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Show mm TRICKS OF FAKIRS. i IFOOLS AND THEIR MONEY SOON PARTED BY CUB TALKERS. i -Mow Thoy Succeeil In Drawing Nick.!. anil Ulmea from Uiiaophlillcated Toll. I r I Tbo facility with which (Ho glib- "tongucd street fakirs succeed hi despoil- f ' .lug tbo unsophisticated In cities Is thus described by tbo Chicago Herald: It F . sayst i - The nlckle faltlr reaps a nickel-plated fy Largest oycry Saturday afternoon from the long procession of tollers on tbelr way bomo nfler their week's work is done. In Ilia streets nud In gutters, men fcelongltig to the order of "shabby gen- , tcel" exploit tliclr wares with ceaseless volubility nnd a ihowor of dull-colorcd ! colusdrop luto tbelr rugged pockets. k Their eloquence catches a glitter from I the flnsby goods they offer for solo and y the Incessant shouting along tbo curbs mako n babal of sounds that ring In tbo ears long after 0110 Is out of sight. I Toys of apparently intricate arrange- fe ment, but really faKcs of tho most slm- i pie description, are clothed In flowers of k. speech that make one think that tho fc nickel expended on the trumpery is not p -eutlioly thrown away. Patent blacking f that dazzles the oyo with Its polish on on old boot tho vender exhibits Is one of the most successful fakes. It never V falls to magnetize the coins in a work f man's pocket. Medicines that will euro t. H Hl. magic bottles that pcrstst In standing upright, frogs that Jump with- ,. out the customary application of n r , straw and dogs that hop about on tholr lil ml legs by tho muscular strength of their lulls are dangled before the grimy s mechanic and wonry shopman as they r turn their faces homeward on Saturday -afternoon. k ' J-MLk t jfi Tnu rARTiAiicn or fakirs. - V Soma of these toys, 'however, rlso to ' 5 Ihe dignity of a dimo or a quartor. ," These are only Intended for those who f, disdain tbo cheap attractions of tho nickel fake. But with subtle gradations l of elequenco that detlno tbo social stand- T log of the members of fakedom, tbero Is little difference between them. And they are hare to stick. Thoy have bad many notorious historical compeers who havo startled tho world with tholr elixirs 1 of llfo and tholr philosopher's clones. The Indian fakirs, who stand near tho throno of tbo king of fakirs, can trace tbelr descent to tho birth of tho human mco when the serpent "faked" a story that caused the downfall of our first parents. A long line of ancestors whose names stand out prominently In tho history his-tory of the world as fakirs of a high order these men havo who now stoop to Tond nickel articles. They havo always been with us. "Aire rannnt , wlthei them,, nor custom stalo their Infinite verbosity." Between 4 and 0 in tbo attarnoon a train of wage-earners wend their way from down-town to their homes. Work Is over for the week. That can easily t bo seen by tbo cheery look on their faces and tho merry jokes that pass bo-twecn bo-twecn tho groups which crowd tho aldo-walks. aldo-walks. Stale Jokes, perhaps, bat they rccclvo zust because tho Jokers carry their wcokly wages In their pockets and a wbolo day is boforo them for rest and enjoyment Soon they uro drawn to I stand and llston to the melodious nc- cents of a seedy-looking man who Is I holding forth ou the superlative merits m of the blacking, tho polish of which m rivals tho shiny surface of tho River fltyx in hades. jH IT SHINES LIKE TUB BON. ft "In other words," shouts tho classical HK fakir, "you may tramp through oceans H cf mud nil day and with the application H of a wet rng your boots will shine and H glisten like tho bran new silk bat you HK keep In a box for Suuday, This black- W log Is not like other blacking. I have HBj WrSl?? -J-0, liitsiirods to nil the crowned bonds of Enropo and they never said that ihe muff wasn't worth n nickel." ,",0i. wHI" yells an Irreverent urchin. I bought a box last week an It turned out to bo only mud." Undaunted bv this expose, tho vendor speaks in sail and sorrowful tones of the