The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-27
1T TAKES THE PLACE OF CLERKS.
NickeI-in-the-SlOt Machine Which
Places Peanuts in a Sack Hot.

A long-haired inventor arrived here
on Saturday with nickel-in- the-slot
machine which, at the dropping of a
coin, measures out peanuts, puts them
in a bag and delivers them to you pip
ing hot. The small boy may be able
to pass lead nickel upon the seller OF
peanuts who stands at the corner, but
this contrivance confiscates all spur1-
Gus coins and points the finger of scorn
at the dishonest. 1t is the work of
seven years of toll on the part of T..
S. Wheatcroft, who once kept a little
country store in Pennsylvania. The
boys came to his place and not only
pared thin slices Of the cheese which
he had on his counter, but helped
themselves to handfulS of his peanuts.
He disliked to rebuke the young ras-
calls, for by so doing he might lose the
trade of their relatives. So he invented
this machine, which, from time to time.
he has improved until it is plastered
all over with patents.
'PeanutS?' he would say. Just drop
in nickel, sonny, and help yourself. y
The contrivance, which was placed
on exhibition here Saturday, is wool
en- cabinet six feet high. There is a
hopper in the top of it which is filed
with peanuts. Crackers, raisins ana
all kinds of groceries could be used in
place of peanuts. There is little boil
er in the concern which keeps the pea
nuts warm and at the same time at
tracts the passer-by by sounding IL
shrill whistle. 1t costs 3 cents a day
to keep up steam.
= The cabinet may be placed In the
street, or in store for that matter.
Indeed, the inventor is seriously think
ing of having grocery store filled up
entirely with these automatic sales
rush in at any time, put it's money in
the slot and go away with all the
sugar, coffee and spices which may be
required. Once day a man would go
around and shovel fresh supplies into
the hoppers, close down the covers ana
then lock the machine again. In this
way the enterprising grocer may dis
pose with clerks altogether and do
an absolutely cash business. OF course,
he might have to have wagon on
which to deliver the goods. The prin-
cipal work the grocer would have,
though, would be to gather up the
nickels at the end of the day and put
them in his safe.
eft won't take the money to the
bank" said Mr.. Wheatcroft in all Sc
robustness, but l reckon I'll be able
to fix that up in time. Man in Buffalo
is going to fix up a store with these
automatic CLERKS OF mine.
This machine cannot be bunkoed.
tried to impose upon 1t in variety
Of ways abetted by the inventor, and
did not succeed. If you put in a lead
blank the size of a nickel scent piece
the machine will confiscate the coin
and Whir derisively at you. If you
put in dime the coin will be thrown
out of the machine through a different
slot. All good money is returned, with
thanks, unless it is a scent nickel.
There have been graceless youngsters
who put in coins with strings tied to
them. The string is passed through a
hole in the coin and securely fastened.
A coin with a hole in it, whether it be
nickel or not, is captured, string and
all. The inventor said that there was
some kind of chemical arrangement
which would cause the machine to re-
ject everything not made of a special
kind Of metal
The automatic salesman is. strictly
honest. When its stock of crackers
or peanuts is exhausted a sign is
dropped down below the slot, which
reads: