The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 6, February 11, 2007, Article 33

A JOKE ON A COMEDY MAN

Nancy Oliver & Richard Kelly write: "We came across a funny old
newspaper article that we thought might make of few of your readers
laugh or smile.   The headline is 'A Joke on a Comedy Man', from the
Denton Journal, Denton, Maryland of July 24, 1886:

"Taking dinner the other night with John T. Raymond, the king of
good fellows and prince of comedians, he told a good story at his
own expense, which was most heartily enjoyed.  It seems that at one
time Raymond was a lunatic on the question of coin collecting.  He
had gradually gotten together a pile of old coins that fairly made
his heart glad, yet with every accession to his stock on hand came
a craving for more, until his fancy became a decided craze.

"Passing a broker's window one day, he chanced to spy among a pile of
silver coins, a silver dollar of a certain date.  Now that particular
date was a rarity, and a coin of that stamp was valued at four hundred
dollars.  So, like a boy who sees a gooseberry tart in the baker's
window, he is hollow with hunger, and has a peony lying around loose
in his pocket - what's to hinder him from buying the tart? So, he
strutted into the shop, and after a few idle questions, inquired
carelessly if the coin was for sale. "It is," said the proprietor.
"What do you want for it?" said Raymond.  "Four hundred!" says the
man, as pat as a whistle.

"Away went Raymond, but he could find no rest.  The coin must be his,
but just then four hundred dollars was worth four hundred dollars to
him.  Next day he went back and offered one hundred.  The man wouldn't
look at it.  Next day he offered two hundred.  The man was indifferent
but firm in his refusal.  So the next day he added fifty to his
previous offer, and said:  "If you will sell me the coin now is your
last chance and my highest offer.  What will you do?"

"The man consulted his wife and agreed to the transfer.  So home went
the blithe coin collector, proud of his purchase and happy as a lord.
Soon after, he sent his coin to the mint and received the following
letter:

"'Dear Sir: - The coin you enclosed, if genuine, would be worth five
hundred dollars, but as it is an altered one, it is worth no more than
its face value.'  John Raymond read no more, but he went out into the
back yard and kicked himself unconscious.  He has never added to
his collection since."

To read the Wikipedia entry on John T. Raymond, see: Full Story

[Many thanks to Nancy and Rich for taking the time to transcribe
this for us. -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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