Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-11-22
PLAYING TIE PEAS.
a., american Style of an Old Game
-rbimblerig and How the Gang
Work the People.
Tho Well Dressed Stranger and the
Excitable Aged Man.

=, you. Now, I'll bet you any sum from
a to 500 yoH CAN'T pick the shell the
,ss is under"
These words, or Others to the same
,,rpose, issue from dapper little fellow
5so uresides over small table, whereon
'..is three walnut shells and an India
,,bbsr ball, which is known as the pea.
NJ is to be seen near any of the resorts
mere sporting men are 30 be found, and
qbeu the GLOBE man saw him last he was
sosraiiug near one of the race tracks.
Accepting the invitation to come up.
mi, totally neglecting any allusion to
rying luck, the scribe joined the crowd
,,rud the table and watched the slick
youDg gambler
Now every one look,n said he. as he
3sfly manipulated the shells, now NOV.
pg two Of them round, while the pea
pseped innooently and seductively from
beneath lha remaining cover. II move
them round pretty quick and try aud de-
GIVE your eye. Now who will bet me ten
,s can pick the winnerY"
arl 20 you ten" saysa well dressed,
iaaly looking fellow on one side of the
sthering and putting bill in the hands
d the owner OF the board he lifts one of
The shells and there in all its beauty laws
the pea.
'Ihut's the time you skin me lust like
10 ELL good humoredly says the victim.
and he again begins his manipuIations.
"0ace more, gentlemen, l cant always
sin, and If you can beat me, ell right, for
In trying to beat you" This is candor.
or that is precisely mis- mission. but the
game is young and the crowd only treat
| ibis as a joks in the face of his recent
los. That 1t is not loss. The Globe
need not tell its readers, for the veil
tis5sed gentleman is what is known to
The fraternity as "caper," and his bus
cess is to work mp the crowd for bis part
seE
Come again, gentlemea, sportsmen,
Play far with me and I'll play fair with
ou Here they are. Now who can pick
d oct for $40 or 500.
Il car says a clerical looking old man,
IS with shaking hands and form, evident
trembling with exciteme emf he selects A
80 bill and throwing it on TIE table lifts
oue OF the shells and there again, mira
Se dlcto, in the pea"
"Im in hard luck says the pea shufier
be pays over the money. Sad as it is
70 say it, the elderly genileman's eager
hess is all simulated, and he is another of
/ the gang.
NOW want to give away a fortune or
make one, and this time I'll move them
petty quick and will bet any one $40 OF
40 they can't pick out the pea"
Bet you five" says a man in the crowd,
sDdering 8 bill.
The pea man sees that it is a ten, and
Immediately puts in, "I'll go you ten"
NO i've, rejoius the stranger.
IHgo you ten,' said voice coming
tom the first capper.
Unsiing to lose The chance TO make
Ten, the stranger agrees 10 bet ten, and
itng one of the rhello Is disknsted W
bad he mas lost.
that's the time beat you," say the
pea mau being the first "sucker" caught.
Now, 20 Is necessary to soothe he
.iangera feelings aud oepper loses
l's snd gets the laushn from the crowd,
"llea he Wlnks ana says, I'm Eve
aead auyway"
The cfosd by this time impressed with
nsldsa tnet sharp man can beat the
game aud hanos are soon lingering uer-
oa'.y IN pockets where The money is
3f'led' All these signs the tdlmblerig
'O'heF notes carefully and he and his
| sPpeTs go TO work with will.
vlce more make them, and nov no
w can tell where it is for $40 or 500"
TITS under the centre one" softly whis-
@'u one or the cappers to man who
evidently getting very much inter
a1 laefedul0us smile comes over the
zee OF t1s gentleman addressed, but the
'siea. friend bends over, and while the
60 man pretends to turn his face to shove
',A iae crowd, the further shell is lifted
" nothing being under either of the
sl l"o' The capper Who gives the
-'Nt bets 80 and wins his money, and
~ NH'"spers 70 the man he addresses,
tod you So"
D4 SO the game goes on. The cappers
va .le pea man worked the crowd, and
!lekiess outsider that bets cannot
~. hundreds of lodges are tried and
..''le's' must be very bad when $50
fol at least does not reward the lahors
OF The gang.
t1e reader who thinks this is simple
'14'- and that no sans man wonld at
-P' 10 bea. il, is mistaken. 1t is the
Ft open faced fraud in the world for
-sn on the first acquaintance would
-. or It's being impossible to beat il.
sum Us The case, for no man can win
''.'-i of the man that runs il. It is
greatest gam4 in existence to catch
o1ugsters or men who knows it
40 one can see it for the first tim
~. be Impressed with the idea that
.e- oe@tlt. IL is not good schemeto
f-senhOrns, for il is rarely they
Of. l1'ck enough or be inclined TO
et ten dollars at a crack on the
ls mainly for intelligent young
i aa.t edgcated in sporting matters
s'e lo's OF money to spend and not
4 y much how they let it go.
p.-. "''.er has seen many crowds
j RE toard on different occasions,
lhrong has noted many men Of
Tue cappers are of all kinds.
."tir ranks are men who must
better walks OF life at some
.9elr existence. Broken down
1sed-uD pugilists are there,
ally the latter, for now and
-hlnued ones make a hollern
3s pea n An and his associates
aud their ground, bluff or run.
H