St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-05-15
The Crafty Ticket Seller Had
i Worked the "Flim-Flam".
3 Game on Him,
And When the Visitor OBJ
, jected Firearms We're
Called Into Use.
Great Sport for Some. but
: Very Serious Business
4 for Others.

Colorado, says the Buffalo Courier.
Il got to ella City, and heard there
was circus at Maricopa, and thought
I'd take it in, for wanted to sell bill
at Stanwix, and might do something in
Maricopa, too. L don't know as you
fellows ever saw a circus in the South
west. You wouldn't know it. Every
man in the shows walking arsenal
has to be in that country. And the man Ill
of him. It's merely matter of pre-
ponderance of shooting-weapOnS which
survives after circus time-the show of
the populace.
''ThiS show had been in Maric0pa 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 a
dispute over the right change,
but he'd been warned if he
asked for that flyer again he'd get
plugged. He aid ask, with his gun. but
he missed and he was plugged. Then
they carried the corpse around the ring
Oh the back of the elephant in the grand
procession as solemn warning to other
disputatiouS hayseedS.
1.-The fact was, they had CRATER in
their wagon. May be you never saw
CRATER work?"
Never did," said James.
How the ssG CRATER, Works.
"WeIl, you see, there's always mob
around the ticket wagon, and holding
up their hands. Furnishing bills and
gold pieces, and howling for tickets
greasers, Injuns, cowboys, miners.
ranchers, gamblers. every kind you cali
think of. The ticket Seller-tlle CRATER
has a few one dollar bills wound around
his middle finger, 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 a ticket, hands
over S. bill, the CRATER SlapS 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 of 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 cut that he
has only two onedollar bills. when he
thought he saw the ticket seller count
him out four. We'll. he goes back with
fire in his eye, but it doesn't do him
any good. ANYHOW, it didn't seem to
the day l was no to 'Maricopa. l
was Just getting hear the ticket
wagon myself. when one o these rus
ties that'd had the tiimham game played
on him came rushing up and squeezed
through the gang. You tarDal thief
lie says to gthe CRATER, 'gl' me my
money, will your
The ticket man just locked at him
out O. the corner of his eye, aud went
on. selling until the sucker began to yell
''robDerS' and things, when lie shouted,
Get out O. here? You can't play tina
game with this succus.'
"'But, blast your carcass, gave you
tepner, and here's only 81 back. Cuss
me if III pay more'n 81 for, any sucens.'
"'You're crazy. ola man; move along
now out O. the crowd, or you'll get
hurt
The Farmer WOrsted.
THAT seemed to annoy the farmer,
for Quicker'n scat he put three bullets
the wagon window to ease his
mind, and the CRATER began to pepper
back, rather regardless of the promis-
cuous crowd. 1 skipped off to the gold
chariot at one. side, got behind big
wooden angel on one corner of it, and
stayed there where could look out with
little danger of getting pellet.
But they stopped shooting pretty
soon. You see the CRATER had
two men in the wagon who
grabbed their guns the minute the fuss
begun, and bazed away at the old man,
while the CRATER had settled down to
selling tickets again. The rustic saw
the odds were against him and he lit
out, swearing vengeance. He had only
a scratch on the shoulder, but stout
old lady from over the
border inadvertently got between him
and one Of the slugs from the ticket
wagon, and din't live to see the show.
Her husband was disposed to find fault
but the CRATER apo!ogized and passed
him in free, so he made up his mind to
let bygoues be bygones.
81 think it was just after the big bare
hack act that everybody in the tent
heard guns popping outside. !
But the clown was just coming INTO the
ring, and we didn't pay much attention
TO the matter until casual bullets began
TO interfere with the comfort OF the |
audience, and when the clown himself
was bow led over and had to be carried
out on banner, good many people
became so interested in the proceed
ings outside that they paid lit
tie attention 10 the performance /
near the dressing tent entrance, and a
pack OF thirty mounted cowboys gal
loped into the ring. The old hayseed
was at the head of them, and every man
had his fireworks out aud ready for bus
mess.
6 setting Even viii, the Ticket Seller
c.~tl ..
for fire arms house for twenty years,
and have handled weapons by the thou
sands, but when it comes to q front
view of shooting machines in the paws
OF "a crowd of earnest citizens, I'm dis
posed to retire from business.
II was afraid the visitors meant mis-
chief, and l was about to drop down
between the seats and crawl out under
the edge of the tent, when they began
away at the trapeZe ropes, and
id five minutes they were all down.
Ttey were evidently in playful mood
and wouldn't kill any one in the audi
ehce without serious proyocation.
After this preliminary sport they
forced every performer to come in
aid entertain them with special
act. To wind up they brought in the
CRATER. lie was bound hand and foot
and was looking dismal. for somebody
lrhd shot hole through his ear, and it
hurt. They unbound him and made
him rig up in the t0gs of the dead
clown, after which they requested him
to shin up the center pole. He rather
objected 10 this, but the rustic and one
Or two more fellows full of run began
to shoot into the SawduSt around his |
feet, and he started to climb.
''He spent good deal OF his strength
in swearing, and stopped to rest once or
twice. but, being urged OH by the pop
ping of revolyers, he managed 10 reach |
the top of the pole. He wore one of |
these high clowns hats, and the cow
boys ordered him TO hold it out in his |
nand. They then amused themselves !
for few moments shooting at it. The |
elephant was next ordered in. aud every |
man of them had ride on the beast. |
BY this lime the visitors were weary OF |
lie sport and withdrew, and the audi |
ence rushed out after them pell-mell."
The Oldest City in the World.
Jewelers. Review.
Damascus is the Oldest city in the