Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-01-25
THE NICK EL-Ty- TTfE-SLOT.
{: Peculiarly Honest Tramp Who L'ves by
Sncfinn. Ief L. w ..Ntcker.H

Suction, Yet Is No sucker
While sitting in the Fulton Ferry
House my attention was attracted to a
seedy individual who had just entered.
| had no difficulty IN establishing his
status in life. He was meplberof that
profession that looks upon the world as
its ~oyster" and unceremoniously opens
it upon the slightest opportunity. He
was tramp. His clothes were cut--ol
rather torn-to his calling. Hard times
lung from every angle of his body. His
nose was the only bright spot about
him. That had been FURNISHED by
whisky until it looked like "a gilded
halo lowering round decay"
Watch that man," said an Official
80 me, HE has got some way Of get
ting nickels and pennies out of those
'nickel-in-the-slot' machines over there.
You see the machines are often out of
order and the money dropped in sticks
in the slot. That man comes here regu-
larly every morning and sucks them
out. 1t is none of my business so /
never interfere with him."
watched. The man approached a
tutti-frutti machine, stopped down and
| placed his mouth over one of the slots.
A long, drawn out suction followed, az
# the machine was delicious lemon on
Katzenjammer Day, and then he
Strengthened up with penny between
his teeth. Down he went again, as the
kingfisher does for a smelt, and back
again with his prey in his mouth.
This was repeated until the slots had
yielded up thirteen cents-one nickel
and eight pennies,
When the tramp went away, I fol-
lowed him outside and engaged him in
conversation. | found him to have
more than his share of the grim humor
that characterizes the tramp brother
hood. He drew himself up with lugu-
brious dignity and said:
THE suction idea came to me about
three months ago. | first had to satisfy
myself that it was legitimate business.
The nickel, | reasoned does not belong
to the person who puts it in the slot, as
he took chances with the machine and
got left 1t did not belong to the ma
chine, because it had rendered nothing
for the money received. Having thus
satisfied my conscience | commenced
operations. The business had devel'
oped beyond my greatest expectations.
The interest on the capital invested is
enormous. No expenditures; all re-
ceipts. make from 81 to 81 per day
My hours are long, it is true, and most
Of my business engagements are al
night. But it's way head Of being on
the road. don't like the country. The
haystacks are too far apart, and the
careless handling of shotguns by farmers
has always shocked me.
81 am glad to have metropolitan
occupation" he continued. Herr
there is a field for ingenuity. The MAJ
with an idea can not be kept down
My business is almost too much for on
man to control. 1t takes me a loni
time to get around to all the ferries ant
depots, and am thinking of letting on
part of my territory"
After pause he said, rehectively
81 hope this thing won't get into til
papers. The slot machine companie
might undertake to shut me off.
they do it will be a severe blow to til
trade and commerce of the country.
am the inventor of the snap and &
such l am entitled to the proft
Recollect, though [ make my living b
suction, am no sucker" And Il
faded away in the gloom Of William
burg ferryward. -NelC York Herald