The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-17
THE HOLIDAY FAKIR.
sHREwD STREET MEN WHO
ARE UP TO TRICKS.
They Are Familiar Figures in New
York and Other Large Cities
Some Of Their Sly
Dodges.


has little attraction for the thousands
of passers-by, yet within its confines
there are hundreds of curious articles
that ultimately find their way to the
fakirs' wagons and are quickly sold.
says the New York Post, to the good
natured pedestrians that cluster in
crowds around them, augmented by
numbers of others whose one thought
Is to see what new and cheap con-
trivance is on sale; for fakir's wagon
often contains relics, history of
which might show hours of labor on
the part of an inventive genius. yet
are unstable through the ordinary
channels of trade.
The continued building of skyscrap-
ers downtown has caused this class of
sidewalk tradesman to diminish In
numbers, as the janitors of these build
ings found their presence made 1t i'm
possible to properly cater to the needs
of tenants. They have thus been
forced to take up "ten-minute" posi-
tions in front of older buildings, away
from the scenes of their former dick
ers, yet their stock in trade has the
same interest for the messenger boy
and the hurrying business man as IN
the past.
Many of these fakirs present q re-
spectacle appearance, unlike the push
~ M
side. Their success in always collect
ing a crowd may partly be ascribed
to this fact, especially on holidays,
when fakirs who are not seen on other
days make this time harvest for
themselves, relying mainly on the
patronage and curiosity of out-of-town
visitors.
On holidays there can always be
found the man with basket of hand
kerchiefs, who deals out his wares
thus:
Now, gentlemen, am going to give
you the biggest quarters worth you
ever got in your life. You see this
hemstitched handkerchief-thats No.
1. Now here's one for Dewey, and
here's one for Murphy, and this little
one for baby, and one for the old man;
now, to show you I'm not mean, here's
another for auntie, and one for uncle,
and another for Teddy. AS haven't
any paper to wrap them in, I'll tie
them up with two more, and you can
have the whole bundle for quarter.
That's cheaper than Chinaman will
wash them for, and they're worth two
for quarter" Emphasis is put on the
last phrase, for often, when the pack
age is delivered to purchaser, but two
are found in the bundle, the balance
having been adroitly dropped back IN
the basket.
A number known as "coughdrop
men" are adopts at the game, and cap
pers'' are needed by them to properly
carry oHt the game. A small satchel,
filled with boxes of CONNECTION, slung
around the shoulders, is all that is re-
quired. A crowd, as usual. soon col
lects, and the fakir always begins with
Ladies and gentlemen" "Ihave here"
he continues, ''boxes of cough drops that
contain money, from five cents to half
dollar. This is the way the firm adver-
tises one day year, and to-day's the
day. The price is only nickel. and
there's no blanks"
After this harangue "capper" steps
forward, purchases box, and empties
it in his hand. In emptying the con-
tents he loosens money that had been
concealed in his palm, and thus the in
nocent, interspersed with more cap
pers." begin to buy. The latter always
find" the money, but the former, of
course, get nothing but the drops"
After several boxes have been dis
posed Of the fakir disappears among the
crowds, to begin operations in some
other section.