The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-25


= SUNDAY AT R0CKAWAY.
A New York paper of Monday contain
ed this racy account of a Sabbath at Rock
away:
There were five steamers playing be.
tween New York and Rockaway yester.
day, and in their earliest trips they car
ried down enough pleasure-seeker to
make the whole beach alive and bright.
"Perhaps, sir,'' said man who came
up unnoticed and struck the only leg OF a
small table deep into the sand close to the
reporter, ''you will in a sociable kind of a
way tell me which Of these cards is the
jack Of hearts" AS he spoke he
exhibited the face of three cards, one
Of which is the jack of hearts, and deftly
threw them on the table, backs up, and
two or three times changed their position.
He was very Incorporating old man,
with a big, round, guileless face and solid
looking English whiskers. He was thick
and stout, but not tall, and was habited
in breezy suit of blue flannel. His skin
was richly bronzed, his lips were parted
in a smile, and he wore pair Of large
blue glasses. Later he said that the light
on the white sand burnt his eyes, and
every body felt sorry for him. ''You saw
me throw the cards down." continued he,
''and perhaps, just for fun, you'll tell me
where the jack is.
"What's that you say, old fellow" in
terrupted rather natty looking young
m LOT rhot lo,,
You want me to tell you where the jack
is! Well, just shake the cards again, will
you?' The old man did as he was hidden,
and then explained to the ten or dozen
persons who had gathered about him the
painful condition Of his eyes. 10 rest the
tired optics he tuned, looked out over the
sea, and sighed. The young fellow, who
seemed to be sly, sharp kind Of a man,
seized the opportune moment, turned up
the end of one of the cards, saw that it
was the jack, showed it to the crowd, and
then replaced it stealthily, making dis
tinct mark on the back with pencil.
Then he said. "Well, old fellow, Just for
fun l will guess this one." The dealer
turned again to the table, but never 20:
ticed the mark on the card, although one
honest soul, plying his sightless condition,
told him he must look sharp or else the
natty young fellow wonld cheat him, The
card chosen was indeed the jack, and had
the mark on its back.
'You cannot point out that Jack again,
l am sure" said the unsuspecting dealer,
throwing out the three cards in q rather
more involved method.
81 bet you five dollars that cam" said
the young man.
'Dcne" said the dealer, who did not
look like man who would lay wages on
Sunday, and the money was placed in a
bystander's hands to be given almost i'm.
mediately to the young man, who again
chose the right card and the marked card.
1t was a great surprise to the jolly old
fellow, but he laughedit of by saying that
he was little clumsy in dealing now, but
that he knew one movement that he knew
would deceive all persons. 1t was long
one,s involving many transpositions but
the young man bet ten dollars on the mark.
ed card and won.
''Now let me make Won bet," cried a
grasping little German, who saw through
the game thoroughly and wanted to dou-
BILE his little hoard. 81 bets Won dollar
that can see that iack.''
The stylish young winner withdrew
from his place, the German stepped into
it, and the dealer good-naturedly said that
for his part he much preferred to play
the game for fun, but that if there was to
be any betting at all he thought it would
be better to bet five dollars than one.
The German hesitatingly drew out i've
dollar bill from his purse, put it up against
one belonging to the dealer, and watched
the throw of the cards. The dealer was
clumsy and careless. He exposed the face
Of the jack, and made such botch of get
ting in place that everybody thought he
could see just where each card was. There
lay the jack, plain as could be, and with
the mark on his back, so that the better
delayed scarcely a second before turning
the card over. Then he found it to be
seven Of clubs aud his money was gone.
He quickly left and 50 did some others
who were waiting to wager. The old man
moved off to another place, and the smart
young fellow followed him and again mark
ed a card while the dealer was looking
out over the sea, and again made lots of
money before a second venturer staked
and lost. He seemed to be the only one
who could fool the old man, and he fol.
lowed him about all day, making twenty
or thirty dollars every time the table was
set up.
SOMETHING LIKE.
Close upon the shore of Lake Winnie
piseogee is toWn, and in that town