The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-07
WATCHES IN MAINE CAMPS.
The Clever Way in which n Buncs
Man Worked Them OF on tn,
Maine MoOdsmen.

! Philips (Ne) Correspondence Boston
Globe.
Inc other day dapper little man with
'e9 dip, melton coat, creased trousers. and
an alligator dress suit case, blew into the
Phillips Hotel, registered as ]. A. Woods
| OF Portland, and in due course Of time
announced himself as a jewelry salesman
making tour of the larger camps in the
| lumber regions of Northern Maine.
| us specially was watches, and he exhib-
ited samples of gold ticl1ers that appeared
/ beyond the price, If not the ambition, of the
average woodsman. But nobody ventured
TO tell him his business, and during the aft
ernoon he drove away, 10 be absent, as he
| put II, until he should have cleared out
| the entire line.
Then came the cold snap. 1t was OBJ
served once or twice that the salesman
| must be getting a cold shoulder away
Daek In the woods. but as the average
| Phillipian has troubles of his own when
the mercury toys with the 30-below mark,
| ne soon passed out of mind
On thursday last he returned. He looked
as though he had been drawn through a
Knot hole His face was pinched, there
were dents In his 99 dip his trousers mad
lost their hair edge, and his melton told
OF close association with pork grease and
/ 'A-OAe's0~7' ADHb VII every feature was
| stamped success.
Sold every ticker, boys" he chartered,
as ne paid his bin out of a roll of long
greens that caused just a ripple of ex-
element.
An hour later he was in Pennington
How did he do 1t, each one asked his neigh
Dor. Yes, how did he do it,
1t certainly had every appearance of
madness-this plunge into the backwoods
W Of ALI,
gold watches but there was method In
this particular Woods madness, as will be
seen.
The exact direction he took from Phil
lips need not be told here; suffice it to saw
that the following evening, found him be-
side huge "air tight In a well known
camp extending to the boys the hospital
ity of his grip which was wet and of In
excellent quality. He also showed limit
| ed number of gold watches, which ne ex-
planned confidently were worth a cool $50
each and were going with him over Ar
| nold's trail and across the line. He APP
| peared TO change his role, then, from a
| jewelry salesman to a jewelry smuggler.
! Now, this particular camp is what might
| be termed sporty-that is, the upper set
enjoy now and then of an evening a quiet
game of "opuch' accent on the W, and
| by the way, pouch in North Franklin for.
poker and includes everything from tooth
| pick freeze-out in a back shop, toothpicks
redeemable at cent per, to a 81 age. root
limit, played on a barrel in a suburban
| barn.
1t might have been the peculiar brand Of
| Mr.. Woods hospitality, and it might not.
but however that might be, after supper
pipes had not burned out when somebody
| proposed game of poker and the hos
pitable stranger with the dress suit case
was invited to take a hand.
He was reluctant at first, seldom PLAYED
| in fact; inquired about the limit thanked
them all, opened the grip again, and final
| ly SAT in.
sassy at that. The amount of the age was
optional with the dealer. although 50 was
| q favorite and 1t generally cost a man an X
before he might speak his little piece.
1t was apparent from the beginning that
Woods was not what is termed close
player. He was curious, and curiosity in a
poker game is said to be expensive.
But, then, that was nobody elses busi
ness, so long as his supply of rags held
out, and he was such a cheerful loser!-
| Unexpectedly about o'clock occurred his
Waterloo-a king full against a pat flush
and four mines.
1t was sad affair, and general express
| sions of sympathy were In order Woods
took it calmly, and after he had set 'em
Wy uh olOutld' just " SNOW there were no
hard feelings he broke the news that all
! his stuff was gone; that he was by no
mean insolvent, having assets in the form
of a score of eighteen-carat gold watches
full-jewe.ed, etc, that cost him at whole
sale $50 each.
| Under the circumstances, however no
would be willing to age them out al sos
each, with the express understanding that
he was at liberty TO. redeem them for cash
which he could, easily GET at the nearest
| wire. ts4
He could not, of course think of nartine
permanently with the collateral ar arS,
such figure, but he felt sure his interests
| were safe, as he was among perfect gem
| tlemen. -aff}
Then he placed upon the table hale
dozen watches. They were indeed beauties
and all that was represented. The nama
of the maker was upon the dial. the 40.
ures is and full jeweled' in side the case
The proposition was fair; it was accented
and the game proceeded.
Woods played better after that He a.,
not get tangled up in so many arcumentS
and staid out where before he was crao,
to send $40 after 81 20 draw to a nair ns
deuces.
But for all that he continued 10 lice
steadily. though not heavily, and soo,
every man about the table had az least
one watch buried among his pile of lone
| green's
Never mind, boys" he would say AZ be
|