davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-01
NORTH CAROLINA.

Engineers on the Southern unsettled by
many accidents and are resignng their
positions---Moonlisht procession to usner
In Masonic Fair-old man dies from ex.
nephew's barn near Germantown-Thr
teen-year-old negro boy sent 10 peniten-
tiary for twenty-five years from Martin
county--Large figures in yearly .obacco
report from Winston n-Snlem-Church cor
ner-stone laid at Spencer
GENERAL.
With no news to account for it. prices
are mainly wiped out-seven Witnesses
heard and much time spent in argument
In the Tillman trial; Gonzales dying
statement is admitted, despite the objec-
persons killed and score injured in, crash
between trolley car and train in Chicago
Five members Of merry party killed
and three injured by passenger train in
lumbus. Ga, results In killing OF Super
intendent Of Public Works and a negro
and the injury of other workmen-Lord
aceept the porfoo Of ho ase coionai Isfa
fce-Sir Michael Herbert succumbs sud
denly to consumption after long and
plucky fight against the disease-There
golf play In the Woman's National Tour
nament-Steel corporation issues an Of.
fer to buy stock subscribed for by its
Officers ana employees to protect them from
loss---Major Delmar In an attempt to
lower his record Of two minutes goes the
mile. IN two and quarer--Rudyard
iipling publishes twenty-five new poems,
for which he drew the inspiration from
the war in, South Africa-onc of the Van
Wormley boys wishes to save the other
two by taking on himself the blame for
the murder OF their uncle, for which all
three are to be electrocuted to-day
Xoung Henry wins the Autumn High
Weight Handicap at Morris Park--An-
nual report of the Treasurer of the United
States
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-01
SUMMARY OF DAYS NEWS
THE WEATHER..

WASHINGTON, Sept so.--Forecast for
Thursday and Friday:
Friday fair; light to fresh southwest
winds
North Caroina--Fair; warmer Thursday
Friday fair; light northeast winds on the
coast
Warmer weather was feature Of the
conditions yesterday, and the outlook for
to-day is warm with cloudless skies. The
beautiful month Of October comes In this
morning, and there is little chance of any
further oppressive temperature.
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-01
STATE OF THE THERMOMETER
Average NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Highest temperature yesterday.......... %
Lowest Temperature yesterday. Al
Mean temperature yestcrday.... 60
Normal temperature for Septembcr... II
Departure from normal temperature. II
Precpitation during past "a hours.... %
The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-01

CONTINUED on Second Page.)
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

cash floating around; so that the strang-
er who seeks to prey on Philadelphians
must confne his efforts to disposing of
something which will net him not more
than 500 per cent profit.
l always manage 10 spend a month in
each year in Philadelphia not for the
profit particularly, but mainly for tie
nerve tonic l get from the restful life
there. Pittsburg is different There is
money in abundance in that town. and
have had the pleasure of assisting 81
the partition of several large packages
of cash. but not of late. Reform and
counter reform have placed the police
in Pittsburg in such a state that they
are afraid TO trust even themselves.
have heard that they look over heir
money en- pay days with a microscope,
for fear some of their bills might be
marked. l do not worry about things
like that. however; l have seen reform
attack cities before, and the disease is
not severe enough even to leave scar.
II is only the fakirs and grafters with
out experience who growI at the pres
ent and long for the good old times; and
il is only the politician of yesterday who
bemoans the loss OF his silver. green.
or golden lined cloud when the reform
storm sweeps il out of sight.
The big cities are not the only ones
10 receive attention from the fakirs
During one period of about two years
which | passed in the Eastern States,
never did a stroke OF business in a town
of more than $1,000 inhabitants. There
is a lot of money in the manufacturing
towns OF the East. but the police will
not permit anything but straight"
work. While the returns from the le-
Ultimate sale of fakir's stock are sure
they are, to me, slow. / can figure IN
making SO day clear with almost any
thing that is portable.
New York and Chicago are the head
quarters for new novelties. and IL is the
fakirs OF the first class who secure the
new things. The men who are satisfied
with two or three dollars per day come
with the novelty supply companies for
new things, and scan the papers co1-
stantly for announcements which indi-
cate some unusual event that is calcu-
lated TO draw a crowd. | never travel
with less than two trunks; and If 1 find
fakir working in the same town I az
ways give him the right of way with his
/ goods and sell something else"
l think that for straight taking, alum
mum gas tips are the most profitable
things ! ever handled. They cost me.
with the brass pillar attached. SI.S5 per
gross. l laid out $500 In tips and printed
matter, planned my campaign. and be-
gan an itinerary which occupied four
months OF my time. My bank account
showed a balance TO my favor just 81. 81
| In excess when had completed my tour
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

