A stranger made his appearance the other day at Shocoquon,
on the other side, of a seedy appearance, inquiring for work. Upon being questioned by Mr. K., a citizen,
as to wages he declared that he wanted no wages – all he wanted was his
board. He wanted no money. The fact was, he had about fifty dollars
which was troubling him, and which he did not know what to do with. Mr. K., seeing that he was a stranger, having
money, concluded to take him in, and suggested that he could make such
arrangements as would relive him of the fifty. – He asked the shabby stranger
if he could run. Yes. He then proposed to bring a man in from the
country who would run him seventy-five yards for the fifty. This was done, and the race took place the
same afternoon. When the money had been
staked, the stranger took of his duds, coming out a lithe, graceful and
muscular man, in a close-fitting dress well adapted to the business in
hand. He won the race by one hundred
feet, relieved Mr. K. of fifty and
immediately departed. – Hawkeye, 10th.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette,
Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, May 14, 1862, p. 2
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