Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1880 — Hunting for Fools. [ARTICLE]

Hunting for Fools.

As a keen-looking business man, with ‘his hat worn on the nape of his neck, was standing on Clark street, Chicago, a simple, gawky-looking country lad of 19, with a big envelope in his hand, and his mouth and eyes wide open, came sauntering along, looking anxiously at all the signs, which he was apparently spelling out. The business man being naturally kind-hearted, and desiring to do a friendly turn to a stranger, Baid to the boy: “Hi, sonny, what are you looking for? Let me see that letter.” “Now, I can’t let you have that letter; there’s bonds in it,” said the boy, “but p’haps you can tell me where Mr. Smith lives around here. The boss told me the number, but I’ve forgotten it, and the letter has got bonds in it, and so ! ain’t to give it to anybody but him.” “Why, I’ve been waiting for you this half hour,” said the keen business man, as his face brightened up; “ waiting for you to bring me those bonds which! bought of What’s-his-name.” “Be you Mr. Smith?” said the boy; “ well, now, I’m glad I met you, because I’d clean forgot what was the number where the boss said you lived, and I wouldn’t liked to go back without finding you; it would have looked as if I was careless.” With these remarks the lad took out a big envelope marked “ J. Smith, Esq., present,” in the upper corner “$2,500 U. S. 5-205,” and in the lower comer, “ Commission due, $5. Please remit by bearer.” “That’s all right, sonny,” said the keen-looking business man, as he hauled out a scantily-furnished purse, g ive the boy ass bill and a quarter, and said: “ There, sonny, that quarter is to reward you for your cleverness and fidelity,”

and, patting the envelope in his breast pocket, he walked leisurely round the corner, ran to Dearborn street with the speed of a deer, skipped lightly round to Madison, and, hailing a car, was whirled away at a comparatively lightning speed. Not till he had reached Union Park did he draw the precious envelope from his pocket, and, with the remark, “Pray heaven they are not registered!” tore it open. He then found that the envelope contained a copy of a Chicago paper, which he could have purchased at the office for 5 cents. Meanwhile the simple country lad, entering a beer saloon in the vicinity of the Sherman House, absorbed a beer, salted away the $6 bill with seven others in his pocket-book, and, with the remark, “ The fish is biting very numerously to-day!” takes another big envelope from his pocket, and once more sallied forth in search of a keen-look-ing business man.