The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-10
THE HONEST FARMER.
6s II Simple and UnsuspectinE, But Scoops
the Piano Drummer.

6s Il Simple and Unsuspectins, But Scoops
the Piano Drummer.
talk all you want to about the
bunco steerers and other sharpers OF
the metropolis" remarked drummer
the other evening at a downtown hotel
to a Star reporter, but some of the
sharpest of the sharps are to be found
in the country. Out among the zelda
and lambs and sheep and other limo
cent things, don't you know"
That's because you don't expect to
find such sharpness among the rurals," "
explained the reporter, who was born
and raised in the country, and didn't
like to see his fellow-countrymen Ii.
beled.
Expecting it or rot" insisted the
drummer, ''the sharpness is there. just
the same, and It is just as sharp. For
instance" and the drummer fixed HIM
self for longer heat, "some years ago.
when 1 was drummer in pianos, II.
tell you what an experience had. Our
house was one of the big ones, with an
advertisement in every newspaper in
the country. and the way we sold pianos
was a caution TO snakes"
"Also a tip TO alleged business men
who don't advertise" interrupted the
reporter.
"Your also is sustained" said the
drummer, and proceeded: "As / was
saying. we sold pianos right and left,
and, as might be expected, we picked
up a bad customer at frequent inter-
walls. One of these had got a $500 piano
on a small spot cash payment, bal
ance monthly, on the strength OF a
farm we thought was his, also on his
general reputation, which up to this
time had been as good as anybody's in
the community"
"Like Ewes in the garden 2" ventured
the reporter.
Exactly" smiled the drummer. "If
the devil had not tempted that hitherto
exemplary female she would have come
through in good shape, and justso with
our customer. A $500 piano was more
than he could stand, and he went down
before it. After his first payment he
long as was our practice, and then sent
word to him 10 return the piano, as per
contract. In due time the piano box,
in as good trim as when we sent 1t.
came back, and we put 1t III stock. \
month later it was shipped to another
customer, and we heard from IT soon
to tho effect that there wasn't any
piano there, but that the box vas filled
with pieces of wood and iron of about
the pianos weight, and wedged solidly
into the box. Ordinarily we would not
have been so careless, but we were
rushing things, and had to neglect de-
tails. Now we had to make up for
that neglect, and went after our buneo
friend in the country. He lived 200
miles away, and at q short distance
from the small town to which we had
shipped the piano, which was on the
railroad. Well, 1 got there one morn
ing about II o'clock, and, tacEiing the
first driver / saw, l asked him If he
could take me to Jim Peters place. He
was a nice, honest-appearing sort OF
chap, and he told me Jim had moved
to another place, about 20 miles away,
and that could only get there by drlv-
ing over five miles to another road and
90 ahead on that to Jim's station.
paid him dollar to drive me over, and
he told me, as I had never seen Mr..
Peters, to ask anybody. and he would be
pointed out, as everybody knew him.
The station where he caught the train
was only q crossing, and my driver
tagged the accommodation, the con-
ductor nodding Familiarity to him as L
got aboard. AS the train moved on my
driver drove brisk!y away, and when
the conductor came around ten minutes
later, l asked him if he knew Jim
Peters, and he almost toppled over on
me in his surprise. 'Why-why, he
stammered, that was Jim Peters driv-
ing YOU Then it occurred to me that
the piano card on my satchel had gwen
me away, and Mr.. Peters had done the
rest. We tried to get the piano again,
continued the drummer, but we lost
all trace of it, and finally gave it up,
and Mr.. Peters, presume, went WITH
it."-Washington Star.