The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-12-29


in mentioning the different characters
and subjects presented, he would speak
of them as one thoroughly familiar I'd
all lovers OF art. Then he CASUALLY
pointed out the different pictures hd
had disposed of to Mrs. George Could
the Mrs. Vanderbilts, Chauncey De!
pew and many other notables and mulJ
timillionaires. He even limited that hd
never condescended to visit any but
multimillionaires and families OF
note. Then, merely to offer few
suggestions, he laid out this wonders
full piece at $1,000 and another for
$3.50, and so on. 1
AS if there could be no question as to
her making a selection, he would say:
"Now, shall I aid you in selecting
$4,000 or $4,000 worth, or would you
prefer making the selection yourself?"
And, "How do you like this?" or "How
do like that? "Or don't you think
these six pieces would be about what
you ought to have?' 8,
While this CRATER was PLAYING for
big stakes, and his dupes were guilt
~AN, ~
nature likely to cause something of
a nervous strain.
My information of his methods
came from his advance agent.
One of the interesting stories relat-
ted by him was that of sale OF So, 200,
which at the very last moment came
| near flashing in the PAM
BY appointment the Frenchman
| called upon the wife Of multimillion-
| aire brewer, whose former husband
had left her an immense fortune.
She had, in consequence, a bank &C.
count Of her own, and while she dis
played spirit of independence it was
evident to the Freedman that she
would rather not let her husband
know that she was interesting herself
in art. as he cared but little for such
frivolities.
The CRATER had persuaded her to
purchase four pieces, for which she
was to pay $3,200 She was on the
verge of drawing her check for the
amount when suddenly the front door
opened and. looking in that direction,
she said:
my! That's my husband"
Before the husband had removed his
nat and overcoat, i'll the hallway, the
Frenchamn said: "Never mind now.
here is my card, send me your check
this evening, in care Of the Auditor
fum."
He took the four pictures and, turn
ing them face to face handed them to
her and said, soto voce: "Put them
away"
This she did, and on returning to the
parlor introduced her husband to the
Frenchman who, turned to the lady.
II hope to hear from you in the near
future" he said with an order for
some of this beautiful work.
Then, bidding them good-by, he
! quickly departed.
The next morning he found letter
in his hotel box with an enclosure of q
check for $1,000.
~
Another story related by the agent
was that of the Frcnchman's banner
SALE
1t seems that $500 was the usual
stake set by him as days graft, all
of which must come from one custom
er. He never attempted to canvas
more than one person a day.
On this occasion he had closed a sale
for four pieces, for $4,000, with a
wealthy widow, and was nervously
| {iro n4> IN hau oI>
At last, seating herself. at her desk
with check book AMI pen in hand she
hesitated and, to the Frenchman' 9
displeasure, arose from the chair as if
about to change her mind. "Have you
two more Of those pieces at $1,000
each?" she asked in q meditative
tone.
| He told her that he had.
She resumed her seat at the desk
and. as if purchasing a quart of ber-
ries: "I'll take those too" she said,
''as l want to present them to my
nieces.''
She then drew her check FOR $500.
The Frenchman confessed that, hav-
ing favorable opportunity to glance
| at the woman's check book he saw
that her bank balance was something
over 100000, and, considering this,
the amount of purchase was but a
trifle, after all.
The end of this transaction how
ever, had not yet come. The following
morning about ten o'clock one of the
bell boys raped at the Frenchman's
door and presented a card from his
customer of the day before, with a re-
quest for an interview.
The CRATER was on the point Of send
ing her word that he was not in, fear
ing that she had discovered the fraud
| ulent character of mis- work and want
ed a return Of her money.
However, nervy as he was by nature,
he decided to face the music and in
structed the bell boy to show her to
his apartments.
She quickly made her errand known.
She wanted one more of those 81 600
pieces, saying that she had decided to
present it to her nephew. who was q
! hro+hor If the two nleces for whom