The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-04
THE SLOT MACHINES.
Still in Our Midst Filling Their "Maws'
With Nickels

| NlCn NICE els.
It Is claimed by those in position to
| know that the Observation-Disclosures ma
Chimes" seven in number, which infest
this city are turning daily from their
capacious maws into the tills of their
owners something like $40. This is no
| unfair estimate Judging from the source
from which it comes.
In the next place the man who controls
| five Of the machines here known as the
"Electric" should not be held entirely
responsible for their presence in our
midst. or course he is directly respon-
sible. 1t might be argued that were it
not for the owner the machines would
not be here. Such an argument might be
answered by the counter statement that
were it not for the fact that the City
Council has passed an ordinance provid-
ing for the licensing Of the machines to
do business they would not be here.
When the matter Is sifted to the bot
tom it will be found that this is practi-
cally the whole reason for their being
installed here. The license fee is but a
matter of small i'm portonce when the in
vestment will pay 16 per cent in one day.
Mr.. w. ~. Jordan, the proprietor of
the machines, is a man of considerable e.
business ability and bears the reputation
amDng those with whom he has had bus
mess dealings as being straightforward
and honest in all his business transac-
tions.
Mr.. Jordan stated to represents tive
of The Times that he and his brother and
their father and uncle were the patentees
and owners of the machines. They own
their own factory and construct the ma
chimes according to certain principles
that make it impossible for any but the
owner to win a majority of.times. 1t is
q certain thing that you will lose if you
play the machine with the intention of
winning money by so doing. The pro-
rietor says that for recreation and a little
mild exciteme MT it will do to play it, but
there is no possible way to beat the ma
chimes as they are not built with that in
tention. They are constructed for the
purpose of paying dividends to the pro-
prietors and Judging by the continual
hum to be- heard in the vicinity of where
they are located one would be led to be-
lieve that they are genuine success in
this particular.
Men complain that these machines are
hurting the regular legitimate trade of
the town and it is doubtless so, as many
a man stands in front of them until his
last nickel has been swallowed up with
the hope of getting something for moth
ing. 1t is the cultivation of this vain
hope by the installation of such devices
in our midst that leads to higher
species of gambling. In order to satisfy
any one that the machines are sure win
ncrs for the owners the city of Memphis,
Tenn, has tried to tax them out of eX-
istence, the revenue being $50 per month
on each machine or 5000 per year. 1t is
understood that the Electric" people
intend installing several of the machines
in Memphis. This is business enterprise
on their part, as two months would prob
ably be sufficient for the machines to pay
the heavy license tax.
.the City Council of Roanoke who are
responsible for the ordinance providing
for legalizing the business ere the proper
people to act in this matter and another
meeting of the city fathers should not be
allowed to pass by without the matter
being settled for good. The action already
taken by them is good so far as it goes,
be effective. The matter will probably
Should the Council pass an ordinance
in Roanoke Mr.. Jordan says he will
quietly take the machines away. only ask
ing that the city refund his license
money, which he thinks he would be en-
titled to. He possibly believes that the
proposed revocation of the license would
give him cause for damages against the
city, but it is understood that he wishes
to avoid any trouble which might possibly
arise from such action and will accept the
return of the fees and take his machines
away from Roanoke.
There is no doubt but that they are the