The Tupelo journal., 1905-12-15

conversation with him, he 'steered'
him around behind a side show tent,
where both sat down on the ground. and
just as the CRATER was holding the to-
bacco box in his hand he happened 70
look up, and there stood an officer, gaz-
ing down with intense interest.
Realizing that tobacco boxes are
cheaper than fines the CRATER instantly
jumped to his feet and threw the
box in the farmers lap.
you KANT bunco me, SER" he cried
out. Not much! I've seed one o fthem
there things afore. Eff you wanter skin
some one, you better try and ketch a
sucker"
He then dashed out and made his es-
cape
Before the poor farmer boy realized
what was happening, the officer had
seized the tobacco box and had landed
him in Jail. He remained there three
days before he recovered SUFFICIENTLY
from his fright to be able to explain how
it happened.
While travelling through southern H.
linois, in the auction business, | ran
across two men who were making the
best of an abundant apple crop. The
graft had to be worked during the sea-
son for gathering and marketing the
crop, which made the time very short,
but the grafters who gave their scheme
away to me explained that the same
graft worked nearly the whole summer,
in potatoes, cherries and many other
staple crops.
Just at a time when the apple crop was
far enough developed to enable the far
mer to make a fair estimate of what he
might expect, one of these smooth-look-
ing. businesslike fellows started out
with a hired horse and buggy. He rep
resented himself as being from a large
New York fruit concern, and he called
upon every farmer in the county who
had a large orchard, agreeing to pay
fancy prices and contracting for their
entire apple crop.
He carried blank contracts, and after
paying each farmer five dollars, to make
the contract binding, he would get their
signature to it, and drive on, leaving his
name, however, and his address, in case
any of the farmers friends should have
an apple crop to sell.
During this grafter's canvass an ac-
complete stayed at another town, where
they could not possibly be seen together.
When CRATER No. 1 had obtained a
large number of contracts he went to his
hotel and CRATER No. 2 started out, fol
lowing over his very tracks, also buying
apples. He represented himself as one
of a large fruit firm from st. Louis. He
made no bones of telling the fruit grow
ers that in the country where his firm
did their biggest business the apple crop
was a total failure, and after looking
owe the mans crop he made him an
offer of from so cents to one dollar a bar
rel more than the other man.
Of course this would arouse the ava
rice of almost any thrifty person, and if
the farmer was frank enough to ac-
knowledge that he had already ON
tracted for them CRATER No. 2 suggested
that perhaps the buyer would release
him if he had a talk with him.
"Ill sign an agreement here to-day"
added CRATER No. 2, ito take your crop
at the price l have quoted, provided you
can get released; and if you wish, l will.
make a cash deposit on the proposition"
If the farmer said nothing about hav-
ing contracted for his crop, CRATER No.
2 said:
"If you wish to sell me your crop, I'll
give you a written agreement, and a de-
post to bind the bargain, if you don't
care to contract to-day, just think the
matter over, and if you want to let me
have it come to my hotel any evening
and l will close a contract with you"
While CRATER No. 2 was canvassing,
CRATER No. 1 was busy at his hotel al!
day compIt missing with the farmers, and
being governed by the estimate of each
farmers crop, he figured him out of all
he could get. In instances where the
grower had immense orchards, CRATER
No. 1 had usually paid a deposit of not
less than $25, and in settling with these
wealthy men he received a considerable
amount of cash.
In fact, for two or three weeks, it was
a harvest of money, and as soon as the
lambs were all shorn new pastures were
sought.
And that was the last the farmers
would ever see or hear of either one of
them.