Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26
A BUNCH OF SHORT STORIES.

"In the palmy days of John T. Raymond,
when he was one of the brightest jewels Of
the stage, as everyone knew, his weak point
was for matching coins Of almost any de-
nomination" said Mr.. B. Y Bowdoin of New
York to Washington Post man.
"I witnessed an encounter between him
and the proprietor of the st. James hotel
in New York that was exciting enough while
i: lasted. The landlord of the st. James
was the noted ''plunger," Walton, and he
and Raymond were great friends On the
occasion I speak Of Raymond had driven up
to the hotel to exhibit fine new Victoria,
drawn by pair of spanking good horses.
which he had Just purchased and bestowed
as a present upon his wife. He called his
friends out to see the team and they offered
due praise.
"'The outfit cost me Just $1,000. and I'll
tell you what I'll do with you, Walton, said
the comedian. III match you for Just
twelve times at $10O crack and see il I
can't get money enough out of you to pay
for these steppers?' He did not have to
| ask twice. for the plunger was game to bet
for anything and quick adjournment was had
to the office, where the matching began.
"Now, 1t may sound like fairy tale, but
I'll go before a notary and make solemn
oath to the truth of the statement, for to
most of your readers it will sound incred-
ible: John T. Raymond beat 'Plunger Wal
ton twelve consecutive times for 500 a
match and | never saw man so elated In
all my life. Walton taunted him with show
ing a yellow streak and tried every art to
get him to continue the matching, but to
no avail Raymond smiled and backed out
of the hotel, kissing the check for 81 200 and
bidding adieus in a moct eXasperating way.
hod 10 h.
ing and he was satisfied for one night"
A western man was en- visit to his east
ern cousin and his host was entertaining
him by showing the family heirlooms, re-
| lates Brooklyn Life.
"See this old gum" he said. 1T taught
me my first lesson in arithmetic"
How" his guest asked, curiously.
"It's dead easy. Guess"
Father promised to let you shoot 1t on
your next birthday"
mo"
Point it at your head, II you didn't count
correctly?"
Nothing of the kind"
Shoot you through your left ear?"
mo: we do not believe in pierced ears"
"Then 1 give it up, the westerner said,
with deep sigh.
"Oh" his cousin replied, repressng a
broad grin "he laid the gun away and used
the ramrod'
The late Washington Mclean, father of
Mrs. Dewey and John r. Mclean, was a
sturdy sort of a gentlemen in his way, as
the following story would indicate:
Soon after locating in Washington he
looked about for investments and concluded
he would put few hundred thousand dol
lars into real estatae He mentioned to a
local financier and real estate broker OF
eminent respectability that he would like
to get hold of an entire block of vacant
land in a desirable locality. In a few days
the broken called to say that he had just the
thing, big block at 25 cents square foot.
right on the path of the city's develop
ment
the usual formalities of title-provng had
been observed, gave his check for the
amount. 1t was cash transaction. The
next day on carefully going through the
papers, preliminary to filing them away
In a safety deposit box, he noticed that
shortly before he had bought the land 1t
had changed hands at Is cents a foot. In
quiry revealed the fact that clerk In his
brokers' Office had figured in the transfer.
Calling on the broker, Mr., Mclean bluntly
accused him of robbing him OF 10 cents
a foot ON the land, matter OF 100000 The
broker tried to explain, but the irate cap
italist would not listen to him.
mo" said the old Ohio editor, you can't
explain the transaction. 1t is too plain.
You simply bought the land at Is cents
and turned II in to me at 25 cents, thereby
robbing me of 100000. / am here to say
to you that If you do not pay me back that
money before / leave this room you VIII
never do business again in Washington
/ am a man of few words and my time Is
valuable. Make up your mind quick
Mr.. Mclean received his 100000 The
broken who tried to best him is still alive
and still eminently respectable; also very
influential.
xIa.o ,,o,, triad Old Quaker Rive?