14 funny stories of moral con men who flimflammed their way along the country’s railways taking money in ingenious scams from people who deserved to lose it.

To address sensitivities not or barely on a popular writer’s mind in the closing years of the 19th century: Women are rarely spoken of with respect and such females as make their way to these pagers are less than fully developed characters. On the other hand most of them are equals in the art of selling gilt edge stock certificates and other cons. African American get very little in the way of respect. There is some humor at the expense of Christians and almost no mention of Jews. New Yorkers seem to get the most pointed barbs although it is assumed that farmers were made to be the God given place for an honest con artist to refill his wallet.

These are fun stories about men who take, but who feel constrained about leaving something behind and never wiping out widows or the truly poor. They want their action to be at the expense of the ‘excess’ cash of which this or that citizen may be seeking to unburden themselves. And always the famous O Henry Twist.

Contents    
The octopus marooned -- Jeff Peters as a personal magnet -- Modern rural sports -- The chair of philanthromathematics -- The hand that riles the world -- The exact science of matrimony -- A midsummer masquerade -- Shearing the wolf -- Innocents of Broadway -- Conscience in art -- The man higher up -- A tempered wind -- Hostages to Momus -- The ethics of pig.