The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-02-28
NAYS THAT APE DARK.
Giving Away Dice Bo,es-Why the Cards
Were Sacrificed"

Giving Away Dice BoHes-Nhy the Cards
Were "sacrifieed."
A dapper looking young man dropped
in at a Dearborn street resort one day
not long ago and inquired for the pro-
prictor When informed by the white
aproned young man who catrrs 10 the
thirst of the customers in the ;ihscuee Of
the proprietor that the latter Wa not in,
the dapper young man un@rapped
"A package which he carried a1.d pro-
duCcd new dice box containing the
regulation five dice. He stated That he
represented certain patcnt Medicine,
the prOprctors Of which thought Of Civ
ing out these dice boxes II an advertise
ment, and. if he succeeded ia placing
enough of them to make II an ohlcet he
would come around later and sfeuoll an
advertisement on the boxes. lie hesged
permission to leave that one for the pro-
prictor, with his compliments. and. al
the dice boxes in Use We're AoueN lat
shabby, the whte aproned man gladly
accepted the new one and thanked the
dappcr youth When the proprietor
turned up IA little later he vas leased
with the gift and threw AWAY the old
boxes.
On the following afternoon party Of
well dressed mon entered the place
called for the dice box. and proceeded to
shake for the drinks After twoor three
rounds the men began to shake for IA
quarter corner" and then 81. The pro-
prietor, who was behind the bar. noticed
that the big man who proposed the slak-
ing for money was the heaviest winner
and, i'll the course of the afternoon, one
of the proprctor's friends. who had gone
into the game. lost $50, the bulk of which
went to the big man. There was some
thing peculiar in the way in which he
handled the box, and. after he left, the
proprietor examined ii carefully.
While he was thus engaged an old
friend of his, who had for Years Travelled
with circus. came in. He knows all Of
the tricks with dice. and, when asked if
there was anything wrong with this par
ticular outfit he picked it up, looked at
it, and then said; YES, its what is
called California smooth box, and in
practiced hands it is a sure thing. You
notice that the inside of the box is as
smooth as glass and that the dice are per
feet cubes, with square corners. The
man who understands it can shake two
pair 'on the square, and when he picks
up the odd die he can slide il into the box
with the desired spots on the upper face
shake il up and down carefully. and the
same spots will slide out and fill the hand
like this, and the circus man demon.
stratcd the idea. The proprietor readily
saw that the box had been "planted"
there by the big fellows confederate. the
alleged patent medicine man, and he now
retains it ms a curiosity, but allows no
one to shake with it.
Some months ago this proprietor was
deceived in another way. 1t was lust
after Mayor Rochc's cdict against gam.
bling had gone forth and the sports had
begun to realize that wide open gambling
was done for for the time being. and
were beginning to seek fresh fields and
pastures new if they could muster the
price of railroad ticket. One day u
certain well known sport dropped in at
this same place and quietly informed the
proprietor that he WAS hungry. had no
money to buy meal, and his sole assets
consisted of three packs of cards, which
he had saved from the clutches of the
police at the last pull" He offered to
sacrifice them for twenty-five cents per
pack, and. as the proprirtor's customers
back room. and he was out of cards lust
Withdrew with sevonty-tive cents
About two or three days later in came
party of young fellows, who had Il few
drinks and then asked the privilege of
INDUCING in a small game. They were
furnished with one of the three packs of
cards and went int the room. When
the proprietor went into the room Il few
minutes later to take the party's order he
noticed that the greater part of the chips
and cards had accumulated in front of a
sport whom he knew to he n friend Of
the fellow who sold him the cards, and
when he went out he examined the backs
of the other two packs, and found them
marked ingcniolisly. He invented an
excuse to break up the game, and then
he burned the cards. Just now he is
wondering if his eye teeth are through
yet.-Chicago Herald.