San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-26
FUN WITH A CIRCUS.
PLAYFUL RETALIATION OF AN IN
JURED COUNTRYMAN.

The Ticket Seller Had Worked the "Flim.
fam" Game on Him and When the
Visitor Objected Firearms Were Called
Into Use-Great Sport for Some.
Have | seen you fellows since was In
Maricopa9" asked Mccormick MS he lighted
cigar. Mccormick sells firearms in Ari-
IONA, New Mexico and ColoradoA
Il got to ella City, and heard there was
Il circus AT Maricopa, and thought I'd take
il in. for | wanted TO sell bill at Stanwix,
and might do something in Maricopa too
| don't know rs you fellows ever saw a
circus in the southwest. You wouldn't
know it. Every man in the shows walk
ing arsenal-has to be in that country.
And the man in the ticket wagon has guns
on all sides of him. It's merely matter
of preponderance of shooting weapons
which survives after circus time-the show
or the populace. This show had been in
Maricopa ten days, and there hadn't been
any trouble to speak of. One man from the
hills had been killed at the ticket wagon in
dispute over the right change, but he'd
been warned if he asked for that flyer again
he'd get plugged He did ask, with his
gun, but he missed somehow, and he was
plugged. Then they carried the corpse
around the ring on the back of the elephant
in the grand procession, as solemn warn
ing to other disputatious hayseeds.
''rhe fact was they had a CRATER in Their
wagon Maybe you never saw CRATER
work."
Never did," said James.
HOW THE "GRAFTER" WORKS.
We'll, you see. there's always a mob
afAund the ticket wagon, and holding up
their hands, furnishing bills and gold
pieces, and bowling for tickets-greasers,
IniunS. cowboys, miners, ranchers, gam
blers, every kind you can think of. The
ticket seller-the grafter-has Il few one
dollar bills wound around his middle fin
ger, so that the ends come together, and it
looks as though he had twice as many bills
as he has A granger comes up for ticket,
hands over five dollar bill, the CRATER
sIaps down the ticket, thumbs over the
ends of four bills, in plain sight of the
farmer, whips them out from under his
finger. rolls them and hands them down.
Nine times out O. ten the hayseed grabs the
money, stuffs it in his pocket, and elbows
out of the crowd before trying to count the
change. Then he finds out that he has
only two one dollar bills, when he thought
he saw the ticket seller count him out
four Well, he goes back with fire in his
eye, but it doesn't do him any good. Any
how. it didn't seem to the day was up to
Maricopa. | was just getting near the
ticket wagon myself. when one O. these
rustics that'd had the flimfam game
played on him came rushing up and
squeezed through the gang. You tarnal
thief be says to the CRATER. 'gi'me my
money. will your
THE ticket man just looked ut him out
o. the corner of his eye and went on sell
ing until the sucker began to yell rob
bersr and things, when he shouted: Get
out o. here! You can't play that game
with this succus.'
But. blast your carcass, gave you a
tenner, and here's only four dollars back.
Cuss me if I'll pay more'n a dollar for any
succus'
You're crazy, old man; move along
now out o. the crowd, or you'll get hurt
THE FARMER woRSTED.
That seemed to annoy the farmer, for
scat he put three bullets through