men If one is careful to see" the po-
Iiceman first.
New York is certainly the easiest city
in this country. The majority Of its
citizens bound the world by the Battery,
Harlem. the East and North Rivers;
deck themselves with sagacious COM
placency, and buy more gold bricks than
all the world put together. And yet l,
too, think New York is great.
But the poIice-they are impossible.
Long before New York even toyed with
reform its police could not be trusted.
My knowledge was gained at the corner
of Nassau and Ann Streets. after look
in more money, in half hours ,ime,
than I ever earned before or since.
l was, as usual, appealing to the Gu
pidity of the crowd, and was wrapping
bills of various denominations around
small pieces OF soap. placing the soap
in a box, and giving the crowd a chance
10 take away my money for fifty tents
per opportunity / had given the police
man on the beat a dollar. But when he
saw the money rolling in compassion for
his fellow citizen, or professional jeal-
ousy, moved him TO dart across Ann
Street and try to catch hold of me. |
thought some of his superiors had ar
peared in sight and that he was only
feigning. So, closing my satchel, broke
through the crowd and ran toward Park
Row. l was surprised when 1 turned
around. TO fnd the policeman was in
the act OF reaching for my collar. | let
him take hold OF me. Then l asked h N
way that policeman talked TO me was a
shame. Before he reached the station
house thought was the most harden
ed criminal in the world, and my captoT
a very Cerberus.
The usual fine was imposed the next
morning. But never, since then. has The
treasury of New York been enriched by
any of my money. nor has any other
policeman had his salary augmented al
my expense l find IL safer TO hire .ook-
outs. albeit more expensive.
| Philadelphia came next on my list OF
unexplored cities. Philadelphia is also
/ on the list of closed cities: but Il Z.
easily opened. 1t is the cheapest city il
the United States. The policemen are
| paid at the rate of $l.75 per day, and d
/ fakir who gives one of them a quarter
| for protection is hailed as a Carne gle
/ For dollar q day. the guardian OF the
beat you are working on Will keep your
| territory clear of other fallirs and vote
you the prince OF fellows.
There Is not much money to be -naIe
in Philadelphia by a fakir. for various
reasons; first. the people have an in
herited trait of thriftiness; second. they
live their lives less feverishly than il
any large city of the United States
and there are home guards" in the
| town who take care Of all the surplus
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

