Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-17
SURE-THENG GAMES.

ty fleece the Rusties During Fair
Times.
This is the season of the year-the
season of the county and state fairs
that that class OF men who live upon
their wits unfurl the utensils with
which during the past season they
cleared enough coin to live in idleness
until the present one. A dozen or
more meetings Of agricultural associa-
tioas are to follow the Santa Rose fair,
which is now open, and the fraternity
the green cloth find it to their adj
Iantage to take Ia the circuit, +" as
they express it. These leecnes, as a
rule, go to the gatherings with
about enough money to pay their
railroad fare, and trust to their good
fortune, knowing quite well that the
visit can ONLY rebound to their fnan-
cial benefit. Prior to the opening OF
each fair the capitalists of the business
take trip to the various towns where
the races are to be held and engage IN
advance all the large rooms available
the best localities, frequently pay
.ng $500, and as nigh as S i, 500, for the
privilege of conducting their gamb-
lug games during the week that the
fair is held. When game-runners,
dealers, .cappers, or boosters" as
they are more commonly known and
3teerers arrive they find the lay outs
spread, and with several stacks of sill.
yer, a few gold pieces, many dummy
rolls of silver and gold, and some
queer" paper money, furnished by
the proprietors of the games, they be-
gin their work.
The country visitors to the fairs
come to enjoy weeks holiday after
a wear or more of hard labor in the
fields. Sometimes they bring with
them cattle that they intend exhibits
ing, and invariably they have their
pockets well laden with coin. Women
and music make the gambling rooms
attractive. The devices by whIca the
unsuspectlng are coaXed into parting
with their coin for the benefit of a
few sharpers are so numerous that it
rarely happens that the honest farm
or or laborer upon whom the gamb-
lers decide to work ever parts with
their company without relinguishing
two thirds of his wealth. The nine
or ten case, coffee pot, chuck luck.
spindle wheel, high for luck, and a
Score of others known as ''sure thing
games" are utilized. They are appar-
emily honest games, where the player
if anything, has more than an even
chance to win; but in reality they are
''sure things" where the player can
not possibiyssdo anything but lose.
The cease" which is first, on the
list, derives it's name from the fact
that it is q glass showcase about three
feet long and two feet wide, with a
depth of few inches. IL it money
prizes from $1up to 5000, and some
times more, are stacked, and number
ed from 9 to 81. There are as many
blanks as there are winning numbers
The highest prizes, however; are each
ticketed with one of the extreme num-
bers. The other prizes grow smaller
as they are market: with other numb
ers running toward the twenties From
No. 20 to Nos. SO, So, and 81 there
are no prizes, but the blanks are dis
tributod throughout the case among
the winning numbers IN such q mans
ner that the ordinary does not notice
this fact. The game keeper, two or
three boosters" and dice box con-
tanning nine dice com plete the run
nlng machinery of the game. The
sucker" as the innocent is termed,
either drops in or is steered to see the
game The keeper explains to him
that ''there are as many winning as
losing numbers, and the prizes run
from 81 to 5000, By the payment of
half-dollar you are entitled to one
shake out of the box and to the prize
that your shake calls for. Shake nine
aces or nine skies, and you will win
5000"
The sucker" hates to begin, not
knowing exactly how the game is
conducted, and it is at that moment
that the boosters" come into play.
The dealer explains that any number
of players can come in the game, and
that each will be paid the prize the
shake calls for. One of the ''boos>
ters" has this explained to him as
though he had not thoroughly under~
stood what had been said. Then the
force of boosters" each invest fifty
cents. Anybody in the crowd of
spectators shaka out the dice, and the
game-keeper counts each dice as he
removes it from among the others
%, s, and are IA, 10, 3D." and so on,
finally announcing the aggregate of
all the dice. That number is looked
for in the case, and generally is a
blank. The ''boosters" continue in~
vesting, losing probably three or four
times, when one probably invites the
sucker" if he has not yet invested,
to throw the dice, ''just for luck"
The innocent is prevaiIed upon to do
the shaking for the crowd, and the
game-keeper counts again, this time
more rapidly, and in such a manner
that he makes the total reach prize
winning number. It is announced,
and all eyes are directed to the case to
discover it. The boosters" and game
keepers, however, refrain from an
Eouncing that they have found the
winning number, and the intended
victim, whose interest is enlisted, is
left tn mint ont IFS location When