nhtisn ulwnys showered on inventors. Further ou a venerable-looking man with n long gray beard that threatens to sweep tho boxes of pills from his stand calls attention to it A ypJtih THK CMXIU oi' i.tru. his specific for all tho Ills Hint liumnn ilesh lajgk r to. A thin mist bus arisen and str,gleil for inaMery with the few remaining airunks oNw flight ciiphonl-ously ciiphonl-ously termed dusk. i. .rough thlutiuns-paient thlutiuns-paient volt tho liuc red proboscis of tho fakir moves up and down like it huso flrelly. No ordlnnry mauls thlsicctltler of bodily Ills. Ho clothes his lnngungo with tropos and hyperboles dug from somo tropical mud cabin. The nlr nround Is fragrant with the odor of herbs and bad whWky. "From the glorious climes of India, where divers plungo Into tbu brluy deep to pluck tho dazzling pearl from tho shell's cmbraco nnd where tho elephants rnmlila nbnut scoklng whom thoy may devour, I have culled the Ingredients for my patent pain killer. It will euro all tho agonies that wreck tho human frame. A box of my pills will disperse palus in Ihe buck ns surely as tbo goldei pills of Hellogabulus put to the light tho dyspepsia of that great epicure. In Mexico and South Americn, In tho wlldi of Africa, the uatives use these pills to i rid them of nil disorders. My pills are bonnyllcd, and I am giving them nway at n nickel a box. If thoy don't euro at first, come ngaln and buy another box." At this the crowd laughs. Nobody seems to caro to make the Initial purchase pur-chase of tho wondorfut pills. Then oue man puts down n nickel, half ashamed of tho action. "Sol again I" shouts tho mau with the nasal danger signal. A shower of nickels follows. Those who havo purchased leave tho crowd, but others arrive, curious to know what is going on. Suspenders, shoo strings, snarf pins and boue studs nre dangled beforo tbo workers as they pais along. A little black dog prances about tbe sldowalk, held in leash by a cadaverous Individual wearing a gray plug bat that had seen better days. "An Illustration ot tho prlnclplo of perpetual motion, frentlemen. which you can have for a dime." But though they look curiously at tho playthings few care to go to such expense. Away It goes, bonnlng about IBSlipif"' CATCMNO TIIB.niStXO VOTER.. without extranoousliclp from tho man with tho string. Springs In tho dog's tail and bind legs yield to the pressure of tho weighted body, and apparently tho dog moves without the preliminary Waterbury-wotch proceeding of winding wind-ing up. "Hero's tbo Jumping frog of Calaveras," yells a lllorury fakir. "Can jump ten feet wltWout tho aid of Its hind legs, and only costs a nickel." This sells like wildfire. Jumping frogs will please (ho youngsters at home until curiosity loads them to lnquiro Into tbe mechanism of tbe wonderful leaper, A fakir uttrncted much attention the other night. Ills loud cries that nobody no-body under oigbtoen would be allowed to buy bis goods stirred the prurient curiosity of tbe crowd. A long rigmarole rigma-role of words introduced his wares. Ho explained that to avoid police prosecution prosecu-tion bo would sell any ono In the crowd a flashy brass ring for a nickel. "A beautiful present for a sweetheart," he exclaimed sentimentally. "Along with this ring I will glvo you an envelope containing an accout of the mysteries of human life, compiled from secret sources. I have to give this away, for If I attempted at-tempted to sell It the police would be down on me. Everybody ought to know what is In this envelope. It concerns the welfare of nations but false modesty prevents its open sale. Oct away from the box," and ho cuffs a youiiirater who bad approached too near. "You pet a treasure when you purchase- a rlne from me." F.or the next fiftceu minutes he Was busy sealing envelopes for purchasers. purchas-ers. No one under eighteen omitted to buy. When a youngster offered a nickel and said he filled tho required regulation the fakir in an Injured tone asked tbe crowd to protect him from those who yrorojuttiubl jt ti4ivlns