Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1894 — A LIBERAL FAKIR. [ARTICLE]

A LIBERAL FAKIR.

He Takes Pleasure in Giving His Goods Away. A game of “throwing a sprat to catch a mackerel” was plsyed in s court off Green street the other dsy, and the who played it was the centre of a crowd which seemed perfectly dazed. He was actually giving money away. The people could not understand it; nevertheless, they did not miss the opportunity of getting a little wealth easily. ‘There you are, gentlemen,” he said. “Here a quarter.” Who gives, me twenty cents for it? Come on, now, good money, don’t be afraid 1 I’m the man that sold guineas on London bridge for a penny and couldn’t sell one. Who takes it?” Nobody seemed at first to understand, but presently one man handed up twenty cents and get the quarter. Before the crowd could complete an examination, to see if it was genuine, the fakir shouted: “Here’s the twenty. Who gives fifteen for it?” This was another surprise, but it was not long before a man made the trade. Then fifteen were sold for ten, and so on until the fakir gave the last cent away, talking “like a house afire” all the time, and occasionally remarking: “I don’t covert moDey. I give it away. I’m the fellow that’s driving the fakirs out of business.” Then he fished something out of his bag. “Heie’s a watoh,” he said; “a watch ought to be worth fifty cents if it’s worth anything. Who gives me fifty cents? Nobody? All right! Who wants it? l’il give it away 1” A mac in the crowd got it. “Here’s another watch. Who wants it? Won’t somebody give me fifty cents for it?” A man handed over the money, but the fakir spurned it. saying: “Here, take your money. Take the watch. I’m giving things away.” Another watch was brought forth and and offered, money produced and not accepted. Still another. “Who wants it?” asked the fakir again. A young fellow offered fifty cents. guess I’ll keep this for luck,” said tho fakir. Then be gave another away and kept on doing so, occasionally accepting the money and keeping it “for luck.” In a few minutes he was doing a brisk business and money was changiug hands at a great rate. “Hero’s a ling, solid brass, but its got three tiers of gold on it. It ought to be worth a cent, and if you’re smart you ought to mnke a dollar on it. See! It’g got ‘lB-carats’ marked on the inside.” He sold the ring—sold lots of them—then began to throw trinkets in a hat. “ Who buys the lot ?” he asked. Nobody wanted to bid, He held up a quarter and dropped that into the hat; nobody wanted to buy. He dropped in a fifty-cent piece. Somebody purchased the lot for half a dollar. “Put it right in your pocket and look out for more bargains,” said the fakir, and the people secreted their purchases from the eyes of a curious crowd. He sold trinkets,money nnd everything else; the people seemed astounded by his liberality and spent their money. After a while a number of his best customers began to look thoughtful and then sneaked off and examined their purchases. One man, who had apparently received seventy-five cents and a hatful of trinkets for half a dollar found the trinkets and two cents. The seventyfive cents probably went up the fakir’s sleeve. He had given away $1 and made S2O. —[Boston Herald.