Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-26
YOU DROP A NICKEL
If II GOES The RIGHT WAY
How the lnaaccnf Nscksi-sa-shs-ssos
Mscnlns tass Been usllised 80
Bucksng the T,ssa-

The nickei.in-1he- slot machine he's
evolved from the innocent mechanism
whereby the public could secure Ne
value If its money. 10 = first-olsss gam
bling device whereby The sporty youne
man may invest his nickel With NE
hope OF winning tive for one
The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ana ess
q Cigar. gissx Of beer. stick Of chewing
gum or : bottle Of the finest peffums
In existence" nas long been before the
pubic, rather IL the gulse ~ ~ iniso-
cent labors&vlng machine than - .
gambling device, aud the arrangement
has been attached 20 many eontris-
anoes whereby the dropper Of The
nickel Is supposed 20 get value rcceiseo-
To tie cure sometimes the machine
fails TO operate aud lss until secentiy
absolutely refused 10 give back tie
nickel, no amount OF petung Or kick
ing being able 10 md uce Is 60 be honest.
But lately the Edison phonogrsph.
operated by this system. hss been fur
nlehcd VITA Q device whereby The
money 10 refunded Il the machine fails
90 grind out .NeAanus' 81 fstrick's
Day speech or the s'oid Dsken
Bucket by the bison City quartet, OF
any Of the other eievAtsng songs or
claAsic stories whispered into the re-
oeiving tube of the phonograph.
In some cines newspapers are cold
from these machines. A perSoa deslr-
ing Q paper puts he money Ia the hole
receives his change aud . neWspaper
that indorses his opinion Of politscs, re-
ligion and matters Of the day.
But the ingenuity Of man has turned
these innocent coutrlsances into party
10 . '.skin game pure and ample. and
several are located Ia SALOONS IN tins
city. The machine looks harmless,
but ls really over i've years old aud
knows thing or two.
new The machiss Worss.
The machine 10 of broazod iron with
q glass front. behind which Are three
grooves numbered one, two and three.
IL the coin OF the dropper falls into
siot No. the player loses, likewise II a.
falls into No. 2. bat IL IT lodges IN No. )
the machine glves up three nickles--no
more nor less.
This looks far, and . glance ~ the
face would not revcai anything wrong
20 . casual observer, but careful study
of the machine will chow that . small
shoulder between one and two 10 ac-
JueSoolcs o10 ~ bteSra o3S VA -sSst -
Of an inch past the dead center u BE-
comes absolutely impossible Tor The
coin 20 drop into any groove bot No. Y.
and the machine could he played life
time aud the player would not be Z
winner = angle time.
When the machine 10 adjusted fairly
the odds are two 20 one against the
player. and the wsnnings coming 80
they do in the eame proportion would
make il as fair ~ ANY Of ~ clsss and
could occasionally be beaten, but with
the shoulder adjusted. IL " infaliabie.
and never makes the mistakes Of letting
the com down the wrong slot.
The game 10 played ~ the high and
low. Many a. they enter . barroom.
zee . machine. guage the principael OF
! the thing, drop . nickel IN the eiot and
lose, taen 10 get their money back they
drop another, again they lose until
finally they win, and, as other gamb-
lere play again and lose again and %
on. lie the same ola story OF gsmb-
ling on . ANAL scaie. tut II gratifies
the passion and uniees the police inter-
| fere IL has come 10 stay.