The herald., 1897-02-19
MECHANICAL Gambling
Machine Made Mining
Stock Quotations
SUCKERS SCALED IN A BUCKET SHOP
Fictitious Fluctuations Manu-
factured to Order
THE COMMISSION RAKE.OFF
A Seceud Street Establishment and Its
Workings
supposltitlous Stocks and Their vacillatlng
THE COMMISSION RAKE.OFF
A Secend Street Establishment and Its
Workings
supposititlous Stocks and Their vaciIlatlng
Values
The Way the 0ame Is Played and the Chances
for Winning - A Prepared Tape
Which R.eIs OF Prepared
Quotations

OF all forms of gambling stock spec
plation is, perhaps, the most insidious
drawing the victim on deeper and deeper
until there Is no escape. Fortunes have
been made, of course, but many more
lost through the ups and downs of min
Ing shares, grain deals and railroad Sc
curities. While the operator in any OF
the large stock exchanges in the various
cities has a fair chance of getting on
the right side should his judgmen.
prove good and his nerve strong enough,
the same is not applicable to those who
risk their small capital in such buckle.
shop as is now in operation in this city
There are, to be sure, brokers here who
conduct legitimate business, receiving
the market quotations by telegraph from
the financial centers, buying and selling
for their customers as is ordered, en-
abling them to speculate with as much
chance of success as would be theirs We're
they members of the New York stock
exchange, but the establishment re-
ferred to is not one of that class and
is simply a percentage game, which if
played long enough is sure to rob the
0bio|hy pay Si VI iiio idst ttllts
FAKE SECURITIES
At No. 100 West Second street there
is now in full operation a so-called
brokerage establishment or bucket
shop" where fake mining securities are
listed, bought and sold, the fluctuating
quotations being received not from gen.
uine sources, but posted on the black
board as they are called off from strip
OF ticker tape which has been prepared
the night previous, and which is pulled
from cylindrical box to order. Although
the quotations have been manufactured,
1t would appear that the player had an
even chance with the house, as he is al
lowed to buy either way, but the little
joker comes in by the commission which
is deducted from every sale. If a dollar
is played and the speculator wins he re-
ceiveS only $f25. the Is cents being de-
Quoted as commission" for the trans
action. Thus it can be seen that the
proprietoss of the shop are bound to
come out ahead, no matter how the quo
tations run.
INNOCENT ARRANGEMENTS
The exterior OF tho place is perfectly
plain, not sign to indicate the character
of the business going on. A screen par
TALLY hides the interior from the gaze
of passers by. and the lower half of the
windows are closed by curtains. On
the right of the entrance is a cheap
stained counter, behind which the pro-
prietor and his assistants sit and rake
in the shekels. The rest of the room
is occupied with chairs placed in rows
SO that the players can wait in comfort
for quotations and face the huge black
board. Nearly the entire side wall of
the room is occupied by the board, upon
which the quotations are chalked down
as received"
THE VARIOUS LEGENDS
There are seven divisions of the black
board, and over the top runs the le-
gend, New York. Chicago, Denver Min
ing Stock Market" The first division is
lined off with spaces for the New York
bank statement visible supply"
"San Francisco grain,' and other titles
calculated to impress the average player
with the great Importance of the place.
The second division is also devoted to
q like set of titles, but as never a quo
tation is placed on them, no one thinks
OF wasting time looking for any
FICTITIOUS STOCKS.
All the business of the place is done
on the fluctuations of four fictitious
mining stocks called Dallas" "Har-
ward" Sydney" and Carson" Quo
tations on these securities are reeled
off the tape to order, and upon their rise
or fall the bettors win or lose. Each
stock rises or falls one point every few
minutes, and quick action for your
money Is obtained. No stock is sold
for less than 81, and one can buy either
long or short. as he pleases. Should he
win he need not cash in, but can hold
Tor further rise or fall, each point
gained nearing 85 cents winnings. Ali
DAY long, from 10 o'clock in the morning
until at night, Dallas, Carson, etc,
go up ana down, and crowd of suck
ers throngs the place. eagerly watching
the rapidly changing figures.
"TfIE QUOTATION MACHINE"
Standing on raised bracket in full
view is the quotation machine" if
such it can be called. Mounted on an
axle Is shining brass cylinder. look
Ing like an exaggerated surveyors
measuring tape, locked securely and
conspicuously with big paddock. From
small aperture the strip of paper upon
which the quotations are printed an
pears. After giving the players time
TO make their bets one of the clerks
cans out Market" whereupon the man
at the machine pull out the tape until
the next set of quotations are exposed
These he calls off to the blackboard at-
tendant, who chalks them down.
PLENTY OF PLAYER SUCKERS
But two stocks fiuctuate at one time
First Carson and Dallas will make a
jump up or down, the next time Bar-
ward and Sydney take turn. The fire.
quency with which the stocks change
in value may be seen when 1t is known
that from 100 to 140 different quotations
for each are registered during business
hours. 1t all depends on how much bust
ness Is being done; the players are never
allowed to lag. and as soon as buying
ceases the tape is pulled. At o'clock
the market closes and the place is closed
for the day.
The method of preparing the Quota
tions is presume bly, that adopted bv
such establishments in the east. Every
evening the tape is prepared for the
next day. Four dice of different color
each of which represents one of the
stocks and marked for "up or down" are
shaken. and as they fall the tape is
prepared. This looks fair enough. but
is sometimes not followed out strictly.
Supposing man. had bought $40 worth
Of certain stock, ana at the closing