Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 152, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1913 — Bought Brooklyn Bridge; Couldn’t Take It Home [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Bought Brooklyn Bridge; Couldn’t Take It Home

NEW YORK- —On the Holland-Amer-ican liner Rotterdam, which sailed the other day, there left Karl Hoops, a pleasant little fat Dutchman, who is going back to Amsterdam. For half an hour before the vessel sailed he murmured, then shouted: "Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, New York, dam, dam, dam!” About a month before Hoops left Amsterdam for New York with $2,000 tucked in his pockets. He had heard that New York was the land of opportunity. Opportunities were thrust upon him. He was here Just a week when the Brooklyn bridge was sbld to him for the measly sum of SSOO. ; “1 was out walking one night," said Hoops, “when I meets a gentleman. He was glad to see me, and Invited me to take a drink. Then be took me over the Brooklyr bridge and showed me ell the people coming and going. "I ought to be taking in $5,000 a t day and I’m not getting more than $8,000," the gentleman told him. “I’m disgusted with New York,” continued jthe new friend. "I'm going away.

I'd sell out the bridge tomorrow for $500.” In a few hours Hoops was the owner of the Brooklyn bridge. And it had only cost him ssoo*. Hoops went up to the bridge, and, all swelled up, told a policeman about his purchase. The cop was going to pinch him. Then be took compassion on him and said, terlsey: “You’ve been trimmed.” Mr. Hoops said: “Gee, I was mad.” Then he got an option on a contract to shaye 10,000 policemen._„ He paid an alleged politician SIOO for the op tkm. Hoops told some one about th« option and he was told: “You’ve beei skinned”