Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-12
WON A BATTLE OF BLUFF.
True Story Of How a Member Of the
Down And Out Club Made Good.

eighteen hours, my clothes were rag
ged, and needed a shave. The pros
poets of a job at anything were nil.
The parks and bread lines usually take
care of men such as was. Yet before
I'd been in the Mecca Of the Come ons
forty EIGHT hours, had in my pocket
a five dollar note, had a room in which
to sleep, had eaten all I needed, had
been shaved and massaged, my hair
was cut, singed and shampooed, and
had even had my nails manicured by
gossipy girl. I wore a suit Of new,
well-made clothes, new linen and hat
and shoes.
Nor was this all, for I had already
obtained a job that would bring in an
envelope each week containing $25
and some trimmings.
How did do it? Oh pure bluff. On
undiluted nerve!"
read in a magazine once the story
of a man who, jobless for months,
down at elbows and out at the knees,
spent his last half dollar on flowers
for his wife. She liked flowers. and
he wished his last act to please her.
AS he stood YEARLY on a corner
flowers in hand, he met his old en-
ployer. The flowers looked like money
The man had been a good worker, and
when he saw his old boss he smiled
And he got his job back. It is ques-
ton whether it was the apparent
wealth or the optimism that turned
the trick, but 1t may have been both
1t was, of course, just a magazine
story, a pathetic, heart-tugging story
pressed me. l said when read 1t that
II was ever on my uppers in New
York city I'd bluff myself into good
fortune and smile myself solid.
Well, was on my uppers. And hun
cry! A steaming dinner would have
killed me. Food had to be procured
before anything else. I wandered
down Park Row. I was just in from,
of a big saloon when a decent looking
chap made for the door.
say" said I, "goin' to get a drink p
by myself" he answered.
"Oh, that's all right; I'm not 9
drinking man, and I'm not panhandl-
ing. Coin to hit the free lunch "
He looked quizzically at me. No.
he replied.
Care If go in with you?"
Go as far as you like" he said.
So we went inside. He walked to the
bar. 1 walked to the eats" The man
in charge tried to shove me away as
made q sandwich.
Ity,o rryifh hot
said. ASK him."
He said so. said Didn't come ir
with you?"
The customer smiled. You sure
did," he said. And so I made up an
other sandwich. The other fellow was
entitled to 1t, and, in a sense, I was
subbing for him.
/ duplicated this performance three
times at three different saloons Then
felt better.
1 walked into an office-two. four
six, eight offices-and asked for work
I looked disgraceful; walked out
each time with a rundown.
BY that time-I had struck town al
noon-I discovered ! must raise the
wind for sleeping quarters. I detest
publicity in sleeping apartments, and
my game being bluff, I wasn't going
to bone" any one for the price. hit
on what thought to be novel plan
and the odd corners Of which 1 have
since squared up, for my conscience
sake.
l saw two men get on a car and
stand on the platform. 1 followed
them The conductor came for fares
held out my hand. my two friends
and myself l said. He rang up three
in anticipation, when I said: STOP
the car; you let my quarter fall to the
ground"
l hadn't dropped anything. Under
stand, though, we were at the edge oi
the platform, and a coin could have
dropped.
"One on me-" said the conductor
good-humoredly. "A quarter? There's
your dime change. Just that much II
be short in my knocking down; that's
ALL"
Pardon me-" inquired one of the
two men. did you pay for us?"
Il did. 1 thought you were friends ol
mine, and meant to surprise you,"
replied.
He handed me a dime. That's fol
u.s." he said.
| rode ten blocks. Going back I die
the same thing in eacn case, however
taking the conductors number for lat.
er reckoning. I figured the company
wasn't getting the worst Of 1t, for the
fare-takers were knocking down any.
way.
now had 40 cents in my possession
Ten of these I spent for something tc
eat and something hot to drink; q
went for bed for the night, leaving me
breakfast money for the morning.
The trouble seemed to be in present.
ing a decent enough appearance to gel
work-and the extra days beart
hadn't made me look any better.
On my nerve I strolled into a bar.
ber's shop. meant to bluff the knight
of the razor into giving me a shave.
have always been observant. 1t Of.
ten pays. Two men were waiting theil
turns for the chair. In careless fash.
ion l first engaged them in converse.
ton, finally turning the talk into
guesses on the number Of strokes Il
takes a barber to shave a man.
Fifty" said one.
Il mean, times he lifts the razor and
puts it back on the face" explained
"A hundred is about right" observ-
ed the other.
Well I'll tell you what I'll do"
said. IF, when I'm getting shaved
the barber doesn't take 200 strokes, III
stand the expense of the three Of u.
in here"
And 1 was, mind you, without 6
cent! But ! had observed.
And If he does it in more" one
asked.
You'll club together and pay fol
my shave"
"I'll pay for the haircut for you," he
laughed. "if you"-to the other-"pay
for his shave"
The barber took 21S strokes over my
face the first time around; the "close
shave we did not add to this. 1 say
we" for the two men also counted.
Sport" said the one who had vol
unteered the haircut, have a singe
and shampoo on me, too; it's worth
it."
And get your nails mapicured or
me-" chimed in the other.
They gave me their cards. I told
them my name. And we agreed to gel
together some day and eat a dinner.
My bluff had worked, much to the
benefit of my personal appearance
There remained still, however, the
problem of clothing; and to solve that
enough, even for the unresourceful fell
low, to find plenty of reading, plenty OF
good rtainment-libraries free lec-
lures and free-for- all auditorium con-
certs around. But to spring out of a
tramp-like rigging into the clothing
befitting a gentleman requires finesse
and considerable discrimination in the