The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-14
HB EUCHRED LOCKE.
A Startling Storyof How the 6iiala5er
Once Paid a Bill.
The Nickel-in-tIiS-SIot Machine Ger.
tainly Does Pay-Trotting Races
of the Future.

swell, see that Manager Locke, of
the Juch Opera Company, had stormy
season in Oakland, too said Professor
Fred Knell, the violinist, when he was in
town few evenings ago. Its remarka-
bic how that man gets around the coun-
try, and keeps out Of Jail as well as he
does" he continued. mo matter where
he goes, creditors pursue him in hordes.
Bother him? Why, bless you, no.
know Locke very well, and I honestly be-
lieve he would fall into consumption, or
some other deadly disease, if ne should
change his business methods. He can
receive bowling creditor with the most
supreme loneliness and aniability you
ever saw. You can't get mad at HIM III
his presence. He never denies that he
owes you the amount of your bill, and al
ways promises to pay. NOW, my Gear
friend,' he will say TO you, i am little
short; but / know you need the money,
and If you will drop around to the theater
IN the morning / viii pay You, even
though there are other bills that have
prior claim on me- You leave Iull of joy
and confidence. But the next morning
you learn at the theater that Locke has
gone north, or south, as the case my be-"
But to me belongs the honor" con-
tinucd Professor knell, 'of getting this
elusive manager in the door once, and
compelling him to come up with what he
owed me. lie was playing Monte
Christie company, and hired me to write
the music for the piece, put IN Dill
for 500, and Locke pronounced 1t quite
reasonable. In his most atfaDle and
charming way he told me 10 come around
y.gFge n Toe
on coming morning after mornlng-and
no money. Finally became eXasperated.
/ knew that attachments never phaSed
Locke in the least, so 1 evolved another
plan. l marched down to the theater one
evening, about half an hour before curtain
time, walked right by the box Office
and into the auditorium. proceeded to
the orchestra and gathered up all the
scores | had written. Then returning to
the box office, | said to Locke, Here,
these scores belong to me. If you want
them, Just come up with that sixty. Ii
you don't, Pm going to rip them all up
right here In your presence Locke
scratched his head, then tried to wheedle
me, but it was no go. l got ready to tear
the music, when Locke, who realized that
the play could not go on without the
music, surrendered. He had 50 in the
ticket Office and borrowed the other $50
from several attaches. | gave him back
] was a dear fellow, and wanted to en-
gage me right there to write some more
music for him. But had had enough"
Bizz-z-z-z! Ting!
The drummer caught the little card
which shot out Of the hotel nickel-in-the-
slot machine, and glancing at the record
of his weight walked away, WhiStling
softly to himself.
''Do those machines pay?" asked the
reporter Of the clerk.
Pay :" replied the boss of the fronts"
''Well / should say they do. Those things
are Yeritable bOnan2as. They don't re-
quire any care; nobody to run them, and
they never say word to disturb the
guests-all they want is your nickel"
Does the hotel own this one?"
mo. These machines are owned by
syndicate. They put one in your place
OF business and give you one-third Of the
receipts for the privilege. \ man comes
around every month or so, takes out the
nic1els, divides with yOu and goes off to
the next machine. That's all there is
about it."
What do they average?"
ell, can only speak for this ma
chine" replied the clerk. Now if you
will keep it quiet l will let you into the
inside OF the matter. The manager came
around to-day and settled up with our
machine. Here's what he took out of it."
With that the clerk took out of the hotel
safe a cigar-box of the largest size and
brim with nickelS. How many do you
think are in there" he asked.
The reporter guessed 500.
'A Ou're a poor guesser," he said.
There are 1878 nickeIs in there-just
S9S 75.'
''Do I think horse-racing is on the
waue?"
W. Q. Bowers looked surprised when
this question was propounded to him.
NO, sir; 90 not. On the contrary, it
Is growing more and more in the estima-
ton OF the people every year. The at
tendance not only grows larger every
year, hut, II you Will notice, there is a
better class OF people there now. For a
long time very few ladies, except those
VINO did not aim high socially, attended
the races. But now the very best ladies
Ia the land are to be seen there. In fact,
ii has become quite the fashion for them
TO be there, and the attendance of the
other class Is being discouraged. And
this state OF affairs is going to keep on,
too.
II will tell you another thing that 1 be-
ieve the future will bring forth. be-
lieVe there Will be some radical changes
in the mode Of racing trotters [ feel
confident that in the course OF the next
live years heat racing Will be abolished.
and in its place trotters will engage in
one dash for supremacy. They viii go
in for mile, mile-and-a-half and two
mile trots. And this is going to take
with the general public, as the fields will
be larger, and the racing more exciting.
The trotJers, too, will not have to 60 inlou
q 10 per cent. entry as now, but Will be
placed on an equality with runners al
= per cent. The present entrance nc
doubt is unfair to the owners of trotterS
and a change viii be welcomed"
81 want TO get a divorce from my hus.
band" said middle-aged lady who
called on Justice OF the Eeace Henry the
other day.
.Weu, madame" said the afIable JUS
tice, You must see an attorney. You
see [ am Justice and am not practising"
We'll, that's Just why l came to sec
Won" said the lady. u don't want to &c
10 the expense OF hiring a lawyer, and
want you To give me the divorce without
amy bother. My husband has never
treated me-
My dear madame l have no power
to"
Il must have it. and know very wei
that you can grant II right away anC
charge 1t to the county"
The visitor ratified along at this rate fol
some time, and it took the Justice just 81
hour and a quarter TO convince her tina
divorces We're entirely out OF his jurisdlc
ton ana that the county was not IN tht
habit OF paying for such litigation.
POLICE COURT