trade an all that, an he says:
~ come to you cause cunt make
this trade myself, an you bein' Chris
tian man, knowed l could trust to
your honor. Now I got to get that land,
an ought to have contrac' tonight.
1t amt for me, but the CONTRACTS to be
in my name for obvious reasons II
think that's what he said.
"'Now,' he continues, we y,hnt that
land as cheap as we can get III, but we
want it bad, an If you do your best an
get me contrac' for it for the lowest
figger Joe Hockensmith II take, there's
a hundred an half in it for you. AS
to the TERMS says he, you can read
this, but don't say word about It to
nobody
Then he shows me telegraph that
says: Make contrac' at oncet. If |
necessary, offer $4,000, $1,000 down,
balance 80 days., and it was signed, y. |
L. Mason, Superintendent
"Slandered Oil compshy?" asked the
judge.
Eyes. Then, thinks 1, I can see
through this scheme, an aimed then
an there to make up what lost sellin' |
out so cheap So l says: I'll do it if / |
can, Mr.. McTagg,' an he says: It's a
60
well, didn't have no trouble gettin'
Joe Hockensmith to agree to give me
half o. what he gets over an above
So, 900 for fndin' buyer. Fact is, / |
came near buyin' it off him right then
an there an sellin' it to McTagg my
self, was that trustin' an easy de-
ceived. But, thinks l, that amt hardly
so fixes it with Joe. But
it seemed Joe needed money right
smart an had to have it right off an
says the trades got to go through in
five days or he'd sell out to man from
who'd offered him $4,000"
what was the name of the Pitts
burgh man ?" interjected the judge.
HE didn't say. Does it make any diff
Proceed"
"Well, done my best to talk him
,ut O. that fiye-day business, hut it was
no use. So goes back to McTagg an
ellis him l can buy the land for s., 1000,
hat there was man from Pittsburgh
vantin' it, and we'd have to be liberal
With Joe to get it. Course this mayn't
,ave been strictly true; but you know,
n ordinary business transactions a
mans apt to forget himself
Yes. quite often, acqu'csced the
Judge.
Then McTagg says: Tn glad we
'ot the land, but I'm sorry we have to
rive so much why, man alive. says /.
mistaken his intentions, for
our business you've got q rare bar
aim Well. mebby so,' says he; let's