A Shipwrecked Sailor.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2974, 11 August 1888, Page 2

A Shipwrecked Sailor.

'-,.- igood yarn istbld about a shipwrecked sailor arid his clients in the Christchurch Telegraph: An individual representing himself as a "poor,shipwrecked sailor" did a good stroke of business at Ashburton on Friday and Saturday last,' He interviewed a prominent citizen, and represented that during tho voyage from tho Old Country ho had been shipwrecked and lost all hie worldly possessions, savo a six yards' length of bluo serge which he intended making up into a suit of clothes. This he had bought iu tho Old Country at a high figure, but as he was now badly in want of money, ho would sell the serge for 2s 4d per yard, A bargain was struck, and the poor shipwrecked sailor walked away down the street with 14s in. his pocket. A part of this he took to a. well-known draper's shop, and purchased another six yards of serge, for which he was charged Bs, or Is 2d par yard, Armed with this stock-in-trado he interviewed another citizen, told his story of shipwreck, and soon pocketed another lis. He then made another journey to the draper, bought another six yards of fourteenpenny serge, and again with the " ship-wrecked" story found a client at 2s 4d a yard. This went on until the lucky draper had sold his stranger client nearly two ."bolts'' of serge, and the poor '"shipwrecked sailor" had driven a nice little trade considernigtliesn dull times.' A stalwart policeman had been put to watch the " sailor," who loft north by the evening express, Serge suits should become fashionable male attire in Ashburton with the first approrch of Spring weather, J t might be mentioned that the poor shipwrecked sailor elicited the sympathies- of a number of people in Oaniavu about a fortnight ago, and last week he tried to do business at a well known hotel in Winchester, but there was no demand for serge suits in that locality.