The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-22
WE'LL SOLD TURTLE.
1T WAS OF THE SWAPPING KIND. AND
THEREBY HANGS THIS TALE.

1t Opened the Way For Country Ind TO
Wall Street, IL Rich Wife and Husi,,css
Success Qualities Displayed In II Small
Transaction Which Pleased tho Banker
81 would not have minded Johns nc
ton on tho floor the other day" said u
broker to party of friends yesterday.
If he had not used such tone of sus-
piciOn when he demanded more margin
on certain stocks that had with him
III u loan. F"
ITS only his way, Charlie" said II
nearer. "llc didn't mean to injuro You
at all. -
Possibly no did not" said the first
speaker ''It may have been due to the
training that old Dutch banker -
gave him and his inmate desire to let
nothing escape.
when he and We're boys" Charlie
continued, II spent several summers on
his fathers farm out III Jersey. 1t was
there that he met his partner, and there
is u curious little story connected with
their first business transaction, ono in
which lie did tho old fellow, but ut
John and | had been fishing. and
among other things had caught II snap
ping turtle that weighed about 90
pounds. We Wcrc carrying the snapper
home tied to stick, one having hold of
each end Of it, when we met the bank
or driving along i'll y buggy to his sum-
MGR home.
Our catch presented good appear
ancc and the old fellow stopped to i'll
quirc about it, as ho had never seen so
largo a turtle before except in tho mar
llet. He asked what we were going to
do with it, and we told him what deli.
cious soup it would make. AT once he
wanted it and offered 30 cents for it. |
was for accepting the 80 cents, but not
so John. He felt that he had n custom.
Ell and held ont for 81, and he got It.
"Old - was little afraid of the
snapper's jaws, but John and 1 bridlod
the turtle by passing bit OF nshin,.
line around it and between its jaws
and so tied its head we'll back under its
shell. We then received our silver dol
lar, tossed the snapper under the seat Of
the old mans buggy, and he drove off
with it.
LAS he did so started on toward
home, but john sat by the roadside.
" What arc you waiting for:' said
Tho snapper. said John
It's gone" said l.
% Mebbc it is, and mcbhe il ain't.
| Wait minute and watch the old man, >
| said he.
And sure enough, before the old
man had gone half u mile we heard him
yell and then saw him jump from his
| buggy.
John rolled on the grass and laugh
ed nearly rs loudly us tho old man had
yelled.
Picking himself up, he said, Let's
go get our snapper.
| I'D rather havo the dollar 1 said.
What's the matter with having
both? he replied, and tossing me the
dollar and telling mo to remain where
| was he started up the road after the
old man, who was afraid to go near his
buggy, for the snapper had bitten
through its bride, had nipped the old
man. shins and had taken undisputed
| possession of the buggy.
He found the old fellow i'll II state
| of CONSERVATION, swearing at the snap
| per i'll the most expressive German at
Iris command and rubbing his shins at
| the same time.
'What you sell me-de dcvil?' asked
| the old man.
"'No, Il nice fat, juicy snapper, said
John, and sold him too chcaply, too
He'll make delicious soup and plenty
of it. >
'Domcrwcttcr! Soup! I'll hat no
soup! Gif me my toll,r and take do
| brute
II haven't your dollar Charley has
it back there i'll the road Take the
snapper to him, and l guess he'll give
you tho dollar.
"'Mc Ne take dat eatin ting? 1
wouldn't get into that PIGGY now for 1.
quarter each way. Get i'm out and keep
the tolla
It WAS like rolling off log for John
to take Il stick, pred the snapper and
Jerk him TO she ground as soon as he
had fastened his jaws upon it. Old
Dutchy, as We called him, jumped into
his buggy as Soou as the snapper reach
cd the ground and drove hurricdly away.
"Of course ! reioincd JOHN. and we