The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1905-11-01

the query.
| In setting a price. of course the
CRATER would be governed by the gen
! aral appearance of the woman and
| oTten by his knowledge of how much
cash she had on hand.
His price was all the way from two
10 flVe dollars, though he would accept
| one dollar, but nothing less. Occasion
| ally ne made sale at five dollars. but
TWO dollars was the popular price.
He further explained that he car
rled in his right hand, upper vest
, pocket pain of lenses of the right
refractive power for a person of about
4O years of age, in his left hand unner
! vest pocket a pair for. a person of
about so years of age, and in one coat
, pocket pair for a person of 60. and
so on.
Should his spectacle transaction
take place in the house where the
woman would be likely to pick up a
newspaper, he would thus be able to
give her magnifying glass. Should
she remark that they were not just
right, he would say that he was sorry
and would place them back in his
pocket. Then suddenly reaching to an
other pocket, he would bring forth an
other pair, either weaker or stronger,
and say:
'See here, | believe these glasses are
all right for you; suppose you try them
again. Perhaps you were little nerv-
Gus when you tried them before" And
he would continue to make these shifts
from one pocket to the other until the
woman imagined, at least, that she
could see all right, and then, if pos
sible he would close a deal.
On the other hand, should the trans
action take place in the street, he
would introduce pair of what are
known as plano lenses, which are moth
ing more than ordinary window glass.
With these no matter what her age
woman could see off into the distance,
and often bought them on the spur of
the moment, believing they would also
enable her to do close work.
All was fish that came to this graft
er's net. The spectacles cost him $275
per dozen. The material was Roman
alloy" which will tarnish and get
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 entangled
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, 1 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 anG forefinger Of
each hand together, and laughingly
held them up to his eyes, in manner
to suggest spectacles.
Two weeks later I opened 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 $500 a 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 a vacation on Saturday, I 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 q 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 appea
ance Of having lain for some time
the dirt
The man was at once interested
putting them on his nose, he
some printed matter from his !
and began reading, saying.x1un1
just ct me" x.mrN
| ! > } ;