The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-04-13
SMART AT SPELLING.
A LESSON IN PHOTOGRAPHY THAT
WAS DEARLY BOUGHT.

How "a Couple of shrewd Sharperi
Won Thousand of Dollars b!
Working the Dictionary For Game
Until They Were Brought to Grief.
"Eow do Jon spell choir? asked {
man in the bookstore.
"What do you mean-paper or mu'
sic?" inquired a smart young man who
poses as an authority on all topics.
Music, singing, Of course. replied
the mar in search of photographed in.
formation.
"C-h-o-i-r." responded the smart
younS man decisively.
"Q.ui-r-e." chimed in a red bearded
man who was busy looking at some
books.
lyon are referring to paper" said
the smart young a looking sadly at
the intcrrupter. I'VE were speaking
about music"
II mean music. too" said the red
bearded mar calmly: 'q-u-i-r-e. to sing
in concert"
The smart young mans expression
changed from sadness to contempt
"You had better consult your diction-
ary. he said with a sheer.
"Never mind" retorted the red
bearded man. my way Of spelling may
be a little old fashioned, but you will
find it correct according to Webster
You will also find it correct according
to the Century Dictionary, and if / am
not mistaken it is likewise given in the
Standard. Your way is all right too"
The smart young man gave a sniff Of
scorn Josh Billings and you should
have collaborated on a phonetic spelling
book"
Look here. said the red bearded
man, "Ill bet you SO that Webster's
latest spells it 'q-u-i-r-e.'"
MAKE it s." said the smart young
man, pulling out a roll.
"No; I don't want to rob you. Get
the dictionary"
The money was put up and Webster's
International brought out. There it
was, ''q-u-i-r-e, to sing in concert"
81 didn't mean a verb" said the
smart young man. growing white
the ears. Where is the nounr'
They found that. too, although it was
marked obsolete. Then the kmart young
wiltGd. e.
II won't take your money" said the
bearded man, handing back the
bills. my name is Bell. George 7.
Bell. Ihave had educational advantages
which you probably never received, and
spent several months learning the
different ways to spell that word. Sew
raj years ago ! wal on the secret serv-
ce. My partner and | had been on the
rail Of a pair Of sharpers who had a
epertory Of con games that would
ave made the ordinary bunko man look
ick. They were men of far more than
rdinary intelligence and had the man
Iers of cultured men of the world. The
7ay we happened to get them was a
ure accident.
My partner and / were going down
rom st. Louis on a Mississippi river
acket. There were about 20 of us in
1e smoking room talking and trying to
ass the time comfortably. Just as a :
III came in the hum of conversation q
oung man seated at a table writing +,
T tiers looked up with a troubled a
r antM Gould any of you gentle q
en tell me how to spell ''choirP" I
n a little puzzled over it, :
"'What kind of a one do You meant :
iked several. :,
Choir, to sing in concert, chirped I
% young man wrinkling his brow as :
to recall the proper photography. 0
"'C-h-o-i-r. said a scholarly looking d
an with glasses on. c
"'Q-u-i-r-e. sang out a big, wen fed !
d man off in the corner. ),
"'C-h-o-i-r, repeated the first man q
18th some emphasis. Il thought every 4
oil knew that q
That's all right, said the old man Il
in the corner Money talks. Ill bet Il
$50 that Webster spells it \
l-u-i-r-e" too" 81
"'IIl raise you so. said the first = \
an, who was q cotton buyer at Mem o.
is. r.
CAN right, said the big old man D
oily. Then the others Joined in and Of
{ him to a standstill. They put up b,
out $500. Then they got the diction- cl
and, as just now, the man who bet 81
'Q-u-i-r-e' won. ~
my partner and / waited till the a.
'ney had changed hands. and then l tr
Come on. ST. NJ
~ walked up to the young man and hC
d: Come with me; ! want you. I'll to
Nv you how to spell choir. 81 col "
ed the big old man and we waltzed n
I'm down below. You never saw two ~
lows look quite so cheap. They had
aned up over SIS. 900 on that one
ok. but they got four years and q half So
zee. That is n spelling school l y
attended that not every man goes ~ ~
That game is one which will catch or
70 educated men out Of ten. You are III
right. but You may still have some. DC
ng TO learn"
Then the smart young mar offered
usual i~n7itatipn In payment for the th
ormation Post. in
no
WAS MERRN to