Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-01-19
WAYS THAT ARE DARK.
Giving Away Dice Bo1es-Why the Cards
 Were Sacrificed"


 A dapper looking young man dropped In at a Dearborn street resort one day not long ago and inquired for the pro- prietor. When informed by the white aproned young man who caters to the thirst of the customers in the absence of the proprietor that the latter was not in, the dapper young man unwrapped a package which he carried and pro- duced a new dice box containing the regulation five dice. He stated that he represented certain patent medicine, the proprietors of which thought of giv- ing out these dice boxes as an advertise ment, and, if he succeeded in placing enough of them to make it an object, he would come around later and stencil an advertisement on the boxes. He begged permission to leave that one for the pro prietor, with his compliments, and, as the dice boxes in use were somewhat shabby, the white aproned man gladly accepted the new one and thanked the dapper youth. When the proprietor turned up little later he was pleased 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 two or three rounds the men began to shake for "a quarter a corner" and then $1. Tho pro- prietor, who was behind the bar, noticed that the big man who proposed the shak- ing for money was the heaviest winner, and, in the course of the afternoon, one of the proprietor's friends. who had gone into the game, lost S90, 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 it carefully.
 | While he was thus engaged an old | friend of his, who had for years travelled with a 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 1t up, looked at it, and then said: "Yes, it's what is called a California smooth box, and in practiced hands it is 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 it into the box with the desired spots on the upper face, shake it up and down carefully, and the same spots will slide out and fill the hand like this," and the circus man demon strated 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 as a curiosity, but allows nc one to shake with it.
 Some months ago this proprietor was deceived in another way. It was just after Mayor Roche's edict 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 a railroad ticket. One day g certain well known sport dropped in at this same place and quietly informed tht proprietor that he was hungry, had nc money to buy a meal, and his sole asset consisted of three packs of cards, whicf he had saved from the clutches of tht police at the last pull" He offered tC sacrifice them for twenty-five cents pc pack, and, as the proprietor's customer often indulged in little game in tn back room, and he was out of cards jus ] then, he bought them, and the spor withdrew with seventy-five cents.
 About two or three days later in cam a party of young fellows, who had a fev drinks and then asked the privilege o indulging in small game. They wer ] furnished with one of the three packs o cards and went into the room. Whel the proprietor went into the room fey , minutes later to take the party's order l. ! noticed that the greater part of the chip and cards had accumulated in front of
 sport whom he knew to be friend c
 the fellow who sold him the cards, an when he went out he examined the back
 of the other two packs, and found ther
 marked ingeniously. He invented a
 excuse to break up the garhe, and the
 he burned the cards. Just now he
 wondering if his eye teeth are throug
 yet.-Chicago Herald.