Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-06-04
THE CIRCUS SIDE SHOWS
TRICKS THAT ARE PLAYED BY THE
"FAKIRS."
AdrOit Swindlers Who Rob the spec
tatoIs-Some OF Their Methods
of TnI. In % In Rnnnla


81 tell you now, 1t amt no use to talk;
dey can't run show widout fakin' any
more den you kin talk widout wind.
You hear metz
The speaker formed one of group
who sat at round table IN Hbeer joint
much frequented by ''showmen.' They
had been relating their experiences OF
last season ION the road with "Spangie
& Sawdust's Monster Shows and Triple
Conglomerate Aggregation" " with which
most Of them had been more or less as
sociated. Cne had related how he had
"downed an old guy wot was merchant
in der town. by steering him into
''bunco game Another had delighted
his hearers by recounting how he had
"laid out the jays with ''jewelry case. '
A third glorie in the way he played
''the push back game" on zone o dem
fly blokes wot thinks he knows it all. ."
They were all slangy! They called
everybody of whom they spoke Guys" ="
Some-the more important persons-were
designated as Main Guys" Countrymen
were Jays" "Hayseeds, "Blokes" and
suckers" Money was called "Blunt," :"
"1'in" or Cases. Beer or other
drinks was spoken Of as 'Lush,' clothes
as "Togsn or Harness, food as Grub, =
conversation as weddings" the verb to
see was rendered Stag" eyes were called
"Ogles," hat "Dicer' or 'Cady,' -
while ladies were spoken of as
"Dames," girls as "Molls," argument as
Cuff" clowns as "Joeys," and bank
bills as "Flimsies.'
They sat for some time each vieing
with the rest in telling of the smartest
trick, most cunning device used in de-
pleting the wallets of the countrymen
they had victimized, until at last they
began to drop away one by one to keep
appointments with other pals or to get
their GRUB" until but one was lift. He
had been the m )st voluble talker of the
lot, and the reporter who had listened to
all that was said with interest, resolved
to interview him.
'IIow long have you been in the show
business 2" the reporter asked, after q
short preliminary conversation leading
up to the inquiry.
"Well, about eli ght years this season.
began by helping around der menagerie,
fetching water and doing odd jobs about
der lot. Den | got in wild der candy
butchers. | was hired to peddle lemon
ade on de seats by der man what had der
privileges.
''What are the privilcges2"
"Well, der privileges is what dey pays
der money for to run on der lot with
the big show, such as de side shows,
der concert, der candy stands, der
sellin' o tickets outside on der lot or in
der town at slight advance on the price
at the ticket wagon. jewelry cases,
weighing machines, and der fakin gen
orally"
" You say they pay for these priv.
ileges p
Pay? Well you kin just bet your life
dey pay! How much! Why, sometimes
$40, 00O sometimes $15, 900. Why,
know one show wot gifts $50, 600 year
for der privileges
(which show gets that and who pays
it?" the reporter eagerly asked.
"Oh, amt goin' to give any names
away. But what | say goes. You hear
me. Why, dere's lots o shows started
that way A guy gets hold Of a lot O
old show stock, tent, some jacks ald
stringers and seats, and den he goes to a
privilege man and gets him to put in
enough m 1ney to start der show for the
right of der privileges. Maybe it's only
few hundred dollars, if it's small
crossroads show, and maybe its SO, ,0OC
or $40, 600 if it's big aggregation. ;"
''Here's an old fake" said the show
man, in the course of the conversation
Everybody plays it. The outside ticket
seller, the candy butcher, der boys wo
sells lemonade on the seats, and concer
tickets and peanuts, besides the men who
is always asking the jays to give small
bills for large one-they all does it. Yor
see, when, a jay goes to der show he al
ways takes his best gal with him if HI
isn't married, and his whole family if ht
| is. He goes to the ticket-seller to buy
his ticket and gives him a s., $40 or
500 to pay for 'em. Why, I've kuowl
the suckers to hand in 500 bill! Well
| whatever tits, the ticket faker gives hin
his ticket tirst-then he gives him hi
change--but he turns over one or TIVE
bills in such way that when lie counts
the change before the jays very eyes h
makes the bills he has turned back coun
double. Maybe he turns lack IS or
$40, or maybe only IA 81 or So
but, whichever it is, he turn
back, the jays change is short jis
that much and as he gifts pushed ava.
by the crowd, Or the cappers, he shove
it into his pocket and hurries into th
show to git good place. When he git
into the show he hauls out his money arc
counts it. Den he sees his change j
short. Another fakir wot has had hi
eye on him goes to him and asks hin
wots the matter. He tells his little tale
the fakir is surprised. Maybe the jay i
mistaken. So he counts it over for him
turns another bill on him, but he does tn
trick by palming-so smart that the ia,
thinks it is all right, after all, and put
his wad back into his pocket. The pea
nut and candy peddlers play the sam
racket whenever they get bill over S
to change and so does the concert ticket
seller, and him wot sells the reserved
seats. It's very nice game to play, ant
never seems to be played out. And the
there's the through ticket dodge"
"What is that2"
The Snowman laughed low confden
tial, chuckling laugh, before he replied
"Thats the biggist thing O. the Who'll
lot for fun. The boys enjoy that, yo
bet It's this way: A guy buys ticke
at the wagon and makes his way to tn
entrance. After he gets there a feller
meets him and says: 'Hev you got you
ticketr 'Ya-s,' says the guy, and show
it. Pshawl' says the fakir, that's onl
ticket of admission. You want to &c
n THROUGH ticket. What's thatP 'Why