orgetown by the short-line.

"Well, there, gentlemen, I've soaped you to death. The next article
I'll call your attention to is a fine Eagle rubber-tipped pencil
with the lead running all the way through it and half way back
again, and a pencil you can't buy in the regular way for less than
ten cents. Now, gentlemen, after sharpening this pencil to a fine
point, I propose to give you a specimen of my penmanship. I presume
I'm the finest penman who ever visited your city.

"And I will wager one hundred dollars to fifty that I can beat any
man in your town writing two different and distinct hands." (Then
hold up a piece of paper or paste-board and commence writing on
it.)

"You will notice, my friends, that I write one hand that no man in
the world can read but myself, and another hand that myself nor any
other man can read. Now, gentlemen, I'm going to supply the wants
of yourself and family, and all your relatives." (Then picking them
up one at a time, and exposing them to view):

"Here is one for dad and one for mam,
Two for the cook and the hired man,
One for your daughter and one for your son.
As true as I tell you, I have only begun.
For there is one for your wife and one for yourself;
I'll give you another to lay on the shelf.
Here's one for your sister and one for your brother,
For fear they'll need three I'll throw in another.
Here is one for your uncle and one for your aunt.
I would give them another, but I know that I can't,
For there's just two left for grandfather and grandmother.
If you'll take them along and make me no bother,
You may have the whole lot for a quarter of a dollar.

"And who'll have the entire lot for the money?

"And sold right here. This gentleman takes them. I should think he
would take 'em. Any man that wouldn't take 'em, wouldn't take sugar
at a cent a pound. He'd want to taste off the top, taste from the
bottom and eat out the middle and then he'd _swear_ it wasn't
sugar. And who'll have the next, last, and only remaining lot for
the money? And sold again. Luck is a fortune gentlemen. The man
that is here to-night is bound to be a winner. And who'll have the
next lot for the money?"

The foregoing will give the reader a s