Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-10-10


many of our so-called Agricultural Fairs
are becoming curse, instead of bless
ing, to the farming communities. A cor
respondent who has been attending a
county fair in the State of Connecticut
sends us the following account of what he
saw.l
Arrived upon the grounds the first day
at noon, made a tour of inspection. |
The central building resounded with the |
noise Of hammers and the confusion of |
placing the exhibits. The cattle stalls |
were empty, except for the big weeds |
that grew luxuriantly above their sides. |
The eating booths were only partially oc-
cupied. Fhe rattlesnake man had Just
pitched his tent and sunpacked his pets.
The strOlling players had not come on the
| grounds yet. Even the peanut boys lolled
about in the shade ofthe buildings, crack
ing their jokes and peanuts in default of
buyers. But the gamblers were Goa deck''
and ready for business:
Under spacious canopy, pitched back
of the grand stand, were three or four
men and a boy on a raised platform.
Around the platform extended railing,
Il
wide, on the top of which were tackled
four black leather strips, four feet long
each, by 10 inches wide, marked with the
gilt figures, /, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. At the back
of the platform in the center was wheel
about six feet in diameter. 1t resembled
buggy wheel, except that it had wide
rim, on which were painted series of the
figures, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, in bright geld on
background of red. 1t was a beautiful
wheel. The spokes were red, and each
one supported about midway large, fan
cy head in gilt. The hub was silvered
over and shone in its revolutions. Be
tween the figures on the rim were silver
arms four inches long, and at the top,
fastened to the post, was a pendant arm
of stiff leather, which, as the wheel re
volved, kept up continual ticking on
the silver arms. Just in front Of the
wheel was a large box, covered with
black velvet, and on this was pile Ofsil-
yer dollars, halves, and quarters, fresh
from the mint.
A gambler sat behind each of the four
: black pieces of leather with the gilt fig
ures, waiting-like spiders for venture
some or foolish fiies-for their prey.
! The spokesman had explained the SIM
= pie nature of the Speculation to his
e own satisfaction, when a boy from the
= crowd cried to him: e'Say, mister, goin
!. to open prayer meetin' g'' Which created
: so great diversion in favor of the boy
=, that the gambler nettled and gave him
- some good advice about being a gentle
! man and honest. The laugh had sub
:, sided, and the sober work of gambling
: was being explained again, when the boy
. cried out again: s'Say, mister, be you
Il the preacher ?'' The boy with his ready
f impudence was master of the situation,
:. but it had the good effect of producing an
# order from the chief gambler, prohibiting
/, boys from coming under the canopy at
r all; then he said:
II tFNow, gentlemen. here you are! This
k is the fairest pool wheel in America. The
, boy turns the wheel, but any one of you
can come in and turn the wheel for your
hselves if you want to. There's no gamb.
ling about it, gentlemen. It's all chance
just like any other speculation, only in
this you are rlre to win if you have nerve
|. enough to play. That's all you want
o gentlemen, just little nerve. You put 8
l dollar on 6, and fhere the boy calls out g.
as the wheel has stopped at that number,
7 take up four times one dollar besides your
II own. Five dollars at one lay down, you
7, can't make money faster than that at any
!. Speculation, gentlemen, Come, now
Is wffo'ilgive ns a guess 1T is just as fail
1t and honest as many of the things they
n have at church-fairs. They might just a
70 70 we'll have this wheel as their games o
in chance, just exactly, it's exactly the SAM
l thing in a little different shape. Conn
~ gentlemen, give us guess"
Two countrymen stood near me. no
ticed them whispering together, whel
:, one of them produced quarter and lai'
% it on 3, the boy at the wheel called Ou
n, 4, and the gambler took the quarter.
"Come, gentlemen, guess again, yo1
s. can't always hit it right. Keep on littl
ee while till you get the run, of it, it's al
" simple, you gain fourto one every time,
OF said the willy professional, and the young
" er fellow then std1ed up and laid a quar-
20 ter on 8. The boy called out 3, and tn
as gambler laid silver dollar on the quar-
as ter, and showed it over to the country
p pIe man, saying: ''This is theway to do il
Nv gentlemen, all fair and honest, yoIt tax
es your chances; I take mine-you loose
n n little sometimes, I lose four times a
" much.''
Od BY this time the venturesome country
is is man had plucked up courage and laid
II quarter on 5. The boy called out
it F'There," said the gambler, ''you ought I
u have stuck to your number, a repeate
u I Afa4Se that is worth six times the first, yO
ii would have had six dollars and a quartz
es if you'd stuck to your lucky number
IS Gradually the fish begin to bite. The
III III nibble at first, and then they take tn
"a bait voraciously. The wheel tosses som
IL quarters to the players to keep their coul
age up, but does a steady business for il
owners-as was to be expected.
The heap of shiny silver on the blac
velvet cover begins to grow dim the sole
" and worn pieces of trade are added to i
The crowd about the platform increase!
we Quarters and halves are raked up from tn
Ill depths of farmers pockets, and FplankeC
3T oII down on the black leather one by on
and one by one they go to the back of tn
counter, increasing the gamblers piles
1d and then other quarters and halves al
brought out and laid on the gilt number
in the vain hope of calling home the 10
las ones, but the column of the 'lost'' COZ
7 stantly increases. The wheel, is doing
OF lively business for its owners.
led 1 took one or two farmers aside, an
his said to them: FsWatch the wheel. liste
'Sy to the number, look at the losses to IL