Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1869 — Swindlers. [ARTICLE]

Swindlers.

A pair of Chicago sharpers have been victimizing the farmers in the vicinity of; Davenport; by a unique sort of confidence game. They recently drove up In a stylish * buggy to the newly-erected house of a former named Jansen, to whom they proposed to polnt his dwelling gratis, With a “ new kina of pump,” artd also to-apply to the roof a “ fire-proof composition,’ on condition that he help them to get the cuktom of his neighbors. The lady of the house got them up a good “ square-meal,” and after dinner they requested Jansen' to write his name on a printed paper, merely that theymigbt have his address and they would forward the paints. He did so, and his guests departed. Jansen soon found, through one of bin neighbors, that he had given, his note for S3OO to pretended agents of one “A, .Li Baretey, manufacturer of fire proof ccmeht, or metallic composition roofing. Ho.. 101 Twenty-ninth street, Chicago, jlK u They have probably “shaved” the note before this, and are now at- home enjoying'the substantial results of their rural pleasure trip.— Chicago Tribune, Oc(. 5. ' —■» <— A writer, giving ’'Noftes of a Tour in China,”, dwells on the „grejit, difficulty of learning the Chinese language, from Its hieroglyphic characters and tegion of dialects and tones. The Bpeaker may have the right worej, but unless he gives tbe right tone, he either sayknotlilngor says probably the opposite of what bo intended. A missionary, on one occasion, when preaching, wished tor say “ God is angry with sin.” -To his utter astonishment, the whole congregation jumped to their feet. He had got the Tight word ; but, ntrntw the tone, the word meant “ Stand up 1” On another occasion the preacher wished to say, “Idolsshall be utterly* abolished;” but, not giving the right tone. his found to hia consternation that he had actually declared, “ Idols are absolutely necessary.” In India where there i* no such difficulty, absurd blunders are made. Who hag. not heard of the Bengal missionary Who meant to preach from the text, *1 am the Light of the world,” but substituted aioa (potato) to alo (light) ? The writer once' heard a missionary by an error of aspirate declare that “ St. Paul made a monkey.” —The ftev. A. A. Miner, D; IX, has been chosen President of. the Massachusetts State Temperance Alliance, in place of William B. Spooner, declined.