Wichita eagle., 1888-08-04
COMFY ISLAND ODDITIES.
CATCH PENNY CONTRlVANCeS OF
THE GREAT POPULAR RESORT.
Methods by Which the Dimes OF the Mul-
titude Are Gathered In - Numerous
Novelties and the Patrons Thereof.
Some of the Tricks Explained.

/ 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 the salaries commonly
given TO them III winter. The competition IS
ruinous to the dime museums, and even TO
the two or three more pretentious establish
ments down there
The ruin of the dime show men has comic
aspects. One concern is putting its female
snake tanner, with a young boa constructor
writing round her neck and waist, in front
of the tent alongside an eloquent persuader,
who declares she is only one of hundred
equally pleasurable sights within. A rival
show across the way has almost turned itself
inside out in order TO Guido this method OF
attraction. Here the fat woman, the giant
and the tattooed man are all arranged IN
public Wow, while the only thing left inside
is a fake Circassian girl aud "A wild man. The
proprietor of beer garden has so thickly en-
closed 1t with .vergreeus that not peek of
the interior can be gained without entrance
Not placard is shown, nor a word spoken
at the doorway, where a mysteriously solemn
fellow points pantomimicaly at presumably
remarkable things within. Here a dime ad-
miss ia n ty,ai nd he ic
arily profitable, although reports of the
rwindle are bound to bring it to a speedy
end There is nothing at ali inside except q
traffic in beer, and the ticket purchased at
the entrance is good for two drinks.
Still another garden, which has not gone
Into the brisk competition of hiring well
known vocalists uses the strange device
of several cheap singers in bathing costume.
These girls go 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 a curious throng, as they 60 drip
ping and the oddly OF the thing draws in
many people, who bay beer.
The sights of Coney Island include, besides
the familiar things of former years, "A num-
Der of novelties. portion of that resort is
which are all manner of booths and tents set
with traps for the unwary. The familiar ring
toss, disk throwing and other means of pay
ing dime for about cents worth of chance
to win something are mixed with photograph
shops, chOwder and sausage stands and a
great variety Of groggeries Behind one
counter stands loud voiced and glib fellow,
who combines ham sandwiches with lot
terry. That is TO say, he sells sandwiches at
only three cents apiece, but whether YOU get
any ham in your purchase depends on your
luck He vociferouslv announces that every
third pair of butt~red slices Of bread CON
tains generous quantity of the choicest
meat. The reporters observation leads him
TO believe that the proportion of meat Is much
smaller, for he ssw one man industriously
and hopefully eat eight sham sandwiches be
fore he got ham sandwich
A new mode of taking chances had for ar-
paratus cone Of wood, into which were
driven spikes standing an inch or SO apart.
A cover of corresponding shape had small
hole at It's apex. Into that aperture you
could, on payment Of twenty five cents, drop
a marble, which you could hear rattle it's way
down among the nails, and then you would
see marble, hooking like the same one. roll
out into one or another OF the numbered I
pockets tina: encircis the base Of the cone 4
In glass case are watches and lot Of al /
most worthless jewelry bearing correspond 4
Ing figures. You would get the prize indi- 4
Gated by the lodgment OF the ball The per-
suasive operator Of this machine tells you,
and seems to show you clearly enough, that .
there can be no possible dishonesty about IL
be lets you Try drop Of The marble for fun,
and Invariably you strike the number for a
watch. Several stool pigeons pretend 70 buy
chances, and they ere rich winners. the boss
their prizes literally with money.
But yoo invest quarter, ard make So
rious venture, you win hnge ring or
slss not worth q cent
II you watch the process for ten r1inc.>s
you VIII Sc that the unanipulAsoT presses
Epries under the rear edge o. the table
Whenever be intends thai good ps,zts snail
peaEu to Be- won, and In Mat cass a duplicate
bal appears IN place Of the oae thai ls
dropped In II be keeps his hAnds a. tbs
secree control Of the machine tse drog,ed
bal winds lis 10y with certainty INTO ooe Of
} few runhered compartments corre-yood-
ng to vort1l.s afticIea
A - mechanical and mere brxiny sxirsdIe
s q SORT Of auction traffic in the peoor-apas
u Ac0~A Several nondrsd PICTURES are
ezck n . rack bsoi1d platform On vh:ca
tAnls the oP~asor. Es Nls you .hst b. VII
ell any oos Of tie cardA for . 2zAr.lr II .
.o.iar. sd bay !. back Instantly - . pre-
niul- You pas IN y01r eo.a, ard With 3
Gag ssck touch The psarxa.s os yosr cAosoeL
n tss back Ct each, - be f1rthsr explains,
3 marked . rzn bc:vesn Gre oG1 add
NO do.la1 anA half
Il Nj give yea thirty cents for tks PCT I
~ - sAous. - ss gsses q. tia rrvsrss !
sde viihc1i issa.ng yos see !.
fcv soo-a % Eaks % <r-z1 pr-e. C
OF Investment as5 decline ais oIy.r.
"rE gre yo1 c.trty-s-e os:cz.' 10 cen
.nn<s. csb5f-g IKE a. srctson<--. ''Sor
Tou'c iet.4r sAx. n.A I. says Ilcke. G.
&c hack e ts.s, upoa Ey vur1 VIII grys
'oa torty-<orfy-1~e-a.ry--
ST. xsR k0A ~ A<assss: ks wien. ed