him. One of tho first purchasers stealthily opened hli envelope and reud tbo content. A look of disgust passed ovrr li is enter counleiiRnce. It wm a lonfljl on How toSecuro Silvntlou." A grin of satisfaction, satis-faction, howuvcr, quicklv succeeded disgust ns lie reflected that, oilier bu-sides bu-sides himself hud been awindlud and ho walked nwny leaving tho other to find out Ihe fraud fur l!icnnelvr. A feeling of shnmo prevented them dividing what they thought nnd the next crowd nought as eagerly ns the tint. ONLY A WOUNDED DOC. Tli InflnAtirA of n llmnun Wnniau on n ltnucli mill Cruel Crimil. It wn nothing hut u yolplng street cur, nlio.-o lujx had bcuu'rtiti over by u jiiisslnj' wtijjiin, but it 1 in 1 1 n voloo ji.itlietlo nnd shrill enotijih to uiiku thu ilu.nl. s:iy tho Coiigrcyalionulist. '(Set out!" yulli'd a iimi closn to wliiini It passed, nnd ho rnlsod his c.ino to chnstlso It for oireiullii),' his oars with Mich uiie.it llily howls; but tho poor brutu only "ki-U-d" the louder. Sent!'' cried :i bootblack, swinging his kit nround thu lump-post lifter tho cur. "Tie n emi to ita tnill" Iiu yollod to sumo moio boys, on m-i'mid thought, nnd off tin-j" scurilcd after the caudal oiiimiKint.oiily pausing long enough to shy a stone, xvhlch produced it new ami morn dlsunrdiiut series of yelps. "Wny doesn't sinnii one cnll tho police to nhoot hlniP" indignantly ilo-inn'.iiled ilo-inn'.iiled a t ell-dressed lady, stopping her oars to tditit out tho sound. "It's n sliainu to allow such things!" Ami still tho dog's crlm of p.tlu rang shrilly down tin) street. "If soniu otio only had sonso enough to givo liltii it dog-button, that would soon quiet him." suggested n knowing-looking knowing-looking man witli a leather caso in his hand. Tho drivers cracked their whips at him from tlieir swats; clerks r.iu out mid wildly gesticulated at him to mako him stop; but still tho cur limped and yelped along thu gutter none of thoso things scorned woitli n cunt so far ns stopping his noiso wo concerned. Then every body stood still and stared nt si very unusual scene. A lad v. well dtessed nnd relined In ninnner and look, motioned tho street boys uearcft hor to stop yelling, and stopped quick-ly quick-ly ui) toward tho dog with a soft, wiiito hand outstretched, and soniu soothing, soft-spoken words. The poor, frightened fright-ened thing stopped, curlod its tall bo-tweun bo-tweun its lcgi.tiud cringed dowu nearer tho curbstone as if expecting nnothor blow. Sho dpokq ti It again, calling it "poor doggio-' mid various pot names, until it turned its wistful eyes In mute pleading and allowed her to put her hand on it. Then sho stroked it softly and reassured It furthor, while a boy ran to n uoar drug store for something. Sho saturated her handkerchief with it and bound up thu dog's leg. lu a moment the bruto was perfectly pas-slvo pas-slvo nud had censed oven to whine. Sho turned It over to tho kind-he.trted Irish janitor of tho big Equltablo build-ing.who build-ing.who had taken in tho situation nud brought out a box partly flllod with excelsior. But beforo ho could take it into the basement tho knowing man with a leather caso had changed his mind about "dog-buttons," and saying that ho was a doctor, offered his services to set tho broken bono; the lady who hail talked of shooting tho ctir politely tendered her own handkorchlef to brush the dust from tho hands of the dog's friend, tho boys came back without with-out tho tin can, and, gathering around, proposed to "chip in" and buy some bologna for the patient; and every ono I went away saying: "Woll.I declaro.sho must bo very fond of dogs, and quito used to their ways, to bo able to do just tho right thing socloverly." Sho had never kept a dog in hor life, and was just thu least bit afraid of them; but she was tho possessor of a heart sensitive to the sufferings of tho meanest of God's creatures us to her own, and hor little act of thoughtful humanity had stirred tho bettor nature of thoso whnso thoughtlessness only would havo mado them Inhuman. |