40 Centaur ; 



The writer's experience and interestedness in his business 

 has prompted him to be frequently amused and surprised 

 while reading the very tempting baits advertised in the 

 daily papers, emanating from persons whose original trade 

 or profession has nothing whatever to do with the article or 

 goods they profess to laud up, and have on sale ; and whose 

 clever endeavour it is to force upon the public, or some 

 private individual, common goods, totally disregarding the 

 business man's pride in legitimate trading, and who's motto 

 is "purchase and come again." Here is an advertisement, 

 emanating from a large manufacturing midland town, which 

 the writer read four days in succession, and ultimately 

 followed up to the end : — " Extraordinary bargains — 50 Sets 

 of Silver Harness, Complete — all sizes — best quality — to be 

 sold cheap. No reasonable offer refused as the lot must 

 be cleared out immediately, the manufacturer wanting 

 money." 



The writer went by the first train, on reading the above, 

 having his doubts as to the '^best quality," and to prove the 

 genuineness of the number of sets advertised, feeling con- 

 vinced that the extraordinary bargain existed only in the 

 fertile, irresponsible brain of the *' puffing shark" (as these 

 worse than Cheap Johns are called) who put forth the bait ; 

 and so it proved to be, as we shall now see. On arriving at 

 the shop, we were surprised to find nothing in the window 

 or premises (as far as could be seen from the street), apper- 

 taining to harness ; or that the proprietor had anything to 

 do with, or kno\Yledge of such goods, which he professed to 

 deal in so plentifully, and to sell so cheap. Certainl}^, the 

 entrance and doorway was plastered up with catalogues, 

 which seemed to have done good long service, these being 

 much soiled and partially obliterated, their details, in wording 

 and want of dates, apj^earing to be manufactured for the 

 express purpose of standing for a considerable time. The 

 writer entered the small front shop; then the secret business 

 began, between the principal and assistant, in certain side 

 glances at the visitor, and undertones between themselves, 

 which is easil}" detected bj^ the visitor ; their anxiety being 

 to determine, without delay, whether the}' had secured 

 by their advertisement a C. C. or 0. T. — which means a 

 " Caught Customer," or " One of the Trade," that is to say, 

 a harness manufacturer. Had they have decided him to be 

 an 0. T., then the intruder, by virtue of their suspicions of 

 his superior knowledge of that special article, would have 

 been told that all was cleared out about an. hour ago, or so, 



