Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-25
TOLD ABOUT Town.

the side entrance OF Second avenue
refreshment establishment and lock
an inventory of his resources. The
sum total of his assets was found to
be Is cents. That was an unusually
limited amount for one of his calibre
to be content with. On the next
1oor he could hear a merry crowd
buzzing over the gambling table
shooting craps. He understood the
Samc-in fact won and lost manv a
good old PUNK handling the worries.
lie started up the stairway to trust
his ID cents on swing of the dice.
Probably he could thereby replenish
his exchequer. But his courage
failed him. Suppose he lost it on
the first throw-he would be ..broke''
and the fellows would put down the
former moneyed boy as cheap
skate. He took another glance up
the Illuminated stairway, and after
gazing into space for moment be-
gan to ascend toward the fascinating
gambling room. He entered and
brushed up toward the gaming table,
surrounding which were a number OF
his acquaintances, some with a pile
Of chips before them and others with
disheartcned faces. Again the idea
of ''making 4 front" with 10 cents
looked ridiculous to the young man.
But maybe fortune was with him.
and the next time the worries came
around his way he took a roll, play
ing dime; and it won. He contin-
ued to capture the proprietor's iinan-
cial representatives in the form of
circular bones until he accumulated
enough to demand about $50. AS he
counted the pile he forgot that he
ever was bankrupt.
Then he commenced enumeratinr
mentally how much he owed, and
found that the clothing man had an
account of $22 against him. lie
didn't owe another penny, but would
play until he increased the pile about
five and then he would quit and paw
his clothing bill and still have enough
to make flash.
SO when the bones came around
again he gave them roll without
success. He changed to the field,
but 1t was a pouch. Then he took
seemed that every turn was a loser
The next time he counted his chips
the pile had dwindled down to SO.
AS he thought of what he might
have had the possibility of the cloth
ing merchant being paved ilickered
into darkness and the prospect of
having flash money to spare col
lapsed.
The 15-cent gamester, considered
his financial condition when he fall
tered in the doorway an hour or so
previously and began to feel that he
was in luck after all, cashed his
chips and sauntered homeward, for:
getting the air-castles he had builded
while playing and feeling thank
full in having enough sense to
hold onto the ten. But he won't tell
everybody how he started out in the
game.
In one of the Second avenue cloth
ing establishments there is dark
haired, smoo.h-faced and bright look
ing boy who never misses au oppor-
tunity to have little enjoyment
whether at work or otherwise. The
other evening shortly before the
closing hour he, with other attaches
of the store. commenced taking in the
dummies and display goods from the
sidewalk. Or box leaning against
the show window were several pairs
of cheap-priced pantaloons. Mount
ing the box the young fellow became
suddenly struck with the auctioneer
idea and he proceeded to dispose of
the goods.
''Here we have an elegant pant
which must 60 regardless of its val
uation," he began in q tone which
could not be heard inside the store.
"How much am offered for them
oh they've got to co.
| Here's a dollar for two of them"
responded a well dressed young man
who was passing with friend, and
he took the pantaloons from the
youthful auctioneer and continued
up the street. The autioneer was
minus both money and goods and as
he told how it happened to one of the
clerks he shivered like leaf and
| IL IL Dc SOOu
idea to call the police.
But the goods were returned
shortly by the man, who happened
to be well acquainted with others
about the store. And the boy is
shaking yet and probably will not
attempt to assume the auctioneer's
role again without meaning business.
Its difficult to stump a policeman
on matters involving the liquor
question. One of the blue coats was
asked this question by a Second
avenue business man: If l gave
you bottle OF wine-but of course
I'm not going to-but suppose did
on condition that you could not
drink it if you either pulled out the
cork or broke the bottle; how would
you get at the contents?',
That's essy-shove in the cork
and the officer moved on.
l