The Dickinson press., 1888-09-15
COMFY ISLAND ODDITIES,
CATCH PENNY CoNTRlvANcES OF
THE GREAT POPULAR RESORT.

titudc Are Gathered In Numerous
Novelties and the Patrons Thereof.
Some of the Tricks Explained.
There is n curious ado in amusements on
Coney Island. In previous seasons dime
museums have been numerous and reason
ably prosperous. This summer free shows
have multiplied, and variety containing noted
entertainers in their line.
There are thirteen beer gardens in which
stage entertainments are given without ces-
sation from noon to midnight. The wonder
is that specialists like those named have
hired themselves out for free shows, but they
are receiving for the usually idle summer al
most, if not quite, tho salaries commonly
given to them in winter. The competition is
ruinous to the dime museums, and even to
the two or three moro prctentious establish
mcnts down there.
The ruino of the dime show men has comic
aspects. Ono concern is putting its female
snake tanner, with n young boa constructor
writiling round her neck and waist, i'll front
of the tent alongside an eloquent persuader,
who declares she is only one of u hundred
equally plcasurable sights within. "A rival
show across the way has almost turned itself
inside out in order to outdo this method of
attraction. Here the fat woman, the giant
aud the tittooe,l man are all arranged in
public view, while the only thing left inside
is IL fake CirraSSiau girl and a wild man. Tho
proprietor of Il beer garden has so thickly ell
closed it with cvergreens that not II peek of
the interior can be gained without entrance.
Not II placarl is shown, nor n word spoken
at the doorway, where Il mysteriously solemn
fellow points pantomimically ut presumably
Iln thiprS within Hprn ~ dina nj.
mission is charged, and the ruse is temper.
arily profitable, although reports of the
swindlr are bound to bring it to n speedy
end. There is nothing ut all inside except n
traffic in beer, and the ticket purchased at
the entrance is good for two drinks.
Stlll another garden, which has not gone
into the brisk competition of hiring we'll
known vocalists, uses the strange device
of several cheap singers in bathing costume.
These girls so back and forth from the surf
To the stage, doing their turns" of song and
dance between spells of disporting in the
waves. They are Invariably followed to the
garden by IL curious tllrong, rs they go drip
ping, and the oddly of the thing draws in
many people, who buy beer.
The sights of Coney Island include, besides
the familiar things of former years, a num-
L"r of novelties. y portion of that resort is
this summer laid out in small streets, facing
which are all manner of booths and tents set
w!thtrapsf for the unwary. The familiar ring
toss, disk throwing and other means of pay
ing IL lime for about n cents worth of chance
To win something are mixed with photograph
shops, chowder and sausage stands and u
great variety of grogscries. Behind one
counter stands Il loud voiced and glib fellow,
who combines ham sandwiches with Il lot
terry. That is to say, lie sells sandwiches at
only three cents apiece, but whether you get
amy ham in your purchase depends on your
luck. He vociferously announces that every
third pair of buttcrcd slices of bread con-
t:,ins Il generous quantity of the choices
meat. The reporters observation lcads him
to believe atthe proportion of meat ismuch
smaller, for he saw one man inlustriously
and hopefully eat eight sham sandwiches be-
fore he got Il ham sandwich.
\. new mode of taking chances had for APP
paratus Il cone of wood, into which were
driven spikes standing an inch or SO apart.
y cover of corresponding shape had Il small
hole at its apex. Into that aperture you
could. on payment of twenty-five cents, drop
II marble, which you could hear rattle it's way
down among the nails, and then you would
SEQ Il marble, looking like the same one, roll
ont into one or another of the numbered
pockets that %encircle the base of the cone.
In Il glass case are watches and n lot of al
most worthless jewelry bearing correspond
ing figures. You would get the prize indi-
Gated by the Judgment of the ball. The per-
slasive operator of this machine tells YOU,
and seems to show You clearly enough, that
there can be no possible dishonesty about it.
He lets you try Il drop of the marble for fun,
and invariably you strike the number for a
WItch. Several stool pigeons pretend to buy
chances, and they are rich winners, the boss
rcdeeming their prizes literally with money.
But if you invest a quarter, and make Il Sc
rious venture, you win Il finger ring or
something else not worth Il cent.
If you watch the process for ten minutes
you will see that the manipulation presses Il
spring under tho rear edge of the table
whenever he intends that good prizes shall
seem to be won, and i'll that case q duplicate
ball appears in place of the ono that is
dropped in. Ii he keeps his hands off this
secret control of the machine the dropped
ball winds its way with certainty into one OF
Il few numbered compartments correspond
ing to worthless articles.
a less mechanical and more brainy swindlt
is Il sort of auction traffic in the photographs,
of actresses. Several hundred pictures ar
stuck i'll a rack behind Il platform on which
stands the operator. He tells You that he vii.
sell any one of tho cards for Il quarter OF Il
dollar, and buy it back instantly at IL pro
MUM. You pass i'll your coin, and with {;
long stick touch the portrait of your choice
, On the back Of each, as he further explains
, is marked Il sum between five cents All,
two dollars and II half.
/, 81 will give You thirty cents for this pict
+ urp.h hp SllOutS rs no on znS nt thn ,.ayp,c
side without letting you see it.
You scorn to mako so small n profit o!
your investment and decline bis offer.
SIN give you thirty-tive cents" he con
, %tinues, Cabling like M auctioneer. no
You'd better take me. 1t says Il nickel OF
I the back of this, upon my word. | will Civ,
I, you forty forty five-titty."
8 Still You hold out against his profTeis, un'
/ lie says, Every weil-you see this piclul'
+ calls for only a dime" and he turns it aroul,
!. to show you the figure 10 written on 1t il
T. pencil.
: Now, tho operation of this trap is so>,c
9 what elastic. If the purchaser holds out to
a considerable advance. lie may he once u
twice permitted to clear Il profit, but tia
:. will be quickly overbalanccd by losses =.
! him and gains to the trickster. If he show
a n disposition to accept five or ten cents a,
vance, he Will get no further ollie. 5, and Il
a can either keep the photograph or get tv
~ or ten cen S apiece back for them. The Wit;
point in the swindlc, however, is that if b
chance you pick out a card on which
marked $50 or $50 the dollar mark is nev,
given, and you tand out for u large q,
vance Oh the quarter, ho will rub out IL
!, cipher by means of his thumb, which prob
~. bly, has some sort of prepared surface for ii
purpose of an erasure. Thus tho amount
j. reduced to either fifteen or twenty-five cen,
in case he has to pay it, while it is left at II
original high figures if it happens to be h
gain to display item. 4 crowd surrouu