The front of his vest and coat are slick with grease, and his
trousers bag at the knees.
In Chicago, after I had spoken at a meeting, I met one of these
fellows. They usually have some process for curing all of the ills of
the world at once. This Chicago specimen had a patent process by
which he said Indian corn could be kept through a period of three or
four years, and he felt sure that if the Negro race in the South
would, as a whole, adopt his process, it would settle the whole race
question. It mattered nothing that I tried to convince him that our
present problem was to teach the Negroes how to produce enough corn to
last them through one year. Another Chicago crank had a scheme by
which he wanted me to join him in an effort to close up all the
National banks in the country. If that was done, he felt sure it
would put the Negro on his feet.
The number of people who stand ready to consume one's time, to no
purpose, is almost countless. At one time I spoke before a large
audience in Boston in the evening. The next morning I was awakened by
having a card brought to my room, and with it a message that some one
was anxious to see me. Thinking that it must be something very
important, I dressed hastily and went down. When I reached the hotel
office I found a blank and innocent-looking individual waiting for me,
who coolly remarked: "I heard you talk at a meeting last night.
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