The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-25
THE TOBACCO BEAT
Queer Customers Who
Chew and Smoke.
THOSE WHO USE THE WEED.
Romances Told by Those Who Sell
the Leaf - Games Worked by
Rich and Poor Upon Them.

| A tour Of the cigar-stores yesterday and a
| few pertinent questions resulted in whole
| harvest of curious information.
"Row are you affected by the shabby
| gent eel and the hummer fraternity?" was
| asked at one stand.
"More of them are seen in this business
than any other. l believe.
They come around, clear up the clip
| pings, ask for chew and often strike for a
| cigar. Nothing is too expensive for them
if they can get it. A fellow came around
the other day, though. who capped the
climax"
| "What did he do?"
HE committed a depreciation I call 1t.
| While l was engaged a rusty-Iooking pa
iron Of the clipping machine came up, and,
| as | thought, was getting something to fill
! his pipe with. l knew him well.
AFTER waiting en- customer [ glanced
| around, and there was old Snipes, as we
! call him, bent over and sucking for dear
| life on a straw. L walked over and found
| that the other end OF the straw was in the
| alcohol barrel under the lighter sent
him flying and made an examination, finding
| that he had drunk every drop Of alcohol
| that the bowl had contained.
| 1T angered me at first. but The boys
| I0shed me about 1t so that 1t soon became
4 ridiculous. Now when Snipes comes around
| he is accommodated with all the free drinks
he can stand. His stomach does not rebel
| at anything, and was never known to
| throw off what once went down."
| Further up Bush street gentleman was
/ interviewed whose story IN regard to the
| trade was similar to the experience related
| by others.
| He had no great trouble with customers
of the sponging variety. though he some
| times encountered them.
| Foreign and counterfeit coins are often
| offered to tobacco men, he said, and he fire.
| quenty detected such efforts.
| Cigar-stands of any Importance have two
| watches, one opening up at O'Clock and
| lasting until 10, when the custodian is re-
| lieved by another who stays on duty until
p. NJ. AT that hour he is also relieved
| by the first watch, who stays until 6 o'clock,
| when he is relieved by the other, who is on
| till closing up time. Thus each one serves
about eight hours day. which is much
more moderate working time than is gen.
| orally attributed TO them.
'Fhe cigar business is greatfr the base
| up" said q Kearny-street dealer, catching
the idea on the first question.
| Gould you write book about it ?"
Yes. large volume. which would at
least interest those IN our line.
/ 'FOr instance, in the first place there are
| a class OF fellows who are moneyed beats
| They come up to the counter and order a
| ten-ceDt cigar. A $50 piece is thrown down
as a bluff. The idea is that the
cha 2. ea ant be made de-. and they
some other time. Not so with me
now. however. call their bluff every time,
and drum up the change if it don't happen
to be in the drawer. They have to wait
| until [ get it, too. This makes some of
them awful mad, but it is only fun when
| you know their game"
do you have much dice-shaking %
''Oh, yes; every place keeps dice. I sup
| pose. But that reminds me Of racket that
| Is worked a great deal.
Two gamblers will come up-cheap
| gamblers. you knoW-and want TO match
for the cigars. They stand in with each
other and understand certain signals They
each take half dollar and L take half in
my hand.
1--WE slap the coins on the counter, and if
they have heads their thumbs are extended,
and if tails their thumbs are closed. LII /
get heads also there is tie; otherwise. of
| course, | lose.
If they fail in the thumb work they use
| another signal, which is given by scratching
tile head for heads and sIapping the
end of their cOattails for tails. Yon
| see, nobody can beat that animation, |
| know 1t now, ana some times I tie them for
| half an hour, or until they tumble and Quit
| in disgust Almost every one knows this
| trick now. but ii was catching until it got
common"
| Then you have 20 study the methods Of
certain classes OF your customers very
| clOsely?'
| Eyes; TO make anything We have to
| post new clerks, too. so that they will not
be Imposed upon. Quite a number watch
this thing very closely. and as soon as they
| see new clerk they sound him at once
Give me cigar said a bank clerk who
works In this block to a new man
| over, and he popped it into his mouth with
/ the observation: That's all right: have
an account with the boss This kind Of
thing happens every time change Is made.
ana II ne IS not informed the clerks inno-
cence will be worked to the extent of sew
| eral dollars before he knows it.
"Ihen again you get the hurry plan.
II Fave men approach In q great hurry to
| eaten streetcar. Throwing down a SIS
| piece, they will say, Give me a cigar in
| hurry The money has suspicious ring.
and l tell him simply to run and get some
more money. and that generally sends him
| on swearing. mat IS the way they work
| OF plugged money. also.''
This clerk exhibited a patent to annoy
| the patrons who only light up at his stand.
but never buy cigars. It consists of a
string attached under the counter to the
| light. Just as the party is about to Ignite
| the alcohol wire the string is pulled and the
| light goes out instantly.
While talking well-dressed lady ap-
peared anu purchased two packs of cigar
cites very slyly. and drifted quickly out
II tell you the finest ladies in the land
are smoking now. They come or send after
| cigarettes all the time" was the clerks
comment.
A store on Market street was then called
| upon. which is commonly patronized by
| nobby young men who have the clerks
| quite well trained. 1t is the habit of many
| Of them to take their friends inside and
| order two-bit cigars.
The impression is conveyed to the friend
that he is getting cigar costing quarter
| of-a-dollar, while the shrswd clerk under
| standing his customer. gives out Bit
smokers. The purchaser waits until his
friend goes to get light, and gently slides
over his quarter.
In the northern part of the city the genus
bum have regular routes. They strike not
| only Tor tobacco. but for money
| On Montgomery avenue one of the speci-
| mems entered place and asked the pro-
| prietor for quarter TO get lodgings after
| he had gotten pipe full of tobacco. His
request was refused when the tramp.
raising his fst exclaimed: eff Won
don't give 1t to me I'll smash this
| glass" 1t was showcase that was in
| danger, and the victim handed out the
money without more ado. The fellow
| thanked him and said that he was bound to
have bed If he had TO get arrested to
| win it.