The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-25
THREE BUNCOERS BUNCOED
THIS TIME THE PEA WAS UNDER
THE RItBT SHELL,


"
bat II Was the Honest Farmer That Tut
There-He Had - Good BaehiuE and
when re Grabbed the stakes the Poor
Swindiers Had 60 Make the Hest OF IL.
At the extreme END OF q small road which runs
out Of one Of the boulevards leading to Coney
Island is n tavern where nightly gather q
number of Flatbush farmers. They do not
drink hard cider and smoke pipes, but imbibe
straight whiskey and pun at straight Havanas.
In appearance the habitues Of this tavern are q
rather likely -looking lot Of Rubes. They wear
flannel shirts. SLOUGH hats. and top boots. and
for suspcnders use leather straps. The RUDE
part of them, however. ends with their appear
ance.
Among the things In which these men find
great amusement are the constant mistakes
fresh individuals make In sizing them up. They
take . positive pleasure In jollying the man who
thinks no Is joliyinT them. and that they can do
IL In good style Is best shown by q little Incident
which occurred one night last week. In which
about . dozen farmers and three very ny youths
took part
1t was about 8 o'clock on Wednesday night
that the farmers were seated around the tavern
when the door opened and In came two men.
They were young and very sporty-lookinR.
Each wore . suit Of largo check cloth. while
their waistcoats. In all colors OF the rainbow,
resembled impressionist pictures. Ono had .
large diamond In his necktie, the other . soli-
tAirs ring on his finger. Altogether they were
very gorgeous. and when they asked for . small
bottle Of vino the farmers looked At one another
and winked. From past experience the farmers
knew that these newcomers could only DO the
advance guard Of something else. Many . time
and oft bad the entrance OF such men been the
signal that some fellow with q bunco game was
cominF.
For the benent of the newcomers the farmers
talked crops and other things pertaining to tho
farm. while tho youths listened and smiled in
their sleeves.
The third man wasn't . sroat while coming.
He sAuntored In In an ofhand way, ordered q
drink. paid for II. and then went and sat At
place. and Of course the highly dres, cd fellows
didn't know him.,
hauled out the insyitabIs pea and the familiar
three shells and began fooling with them. No
IN the corner looked worried. They saw they
would have TO push the game. so one got up,
aauntered over to the shell man and asked him
In . loud voice whether he wanted 10 bet on Ills
That's me. stranger" said the shell man.
Bring your friend over and I'll roll EN- around
The. other youth esmo over, and as they
hauled out q couple Of fat pocketbooks the far
mers began to gather around. Tho game was
on. II was just n repetition OF the scene familiar
The csppers did all tho betting for the first
s sSI,s % Inc c:hi. sh' sir SGf ssP' advising .SS ssm on. sG anSs
then another to bet. This farmers. mean willis.
mouths. Finally a farmer made a bet. 1t was
only . dollar and he Lost u. He made another
excited. The capper. who had been whispering
to him. made up bis mind that he was hooked
s farmers Ssn Be, 20 and a0i lost o's Somehow Shown they couient
fnd the pea. II was never where they thought
Se wan and t tSsn sf the man inG %So G Saa made .hs the lssG afss
bet seemed suddenly TO grow very much excited.
The shells were In . row ON the table and tho
%Don't touch them" exclaimed the farmer,
and I'll bet you | can pick out the right one"
Bet him uD. This Is the time 10 get even,"
whispered one 81 the cappers, .,ne
Dental tone to the capver. Hey you. I'll bet
MAZE %A i af,y .""e ~hyi;ps red the ssppsT.
"h'gosh III make II atty" said the farmer;
,.rm pSt I hs;ui saIa out sn' i iss' 10. mao dollar SHo siii. .n wills shs
the shell man did likewise aud tho money was
p'ssfTff on pie is out lathe the she'll with the pea under 1t.
ger III. money. Oh r. Inquired The farmer.
Say. kin l pick up tho shelly"
Yes, sir. Makeyour own choice ~, 49,,
thI.M,n en- and Ss sl sIs bic great hand over iho
shell at the extreme right.
have seen that as the farmer put his hand on tho
shell he raised y just . tribe at one side. But
with such a gathering OF apparently over.ripe
kUuAt III WV
Shall l see II she's there p, asked the farmer,
!, apparently very much excited.
-'''Yes. raise her up" responded the shell man
money. liz WAS just about TO close on II when
the farmer raised the shell, and there directly
beneath Il was q pea. Quick as n flash the
, farmer grabbed the money, while one OF his
course there was nothing under either, AS the
: "Tsars not The pea" almost shrieked the
It's the only one under the shells" pu, in a
I But rs not the ope. and"
' Cant help IT. said the farmer. II bet on
the pea being there. aud there " WAS"
Then another farmer. a big fellow who had
, iii you three haven't got enough" he said.
: wen give you some more Ola game OF our
, own. What do you say 7"
, swindlers. They looked At one another for a
|, moment and then. without another word went
!. out Of the place. A few minutes later one OF
!. them s Sa"i Il. ' ssia. give u, back thirty Of our
: ffty and call It square. Thatll Just about even
""Gn. think not. v said the big farmer. Were
= going to drink w that bfty this week. right here.
!. W }us5 finished ,.n S.r n,ty tina. S SHe of Of you r frl lows
The she'll man went out into tho nixht again.
: and none Of the trio has beer around since.
The trick OF beating a shell man At his own
game 10 an easy. one, providing a man can get
hoid Q. q .s he. s . ,,se aS /, of %i fSsS , De, st ss;ss .ss
: the thumb and the second Anger It Is the
: simplest thing Imaginable to. slide II under tbs
. person. A shell man, knowing the moves, would
|, OF course detect the game right away, but the
; I1iS that went to wipe Ts out r ht iSSss m wsrs sI,d
: the pea under the shell without being seen, and
9 the surprise party II gave the shell men wa
. probably the biggest one they ever got.
|, ~Ury mnuEy I'VE ETr tn VOTE