from sharp practices are placed on the
black list
l determined TO work my way back
East after having taken my post grad
uate course My first stop on the way
from Chicago was made in Cleveland.
The town was known as closed but
the understanding was that a liberal
zee TO the police would insure freedom
from molestation. l paid what was
asked of me and. having picked out a
suitable location commenced doing bust
ness with "slum'' and working high. -
which means that I stood on a box.
Working low" of course, means work
ing on the Ievel-that IS, the street .ev-
el.
The crowd was an avaricious one, ani
II had to place ten or twelve
handkerchiefs in a package. with
two or three pieces OF cheap jewelry. be-
fore they would give me ten cents for
them. | did not count the handker-
chiefs. Each time / said Here's an
other one I dropped a corresponding
one from the back of my hand into he
pile which lay in my box. They thought
they were getting something for moth
ing; and find that all successful bust
ness men adopt that method OF treat
ment TO their customers.
had taken in a few dollars. and
things were looking bright for a good
days business, when l was told to close
up.
II was a plain clothes man who or
dered me TO cease work I thought he
did not know that had been to police
| headquarters. so l told him 1t was al
right. that / had squared myself
Squared nothing" he said. This
/ towns closed. an you know #. Git
along"
/ I told him I'd be hanged first. l had
! given up So OF good money. and | do
| not propose TO be buncoed by him OF
any other fatty" as we termed plair
/ clothes men. He arrested me. l knew
| better than to make a protest when
was tried: if had Cleveland would have
/ never seen more of me-the police would
not have allowed me to get out OF the
/ Union Station. l paid my fine anC
/ learned the lesson that no matter how
small your graft" the police are Will
/ ing to take all you can earn and theI
/ turn virtuOus.
The Mecca of all good men and grea
/ New York-had never received any
attention from me. / determined i'm
mediately after my experience in Clevc
| land to make a bee line for the larges
city in the United States.
| l knew that that the town was closed
/ save for the fifteen days preceding
Christmas: but I knew also that there
was much money TO be picked up by al
energetic fakir in the half hour sneak
pitches, which can be made between
| the coming and the going Of the rounds
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

each; and I had not even strained my
voice in doing it. Then and there made
up my mind that it would be a shame
for me to deprive anyone of the op-
portunity OF working hard. have never
taken the bread from any hard working
mans mouth by asking for his position
1 remained true to those knife sharpen
ers for a long time; and. in fact, they
are today a stand for all fakirdom.
My initiation into the craft Of the
fakirs was a matter OF no further
trouble. But as a neophyte needing ex-
perience I was advised by all tn old tim
ers to go 10 Chicago. and there, in honor
able strife, win my spurs. I thought in my
simplicity / had about all OF the Dusi-
ness learned, but when / left Chicago I
confessed to myself that / really mad
known next to nothing of its mysteries.
Have you squared yourself?"
"A policeman asked me that question
on the morning of the day in which ]
made my first pitch" in Chicago's
streets.
/ told him 40. He gave me the direc-
ton TO the statiOnhouse, where l was
to see the police captain. When I left
the stationhouse my roll OF bills was
smaller by one, whose denomination
was IS; and had nothing but the verbal
assurance of the captain that things
would be all right for a week"
And look here, young man." he
added. "just try to stick to the sharpen
ers. Don't you jam or work 'slum
without paying the regular tariff. rs
SO per day for jamming and g. for
slum. Remember that"
I squared the policeman at the rate
OF about a dollar a day for drink money
and had no trouble. 1t was a strictly
honorable and satisfactory arrangement
/ There are towns not a hundred miles
| from New York where the police will
| take all the money that you can be made
to give them and then arrest you.
I became acquainted there with a few
| fakirs who had returned from a trip
/ through Indiana and Ohio; but the way
/ they spent money made them too fast
company for me. ! thought myself af
shrewd as they. and I determined Il
learn how they made a hundred dollars
while ! was earning only ten. A gain
ing of their confidence initiated me into
! the mysteries OF graft" a generic reru
! for getting other peoples money without
I giving anything in return-largely ap
plicable TO Wall Street. think. although
! OF course. Wall Street has another name
for IL. II was explained 10 me thai
"slum" was a term for anything which
might be placed in packages, including
jewelry, handkerchiefs. and other small
articles. The main stem OF town is
It's main street. tanning" is a SLANG
phrase which requires some explanation
To those who have had an ocular demon
stration IL Will be easier when descTlb-
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

