The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-05
WENT AGAINST IT
Farmer Meets Stranger With
a Funny Little Box.
ONLY COST HIM TEN
To Find He Could Not Open
1t Without an Ak.

John Woodwork was him-fammed out
OF a ten dollar note yesterday morning by
a couple Of grafters who have vanished
with the coin and gone out into the 81
lence. John came into town yesterday
I morning with q clean conscience and ter
plunks in his possession. He now is
minus the plunks and has a troubled
mind left for his days excursion.
John had just resigned a position with
/ a prominent agriculturalist in the east
ern part of the county and had come
into the great city TO seek his fortune
Along about ten o clock in the morning
John was placidly meandering down
Douglas avenue near the corner Of St
Francis rubbering at the tan buildings
when he was approached by an advance
agent Of prosperity who was looking for
q likely man TO take charge of q tallyho
coach for an overland drive over the
country. John thought he could handle
the snap and as the promised emOluments
were large q bargain was struck and
John became an employee Of the prosper
Gus looking stranger. The stranger told
John that the coach and team was at the
Auditorium livery barn and they started
up that way to get il. About half way
between the avenue and First street they
net a man standing on the sidewalk.
gazing with an intensity Of gaze at a
small object he had ia his hand John S
new employer stopped and asked what it
was that occasioned this blocking of the
pathway ana seeming fXity Of attention
on the part of the met up with. The
stranger said that he had found a cur
ious looking box evidently a match box.
but that he was not able to open it and
had been trying for some time. Johns
employer asked to see the box and the
stranger handed it to him. He took the
box over to where John was and turned
his back on the stranger, monkied with
the lid for about two seconds and topped
her open. He then closed the box and
turned around and handed it back TO the
strange man, stating at the same time
that any Rueben that could open can
of baking powder could open that. The
stranger became insenced and declared
himself then and there that he would bet
his pile that there wannt a man in Sedg-
wick county that could open the box in a
half hours time. John employer
hunohed John ana whispered. take him
up, take him up" and show him, he is so
smart" John did not want TO gamble,
but he would, and did, lend his friend
and employer the ten plunks to wage
with the stranger that the little box
could be opened. Johns employer held
the stakes and placed them for security
in his vest pocket. He then took the
way you do It air. struck an attitude,
and the combination failed to work, the
box would rot open. He pulled and
tugged and finally gave 1t up. The
stranger demanded the coin. got it and
the funny little box in his possession
and with a pleasant good day, gentle
men," wendell his wey toward the ave
nue. John looked at his new boss and
the boss looked At John. How did he
do it." says John. THAT skins me,
says the boss, but you shant loose your
money. You go up and wait for me at
the barn and I viii 60 back to the Carey
and get my friend Ben Eaton to cash
check for me, and ! viii be right back.
John thought he was ali right and fair
enough, so he went to the barn and wait
ed for the ten that never came, and
neither did the new boss, for he was
hunting Up the confederate, the stranger.
with the funny htrle box for cut out
of the ten.
John stood around the barn for half
hour and then told the barn men his ex-
periance. They were persons Of worldly
Attachments and Informed John that he
had been slxun and advised him TO look
1lp the police lie did SO and search
was made for the two men, but they had
evidently boarded passing freight trains
and departed for greener pastures. John
has since learned that when the pug
regulating The spring in the funny little
box is pulled out that it can be only
oDened with cold chisel and hammer.