The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-06-02

bly, be found in the marine engi-
neering, for coating iron and steel for
propellers to prevent their pitting.
A GUN to fire under water has been
invented, and one for the United States
ship Destroyer is in course OF construc.
ton at Bethlehem, Pa. This expert
mental gun is to be thirty-fve feet long,
and will throw projectile twenty-five
feet in length, containing four hundred
pounds of nitrogycerine, one thousand
feet through the water
PLAYED STRIPPERS" ON HIM.
A Card Sharper Suffers for Trying an Old
Trick on a New York Drummer.
! O"No, siree,' exclaimed my friend
Buck, who is travelling salesman for
a large Broadway importing house, says
writer in the New York Herald, you
! don't often catch us drummers asleep.
We're wide-awalze to the tricks of most
all trades, can tell you
"The last time a sharper tried to
down me was at Cleveland, O., few
weeks ago. He tried to work the
'stripper' racket on me. / was seated
in my room early one evening, when
little terrier dog ran in through the
open door and began shifting about.
Pretty soon well-dressed young fell
low appeared at the door, and, apollo
giving for the intrusion, asked if l had
seen a stray dog anywhere around
All! there you are, said he, espy-
ing the canine, always running away
from me into other peoples rooms he
explained. AS might be expected, one
word led to another, and very soon we
were engaged in a general conversation.
The talk drifted to cards and then the
stranger produced pack. He had just
learned a new trick which he would
show me.
6 Now take a card and look at it,
said he. l did as directed, selecting the
ace of clubs. Now put it back he
said, handing me the pack. He then
requested me to shuttle the cards well,
which 1 did. He then took the pack.
" There is your card, he said at
once, producing the ace of clubs. Very
good said /, but l don't think you
could do it again then called his
attention to picture in the room while |
I hurricdly examined the pack. No,
said |, i don't think you could do it |
again; not for twenty dollars
IN see you,' said he, producing the |
ley. All right said 1, and the bet |
made. I then selected card-the |
Il spades. He handc { me the pack, |
[desting me to replace the card and |
Shuttle them as much as l pleased.
Snow, can handle the pasteboards
myself; while 1 was shutting l just
fixed the cards on the sharper SO that he
couldn't tell one card from another.
There, said l, handing him the pack,
where's my card?'
He took the pack with smile of
confidence and began to run his fingers
over the edges. Then he began to look
a trifle nervous. Come said l, pro
duce the card or l take your money
''Well, sir, after he had fumbled over
the pack for few minutes just pock
eted his twenty dcears. Now, see
here, said to him, you've been trying
to play shippers on me, haven't you?'
HE never said word for about
two minutes. He then rose to leave
the room. Say said he as he was
dDOut W 1caNc, you're d new 1Ork
drummer for another twenty I'm not
making any more BETS said I. 4 knew
it., he remarked as he left the room.
:" 'Strippers? Why, that's a pack of
cards made slightly narrower on one
end than the other. An almost imper-
ceptible difference, yet enough to be
by the touch. When you
select card the sharper hands you the
pack SO that you replace it upside down,
5he broad end among the narrow ones
see? He can then snake it out with
out any trouble. It's a neat trick and
hard TO detect unless you have been in
itiated.
''Of course l knew what he was up to
when he handed me the pack. put the
card in as he wanted it, and then while
was shutting 1 quietly turned it
around SO that the ends were all alike.
did it cost me anything to learn that
rick? Well-but I'm not giving my
self away. l got twenty dollars out of
t back, at any rate"