ing the event TO revert to a tense OF the
verb and say one was TANNED"
The first thing to be done when
tanning" is the order is to see" the
police. Next hire a good horse and an
open carriage. The stock in trade usual
ly consists of some packages OF harm
less medicine, worth about two cents.
The 'pitch'-so called because the fakir
erects his own stand as shOwmen pitch
tents-is made. And the man who is TO
do the talking, which is called the
spiel" begins his remarks.
Now then, gentlemen, / am going
TO present to your notice tonight the
world renowned vegetable cure for most
of the ills which mankind is subject 10.
This cure will not plant your seed. nor
will it grow your crops, neither Will i;
teach you algebra and the dead Ian
guages. II will do everything which il
is guaranteed to: and the firm which
manufactures it is going to give the
representative citizens of this town an
opportunity TO secure It for tonight Only
free OF charge"
The representative citizen" business
gets them feeling good, but when the
talk of free distribution comes in the
crowd loses all its diff1dence i'm.
mediately.
We are going to give this medicine
TO men Of substance. only; and l am go,
ing 10 ask eack OF you neighbors to give
me quarter for the package and theI
will return your money"
AS the quarters come in they ar,
handed back with the medicine. but only
a few individuals are allowed 10 pur
chase.
Now l am going 10 increase the price
to a dollar and give you your money
/ back"
A few dollars come in and they, too
are returned with the medicine.
Here comes the most unprecedente,
offer ever made: to those who give IN,
five dollars l Will make a present thi!
time which is oe value"
AS the money comes in each doner I.
handed the medicine and a small pack
age of cheap jewelry. He is told Il
stand near the wagon and await the dis
tribution of the additional present. TIL,
'spieler" gives a quick glance towar,
the driver. There has been no mention
Of the money being returned, but IN,
crowd infers that ii will be
"AlI right. Jim he wells.
a cut OF the whip, two figures crouch
ing IN the bottom of the carriage anC
clutching REVIEWERS in their hands, anC
that crowd has lost all told $500. A
least. that was the amount the fakiri
secured the first time / was INTRODUCED
10 tanning.
or course, il is not very safe to op.
crate in that town for some time e
come; but there exists sort OF fire,
masonry among fakirs, and the town,
(which have recently been the sufferer!
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

not to be frightened because he could
talk
This" said the cabby note of ex-
ultstion in his eye and voice as he
thought of the victory over the fat po-
liceman. this is the State, War. and
Navy Department Buildin'. That winder
there is in Secretary Moody's office.
You've heard of Moody and Sankey, the
famous evangeIists? No? Say, where do
you come FROM"
From Schenectady. New York
"Oh, That accounts for il. Well, this
man Moody was a great preacher years
high minded Teller he's gone into the
Navy ter try and reform it. But. -ah.
mel fear this time he's bit off more
than he can chew"
as that 500" this from the groom.
The cabby looked round and fixed the
young man with a stony stare. Yes
1t is So he said.
'I1l Get Ye There on Time"
AS they passed down Pennsylvania
Avenue they saw an old man in the
EuOSL OF WUdL ndu Deen a SlNllSn pUdE-
| ton; what country people call a fix.
The old man was thin and scrawny
and his long, lean neck rose straight
out of a collar that must have belonged
to some gigantic ancestor. 1t was five
sizes too large for him. The bridal cab
by saluted gravely, using his whip as
a cavalryman uses his saber on the like
| occasion. The old man merely nodded
in sad and dreamy fashion.
! "See that old feller?" said the bridal
cabby. Well, that's Ben Low, the
oldes' and the best cabby in the city
You must a-heard tell o. Ben Low and
his famous drive to the Capitol Build
in Well. it was like this: Ben used
TO stand In front OF the old Globe The
alter here in Washington. right where
the Postofice Building is now One
day little Insignificant man came VI
to Ben and said: I'm in a dreadful
hurry. I want to reach the Capitol
right away before my Congressman
leaves. Can you get me there within
the next five minutes? It's worth s2t
If you do.
Jump in says Ben, who hadn't haC
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

