The Meeker herald., 1897-01-09
THE HONEST FARMER.
He Is Simple and Unsuspectins. But Scoops
tho Plano Drummer.


the Piano Drummer.
Talk all YOU want to about the
bunuo stcerers und other saarpers OF
the metropolis" remarked drummer
the othcr evening at downtown hotel
to 4 Star reporter, "but some of the
shaipest of the sharps are to be found
in the country. Out among the fields
and lambs and sheep and other inno-
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 sec his fellow-countrynen Ii
beleI.
"Expectipg it or not" 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 ] was drummer in pianos, III.
tell you what an experience l had. Our
house was one of the big ones, with an
advertisement in every newspaper in
the country, and the waywc sold pianos
wos caution to snakes
"Also a tip to alleged business men
who don't advertise" interrupted the
reporter.
= :.four also is sustained said the
drummer, and proceeded: AS l was
SAYING, we sold pianos right and left,
ana. o. might be expected, we picked
up had customer at frequent inter-
v-sof iiese had got a 5000 piano
on q mall spot cash payment, bal
ance monthly, on the strength of
farm We thought was his, also on his
genera reputation, which up to this
time lad been az good as anybody's in
the community"
"Lilr Eve's in the garden?" ventured
the reporter.
Exactly" smiled the drummer. "f
the devil had not tempted that hitherto
exem ,lary female she would have come
through in good shape, and justso with
our customer. A $500 piano was more
THAI he could stand, and he went down
before it. After his first payment he
failed to respond, and we waited as
long as was our practice, and then sent
word to him to return the piano. as per
contract. In due time the piano box,
in AZ good trim us when we cent it.
month later it wns shipped to another
customer, and we heard from it soon
to the effect that there wasn't any
piano there, but TINT the box was filled
with pieces OF wood and iron of about
the pianos weight, and wedged solidly
into the box. Ordinarily we would not
have been 20 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 bunco
friend in the country. He lived goo
miles away, and at short distance
from the amall town to which we had
shipped the piano, which was on the
railroad. Well, got there one morn
ing about II o'clock, and, tackling the
first driver l saw, 1 asked him if he
could take me to Jim Peters place. He
was q nice, honest-appcaring sort OF
chap, and he told me Jim had moved
to another place, about 90 miles away,
and that could only get there by driv-
ing oser five miles to another road and
20 ab&ad on that to Jim's station. l
paid him q dollar. to drive me over, and
he told me, a. I had never seen MT.
Peters, to ask anybody, and he would be
pointed out, as everybody knew him.
The station where he caught the train
was only . crossing. and my driver
tagged the accommodation, the con
ductor nodding faniliarly to him as l
got aboard. As the train moved off my
driver drove brixkly away, and when
the conductor came around ten minutes
Later, I asked him If he knew Jim
Peters, and he almost toppled over on
INC in his surprise. 'Why-why,' he
stammsred, that was Jim Peters dfiv-
ing you.' Then it occurred to me that
the piano card on my satchel had given
me away, and Mr.. Peters had done the
rest. We tried to get the piano again"
continued the drummer, 'but we lost
all traoe of II, and finally gave 1T up
and Mf. Peters, presume. went with
it."-wa5hington Star.