is the point, after all. You send the money, we will say, for
one of these charms--for they are for sale separately. You receive in
return a second circular, saying that they work a great deal better all
together, and so the man will send you all of them when you send the
rest of the money. Send it, if you choose!

Now, how is it possible for people to be living among us here, who are
fooled by such wretched balderdash as this? There are such, however, and
a great many of them. I do not imagine that there are many of these
addlepates among my readers; but there is no harm in giving once more a
very plain and easy direction which may possibly save somebody some
money and some mortification. Be content with what you can honestly
earn. Know whom you deal with. Do not try to get money without giving
fair value for it. And pay out no money on strangers' promises, whether
by word of mouth, written letters, advertisements, or printed circulars.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A CALIFORNIA COAL MINE.--A HARTFORD COAL MINE.--MYSTERIOUS SUBTERRANEAN
CANAL ON THE ISTHMUS.

Some twelve years ago or so, in the early days of Californian
immigration, a curious little business humbug came off about six miles
from Monterey. A United States officer, about the year 1850, was on his
way into the interior on a surveying expedition, with a party of men, a
portable forge, a load of coal, and sundry other articles. At the place
in question, six miles inland, the Lieutenant's coal wagon "stalled" in
a "tule" swamp. With true military decision the greater part of the coal
was thrown out to extricate the team, and not picked up again. The
expedition went on and so did time, and the latter, in his progress, had
some years afterward dried up the tule swamp. Some enterprising
prospectors, with eyes wide open to the nature of things, now espied one
fine morning the lumps of coal, sticking their black noses up out of the
mud. It was a clear case--there was a coal mine there! The happy
discoverers rushed into town. A company was at once organized under the
mining laws of the state of California. The corporators at first kept
the whole matter totally secret except from a few particular friends who
were as a very great favor allowed to buy stock for cash. A "compromise"
was made with the owner of the land, largely to his advantage. When
things had thus been set properly at work, specimens of coal were
publicly exhibited at Monterey. There was a gigantic exci