304 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



had made, that I might look like a civilized being on my 

 arrival home, I felt disgusted with myself that, after all my 

 worldly experience these sharpers could throw such a glamour 

 about themselves that I could not recognize them in their 

 true characters. I have come to the conclusion that to see the 

 world which I saw, while a person may gain in some kinds 

 of experience, he is the more easily made the dupe of those 

 who stay at home and study human nature for what they 

 can work out of it. These rogues seem to exert a magnetic 

 influence over those who come in contact with them, for in 

 my case I had read enough about the " Peter Funks " to have 

 not been imposed upon. 



There is another personage pursuing the same calling 

 whom you will be apt to come in contact with. This is a 

 venerable gentleman with a placid countenance, who comes 

 the benevolent dodge also. He, of course, has a son in Cali- 

 fornia — they all have sons or brothers there — a good son, who 

 sends him a remittance by every steamer. He says he is in 

 easy circumstances and keeps a clothing store, where he can 

 exercise his benevolent propensities by selling raiment to 

 returned Californians at less than cost. Charmed with your 

 kind old friend, you accompany him to his den, where you 

 are sold with what you buy. 



The thimblerigger, the pocket-book dropper and swindlers 

 of other kinds should receive passing notices, but I pass over 

 their claims, though they were always with us, to treat of 

 an adventure two of us had with some " Peter Funk " watch 

 dealers. 



My comrade had been some years in California, where he 

 had gone through the varied experiences befalling mining 

 life, finally graduating at Fraser River, so that he was any- 

 thing but a greenhorn. P'or myself, if I had not seen any 

 of the doings of New York sharpers I had read and heard of 

 them, and both of us considered ourselves invulnerable to 