But they had to hire water boy for
those three days and that's where the
p cents came in"
Let's get or here. Billy, and go in
side for a while. do so want to see
the interior because I've heard so much
about it,
"hn right. What do We owe you.
cabby?"
Well. I'm supposed to git a dollar
an hour: IN fact, I'm not allowed to
charge any more. Still, ye see, I've
shown ye around the city an transports
ed We as well. 50 that'H come higher
OF course, don't like to overcharge a
man. because it's against me principles.
Just as I've always said TO me friend.
Johnny Williams"
The cabby was in his element getting
money out Of a fare.
Saws I:
Johnny, I can't overcharge man,
much as I-ahem-ahem-I mean even
If he was to offer IT to me. You see.
I've been raised right. and IT would go
uncommon hard against the grain
. Right you are. Eddard. my boy
says Johnny. You always had a repu-
tation for being an honest man, and I
know now as how you are
Well, johnny says I, it don't be-
come me to boast. but 1 will say this:
You never said a more truthful thing
than that same word. I'm man as has
been imposed on and worrit and vexed.
but nobody ever said as how 1 over
charged
% Not you says Johnny. You've
druv the best horses on this Avenoo for
the last sixteen years come the 14th OF
next August, and never have you been
accused o. overehargin''
q" Johnny, says I. You're discernin'
lad So you see, sir. I can't do less
than make It two dollars-one seventy
FIVE for the kerridge and a quarter for
the guidin'. or course. il you want 10
add anythin' for the extra touches here
and there. why. I'm a poor man, an I
can't in justice TO my large family do
anythin' else than accept said this
Jewel of Cables in the iniured-man air.
Two dollars just. Thank ye. sir.
G1anR. "
The Washington times., 1903-08-02

had my circulars distributed in every
place OF business in the town upon my
arrival Then / called, presented my
card and, while talking, hurriedly esti-
mated the number of gas Jets in use 1
impressed my man with the fact that I
was only advertising for the manufac-
turers, and was not allowed 10 place
more than two dozen tips in one place.
If saw two dozen jets, I told him two
dozen was the limit. I had each tip
stuffed with cotton, but 1 told the vic
tim that inside the pillar there was a
regulator. an asbestos screen. and any
other mechanical contrivance not too
bulky to need separate building for in
stallation. He usually believed me.
called his attention TO the printed price
on the circular-35 cents: and as a
favor. Just for an advertisement, would
sell the required number to him for t5
cents each. II he wavered I quickly
placed tip on his gas fixture. lighted
the gas, and gave him an ocular demon
stration. AS final. impressive arEu-
ment, I would pass a newspaper behind
the light and show him how easily it
settled it. l never failed TO make a sale.
But while | was expatiating on the
beautiful light given did not tell that
it was produced at the expense OF in
creased gas flow, nor did l explain that
you can read newspaper through any
gas fame. I suppose there are a num-
Der OF statesmen who can charge up 20
their conscienees similar sins OF omis-
sion.
l have had offers from firms TO enter
their employ in the capacity of travel
ing salesman al salary larger than
average and with none of the attendant
risks. but I would not work for any NV
! ing man. / would rather be my own
master for considerably less money than
1 make now; and there are a good many
men who are of my way of thinking
The fakir is usually supposed 10 be-
a hardened product of depraved nature.
But l know a number OF the craft who.
/ like myself. prefer ice cream to whis-
ky. and a good book to game Of poker
Not that never play cards: l often 90.
but never for pleasure When sit N
a game l know what the others are
holding-and 1 get their money.
! 1t Is very seldom that eat breakfast
before II o'clock. and not often that my
days work is not done IN four hours.
The rest of the time ] spend at the the
alter, at some sporting e. nv
room reading. l dress
how to conduct myself III
You have often talked
| chance acquaintance
steamers Usually your as
| been that / am very
| with the United States
! intelligently on natl
| subjects.-The IndepeT