, 1885-10-27
G0UGING GREENIES.
TRICKS AND oooees OF THE CIRCUS
HANGERS-ON.
Tho Psiming Trlck-Chezt
Ing In the Change-"Both Ends
Against the siiddIe"-"rIip" aud
Misunderstanding n Fuss.


8E@ NH"HN
why. bless your soul. the innocence
OF the average hay-seed granger would
knock spots out of n J-year child, CITY
people are easy enough to get away with
at times. but your country jnkey takes to
being robbed rs natural as u mutton choT
to the grid iron, Just you travel with q
circus rs | have. and you'll lind the pig
cons lock around faster than you car
pluck em.
In the way-back time the scooping was
done with thimble-rig. three card monte,
sweat cloth aud such like games. but
they've all got played out. aud nowadays
they don't even give a fellow a little ex-
element for his money, but Just rake II
in without his knowing he's lost
IT, There's no end Of ways fol-
doing this. Just as chance offers.
but there are several regular standbys
that are played day after day and don't
fail once in twenty times. One OF these
is the ~palming trick. which can be doue
by anybody after a little practice. The
smoker hands you a bill for So. say. aud
you count the change all right into your
left hand. taking pains to have him see
you count il Then you turn your hand
over aud empty the change into his hand
and he naturally puts it into his pocket
without n second counting. while the fact
is he's a ~half-dollar short. as you have
tAUlultu AldN ~Aill~uOAhi III Ant pam VI
your left hand.
sIDE-sHOw TRICKS.
There's another way Of making q
small squeeze that's all the time being
used at the box Office or the doors of the
side shows. A man calls for two tickets
at so cents each. we II say. and pass up a
50 bill The ticket-man says hold out
your hand, sir tickets. 81 20; chicken
feed. So, 81. -. 50; next Now, the
man has got his tickets and 50 in silver or
notes, but the chicken.feed mounts to
only 30 or 3j cents in nickles and dimes.
The crowd pushes him on; he sees the
tickets and dollars are all right, and in
his hurry to get into the tent never thinks
to count the small change. This Is about
the only trick the door-men or ~wagon-box
chaps of a snide management can Afford
to play, but when the crowd Is big thoy
often MAKE more than $25 on II per day
for each ticket seller.
Every man in the gouge racket gang
Is a pretty good judge Of human nature.
and from long practice is able to pick ou'
"A green horn at sight With such u fell
low they try the dodge that seems best
suited TO his case. and the three methods
most usually adopted are as follows: One
is called both euds against the middle,
aud is only worked on a greeny who is in
a big rush. and who is so Hurried that he
don't know what he is doing. He passes
over a 50 bill aud the scalper hands him
the ticket. which costs 81 say, and three
81 bills aud says quite sharp. as though
he has no time foolingi here you are, sir,
your cheek, two. three. four dollars. and
your ticket five On that deal the
scalper makes 81, for In nine cases out of
ten, having sized their man right, the
sucker jams the change into his pocket,
n slides of without an idea but that
it's all square
Zip AND "PusH-BAcK."
"When a chap looks more cautious
they give him the double or nip This
is a pretty game. and If played right will
capture most anybody. In return for a
s. bill the scalper hands over the ticket
and the right amount of small change,
and says. Let's see. still owe you 81.
Here they are-one. two, three, four.
counting the money under the mans eyes,
and then folding up the notes and hand
ing them TO him. The man really only
gets 50. for the scalper has folded-one of
the notes between his fingers so that when
he counts both ends of That note repre-
sents n dollar. while the man. having seen
the counting. puts the roll into his pocket
without opening it.
THE boss game. however. is known to
the ira lie AZ push back, and is only
| BhhJIa " Ath hAO haN1 HAiAhANNA hA
they are slick as cells. The sucker comes
up TO a scalper. who is standing around
with tickets in his h d for sale. and
forks over II So. $40. or 500 bill, as the
case may be. The scalper takes the bill
in his right hand. in which the tickets
are, and goes down into his left pocket
for change. bringing up some. but not
enough. Take this back, says he. Il
can change it, Haven't you something
smaller The sucker puts the bill back
in his pocket. all crumpled up as it was
handed to him, and either brings out
enough silver to pay for the ticket OF
s1ys lie hasn't anything smaller. In the
latter case the scalper says all right. you
look like an honest man and III trust you
with the tickets. III nave some change
before you come out and you can pay me
hen on goes the sucker, tickled to
death, and thats the last Of him. Now,
he beauty Of the business is that the
scalper had e 81 bill orumpled up In his
hand under the tickets. and he made that
change places with the big bill while he
was apparently looking for change.
"Once In n while a mar finds he's been
swindled and begins to make a kick about
it, but II never results in n row nowadays.
for the scalpcr Is always ready to square
his mau rather han have n fuss. This
last don pay, for It attracts too much at
tention and spells the further working Of
the little games "