How A Sharper Was Taken In

In the fallof 1812, on my way from New York to Washington, I stopped for a couple of days in the pleasant city of New Brunswick. On the af'ternoon ofmyarrival, six or eight of the townsmen were congregated in Wliite Hall Hotel, dis cussinp the charaeter and aniinadverting upon the habits of' one of their citisens, a Mr. M. 1. , who wasnotorious for hiseunniiiK at a bargain, and close-6stednss in moiioy affair8. As the conversión was carried on in a pretty loud key, I may as well let the actors speak for themselves. "Close, did y ou say?" remarked one, " Why, you mipht aswelltry to fish a dollar out of the ocean, as to get fairness out ut' liim in a barg:iin." " A perfect skinfilint!" uttered a Hule di-sattis-fied looking fellow. " I knew him when he wasn't worth a dollar, and now he counts thousands where I do nuodreds, and all made by saving and taking advantage of the necesiities of others. Oh, he is a sharper." "True," said anotber, "he's the keenesl fellow I ever knew. Look how he did Smitb, in that bargain. A man should rise early to trade with Smitb, I can teil you." " There's no mistake about D- 's being a sharper," added a third. " He would Yankee Yankeedom and not half try," put in a plethoric individual, who seemed to give his testimony. " I would give ten dollars to have him handsoinly taken in, said another party. "So would I," repeated two or three. During the conyersation I had observed an individual with a strongly marked Yankee face who was paying strict attention to the speakers. He was a tin peddler, and had three wagons loaded with lanterns tben in a yard. When thcy began to talk of giving inoney to have their neighbor outwitted, he aróse and putting on the Yankee pretty strongly, said : " Gentlemen, I don't know that 'ere individual about whoui you are speakine. I tay, I don't know him - but if you ve a mind to subscribe a little grain of something, just to pay the vonture, like, why, I shouldn't mind tryin' it. I calcúlate it might bc done. I'velearned ofsuch people afore, and I don't know but what I inight be able to fetch him. I'm most in the tradin' line, and it is all in the way of trade." "Just the dandy, gentlemen," exclaimed one of the prty, "just the trick for soup." " You're in the trading line are you?" exclaimed another. " Yes, gentlemen, tradin's my occupation. I'm clen frora Bangor. way down in tho state of Maine. 1 can do a little of most anything, in the sunimer, I stay at hum and help the old folks- iothe falland winter I peddle tinware, inostly lanterns." " You don't sell lanterns?" said tlie tilothoric citizen inquirinjrly. " ld like to knowifl hain't got three hundred of 'em in my wagons in the yard!" " Oh, you have, eb. Well, you're the very man we want." " Yes I" said the Yankeo. " We will tnuke up a purse of twenty dollars for you, f you will baruboozle our iriend D- ." "I shouldn't wonder if I could strike a trade with him." " When will you do it?" " 1 calcúlate it can be done to-morrow." " Yery well- if you sucoeed the raoney isyourc. " Twenty dollars was immediately collected and given to the landlord, as an earnest of their eeriousness, and the party broke up to meet the next evening. On the following morning our Yankee acquaintance.who was a bhrewd, intelligent fellow, put on a gen teel suit, and after having made a good niany iuquiries respecting the habits, tuanners and apj)earance, and reBidence of Mr. P - , mountcd a horse, with the iotention of stopping there on his return, as if just from l'hiladelphia. As good luck would have it, old D - was standing in front of his house as the Yankee approached. " Sir," said the iatter, " would you be Pud enough to infoim me how fapit 11 to New Brunswick ?" "Two miles, kir," said 1) - . " And how iar is it to New York ?" " About forty miles, by stage." " Are thcre any tinsmithsin New Brunf wiek?" " Why, yes, there are two or threo small affairs." " I am sorry they are are so small. I was in hopes of being able to fill an order there which our bonte bas received for lanterns." " Lanterns," said the old fellow, quickly taking the bait, for he had seen three wagons loaded with them only the day before. "Yesadded the other carelessly, "we have a heavy order, and I was told that the article could bo had iu New Brunswick' " You are from Philadelphia, then !" "Yes, do business .thero. You have most probably heard ot' our firtu- Hyde, Cook, Sage, (Jonnelly & Co." "I can't say that I ever heard of that firm- but tberenpi i'iisto lie a good uiany of you." " Oh, yes, it is a large house." " IIow uiany lanterns do you want.'" ir quired old ]) - . "Three hundred will do." " What will you pay a hundred?" The Yankee stated the sum considerably over the maiket value of the article. "Do you wish them delivrred in l'hilade'phia?" " No, I will attend to that." " Add anotherdollar to the hundredand I will furnish them toyou," said old D - ." "Agreed," said the Yankee. "Now when can you procure them ?" " In two days." "All right - I must go ten miles further. - I will pay you for them on uy return." Af'ter sorue further conversation about the size, makc and quality of the artiole, all which served to impress D - with tho legitimacy of the transaction, the Yankee returned to town, put on his old clothes, and olherwise altered his appearance, so that he was f'ully prepared to siiperintend the sale of his own lanterns wheu the old skinfiint arrived. In due time I) - arrived at the tavern, and aftermuoh (crewing and Jewing, the bargain wasstruck, the money paid down, and the tinware delivered. A broad grin of sstistaction might have been obs-erved all thu time on the face of six or eight of the byslanders. but notuing was said. The Yankee got full pnce lor his lan'erns, pocketed his $20 and then slarted homeward. Old D - wailed all the nest day, and two more, but the Philadelphia uierchant came not. At length the lanterns grew hateful in the old man's pight, and with a dozen ruund oaths, reflecting severely upon the mercantile community in general, the tioware was put in tbr garret. The joke got wind and everybouy knew it, and trom that day forth, the old miser was known bv the cognomen of "Old Lanteni." Many years afterarda tha old man dieil, and tlie handbill that announced thi of liis effects contained the following Nota K, : " Also at the same time and place, three hundred lanterns- ahuost as good as new, wliich will be sold at a good bargaiu."