Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-03-26
THE POWER OF THE NICKEL.
illustrations OF Its Stimulating Effect
In Daily Life.

bitterly oppose what is termed the
sump,uary measures proposed by the
prohibitionists, can at least be thank.
full for one thing; the latter have been
the means Of revolu,ioniz'ng the pur
chasing power of the once insigniti.
cant nickel.
Prior to the time when the people
of the rock ribbed State which has
given the world a James G. Blaine
and Tom Reed, adopted the statute
which curtails the methods of dispe's
ing the subtle fluids which not only
cheer but nrbriate, the nickel coin of
the realm was chiefly used in the pur
chase of peanuts, dead behring's aud
small circus l-monadrs. Sow look
what may be accomplished.
You have only to drop your nickel
in the slot and, like Monte Cristo,
you have grip on creation.
When the good people "way down
in Maine" by statute provided that
no one within tho limits Of that pine.
covered territory should sell any in
toxicating liquors, the spirit OF the
thirsty revolted. 1t was shame, u
downright shame, said they, that our
personal liberties shall thus be inter
fered with. And how to avoid the
penalty imposed, and at the same time
appease the raging fire that blazed
and scorched the internal arrange
men.s of the tippling portion Of the
body polite; aye, there's the rub.
But with Yankee ingenuity the ques-
ton was soon solved, and in Il short
time every city, town and village in
the State had place, when by drop.
ping u nickel in the slot one could
obtain his portion of .incture Of Gam
hrinus, while next door n dime would
purchase u moderate drink Of corn
juice. ....
They were operated by man pow r
from the rear, aud as compared with
the IN IRE modern appliances, were
very crude Of construction. From
the time your modest contribution
dlsaup-ared until the wished for
drauyht appeared no automatic ma
chiuery revolved inside. But the
thing worked just the same, and the
patience If the wxi,ing citizen was
soon rewarded by seeing u little door
open, while his drink was silently
showed out and no questions asked or
answered.
But mark the change, the evolu-
ton, as it we're. Constantly improve
m+nt has wrought wonders. The
story Of the Maine Invention spread
and in an incredibly short time per
son could drop nickel in the slot
and ride home in street car to din
ner. Then an enterprising chap sci
up a machine which, upon being fed
a nickel, gave view of St. Peters al
Rome for the space of a minute. The
next innovation was by man who
evidently had grudge against the
rising generation and u passionate de-
sire to develop dudes, for he set up 4
box where, by pushing a coin dowr
the aperture, box of cigarettes
would respond. Not to be outdone
friend Of the ladies introduced al
illuminated affair, which properly pat
ronized, yielded UP q box of taf1y
tolu Or some chocolate caramels.
Then the che wing. gum craze strucI
the country, aud in less than montl
thousands Of fair maids ana effemin
ate young men were mastlcatinl
= Tutu. Fruit, Yucatsn and oth'
2 brands, all Of which was procured by
r sliding nckels in the slot.
The medical fraternity caught tn
! contAgion, and Rasselas' corn salve
e DIR. Georges tar OF wine, Henry Nil
b lett's liver regulator, and thousands o
h other remedies were soon procurabl
all over the country.
This last idea awakened the amb
9 ton of those would be protectors @
. mans heirs at law, for close on to III
= heels of this general distribution Q
!, drugs and medicines came the littl
, boxes which bore the legend, "Drop
- nickel in the slot and get.your life IN
x sured Tor ,wen,yfour hours from tn
5. recorded time of the purchase At tn
box" And to-day, all over this broa
land, can be found those little case
whereby you can leave your famil
- from $500 to $4,000, provided 20
: wish to shuttle off this mortal CO
T, within the prescribed time.
d The men of medicine returned
d the charge, and with large head line
e, over long plea announcement pr
It claimed Throughout the length All
,e breadth of this great collection
young REPUBLICS that '.elee.ricity
t. life" Underneath these flowing pos
ID ers were placed bones provided vii
10 two handles, where for half-d'u
ID the patient can have the n"ver.dyir
"a spirit shocked out Of him by 90