Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-04-04

had cost me $40. had got four suits
OF IL while / was doing my eight
IN inths' sober act in Chicago and on
velvet, and l didn't know what had
become Of the other three suits. The
grim humor OF the blooming idea got a
ghastly laugh out OF me even as
ploughed along through the snow that
black morning In Council Bluff.
"The first CLEAN of light / caught
sight OF came from couple OF oil
lamps in corner rum factory that
was Just opening 40 at about . o'clock
dsdn't have the dime, but l went In,
anyhow. There was young fellow
with good natured mug starting the
ball rolling behind the bar. lie
looked me oyer when l walked in and
over TO the stove. Al that time /
guess must have been good deal OF
OF an apparition TO him. / had on a
black cutaway coat, worsted trousers,
the summer russets and n black derby,
aud had about three inches OF snow
all oyer me.
Been doin'a job the yonng fel-
low behind the bar asked me.
"Job?' said |, for dldr't under
stand him exactly, being a heap dazed
with the cold aud things.
'Where did you leave your tools p
he as ked. and then l got next TO his
meaning. l told him l hadn't got
aronnd 70 the cracking game yet.
You look like you'd been lett at the
posts, at that he said, consollnRly'
aud then / told him l had Just got
in
Nice place, when you say II fast
the Bluffs-like hell, amt it?' he said
and / soon found out that he Was
from Chicago,
"'Have few he said then, show
ing up tall bottle, and when l told
him Il wasn't buying, he said he
hadn't supposed / was, and passed
the bottle up anyhow. Decent duck,
wasn't he? Then he went 20 the
back room aud cooked his breakfast
of steak, fried eggs and potatoes, aud
invited me TO jump at II with hlm'
II any member can name town
where he got better tire Itment than
this that had chucked at me from
the go-off at poor old Council Bluffs.
it's IN 10 him 10 spell 10 out.
"By the time l got through with
that breakfast / had reconsdered my
my uague idea OF going down TO the
Missouri, aud hopping on between Ice
tlocs. was about ready 10 70 out
and take a walk around-it was then
long after dayllgnt-when a'customeI
came in. He aud my friend the bar
keep got into a hit Of talk in the back
room, aud then the customer came
. out aud asked me II l wanted work
"That's what 2" answered on the
jump.
/ I'm tell you" he said, there's one
, OF these mere travelling mesmerls'
| fakirs here that I've printed a lot o.
n bills for and he wants them scat
| tered arouud right. He's going U
d give his show at the hall here tonight
. Want 70 stack up a against him p
81 met the long bearded mesmerls
and and made a 50 arrangement '"ltl
him TO scatter couple OF thousan'
handhills over the town, When
went 10 him that night 70 get IN
coin-it was just before the show wa
10 begin aud the hall was rapidl
filling up the mesmerist looked N
over carefully as he handed me out u
=. dollars. Then he told me that b
=. ~ chief assistant had gone on 10 Oman
n on a tOot, aud asked II ] thought
81 could 90 on aud do anything as
~ ~ mesmerist's helper. OF course coul
,es "'I'm going TO hre that fellow, an
N, how, the nssmerist went On. Hes
"a good helper, aud, conhdentiallyi
IN tween you aud me, almost as gooo
e con. man as / AN myself, but hes y