The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-03-12
wELL.soLD SWAPPING TURTLE

Il WOulG EOL nave MINDED JOnn ac'
ton on the floor the other day." said
broker to party of friends, IF he had
not used such tone of suspicion when
he demanded more margin on certain
stocks that had with him in loan"
''It's only his way, Charlie" said
hearer; 'he didn't mean TO injure you
at ALL"
Possibly he did not" said the first
speaker. at may have been due to the
training that old Dutch banker, -.
gave him, and his innate desire to LET
nothing escape.
''When he and l were boys" Charlie
continued, 81 spent several summers
on his fathers farm out in Jersey. It
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 had been fishing, and
among other things had caught snap
ping turtle that weighed about 20
pounds. We were carrying the snap
per home tied TO n 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 II. as he had never seen Sc
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 50 cents for it.
was for accepting the 80 cents. but not
30 John. He felt that he had a Gus
TONER and held ont for one dollar-and
he got it.
"Old - was little afraid of the
snapper's Jaws but John and bridled
the turtle by passing a bit of fishing
line around it and between its jaws
and so tied it's head well 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 I started on toward
home, but John sat down by the road.
side.
"What are you waiting for?' said
1.-The snapper said John.
Its 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
laughed nearly as loudly as the old man
had yelled.
"Picking himself up. he said Let's
go get our snapper
''T'd rather lave the dollar" said
whats the matter with having
both?" he replied. and tossing me the
dollar and telling me to remain where
was, he started ap the road after the
Did man, who was afraid to go near his
buggy, for the snapper had bitten
through its bride, and nipped the old
mans shins. and had taken undisputed
POSSESSION 81 the buggy.
''He found the old fellow in a state of
sternation-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.
mo, 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"
"Mle! Me take dat eatin' ting!
couldn't get into that PIGGY now for
quarter each way. Get i'm out, and
keep the toller."
ut was like rolling off log for John
to take stick, prod the snapper, and
jerk him to the ground as soon as be
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, il
the other. Our joke was too good tc
keep, and that night we related it tc
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 l were sitting on the mil
steps one evening when the old mar
drove up. He stopped, asked John tt
ride with him, ard together they drov,
Off. They were gone about an hour
That night John said: I'm going to bt
q banker
"You-going to be banker-wha'
nonsense!" exclaimed.
Nonsense or not: it's fact. Tn,
old man tonight asked me to take
position with him. 1 told him l knew
nothing of the business, and would be
a failure
"'You pc failure!' he said. You
who hat solt me schnapper and hal
got my toller and my schnapper! Dot
Is too funny. You come Wit me. want
you, and some day put you on the
exchange. You Judge human nnture.