The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-07-13
CHARLES CHUM
He Welcomes John Swanson
at the Depot Borrows $50
and Extends the Hospi-
tality Of City Hall
Steps.

If anybody has an idea that call the
old fools are Dead his Belief must
be badly Jared by this mornings
experience of John Swanson. not our
Captain John. but John Swanson. of
Muskoegan, Mich. who wants 10 know
what become Of '.fhat goldarned oil crit
ter that was so mean as TO make out
that he knew his son Charlie, Of Decker
town. in order to negotiate loan of $50
And somewhere not thousand miles
loose is a man roaming loose with $50
in his inside pocket tif he hasn't blown
a good bit of it in or choked himself to
death with laughter over the 'sguileless-
ness" of a certain clement of humanity
made up of Rubes). Mr. Swanson is
just one of those guileless individuals
and he was just tickled nigh to death
when he was approached by a kind look
ing. well dressed old gentleman, with a
gray moustache, dressed in a business
brown suit with neatly brushed brown
Derby hat. as he walked up and down
the waiting room of the Pennsylvania
depot and told him he was so glad to
see the father of his friend, Charlie
Swanson, of Deckertown
What, you know my boy, Charlie?"
he gasped in astonishment.
He and | are old chums. / have
been a friend of the family for years.
/ live in Deekertown,' replied the man.
4 knew you were his father as soon as
my. eyes lit on you. You should be very
proud of such son.
s'Du tell. WALL now, / swan that be
good of you to make yourself known to
me- l haven't seen my boy since he
came out East and I'm just on my way
to pay him a visit. Charles a great
boy.
He certainly is replied the man.
Then he suddenly switched on another
track. He explained peculiar and em-
barrasing position he was in. He could
not go back to Deekertewn@ @4lntil he paid
a certain man in the City Hail $50 he
owed him. and if Mr.. Swanson would
kindly oblige him with that amount he
would confer an everlasting favor on
him and he would be repaid with interest
as soon as he could reach Deckertown.
Wall, now, that's purity bad; but if
you are friend of my boy, Charlie, /
reckon as how it's my place to help you
out of your scrape. l know it will be all
right when we reach Deckertown, an
Charlie will be awfully glad that | help
ed his old friend :
The stranger was soon in the posses
sion of the fifty plunkets. He invited
Mr.. Swanson to accompany him to the
City Hall to pay the money. When the
municipal building was reaehed the bun
GO artist invited his benefactor to a seat
on the front stoop to wait outside until
he went in and paid the $50.
Its public building and you have
a right to sit here in a comfortable po-
sition. They're all good people here and
no one will nolest you.
Vas; | reckon as how all people Ia
Jersey must be good, else my boy Char
lie would never have staid here, said
the old man.
Then Mr.. Bunco Man disappeared IN
to the building. He beat it in the COR
ridor for side door, Mr.. Swanson
thought it took an uncommonly long
while for his new acquaintance to pay
his bill. but he made allowance for off
cial red tape. etc But after waiting an
hour he started through the corridors
asking everyone he met if they had seen
his friend" 1t wasn't long before he
was Informed that he had been buncoed
and the reported the matter to the po-
lice. He left word that if the police
caught the scritter' to let him know:
that they would find him for sewers.
weeks staying with hih son, Charles Will
liam Swanson, in Deckertown.