River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-09-28

alloy" which will tarnish and got
black within three days after coming
In contact with the face.
This man declared that he had for
years been working on what he con-
sidered paltry salary. His father,
who had been well to do, had recently
died leaving his estate so aDgled
that it would cost more to unravel it
than it was worth. AS a result the
son had grown desperate and had
started out to make a killing"
The following Saturday evening,
while at the theater, l saw this
''grafter" enter one of the boxes with
a party of society people. He wore a
full-dress evening suit, an elegant
silk-lined overcoat and diamonds.
Happening to spy me in the parquet,
he placed the thumb and forefinger Of
each hand together, and laughingly
held them up to his eyes, in manner
to suggest spectacles.
Two weeks later opened a store
under the Great Northern hotel.
One Saturday afternoon this graft
er" called on me. He told me that for
the past three or four weeks his profits
had averaged 5000 week. On this
occasion he was dressed in an up-to-
date business suit, fine derby hat and
low-cut shoes, and had the appearance
of well-to-do professional or business
man.
y. P,' he said, although / always
take vacation on Saturday, 1 never
theless clear ten dollars or more. Not
that particularly need it, he went
on, "but just to keep my hand in"
So saying, he took from his pocket
half dozen pair of nose glasses, Of
the same quality as his spectacle stock.
AS we stood looking from my store
window, he said: '.I'll just watch for
my man and show you how easy it is
to make a dollar" Then he gathered
some mud from his shoes and rubbed
it over pair of his eyeglasses.
There comes my man." he cried, an
instant later. "Now watch me-
Darling from the store, he quickly
stepped into the gutter, in front of his
man." and, reaching down, took par
ticular pains to attract the mans at
tention. He rose with the pair Of nose
glasses in his hand.
OF course the mud and clay clinging
to the glasses gave them the appear
ance of having lain for some time in
the dirt.
The man was at once interested and,
putting them on his nose, he took
some printed matter from his pocket
and began reading, saying: 'They
just fit me-"
WELL" said the CRATER "give ms
five dollars and you may have them.
and I'll bet they never cost less than
ten dollars"
NO." said the man, II wouldn't do
that, but I'll give you two dollars for
them"
MAKE it three dollars and take
them along" urged the CRATER.
mo" hesitated the victim, ''but I'll
split the difference and give you two
dollars and a half for them"
"All right laughed the CRATER.
'take them along; they are no good
to me-
The man paid the money and passed
on with a satisfied smile.
The CRATER laughed immoderately at
his success and declared that there
was always something ridiculously
funny in every deal of this kind.
In selecting his dupe, he kept his
eyes open for a well-dressed man, Of
business-like appearance, and of about
so years of age. The glasses were OF
the proper retroactive power to magnify
the letters for such person. They
cost him less than 20 cents per pair.
Twenty minutes later the "grafter"
babe me good-by. Meeting another
man not three rods away, he played
the same trick on him, and LANDED"
him for two dollars inside of five
minutes. Looking toward the store,
where myself and clerks were inter-
ested spectators, he held up two fin
gers, Indicating the amount Of cash.
received.
I last heard of our college graduate
CRATER two years later. | read full
account of his implication with gang
Of "get-rich-quick' sharpers, all OF
whom had been sentenced to from one
to five years each in the penitentiary.