The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-20

Prom IRE chicago later ocean.
we READ q great deal nowadays about
tguk0 stserers being bitten Icy their vic
Tins said the man With the canary-c0l-
ored shirt. and go doubt many Of these
stories are perfectly true. irs always in
ierestlng 20 hear about some RUDE who
has been taken in on the game coming
down here again and making the con man
look Ike a lead nickel When J read
about twO farmers coming Oh from the
West the other day and showing six-shoot-
,Fs Ender the noses Of "A cOupic or green
goods men IL reminded me % a Nttle incl
dent iR the career OF q certain famous
member Of the proftssio which I have
never seen iu print The tao incidents
ore mo-; Ia the least alike tie one I'm go
iug to tell you about strikes Fac as being
about the funniest thing Of the kind that
] ever heard Of.
several years ago a very benevolent
looking man put up at one Of the princi-
pal hotels On this city. lie came from a
city Boa Massachusetts. and was in Chi
CagO 10 attend meeting OF Presbyterians
who were interested In some charitable
movement involving the expenditure Of q
large sum o. money. Smith IS as good
name as any 10 use for This nan from
New England. He was about sixty years
Of age. with a long, flowing beard and The
general appearance Of a mdrk-that is.
from a confidence mans point OF view.
Well Mr.. Smith was duly spotted at his
hotel by Slim Jim Bates. Mr.. Bates Was
a cadaverous-lOoking young man, Tith q
hungry look about him and a general APP
pearance Of sanctity. Added 10 this was
remarkable power Of conversation and a
a a
man who might be called a very success
ful bunko man, fact which he attributed
10 his absolute confidence in himself. Sue
cess had been 50 invariable with him tia:
once he got on with a man nothing would
convince him that the man was not as
good as Diuckcd. 1t was this popularity
that proved his undOng in tine affair that
] am going 10 tell YOU about.
by coincidence, Of course, Mr. Bates
and Mr.. Smith breakfasted together one
morning at the hotel where the latter was
stopping during mis- visit to town. Mr.
Bates, N that way common 10 members
Of his profession, but beyond the knowi-
edge OF the layman, mad cOntrlVed 10 give
him a groundwork 10 start on. Mr. Smith
hadn't half eaten his omelet before he
was discussing foreign missions with the
solemn-lOoking young man opposite him.
The two men went far into the subject,
Slim Jim differing with the man from New
England just enough TO keep the discus
sion going and TO add spice to II.
slim Jim Bcgins Work.
last year. said the slim one, 1T was
matter of much INDIGESTION with me
whether 10 give my regular contribution
20 the foreign missions or TO put IL in the
hands Of those men who are devOting their
lives TO similar work At home. ] took the
trouble to look into the matter a bit, and
! found that the needs at home were far
greater than those abroad So l added
my mite 10 the home mission fund
Now this little speech made a hit with
the man from Massachusetts He thought
he would like 10 see more of his new
friend. In time, ne said, he felt sure that
he could show Mr.. Bates, for Jim had
in believing that home missions were of
more Importance than foreign ones. Mr..
Bates expressed himself as more than
pleased with the first meeting.
"Of course il looked like easy meat.
Slim Jim Rugged himself with glee as he
sneaked into barrOOm around the cor
ner and got a couple Of drinks to take the
bad taste out of his mouth. He spent the
next afternoon playing checkers with his
new friend, and Tor a week after there
were regular afternoon checker meetings
In the parlor of the hotel. II got 10 be a
little tiTeSome 10 Jim, but, as he used 10
weary work of playing the FISH went on.
From time to time Jim tried TO bring
about the crisis. He knew that the old
man had n whole heap Of money in New
York banks. also that he was a man who
carried considerable sums around with
him at times. With such a good thing
right in hand there was no use in chanc-
ing all by a premature move. So the
checker games and the discussions OF for
eign and home missions went on, and
every day the two men became thicker
Finally one night Jim swung the Old
man around TO a. discussion of vice in
chicago. Mr.. Smith showed great interest
in the matter, and thought that a trip
around some of the gambling houses for
the purpose Of gathering material FOR a
lecture or the subject would not be a
bad idea. Jim wanted to so at once. for
only few blocks away a pal Of his had
been waiting day and night for over ten
days for the man from Massachusetts to
be steered up against him Mr.. Smith
couldn't spare time from meeting of The
Foreign Mission Society to be held that
night, however, but suggested that Jim
accompany him and put of the tour OF
the town until some other time.
Jim yielded with a bad grace, and in a
little while was one or a room full OF
fTOck-coated men whose thoughts were Of
the redemption OF the sinner abroad. Jim
had 10 shake hands with about twenty CT
them, and his sponsor, having given MIN
away on his view on foreign missions. BE
had To stand whole lot Of gun from
some, who seemed 10 regard il IS their
particular function To swing him around
10 their way of thinking. In an evil mo
ment Jim so far forgot himself as 10 pre-
tend to be converted TO the views OF his
new friends He forgot that only that
afternoon he had told Mr.. Smith thar he
had not vet made his annual contribution
10 the home missionary fund, bur expect
60 To at any moment, he had just
drawn a large sum Of money from the
hank. lie forgot that the meeting was
for the purpose OF collecting a large sum
Of money for use I'm The interior Of China
IN fact he forgot a whole lot OF things
that il would have been extremely profit
able for him 10 have remembered.
We'll Jim was not a man 10 90 things
half way and having become foreign
mission man. he got into the game with
both feet. Ills voice was one Of the loud
est when IL came TO enthusiue about TIRE
work IN hand. but he became sphinx
when the meeting was called 20 order by
the chairman. who Vas no other than his
friend Mr.. Smith.
NV friends said Mr. Smith. you all
know the object 81 ouI meeting to-day \
large sum of money must be raised al
once for the continuance of The work IN
dgYfakDn In China. Japan and Korea. Z 90
two years now We have devoted our be~i
,TCTgics to the work in India. but our last
afyica-. 7 am pleased 10 say, showed TIE
work .u those sections IN such n0uFlSh-
lne condition that there = no moral eN-
that confront rs in the other Asiatic conn
tries : great deal OF money has already
been pledged 20 our cause. and am happy
60 say that / have brought with me to-
niglt a man who. while be has previously
bold views different nom our own Ia 20,
gard 90 missionary work, Is now entirely
IN accord with us | am very sure tl1i
We can expect our newest ally 20 do what
n can for the cause that Is so near ans
Gea- 90 us all
Say there's no use OF ny going into d
whole l0t more details about the strlrg
ing slim Jim got that night They threw
~ into that poor con man IN s-andal1us
style with Jim 81 was put M somethin
or Guit an Of hiss plans and being a gam,
orc. De- handed over hts ittle 50 wheI
tht col cCtur got around 20 him Well
f.ev didn't exactly say so bur Jim er
the notion that hls friend smith though
- was q mighty small contribution FOR Z
man who had been throwing he blrG
that Dr. had So the next dav Jim Wen