Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-08-28
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The New York Tribune gives the follow
ing graphlc description Of swindling al
Consy Island:
"lou afe inst interrupted in your walk
by the appearance Of a gentleman who gives
every indication Of being Engaged IN some
business. he stands With his eaok 10 The
sea ard his face TO the sandals. lis head
being sheltered fon the hot sunshine bg q
broad uf4br la, the handle u which is sup.
plrtsd by his right saouldet ard arm. In
mont OF him sta is a little deal>topped ta>
Bile, ab9ut two fee. square, the siag.e sharp
poig'ed leg Of when is planted drmly in
the ssna Tie "gen,leman'' has usually
something Of the appearance Of the return
ed Californian with slouehcd black hat
and black aock coat, vest and trousers oil
the iree>and easy cut. lie has 1. number
of $40 greenbaeks twined sround one Of the
fingers Of his left land, and be is slowly,
and with apparent carelcssncss. dealing
what is CAY ed : Three card Monte This
IS one of the simplest games Of the world.
OF the thicc cards one Isl face car and the
two Others are not. The game consists in
the dealer throwing them in different posts
ions upon the tAoie, backs up, aud betting
hat you cannot turn up the facescsrd.-
You condemn the pursuit, but arc drawn
almost irresis,ibly to see what IS going on.
1t looks so easy TO determine the isce-card,
Tor you can almost swear that you can see
it slide from the dealers hand upon the Ia
BILE. But, OF course. il you bet, IT will be
upon the wrong card, for the returned CAT
iiornia gentleman is not standing there IN
tn hot sun all day to lose money, but to
make it. He generally has several pimTs
around MIN, and these gentlemen usually
play the unsophisticsted rustic with consid-
cradle powers Of mimicry. The suavity OF
the glib>tongued dealer soon attracts quite
4 crowd.
"'Come, gentleman, and see if any OF you
can turn the face card. for the little matter
Of SlOr Don't consider that | am pressing
you. | am only here for your amusement.
Your money is just as free as the water that
runs in the sea at your feet. Here are the
cards; you see their faces plainly and you
see how slowly | cast them down. You
think you know which is the face card. |
bet so you don't turn il, up, and will make
il $50 il you prefer. No, thank you, |
don't make 81 bets would like to oblige
you il | could, but my own risk is very
great, AID an honest nan must make a liv>
ing somehow. Now, gentlemen, who vii,
undertake to turn the Winning card for the
matter Of Sl0;'
Every inducement is put forth to excite
a bet. Sometimes the 'winning card"
while in the dealers hands, il plainly dis
tinguished from the Others by . large grease
spot On the back, or by one corner being
torn off. You see how it is marsed and
you know that it is the right card, but as
soon rs they are sll upon the table, if you
bet on il, You will certainly lose, for in the
meantime another card similarly marked has
been SUBSTITUTED by the dealers slight OF
hand, and your pious attempt to cheat at
is nothing else) the gambler is rewarded oy
your being neatly tiecced Yourself.
The bystanders are almost always hes
itating, but when they are unusually backs
ward about coming forward tie secret parts
ners Of the deal begin to hurry up tie ousi-
ness n their peculiar style. For instance,
here quite a crowd around our friend Of the
returned California appearance. That old
gentleman in The blue flannel blouse and
heavy fob chain has been watching the
three cards, op n-mouthed, for some time.
Every time they are thrown he is perfectly
certain that he knows the winning picture,
but IS opposed TO gambling on principle.
anl therefore hangs fire. The blandish
mcnts Of the dealer have been lavished
upon him for some time in vain. when
suddenly a simpie>minded, iiiotic-looking
Youth, who had been watching the cards
earnestly Tor some moments. bursts from
The sides Of the old gentleman, saying :
I'm going 10 do it., ~ lingo | know I've
-pnttcd the card, ard I'll win Watch
met THIS last is spoken TO the old gen
tlemsn. with a confidential elbow nudge in
the ribs.
Tine young man bets on the wrong
card, and turns away with a well,simula
ted gasp Of disappointed agony.
Ny dear fellow says the old gentle.
man. alphabetically, what in the name
of conscience did YOU bet on that card for ?
You had a sure thing on the card with the
red checkered back
81 thought | had the right one, mur,
murs the youth in a numbering way. but
suppose you bet on the card with the reds
chcckerei back"
"'Hy Jave, | will says he
lie does 50, and, ~loosin, his money.
looks exaspera,ed. but does not move away.
"'lli Tx him this tirne,' whispers thu
simple youn, man to his companion in
misfortune. Just val, till he turns hi,
head away
"Strarge as Il may appear, inst at this
moment the dealer does turn his head away.
The simple young man slips up 10 the table
softly, reveals the face card to everybody,
marks It by turning up one corner. replaces
ii, and then resumes his plaee beside the
respectable cd gentleman. with the chuck.
ing whisper, : We've 90: nm this time and
no mistake
Gene. gentlemen, resumes the ap
parcnily unconscious gambler, abstractedly
continuing his deal. who'll 60 the small
matter of $40 on the Winning cardy'
"'l'A bet $40 on this card exclaims
the simple young man, enthusiastically
clspping his fist on the paste board he had
just marked.
THE respectable old gentleman slowly
draws out his huge morocco wallet.
"' will 60 500 on the same card said
he, that is. if you bet so high
Certainly, we ret as high as you
please
The card is turned up, and. of course,
proves 10 be the wrong one. The respccta-
bic old gentleman rcsumes his wallet and
stsggers mu,ely out Of the crowd with a
mlstrustful glare at the simple, idiotic look.
ing young man, whom he now for the first
time begins to suspect, very reasonably, ms
one Of the gamblers confederates"
Patents.
Boyd 4 Co., Solicitors of Patents. 2oS
Pine street, st. Louis. No, officially report