The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-26
DOING COMFY ISLAND.
HOW A HUMoRlST MANAGED TO GET
AHEAD OF THE PiCKPOCKETS.


AHEAD OF THE PlcNPocNETs.
Starting ont with a shcer-sI,in Wallet.
Zig Brass Watch Chain and a Paste
Diarnoud-Secinr the Sights-The Filters
Badly Bitten.
If you are going down to Coney Island for
the day" said a New York newspaper man 10
me- ~dont tempt EN-. Z Eoull he wrong
Tempt who.'
The pickpockets, my boy. Coney Island
IS their paradise. Leave behind YOU what
ever You don't want to part with for good
You've got western hay seed III yoUr hair,
and they'll spot sou on sight"
do look Ereen.'
~Weu-ahen! Say, don't argue that ques-
ton, but take my advice. They'd rob even
Inspector Byrncs down there
l left behind me some trinllets of 30 par
ticular value except to the owner, distributed
the sum of s. in my seven or eight pockets,
and bought tickets at the foot Of Whitehall
street.
In jauuting around New York had boon
liberal patron of the iicnd who sells lemon
drops at five cents a package and puts prize
in the bottom of every package. L had thus
accumulated shccpslin wallet, q big brass
watch chain, = ste diamond pin and several
other valuable works of virtu and art. bored
the diamond into my shirt, pinned the watch
chain into my pocket and stuffed the wallet
with pieces OF newspaper until 1t seemed u
bulge out with about 5000 in grcenbacks. j
wanted to see what the old fraternity could
do when given fair show.
On the boat going down 70 Bay Ridge a
very nice young man brought his camp stCo.
over near mine and remarked that II was
hot day. We settled that point inside of "A
minute, and he was so pleased to find that L
didn't differ with him that lie stuck to me
when we landed Between the Battery and
Concy Island he made two attempts on that
watch chain, bat didn't get it.
When we got down 90 brighton he was met
by two pals They offered to take me into a
side show, where JOc-,Ioc, the dog faced Rus
sian, and dozen monkeys were holding
forth, and l accepted Among the crowd in
there were several other gentlemen Of enter
prise and ability but they let me severely
alone. | was the property of the other sang
We were standing Ill front OF Joe-Joe, and
was asking him few leading questions about
Russian religion and politics, when the man
on the right crowded me and the ono on my
left fishci for my watch and chain. After
some little trouble he cot the chain. He WINS
after the wallet when l moved away and
bafIlcd him.
was going oil to sac the rest ut tine sights
altlh'. tle i-lts hsbtlltl4i L-tA II Aiasa
! Was / not a stranger, far, far from homo,
and was it not a duty cs we'll rs plaastu,
for them To make things pleasant for me: So
| l went over with thorn 10 secs some more mon
| keys in another show. and to hear n Int girl
! sing: Gently Down the Stream of Time.
| The monkeys stood ON their heads, and the
| fat girl tgiiled her lay, and rs the three
| pressed me into corner t. rrt q closer view
| of pciicau--thc only living pelican which
| something OF Lat sort, some one got the
stuffed wallet. plainly felt the hand which
| took il, hat / did not want 70 hurt his feel
| ings.
BY this tins. 1 was little tired of side
| shows, and wautcj to go out and see the
| marine railway. NV three friends would not
| permit me 70 20 alone. l might CGt run over
? by the engine, or fail through the trestlcwog4l
| and they should always blame themselves for
it. We went,uw while the Fat girl was
| triIling her lay some more, bat instead Of
| going to the railway we got tired and sat
| down on n bench 70 hear some music. It was
| by an italian opera company There were
| two fiddlrs ard harp, and the performance
| was entirely satisfactory t. the audience
| After couple OF airs had been rendered IN q
| heart-neltiug manner ono OF my friends held
| his hat upon his hand before my eyes and
| asked me if | saw a hole in the crown. While
| was anNiously trying to discover orc 20
| oblige him he used the other to remove my
| diamond pin I knew the trick, and was
watching lis motion, hut he got tho jewel out
| very dcftlv 1t wasn't half n minute after
| that before the three pretended to sec Some
| one on the walk they had an engagement
| with, and was suddenly left alone.
| | went over to the railway and made the
| trip to Manhattan and back, and was leaning
| against post near the exhibition building
when one Of the pickpoclats walked up 10 me.
| His brow was batheli in gloom. lie looked
| exactly as did one day four years.aEO, when
| found myself in Richmond and remembered
that my wallet was under hotel mattress in
| Washington lie had the three stolen snidc
| articles in his hand, and lie held them ont L
me and fcelingly said:
Say, what kind 90 q galoot are you, any.
howe
| l felt pizcned mean. and L tried 20 make
him believe so, but he flung the articles down
in deep disgust and turned away with the re
mark:
| 1T Is lust such western specimens - YOU
are who have given everything beyond can
ada bad name. There's your stuff, sir, ond
III be hanged if you arc gentleman"
called and called to him, but he would not
return to argue the point with me.-9I Quad
in Detroit Free Press.
Card Playing in Paris.
Card playing in Paris has become an ALSO
Lutte passion among all classes. Cards are
| tllovei at al hours OF the day AMI night Tn