The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-03
WOuId-bc Bitter Was Him
self Badly Bitten.
"Reminiscences of the HalcyOn
Stage Coach Days.
Voting Of Slave Owners = Free
Choice by Electoral College.

The trick may be an old one but II
worked in one instance very successfully
yesterday. Two clerks were seated at
table i'm Westminster street restaurant
about o'clock waiting to be served,
when one of them drew from his pocket
and laid on the table sill yer dollar.
Beside the coin he placed a visiting card
in which hole abont half AN inch IN
diameter had been punched. Then he
remarked: "See the big silver dollar?
See the little hole in the cardY I'll bet
you the cigars i can push the big dollar
through the little hole. F"
I'm take you, was the reply of his
companion, "but remember, you are To
push that dollar through that hole with
out enlarging the hole Right you
are, - was the response Of the young man
who had made the proposal. Laying the
dollar fiat on tho tablo he held the card
on edge just behind it. Then he produced
. pencil which he showed through the hole
in the card until 10 touched and then
moved the coin. Pushing the dollar
through the hole, you see.
I'm pay for the cigars, said the losing
better, but here comes Smith, lend me
the dollar and your card and won't do
a thing To him" Smith did have tho
appearance Of being an easy mark, and
as he took his seat ut the table the loser
of the cigars remarked: "Smith her9's n
big dollar and there's little round hole
in card. I'll bet you / can put the
dollar through the hole just rs il is, loser
TO pay all three of our checks Its a
GO said Smith. The other then pro-
cecded to repeat the action of the first
.rickster. Hold on, " said Smith. finally,
as the operator was prodding the coin
with his pencil. Your contract was to
put the dollar through the hole.
didn't bet you couldn't push 1t through
the perforation. You sec, old fellow,
co."
An old man furnishes some interesting
facts about the time when transportation
between Boston ands\ew York and inter
mediate points was chiefly by stage coach.
There werc very few that travelled either
for business or pleasure, and when man
did travel he was supposed TO be very
forehanded or else that he represented
some very wealthy institution or corpo-
ration. Tho usual price for carrying
passengers on the old coaches was from
6 to 10 cents per mile. according to the
speed and accommodations. III a person
had TO ride on the roof of the coach.
where there were seats for from nine TO
fifteen persons, he could go for 6 cents a
mile. IL he was an inside passenger,
where there were accommodations for
twelve, he must pay 10 cents a mile. In
The dead of winter IL was much pleasanter
10 Ee an inside passenger. But on n
warm June day. when the cool brcezcs
came off the Sound. il was much pleas
antcr TO be an outsider.
Whenever the coach stopped for meals
the passengers had TO pay 1S34 cents for
breakfast or supper and % cents for din
ner. III he wanted something exhilarat-
ing and warmth giving he had to pay d
cents for glass OF French brandy. 3 cents
tor a glass of gin or jamaica rum, or
cents for glass of whisky. If he pur-
chased n cigar he generally paid | cent for
one made Of domestic tobacco, or 3 cents
" he took warranted HAVANA cigar III
as may be supposed, was also
v great man in his way, and he was gen
orally on terms of intimacy with every
prominent person along his route. He il