Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-19
They Are Still Being Born.

They Are Still Being Born.
You may be one of those who think
| that the itinerant street merchant has
a hard time making a livelihood. You
/ stand and watch him for few min
utes and in a way sympathize with him
in his efforts to unload his wares.
You should have been in Market square
few nights ago. He was standing
in an automobile. He offered for sale
watches and razors. Both were among
the best 10 be had. That's what he
said. He was convincing talker.
More than one hundred men surround
ed the machine. With each sale he
gave a gift. He didn't have a fixed
price on either article. He would ask
you what you would give for one or
/ both. 1t seems he had held forth on
the square several nights previously
One who had bought a watch on his
first appearance was again in the
crowd. He interrupted the peddler
The man in the crowd said he
had been humbugged in the watch he
had purchased, lie having paid IS for
It. The man in the auto let his disap-
pointed patron talk, ceasing his solicit
tation Of the audience to give him full
sway in getting rid of what he had on
his mind. Then he was made an OBJ
tect of ridicule by the merchant. the
latter finding chief JOY in the fact that
tho one who had interrupted was not
an adept in use of the English Ian
Euage.
You say the watch is not worth S5?'
asked the man in the machine
no. il isn't was the answer.
L didn't say 1t was worth s.. did II"
Perhaps You didn't, but you took So
of T..r- -
laughed
Sure thing" said the peddler. 81
would have taken $50 if you had Of
fered it to me. But now what do you
really think the watch is worth? ?"
oh. about so cents"
Then YOU were not cheated out of
50. as you are claiming. 1t was only
$4,50,"
Il would be ashamed to stand I'D
there and take money away from peo-
pie the way YOU do" the man who
bought the watch persisted.
Why, my friend, don't take money
away from people. They hand it to
me, You did so, didn't your" 1 am on
the square, am L not?"
That's intended for joke, I guess.
Not at all. Your city must think l
am all right. / have a license to do
business here"
Il don't care about that. got
cheated. Why don't you take the
watch back when you know l am not
satisfied with my bargain"
You are the most unreasonable per-
son, brother You paid me S. for the
Now you tell this crowd of
men that it is worth only
80 cents. And you expect me to make
you gift of $3.50. That would be verv
poor business"
Hardly week passes that one or
more of these drifters do not hold
forth in the business section of the CITY.
unloading, in the majority of cases, a I
lot OF junk that the legitimate mer-
chant will not carry on his counters
Yet people will never learn the lesson.
II the fellow WHO paid the stranger So
for watch had made his purchase
from home merchant he could have
forced fulfllment of representations
made to him when he bought the in
5trument But the drop-in peddIer
merely gave him the laugh. He GER
-afnly deserved 1t.
WHERE is HELP" was discussed bv
he indianapolis Ethical society. A
asserted the place is one of
ire and birthstone. Some of the wom-
IN members disagreed with him, and
me maintained that, from what expe-
'!ence she had had, hell consisted in
living. or trying to live. in a fiat
Doubtless there are many who will
lgree with the good sister.
HAVE you given the once over 10
he personnel Of the new Greek cabi-
let? We haven't any way of knowing
our impression, but to us the names
cad like a bunch OF new diseases. /
hey are all there except infantilepar- 5
lysis. {
CHAJTACQIA managers are ab0ut [
eclded ON elimination of the political J
pellbinder from their programs. S
peed the day. The spelIbimder as I
uredly never was entertaining: Meth.
did he educate. lie merely was n |
that attracted shekels ut the
lain enirance. Some day the chan. 5
inqua VIII also dispense with the r
aimed seals and begin serving the b
Drt OF programs the public has IA right >
expect. The chautauqua never was a
Ieant TO be trained animal show. p
DIXON, III. girl who has been sc- 5
aimed second Paylowa in her home &
'wn has gone to Chicago to complete 5
ar education as a dancer She has
lcountered one obstacle, she con
'sses and that Is her ignorance Of r
" ways. II she can prove tlfat her il
.Umfa fg