Mexico Missouri message., 1905-12-21

dime than It takes to tell Il, beads OF
Precipitation are standing out on bis
face and, greatly excited, he is Juggling
and working with the box.
The CRATER counts 80 very slowly that
the supposed stranger gets disguised
and sings out: Count faster, you are
cheating"
At last. when he is forced to count ten,
and the box remains unopened, the
CRATER, quickly passing the stakes 70
the winner snatches the box from the
strangers hands and, in an impetuous
way, gives It two turns instead of one.
and open comes the box, much TO the
seeming disgust Of the CRATER and amid
the lamentations Of the victim.
A very amusing little story was told OF
one Of these grafters who turned the
tables on an unsophisticated farmers
boy at Upper Sanduslsy.
II seems that during the county fairs
the town usually had been flooded with
grafters and the mayor had given the
strictest orders to every officer to run
in any man caught with any device for
buncoing the people.
The CRATER, who carried the tobacco
box, selected his victim-a green farm
er's boy. who had been displaying con-
siderable money. After having had a
conversation with him, he 'steeTed"
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 to
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, serl" he cried
out. Not much! I've seed one ofthem
there things afore. Ef 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
1t happened.
While travelling through southern IL
llnols, in the auction business, l ran
across two men who we're making the
best Of an abundant apple crop. The
graft had to be worked during the sea-
son for gathering and marketing the
| ,ron ,uhg,h .r,ada tho fIp,o vary 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 time when the apple crop was
far enough developed to enable the far
mer to make 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 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 theic
signature to II, 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 &C
complete stayed at another town, where
they could not possibly be seen together.
When CRATER No had obtained a
large number of contracts he went to his
hotel and CRATER No. started out, fol,
lowing over his very tracks, also buying
apples. He represented himself as one
Of 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 croT
b was a total failure, and after looking
e over the mans crop he made him al
p offer of from so cents to one dollar bar
= rel more than the other man.
OF course this would arouse the ava
rice of almost any thrifty person, and Il
the farmer was frank enough to &C
{ knowledge that he had already con
= tracted for them CRATER No. suggested
= that perhaps the buyer would RELEASE
X him If he had a talk with him.
"Pll sign an agreement here to-day,
added CRATER No. 2, ito take your crol
= at the price l have quoted, provided you
!. can get released; and II you wish, will
:, make cash deposit on the proposition.
y If the farmer said nothing about haV
= ing contracted for his crop, CRATER No
said:
- IF you wish to sell me your crop. II
n give you a written agreement, and de
post to bind the bargain. If you dom
care to contract to-day, Just think tn
a matter over, and If you want to let M
n have it come to my hotel any evening
u and will close contract with you"
~ While CRATER No. was eanYassing
i. CRATER No. was busy at his hotel al
, day compso missing with the farmers, am
"a being governed by the estimate Of eacl