Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-08-31
From the New Orleans Picayune.
A STRONGER GAME THAN THE
THIMR[ ,ES.


A STRONGER GAME THAN THE
Tl1lMBLES.
THE WAY A KAINTUCK CoME 1T OVER ONE OF
THR TnIMBLB RIGS.
If there is any one game by which man
is "chisselled" out of his money meaner
than another, it is the game of Thimbles. -
The person who plays agoinst it is playing
against species of robbery, worse than
house breaking or pocket picking. He don't
other games there IS shadow Of probabili-
ty that he may win-with the Thimbe
gnmes none whatever-and he who enters
against 1t finds himsefin " "hockelty' from
the jump. No decent sporting man is ever
seen engaged at it--your faro dealer, or
your turner of a roulette desplses alike the
game and the robber who plays 1t. The
"man what fights the tiger" is gentleman
in comparison, and even the poor devil who
gets up game of "chuckaluck," on the out
side of race track, for the purpose Of ap-
propriating the stray picayune and bits of
the darkies, does not hold himself so cheap
as to be caught with SCI Of Thmbles in his
pocket.
Here the rascals are seldom seen. A
consciousness that if they ever "set up"
in the vicinity of our race tracks, they will
soon be found dancing upon nothing with
their necks attached to swinging limb,
dcters them from opening; but at the west
and north they are frequently seen. At
New York, especially, we have watched a
gang of them for hours, and although ma
jority Of those in attendance are up to their
rascalities, occasionally victim of "green
'un" may be found ready to try the strength
Of the game.
| I he fellows who play it are generally a
piratlcal looking set ofroscals. The impe :
ments or tools with which they set up bust
ness are very simple and can be carried IN
the vest pocket. They consist of three small
cups or thimbles, with some small pieces of
sponge or little rolls of paper--nothng else.
While the attention of the spectators is di-
rected towards Il race, they are prowlng
about, whrllng their canes and picking
pockets if they have Il chance. The race
ovor, they find the thickest part of the crowd,
mount their legs upon their canes and i'm
mediately commence operations. The
thmbles are paraded along their legs in
row, the little balls is placed under one par
ticular thimble, and they then. "drum up"
for bets in language something like the fol-
lowing.
"I don't pretent to know this ere game
as well az the man who learnt Inc, but Ill
bet ten, twenty or fifty dollars that no
gemman in the crowd can tell which thimble
The ball is under" A friend is always rea.
dy in the crowd who is willing to stake
half the money provided some one else
will wake up the balance. This "decoy
bird" or roper in acts acts the part of
perfect stranger, of course, is sorry that he
has not money enough about him to take
the entire bet, points out the thmble under
which the small piece of sponge is placed,
and too frequently induces some unsophisti-
Gated pigeon to ''go his halves" in the bet.
The ,hlmble is raised, and to the astonish-
ment of all there is nothing under it /; the
robber, by means OF some dexterous move
ment, having either worked it under his
sleeve, between his fingers, or bowed it
upon the ground. We have been thus par
ticular in describing the game in order that
our readers may fully understand the story
we are about to relate.
Some tune since, Kentuckian arrived
at Natchez with boat load of produce
Having disposed of his "plundel" and re-
ceived his pay he went from the river up to
one of the banks to get his bills converted
into specie. The amount, some four or five
hundred dollars, he tied up in an old red ban
danna handkerchief, and started back for the
river. His movements were closely watched
by practical professor of the Thimble
Rigg, who considering that the Kainturkian
did not understand the game, thought him
a fair subject. He was grievously mistaken
in the end, however, us the sequel will show.
Walking up alongside Of the fatboat man
with much familiarity he accosted him
with
"How are you strangerl How do you
come orr
"Prctty fair, thank you, how do you rsel"
"Abcut the same.. You have lately come
down take it,"
eyes, few days slnce."
" Have you been over the city much
seen the curiosiles about town"
"No, haint much time to spare--want
to get back"
"Well you ought to look round little.
'Sposing You take short walk with me
out in,this direction" pointing to part OF
the river hank.where there were no houses
/" Come, will show you some of the curl
osities with pleasure"
Anxious to see what the fellow was /" up
to-" the kentucklan, shrewd, sensible
man, consented to accompany his new ac-
quaintance. They soon came to lonely
aud unffequented part ofthe bluff overlook.
ing the river. Here the rascal recommend
ed halt, and a set-down was agreed to.
Alter some common plac conversation, he
haul ed out set of thimbles and commen-
ced sliding them backwards and forwards,
lifting them and displaying the little ball.