Information for a Price.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 145, 20 June 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

Information for a Price.

There is a drop-a-nickel-in-the-slot w&ighing machine in the Rapid Transit waitingroom at St. George, Staten Island, says the New York 'Sun.' Two well • dressed young men were standing near ito the other day. One of them fished a nickel from hi» pocket and stepped on the platform to geb weighed. As he was about to ttfrusfc the nickel into the slot, a little coloured bootblack stepped up to him, and exclaimed— • Hoi' on, boss ! Don' yo 1 drap yer nickel in dar. I kin weigh yo' widoub putfcin' in any money. , ' Is that so, Pompey V said the yotrag man on the machine. ' How do you do it ?' • Oh, I jes' blows my bref inter de hole, an' de machine worka jes' de same like you'd drapped a nickel in.' • Nonsense ! Don't tell me any fairy tales like that, George Washington.' ' Dat in'b no fairy tale, boss ; dafc's true ez gawapol. I'll beb you money dat I kin do it,' 'All risrbb. I'll bed you a dollar you can't.' As he said this the young man pulled a dollar frora his pocket and held it out toward the little bootblack, exidently expecting him to back down at the sight) of the money. Bub to hie greafe astonishment the little darkey didn't back down at; all. Instead of doing so ha produced a quantity of dimes nickels and counted out a dollar's worth of them. The young, man miprhfa have crawled oufc'of the beh himself, bub the crowd had gathered and he was ashamed to do ib. The money was put up in the hands of the lunchcounter man, and at once the little bootblack put his mouth to the slob, puffed oub his cheeks, and blew as hard as he could into the machine. The indicator swung around on the dial, and pointed at 154 pounds. ' That's a greab trick,' said the youngj ; man, as he watched the lunch-counter man' pay tho bootblack his dollar. * Get on the platform, Fred, and I'll weigh you the same way. , Hia companion stepped on the platform* and the young man carefully wiped the slot with his handkerchief, pub his mouth to ib, and began to blow. His cheeks puffed oub like toy balloons, his face got very red, and he frowned horribly, bub the indicator never budged. The crowd laughed, and the young man tried again harder than ever, bub with no better success. At lasb he turned to the grinning bootblack and said— ' Say, George Augustus, I'll give you another dollar to show me how you did that,' ' Gimme de money and I'll show you, boss.' The dollar was paid, and the little bootblack stowed it carefully away in his pocket. Then he pulled out a nickel, pub it into his mouth, and pub his mouth to the slot:. He blew hard again, the indicator once more registered 154 pounds, and then the boy opened his capacious mouth. Ib was empty. The young men were not vary . conßgiqsp£§ after that.