# Jeff Peters as a Personal Magnet explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

Jeff Peters recounts his early days as a traveling medicine man under the alias Dr. Waugh-hoo, selling Resurrection Bitters in Fisher Hill, Arkansas. After being shut down by a constable for lacking a city license, he meets his old acquaintance Andy Tucker. Together they devise a scheme to cure the mayor of a fake illness using 'personal magnetism,' ultimately swindling him out of $250 and using the money as capital to go into business together.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

Jeff Peters poses as a doctor and uses fake medical diagnoses and 'personal magnetism' to swindle the mayor, highlighting the theme of deception.

### Ambition and Failure

Jeff's ambition to make money through his schemes leads him to Fisher Hill, where he initially fails due to local politics, but ultimately succeeds through a clever con.

### Humor and Irony

The story is filled with humorous dialogue and ironic twists, such as the mayor being in on the scheme and the 'personal magnetism' demonstration being a setup.

## Character check-ins

### Jeff Peters

Narrator and protagonist; a traveling medicine man selling Resurrection Bitters under the alias Dr. Waugh-hoo.

### Andy Donovan

Referred to as Andy Tucker; Jeff's old acquaintance and partner in the scheme to swindle the mayor.

### The Colonel

Mayor Banks, the target of the scheme; feigns illness and is convinced by Jeff's 'personal magnetism' demonstration.

### Billy Keogh

Mentioned as the young man in a blue necktie who asks Jeff for the time; later revealed to be Andy Tucker in disguise.

## Key lines

> I struck Fisher Hill, Arkansaw, in a buckskin suit, moccasins, long hair and a thirty-carat diamond ring that I got from an actor in Texarkana.

Jeff arrived in Fisher Hill, Arkansas, dressed as a frontiersman with a large diamond ring he traded for with an actor.

_Establishes Jeff's flamboyant persona as a traveling medicine man._

> I was Dr. Waugh-hoo, the celebrated Indian medicine man.

Jeff adopted the alias Dr. Waugh-hoo, presenting himself as a Native American healer.

_Highlights the deceptive branding common in patent medicine sales._

> The bitters started off like sweetbreads-on-toast at a vegetarian dinner.

The bitters sold very quickly, despite being an odd product for the setting.

_Humorous simile emphasizing the unexpected success of the sales._

> I’ve got a State peddler’s license, and I take out a city one wherever they demand it.

Jeff claims he has a state license to peddle and will obtain a city license if required.

_Shows Jeff's attempt to operate within legal boundaries despite his fake medicine._

> Scientific demonstrations. The triumph of mind over sarsaparilla.

Jeff promotes the idea that mental power can overcome physical ailments, mocking the notion with a pun on sarsaparilla.

_Illustrates the pseudoscientific rhetoric of 'personal magnetism.'_

> I guess you won’t do any more doctoring around these parts, Mr. Fakir.

The mayor implies Jeff will no longer be able to practice his fake medicine in the area.

_Reveals the mayor's awareness of the con and sets up the final twist._

> And that’s how we got the capital to go into business together.

Jeff and Andy used the money from the scheme to start their partnership.

_Concludes the story with the successful outcome of their con._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/jeff-peters-as-a-personal-magnet
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters