Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1874 — Advice to Strangers Visiting the City. [ARTICLE]

Advice to Strangers Visiting the City.

Where there are grapes there will be the foxes, and the rascals who make their living by prowling around increase in proportion with the visiting strangers. Then swindlers, gamblers and confidence m4n of all kinds, who have been plying their games at the watering places, the race-courses, and the country fairs, or wherever people gather in crowds, are on hand ih full force to meet the crowd that this month assembles in the city, and a few words of caution to strangers in New York may save our visiting friends much annoyance and loss. Some of swindlers, not content to await the- arrival of their victims, go out to meet them, and many a man who has. met an agreeable traveling companion on his journey to’ the city has learned a lesson lfi regard to this kind of swindling that he will not soon forget. To those unused 7 to traveling we would say* he careful of showing your money., Oqjy take out enough at stations to pay for tickets; keep sufficient loose change for incidental expenses in a handy pocket, rist securely piecedin sbme -hsride pepkpt. Having disposed .at your ,don/t, fuss about, ity and every now aqd then feel to ascertain if it is safe; && there is*nb rid-efArttyd/directing this. Tt 1b a safe rule to treat traveling companions with politeness, and nothing more; allow no sudden intimacies; if one persists in taking you into his confidence, the chances are that he has some end to serve. Don't change bills for anyone, and do not. tell any stranger what your business is, or where you are going to “ stop.” Those who have traveled much, and are good judges of character, have no need of these cautions, but those who have had little or no experience should be careful how they make chance acquaintances. Whatever you may do at home, by all means avoid card playing while traveling. When wearied with a long journey, the temptation with some is very strong to accept the invitation to make the fourth hand at a game of cards. It is safe always to decline, and often, highly dangerous to accept. The “ social” game is readily turned into a gambling one. “ Only twenty-five cents a side to make it interesting;” this point passed, the end is not far. It is known that certain lines leading from the city are infested by welldnessed, “ gentlemanly” gamblers, who travel on the make,” and we have seen persons stripped by them of every dollar, the conductor apparently knowing all about the little game. Within the city the traps that await the stranger are numerous. One of the common tricks of the street “ bummer,” is to run up to a stranger with open hand, pretending to be very glad to meet him, asking when he came to town, how be left the folks, where he is stopping, and all that ; if the stranger does not know the chap, he says: “Oh! here comes Charlie,” and Charlie is sure to know the stranger twice as well as the first one. It often happens that a goodnatured person, feeling the loneliness of a large city, thinks he might have known these persons at some time or somewhere. If he hesitates or stops to explain he is quite likely to be taken possession of by his newly-found friends, who will not leave him so long as he has a dollar. This thing happens almost every day directly in front Of our office, and our young men, when they see it going on, do not hesitate to step out and inform the stranger of the character of his “ friends.” Another game is for these chaps to get names from the hotel register and then -call upon the guest with some story of being related, or other appeal to his sympathy. The only safe way for an entire stranger in New York is to absolutely repel all advances of whatever kind from unknown persons. Let him make up his mind what points he wishes to visit daring the day and learn from (hb hotel clerk how to reach them. If he wishes information while on the streets, ask it of a policeman, and of no one else. Avoid auctions, “ great sacrifices,” “ dollar,'* r 'ahd other cheap stores of all kinds. If he wishes to make purchases, and has no friend to advise with, ask the hotel people for the names of respectable dealers, or consult the advertisements of the daily papers. Much more might he said in the way of adviee to strangers in New York, and the same applies to other large cities, but we have touched upon those which our observation shows are most needed. Remember that money is the first requisite in traveling, and that next in importance, is “ common sense,” which, among other things, will lead to the proper care and expenditure of it.— American Agriculturist. , Xs.- ■ ■ ■■■""■» • ■■ ■ If you. want to realize the heights Jo which feminine eloquence can mount, 90 home and find your wife in company .with a table covered with jars of canned fruit, and ask her why ibe has her bind wrapped in ft cloth.