The daily gazette., 1883-06-11
FIVE Gent FORTUNES.
How a Man With a Mysterious Machine
Made Money at Fifth and Market
Streets
rsunday star.1

[Funday Star.
In the early part Of Saturday evening a
man with glib tongue and a machine which
looked very mysterious, took up position
on the west side Of Fifth and Market
streets, and soon attracted g crowd. The
man on the box explained that by the aid
of this wonderful machine, which looked
like q miniature dome Of a cathedral,
he was able to tell mans for.
fortune correctly. In the centre of this
wonderful piece of mechanism was a large
glass tube filed with water or air and in 1t
was littl4 glass levi painted In the most
artistic manner. This devil would move up
and down the tube every time man had
his fortune told. The top was made
Of brass and was supplied with a lid
through which the manpulator would stuff
an envelope containing any mans fortune
who was willing TO spend five cents upon the
venture.
Observing quite a number Of persons buy
ing these peculiar packages, upon which tn e
man on the nix would always mark num-
ber with lead pencil $50 Ms 10 make no
mistaks," STAR reporter deter
mined to try his luck.
Having found the necessary half lime the
reporter walked bravery up and called
for five cent worth giving the initials "E.
W. R." After waiting respectful time TO
allow the devil to do his duty. The man
on the box carefully lifted the lid of the
machine and handed the scribe an envalope
cautioning him to read the outside address
first aud not show the contents.
Following faithfully the instruction the
scribe who had expended his all in the
venture, proceeded to quiet place and
read his fortune.
Upon the envelope was written in very
bad school boys hand, evidently the glass
DEVILS, was decline any intentions you
may have for the present"
Now this was particularly bad advice, for
1t was the scrbe's intention to go to work
This raised world of thought in the mind
OF the scribe, who almost forgot to read the
small printed note on the inside. ThNpaper
was numbered 10, and read as follews:
"Your star foretells your happiness, and
you will have success in that which has
been foretold to you. You must try to
avoid people who want to mislead you.
Prudence aud honesty shall be the leader of
your enterprise, and everything that you
commence will succeed. You will pass a
| long and agreeable life. A steady work
| will save you from the dangers of lightness.
| The love to work will procure you all
agreeableDess of life, but try to be happy
with what you have. The children whom
you get will conform to your advsce, and be
the pride of your age"
Now that is the biggest chunk of good
advice ever gotten for five cents, "try and
| avoid people who want to mislead you"
But the "Love of work, etc." is rather
good too. Reporters all like to work; they
would die all unnatural death If they didn't
work themselves to death ALI reporters that
have died In the past hundred years have
been killed by over work, no body will for 9
moment dispute this.
But for the purpose of finding If there
was any cheat about it. The scribe Dor
rowed another half dime and walking up tt
the man and machine demanded another en-
velope at the same time giving the initiali
of j. c." About the usual time the deyi
bounced up and down evidently trying Il
make the man understand that the werl
was done. The stopper was gently lifted
and the envelope marked so made its ap
pearance.
The scribe done as he did before, and
found upon the envelope In the same hand
writing this piece of solid advice "Avoid
| people who try to mislead you"
| But the mystery was dispelled, for the
| slip on the inside was identical with the one
| above quoted. This knocked the faith Of
the reporter in the fortune business all to
pieces ;and he departed in quest of local and
| 10 cents out of pocket But the man on the
box and the devil in the glass tube kept OIL
doing the work and pocketing the five cent
pieces of the crowd that was continually
around. It's a money making business fol
the man, because the devil works with on'
pay and the envelopes can be gotten fo
about go cents hundred, the rest of thu
paraphernalia costs but little.