The herald., 1897-07-10
ODDS AND ENDS

' -
them.
The game is simply this: Put coin
on the floor; then take a small marble,
or bullet, hold it over your head and
drop it so that it will strike the coin
on the floor. Probably you will miss
1t the first few times; but practice
makes perfect, they say.
The youngsters in one of the big down.
town offices got to playing the game the
other day. They would put a penny on
the floor and take turns dropping the
bullet. The boy who hit the penny took
1t in.
Business was rather light that day,
and the older clerks and even the firm
finally got interested. Pennies were not
good enough for these game sports, and
dimes and then quarters were substi-
tuted. This froze the kids entirely out
Of the game and they looked on with
envious eyes, as all do who succumb 10
the gambling craze but are not in 1t or
of 1t. The lads kept up vigorous think
ing, however, and after three clerks had
gone home for the day there was deal
of suspicious consultation.
+ 4
Next morning the game was taken up
again with renewed vigor. The kids in
sisted in playing in their turn, and they
proposed that the contestants should
stand on a stool and drop the bullet
from the ceiling so as to make the game
harder and more interesting. This was
done, and the boys showed themselves
far more adept than the old hands.
They could hit the coin every time, and
when the luncheon hour approached
they were several dollars to the good.
The afternoon session was equally prof
table. and from the remarks dropped
1t was evident that the boys were going
to have money to throw at the BIRDS if
the older sports held out. The head
man of the office, however, happened
to be the heaviest loser. He was dis
gusted and sore, and finally declared
that that funny business had got to
stop right there. And it did.
That night, after th9 others had left
the office for the day, the youngsters
who had been so lucky at the game
might have been seen carefully wiping
out two faint, almost indstingu guishable
pencil marks. One of the marks was on
the hardwood floor; the other was on the
ceiling. directly above the mark on the
floor. 1t was mere coincidence doubt
less. that the game" was played in
that precise spot.
Wood is comparatively scarce in
Southern California. That is, it is
scarcer than in states like Oregon, where
they literally have it to burn, in the ex-
travagant sense of the term. Here it
is not so plentiful, nor is it SO much
needed. There is a law of compensa-
ton. But it is rather expensive and
is quite an item with the poor, who, if
they do not need wood to keep warm
need it to start fires.
Extensive repairs are being made in
the Westminster hotel. Partitions have
been torn out, and during the past week
great loads of plaster have been dumped
on the sidewalk to be carted away. As
fast as the loads were deposited they
were swarmed over by men, women and
children, each with gunnysack in hand.
picking out the broken pieces of lath
The amount of kindling wood thus OBJ
tanned must have been considerable and
1t did not cost the poor people cent.
In some of the low price restaurants
IN this town paper napkins are in use.
They are not so expensive as the linen
article, and do not have to be washed.
A young man walked into one of these
restaurants on Main street the other
day and ordered 15-cent meal. He was
dudishly dressed and from his appear
ance and demeanor was evidently more
accustomed to the atmosphere of the
high priced uptown cafes than to his
present quarters. Probably he was hard
up and his hunger had sought the level
of his pocketbook.
When his meal was brought he ate
like man upon whom fortune had dis
dained to smile. The paper napkins par
ticularly offended him As became a
dainty eater he used his napkin with
every mouthful but each time he used
it he would throw it under the table and
take fresh one. When he got through
there must have been twelve or fifteen
paper napkin balls on the floor The
short-haired, smooth-faced waiter who
had attended him was paralyzed into
temporary speechlesness When he
finally recovered his voice the young
man had paid his bill and departed.
Say, dat geeZer makes me tired What
does he want-a table clot ter wipe his
mout on?'
1t was at this same restaurant that a
couple of smart fellows got two meals
Tor the price of one, the other day They
were on the beat, without doubt, but had
rot descended to the level of the COM
mon hobo. After the scheme had worked
and the fellows had got away, they told
me how it was done, for the considera-
ton of two bits.
They had but quarter between them.
The best dressed one, jingling a nickel
and two dimes in his pocket, went into
the restaurant taking the seat nearest
the cashiers desk and ordered a square
meal. In few minutes his partner came
in, Stimulating faintness from hunger.
Staggering up to the cashiers desk he
begged for something to eat; he had had
nothing for two days The cashier, well
versed in the ways of such gentry, gave
him the icy glare and bade him be gone
when No, l spoke up.
mo, don't send the poor man away.
he's starving-anyone can see that.
Here, let him sit down. here with me.
I'll pay for what he eats. I've been hun
cry myself and know what it is to want
a meal"
These benevolent remarks 1tfarad in