The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-09

For thirty-five years" said the old bookstore man. T have been here. at this stand selling books. buying books, reading books. and studying human na- ture. and about the most distressing con- clusioa at which have arrived Is that about one person in every fifty is a thief. How dol arrive at that conclusion? We'll. you. see. more than a year ago my good eye began to fail me through sympathy to the other one. which I had lost by 8 cataract. I was to let some doctors pry at 1t and the result is that have about lost my sight entirtily. Tn conducting my business for severA months past l have been forced to depend upon the honesty of my customers, and I have found that some of them can no more be depended upon for honest dealing than the average politician In all these years l have not accumulated very much wealth, but thank God I have improved my mind by reading every spare moment and now that I am denied my greatest pleasure reading-I can only sit here, smoke my pipe. think of the great men who have been my customers, and let those who wish to come along and rob me of what little have left. But, tut. tut. tut, if only one out of fifty steals a book or two from me l have still enough to last several decades. or. anyway, until am called to go where bookstores are un- kncwe and where book thieves thrive not.
 Unfair Advantage Taken.
 About the neanest trick played on me since I lost my sight was by a shrewd young fellow who came in here and made himself agreeable. He told me he was an artist doing some portrait work for Mrs. Senator Blank: that his. eyes failed him at times, and he was forced to walk out and give them a rest. I wish he had walked in some other direction. We'll. he hung around my place for several days, talking books and asking me If had certain rare editions. I readily got to the point where liked to see him come in. although he had spent more than 70 cents with me. He visited me often enough to get the lay of the land books mean--and when he ceased drop ping in. I discovered that he had got away with about $50 or $75 worth of val uable books. l. saw that had been worked and never even had the face to make inquiries to see if one "Mr. Adol- phus Henderson" was an artist employed by Mrs. Blank. What would have been the good? He lied about his profession, for he was a thief mean enough to rob a blft5 man. and that's just what he did, to '.fo
 Tne OlQ man lauBneo nedrtlly aL the way he had been taken in, rehlled his pipe and as he applied a match said:
 '"rhis pipe may not smell very good. but its blamed sight better than the ci- gars my one-time friend Representative John Wesley Gaines of Tennessee smokes. Did he ever offer you a cigar? No? We'll. my good friend, if he ever does don't take it if you value your health. He gave me one once and I was just con- graduating myself would enjoy a first class smoke at a Congressman's expense, but 1t was the vilest thing I ever put be- tween my lips. I don't believe so mean a smoke could be gotten up in America. I will never take another from him. sure. But I have sometimes thought that MT. Gaines gave the cigar to get even with me. It was this way. I am given to speaking plainly on all occasions. and more than once have gotten my foot into 1t by being too plain. One cay MT. Gaines and two ladies came into the store and showed him some very rare and