The Van Buren press., 1896-10-17
WeLL-soLD SWAPPING TURTLE.
1t Led s. Country Lad to Wall street.
Matrimony and Afiuence.

NuuItl hph nave bf9SA - -
ton on the floor the other Wy" said
& broker to a party of friends, "if he had
not used such tone of suspicion wheG
he demanded more margin on certain
stocks that had with him in loan.'
Its only his way, Charlie said O
hearer; "he didn't mean 10 injure You
at all"
Possibly he did not said the frat
speaker. 1T may have been due to the
training that old Dutch banker, -.
gave him, and his innate desire TO let
nothing escape.
"Nhen he and | were bcys," Charlie
continued II spent several summers
on his fathers farm out in Jersey. II
was there that he met his partner, and
there is curious little story connected
with their first business transaction -
one in which he did the old fellow, but
at the same time endeared himself te
him.
"John and I had been fishing, and
among other things had caught snap
ping turtle that weighed about 90
J
per home tied to a stick, one having
hold of each end of it, when we met the
banker driving along in buggy to his
summer home.
"Our catch presented good appear
ance, and the old fellow stopped TO in
quire about it. as he had never seen So
large turtle before, except in the mar
ket. He asked what we were going TO
do with it. and we told him what de-
licious soup it would make. At once he
wanted it, and offered 80 cents for it,
| was for accepting the so cents, but no.
so John. He felt that he had Gus,
toner and held out for one dollar-and
he got it.
cold - was little afraid of the
snapper's jaws, but John and 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 sen
of the old mans buggy ard he drove off
with it.
CAS- he did so I started on toward
home, but John sat down by the road.
side.
"'What are you waiting for?' I said
"'The snapper said John.
cts gone. said /.
"'Mebbe it is, and mebbe il amt.
Wait a minute and watch the old man,
said he.
and sure enough, before the old
man had gone half a mile we heard him
yell and then saw him jump from his
buggy
"John rolled on the grass and
laughed nearly as loudly as the old man
had yelled.
"Picking 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
I 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, and nipped the old
mans Sims, and had taken undisputed
| possession of the buggy.
Gle found the old fellow in a state of
ernation-swearing at the snapper
in the most expressive German at his
command, and rubbing his shins at the
same time.
"What you sell me, de devil?" asked
the old man.
"No, nice, fat, juicy snapper"
said John, land / sold him too cheaply,
too. He'll make delicious soup, and
plenty of it,"
"Donnerwetter soup! I'll hat no
soup. Gif me my toller and take de
| brute"
81 haven't your dollar. Charley has
| it back there in the road. Take the
snapper to him and l guess he'll give
you the dollar"
-"Me! Me take dat eatin' ting! !
wouldn't get into that PIGGY now for
quarter each way. Get i'm out, and
keep the toller."
at 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 into
| his buggy as soon as the snapper
reached the ground and drove hurriedly
away.
"Of course | rejoined John and we
soon had his snappership swinging
from our stick. We walked home in
triumph 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.
"The old man bore us no i'll will, but
still he never wanted to buy any more
OF our 'schnappers,' although he oc
casionally 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 TO
ride with him, and together they drove
eff. They were gone about an hour
That night John said: I'm going to be
banker
"You-going TO he banker-what
Donsense!"-i exclaimed
Nonsense or not; it's fact. The
aid man tonight asked me to take a
position with him. l told him l knew
nothing of the business, and would be
a failure
"'You pc a failure he said. You
who hat solt me a schnapper and haf
got my toller and my schnapper! Dot