WHAT A BUCK IS 



ignorant as to what a " buck " is, it might be explained 

 that this is slang for a dollar, and here is a story about 

 an old-time prize-fighter who used to be a frequenter 

 of my billiard-room. 



This man would sit watching a game for hours, inter- 

 fering with no one. Occasionally somebody would 

 slip him something to help him along. I heard a fine 

 little bit of comedy one afternoon when an old gentle- 

 man was shaking hands and bidding him good-bye. 

 The old pugilist said : 



" I beg your pardon, but could you lend me a buck 

 before you go ? I want to buy some food." 



" Certainly," was the ready response, as he took 

 out his pocket-book," but tell me how much a ' buck ' 

 is, I have never heard of it." Without the slightest 

 hesitation the old fighter said with a smile of innocent 

 childhood: "Two dollars." 



Another time he met an old friend down in the 

 billiard -room and they talked for over an hour. 

 Suddenly the occasional visitor got up to go. 



" You're not going to leave me like that," said the 

 ex-boxer, " without even a car fare ? " 



" Oh, I'll give you that all right," said the 

 " financier," as he opened his wallet. " I'll give you 

 a car fare. Where do you want to go ? " 



" To Kansas City ! " said the bright boy. They 

 both laughed ; and at all events enough was forth- 

 coming for a half-way journey for where the pug. 

 didnH want to go. 



He was an excellent story-teller himself, and I can 

 remember that one day he came in mopping his fore- 

 head, saying that he had never been for such a long 

 walk for weeks. It appears that a young fellow who 

 had squandered one or two fortunes had been put on a 

 close allowance by his family. He was put to live in 



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