Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03
It's II Fox Trick.

N'N-~S ~ 'N''Nt
It's IL Fox Trick.
II dunno" is the reply, but guess one
I'D be enough" and then the guileless hobo
hands over his heavy letter to the house
holder, knowing very we'll that he'll be told
that the letter will require at least cents
worth of stamps to carry it through the
mails.
WELL you can't have a very large CORE
spondenCe if you imagine Uncle Sam will
handle this young book for 2-cent stamp"
says the householder. netting the letter.
It'll take cents at least"
rs dat 500" says the hobo, ruefulIy
In four cases out of five the person thus
applied to hands the hobo back his letter
and digs up a dime wherewith the latter
may purchase stamps. Only a few Der
sons proportionately keep stamps in their
houses. These, however, will hand the hobo
a sufficient number of stamps to paste on
his property letter. If the donator of the
stamps takes note of the fact that the re-
cipient thereof never sticks the stamps on
his letter then and there he doesn't often
say anything about it. Now, postage
stamps are readily accepted as coin of the
realm at the barrel houses, subject to a
slight discount. The hobo who passes six
two-cent stamps over the barrel house bar
receives in exchange therefor 10 cents
worth Of liquid goods served out of a
tin dpper or corked up in a bottle so that
it will be readily seen what a good graft
this stamp game is. An Industrious hobo
has been known to panhandle as much as
s. worth of stamps in the course of an
hours work on one of the substantial
streets in the northwest section of the city
The advantages of this plan over working
for livelihood must be patent to the most
siow-minded.
Must Know His Route.
In order to render this system of graft
ing practically invulnerable and infallible,
however, it is necessary for the STAMP
CRATER to remember the territory he has
previously worked, so that he may not
double on his own trail. so to speak. The
other night one of the stamp grafters"
turned up at house on 10th street. A
portly man in a smoking jacket, with a
cigar In his teeth, opened the door
Scuse ME FIR bodderin' you, boss" the
hobo began, but I've jes' writ a letter Z
me poor Oh mudder-''
What, agan?' inquired the householder
with some evidences of amusement on his
features Say. you're becoming quite
chummy with your poor old mother, aren't
to send her letter three or four nights
ago, and"
But got reply from her, boss put
In the hobo.
amused.y. Say. how long has the United
States government been using airships for
the carrying of the mails? Your letter
was addressed to San Francisco, and if
1 wish you'd put me next to how it was
done in such Jig time. There'd be millions
in scheme that could shoot letter out
to the Pacific coast in two days and less
and"
But the hobo was fading down the front
steps. walking backward. probably in order
to guard against any possible contingency
In the way Of photographed shoe leather
One Too Many for Him.
Another one of these STAMP grafters'
handed over his weighty letter to the mis-
tress of modest S street house in order
to permit her to judge as to the amount of
postage 1t would take the other evening.
II will mail this myself when go to the
drug store on the corner-Tu be going there
in a few moments said the lady.
The hobo twitched and looked nervous.
But it's important, lady," said he. IAN
want t git 1t in de post Office SOS it kin
take de first train"
"Oh. that will be all right" said the lady
in businesslike tone. THE postman takes
up the corner box collection in half an hour
from now. and your letter will leave the
city just as soon as If"
mo, lady, dat won't do" said the hoho
stretching out his hand for the letter, II
want t take dis letter down t. de mail car
meself, SOS kin be sure"
The lady handed him back the letter with
smile. and closed the door.
II like to act as kindly as possible by my
fellow-creatures in Distress" she said when
she rejoined the family circle, but then
again, 1 don't like to be done as the
vaudeville theater comedians say"
Not What He Wanted.
Still another of these stamp grafters"
had sorrowful experience at the hands of