Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-02
COMFY ISLAND ODDITIES.
CATCH PENNY cONTRlvANcES OF
THE GREAT POPULAR RESORT.

titude Arc Gathered In - Numerous
Novelties and the Patrons Thereof.
Some Of the Tricks Explained.
There is a curious ado in amusements on
Coney Island. In previous seasons dime
museums have been numerous and reason.
ably prosperous. This sunsher 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 Tho wonder
Is that specialists like those named have
hired themselves out for FREQ shows, but they
are receiving for the usually idle summer al
most, if not quite, the salaries commonly
given to them in 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 dino show mon has comic
aspects One concern is putting its female
snake tanner, with young boa constructor
writhing round her neck and waist, in front
of the tent alongside an eloquent persuader,
who declares she is only one Of a hundred
equally pleasurable sights within. A rival
show across the way has almost turned itself
inside out in order to outdo this method OF
and the tattoocd man are all arranged in
public view, while the only thing left inside
is a fake Circassian girl and a wild man. The
proprietor Of a beer garden has so thickly en-
closed it with eyergreens that not a peck Of
the interior can be gained without entrance.
Not placard is shown, nor word spoken
at the doorway, where a mysteriously solemn
fellow points pantomifnically at presumably
remarkable things within. Here dime i'd
mission is charged, and the ruse is temper
arily profitable, although reports OF the
iwindle are bound to bring it to a speedy
snd. There IS nothing at all inside except
raiiic in beer and the ticket purchased at
he entrance is good for two drinks.
Still another garden, which has not gone
INTO the brisk competition of hiring well
tnown yocalists, uses the strange device
If several cheap singers in bathing costume.
These girls go back and forth from the surf
70 the stage, ''doing their turnsn of song and
lance between spells Of disporting in the
waves They are invariably followed to the
garden by a curious throng, as they 70 drip
ping, and the oddity of the thing draws in
many people, who buy beer
The sights of Coney Island include. besides
.he familiar things OF former years, num-
Der OF novelties. A portion of that resort is
this summer laid out in small streets, facing
which arc 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 a cents worth of chance
to win something are mixed with photograph
shops, chowder and sausage stands and
great variety Of groggeries. Behind one
counter stands loud voiced and glib fellow,
who combines ham sandwiches with a lot
| terry. That is to say, he sells sandwiches at
only three cents apiece, but whether you get
any ham IA your purchase depends on your
llck. He vocifcrously announces that every
third pair Of buttered slices Of bread con
tains a generous quantity Of the choicest
meat. Therapeutics observation leads him
to believe that the proportion Of meat is much
smaller, for he saw one man industriously
and hopefully eat eight sham sandwiches be-
fore be got a ham sandwich
"a now mode Of taking chances had for ap-
puratus n cone Of wood, into which were
driven spikes standing an inch or So apart
"a cover Of corresponding shape had small
hole at its apex. Into that aperture YOU
could, on payment Of twenty-five cents, drop
a marble, which you could hear rattle its way
down among the nails, and then you would
see q marble looking like the same one. roll
out into one or another Of the numbered
! pockets that encircle the base Of the cone
In glass case are watches and a lot Of al
most worthless jewelry bearing correspond
ing figures. You would get the prize indi-
Gated lay the lodglhent 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 it,
He lets you try drop Of the marble for fun,
and invariably you strike the number for a
watch. Several stool pigeons pretend to buy
chances, and they are rich winners the boss
redeeming their prizes literally with money
But il you invest a quarter and mako a Sc
rious venture, you win a finger ring or
| something else not worth a cent.
II you watch the process for ten minutes
you will see that the manipulation presses a
/ spring under the rear edge of the table
whenever he intends that good prizes shall
seem 70 be won, and IN that case a duplicate
ball appears in place of tho one That Is
dropped in. II he keeps his hands Off this
secret control Of the machine tho dropped
ball winds its way with certainty into one Of
q few numbered compartments correspond
ing to worthless articles.
a less mechanical and more brainy swindle
is a sort OF auction traffic in tho photographs
of actresses. Several hundred pictures are
STUCK IN TACK Dehlild platform on which
stands the operator. He tells you that he will
sell any one Of the cards for a quarter Of a
dollar, and buy it back instantly at a pre-
lnium. You pass in your coin, and with a
long stick touch the portrait Of your choice
On the back Of each, as he further explains,
/ is marked a sum between 1--WE cents and
! two dollars and half.
/ II will give you thirty cents for this pict-
ure," be shouts, as he gazes at the reverse
side without letting you see it.
/ You scorn to make SO small a profit on
4 y0ur investment and decline his offer
I'm give you thirty-hye cents,n he con-
tiuues, Cabling like an auctioneer moi
/ You'd better take me. It says a nickel on
the back Of this, upon my word l viii give
4 You forty forty nYo--lftyn
Sill you hold out against his prefers. and
he says Very well--you sec this picture
calls for only dime, and be turns it around
to show yoa tho figure 10 written on it in
/ pencil
Now, tho operation Of this trapis some
what elastic, II the purchaser holds out for
| o considerable advance, ho may be once or
twice permitted to clear a profit, but that
win be quickly overbalaneed by losses to
him and gains to tie tricEster II he shows
4 a ss+5 -,