The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-09-09
WE'LL SOLD TURTLE.
IT WAS OF THE SWAPPING KIND, AND
THEREBY HANGS THIS TALE.

success-Qualities Displayed In Small
transaction Which Pleased the Banker.
81 would not have minded Johns ac-
ton on the floor the other day, " said
broker to g party of friends yesterday,
'df no had not used such tone OF sus-
picion when he demanded more margin
on certain stocks that / had with him
in loan.
'It's only his way, Charlie" said q
nearer. "He didn't mean to injure you
at ALL
Possibly he did not, :" said the first
speaker. ut may have been due to the
training that old Dutch banker -
gave him and his innate desire to let
nothing escape.
when he and were boys, " Charlie
continued, 81 spent several summers on
his fathers farm out in Jersey. 1t was
there that he met his partner, and there
is a curious little story connected with
their first business transaction, one IN
which he did the old fellow, but at
the same time endeared himself to him.
"John and 1 had been fishing, and
among other things had caught snap
ming turtle that weighed about ~
pounds We were carrying the snapper
home tied to O stick, one having hold OF
each end of it, when we met the bank
or driving along in buggy to his sum-
mer home.
"Our catch presented good appear
anoe. and the old fellow stopped to in
quire about it. as he had never seen SO
large O turtle before except in the mar
ket, 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 so cents for 1t.
was for accepting the 30 cents, but not
so John. He felt that he had custom
err and held out for 81. and he got it.
"Old - was little afraid of the
snapper's jaws, but John and I bridled
the turtle by passing bit Of fishing
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.
"As he did SO l started on toward
home, but John sat by the roadside.
What are you waiting for2 said
The snapper said John.
I" It's gone, said I.
"'Mebbe it is, and mebbe it amt.
Wait minute and watch the old man,
said he.
"And sure enough, before the old
man had gone half mile we heard him
yell and then saw him jump from his
buggy.
"John rolled on the grass and laugh
ed nearly as loudly as the old man had
yelled.
"Pioking himself up, he said, Let's
go get our snapper.
I'D rather have the dollar, said.
What's the matter with having
both?' he replied. and tossing me the
dollar and telling me to remain where
1 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
mans shins and had taken undisputed
possession of the buggy.
He found the old fellow in a state
of CONSERVATION, swearing at the snap
per in the most expressive German at
his command and rubbing his shins at
the same time.
"'What you sell me-de devilH' asked
the old man.
No, nice fat, juicy snapper said
John, and sold him too cheaply, too.
He'll make delicious soup and plenty
of it.
'Donnerwetterl Soupl I'll hat no
soupi Gift me my tollar and take de
brute.
Il haven't your dollar. Charley has
1t back there III the road. Take the
snapper to him. and I guess he'll give
you the dollar.
Mel Me take dat eatin ting? ]
Wouldn't get into that PIGGY now for o
quarter each way. Get i'm out and keep
the tollar.
ut was like rolling off a log for John
to take a stick, prod the snapper and
jerk him to the ground as soon as he
had fastened his jaws upon it. Old
Dutchy, as we called him, jumped intc
his buggy as soon as the snapper reach.
ed the ground and drove hurriedly away.
"Of course / rejoined John, and we
soon had his snappership swinging from
our stick. We walked home in tri.
umph, with the dollar in one pocket and
the snapper. metaphorically, In the
other. Our joke was too good to keep,
and that night we related it to all who
visited the mill.
1.-THE old man bore us no i'll will, but
still he never wanted to buy any more
of our 'schnappers, although he occa.
sionally stopped to look at them from
the seat of his buggy when he met US
carrying them home.
"John and were sitting on the mill
steps one evening when the old man
drove up. He stopped, asked John tt
ride with him, and together they drove
off. They were gone about an hour.
That night John said, I'm going to be
banker.
'You-going to be banker! What
nonsense' exclaimed.
Nonsense or not, it's fact. The old
man tonight asked me to take a position
with him. l told him knew nothing
of the business and would be failure.
lyon pc failurep he said. You,
who hat solt me q schnapper and hal
got my tollar and my schnapperi Dot
is too funny. You come Wit me. want
you, and some day put you ON de ex.
change You judge human nature, and
you know animal nature. De bulls ano
dc bears is de place for you
"John went with the old man and
ever since has had the dollar In one
hand and the snapper on the stick in the
other. He married the old mans daugh'
ter, got into the firm and now owns the
whole concern. New York Times.