This particular form of the confidence game is very old; yet in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-five a swindler by means of it succeeds not only in maintaining himself in dashing style, but also in sporting a flashy traveling companion of the female persuasion!

Where the letters are addressed to men, the articles reported to be found in the imaginary trunk are changed to correspond to masculine habits and wants.  The operators receive many singular and some entertaining replies.  The following, dated long ago from a small town at the South, may serve as a sample, the orthography of the original being preserved:—­

“Col.  Snowden,

“Dear Sir,—­Yours received, and you say John is dead.  Poor fellow!  I always expected it.  Death runs in the family.  Dyed suddenly of appleplexy—­eat too many apples.  Well, I always thought John would hurt himself eating apples.  I s’pose you had him buried.  You said nothing about funeral expenses.  He had a trunk—­gold watch in it, &c.  Well, well, what an unexpected legacy! but strange things happen sometimes.  Never thought I should get a gold watch so.  And he had the watch in his trunk, did he?  Poor fellow! was always so particular ’bout his watch and fixings.  Had two revolvers.  What is them?  I never heard John say anything about them.  Well, you have been so kind as to write to me; just keep all the balance of the things, you can have them; but the gold watch, send that to me by express.  Send immediately if not sooner.”

“Very truly,

“GEO. Stream.

“P.  S. My mother in law says, if you come this way, call.  She likes to know all such good, kind folks.”

It is safe to conclude that “Col.  Snowden” never accepted the invitation to call from the hospitable mother-in-law.

A FORMIDABLE WEAPON

In the summer and fall of 1875 circulars were scattered broadcast over the country, and advertisements appeared in the weekly editions of several leading papers of New York City and other large towns, setting forth the rare merits of a weapon of destruction called “Allan’s New Low-Priced Seven-Shooter.”  As a specimen of ingenious description, the more salient parts of the circular are herewith reproduced:—­

“In introducing this triumph of mechanical genius to the American public, it is proper to say that it is not an entirely new article, but that it has lately been improved in appearance, simplicity of construction, and accuracy, having new points of excellence, making it superior in many respects to those first made.  The manufacturers having improved facilities for making them cheaply and rapidly, have reduced the price to one dollar and fifty cents; and while the profits on a single one are necessarily small, this price places them within the reach of all.

“We wish it distinctly understood that this is no cheap, good-for-nothing ‘pop-gun’; and while none can expect it to be ’silver-mounted’ for $1.50, they have a right to expect the worth of their money, and in this new improved seven-shooter a want is supplied.