"Linkums" Sold Cheap.
Daring the Presidential contest of 1860, there was an Italian artist of plaster figures in Springfield, who supplied "leetel Linkums," as he called his figures, faster than ever Uncle Abe did. He succeeded in putting one of these Republican penates into every Republican house in town, but they finally became a "drug" in the market. However, he kept his "asking price" up; but his selling price was as various as his buyers, and hard to deal with.
One day, with a load of these upon his head, he entered a jeweller's shop, and accosted the man behind the counter with— *
"You buys'em leetel Linkums?"
"No—don't want'em."
"Sells'em cheap," persisted the Italian.
"Well, how do you sell to-day?"
"Fifty cent piece."
"I'll give you a dollar for the lot," said A———, expecting to pose the Italian.
"You takes'em," greedily exclaimed the artist, and he left Mr. L. A. A———n with a lot of plaster on hand which he had hard work to give away.