Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-06-10
TRAPS FOR KLONDIKERS.
THE TRAILS, TO THE GOLD MINES
SWARM WITH SWINDLERS.

Gamblers Set for the Unwary - \
Spell binder who Carries u Bogus
Pack--Tho Shell Game-snited Mines.
Since the grass has begun to grow
too short for them in town, some of
the confidence workers who still re-
main at Skagway, Alaska, have taken
to the trails, where they continue to
set snares for the dollars of unwary
Klondikers. On the Skagway trail
the sure.thing gambler seldom goes
higher than the foot of White Pass
summit Half dozen or so of the
tribe usually travel together, sharing
at the close Of the day the profits OF
the tricks they have turned. One Of
the party is chosen as active operator.
His necessary qualifications are ca
pacity to Judge human character and u
tongue that is gifted with glibness.
The successful confidence operator
is best described by the term spell
binder. His conference.-the steer
ers carefully disassociate themselves
from him whenever possible victim
is in sight. The better to disguise his
woltish character the steerer frequent
ly dons the sleeps clothing OF II
packer. 1t is no uncommon incident
ON the trail to see two or moro notori-
ous bunco steerers faring along, one
after the other, apparently heavily
burdened with packs which, IT ana
lyzed, would prove to be nothing more
than straw or chips in canvas sacks.
A little ahead of them always is the
operator, equipped with small porta.
bic table, three shells and the elusive
pea.
When the first one reaches the ma
nipulator of the ancient, but to the
victim ever new, game, he stops,
watches and listens, aud finally lays
down his pack as If to rest and be
amused. Steerer No. follows his
example, Us do the others in turn. BY
the time the prospective victim arrives
he finds spurious Klondiker just
winning bet from the shell game
player amid the half-enyious congratu-
lations of his confederates.
"Well, well, this is my unlucky
day." says the man with the table,
'but I'll give some other gentleman Il
chance to win with the little pea.
Back aud forth and round about go
the little shells again, aglimpse of the
pea being given the watchers at seduc-
lively frequent intervals. Another
steerer guesses its location and wins a
greenback or two.
"If you fellows are hitting mo too
hard" obviously comments the oper'
ator, 81 must size up my roll before
taking any more bets,
He opens well-lined pocketbook,
and, while his attention is taken up
with its.contents, one of the steerers
slyly raises the shell under which the
pea is hidden. That catches the out
slider, unless he be invulnerable
against the temptations of bunco.
Laying his finger on the shell indi'
Gated to him. he offers to bet $40, $50,
$50, or higher sum that it covers the
pea. His bet is taken, the shell is
lifted, and the pea proves to be some'
where else. Usually the victim makes
a second. aud perhaps third, bet in
the hope of retrieving his loss, always
with the same result. A witness to
one OF these episodes tells OF having
seen q prospector who had lost 800
sit upon his pack and burst into tears.
He said that his last dollar had gone
ON the game.
Still higher up the trail that same
day man who runs tent restaurant
bet and lost $50, but the shell.game
player was glad to disgorge 1t when
the victims wife, 200-pound lady Of
German nativity, seized him by the
cont collar and screamed Justify for
help.
A woman who said she was going to-
the Klondike in the interests of the
Smithsonian Institution complained to
Captain l.. A. Matile that confidence
workers were so annoying her that she
feared TO continue the journey. She
il travelling alone, and had called at
the regular army encampment on her
way ont Of town. Captain Matile,
who commands the troops at Skagway,
sent an escort Of two soldiers with her
rs far as the Northwest Mounted Po-
lice post at Summit lake. After work
ing one point on the trail thoroughly,
the confidence men scatter, TO reap
pear at another point under like cir
cumstances some time later in the day.
On the Skagway trail the shell game
ia not in operation regularly. The
men engaged at it are supposed to be
detachment OF 'Soapy" Smiths
gamblers. Those who operate in
Dyea, Sheep Camp aud along to the
base Of Chilkoot aresunder the leader
ship of Tom Cady, notorious Colo
RADIO camp confidence man.
Other devices for catching victims
besides tho pea aud shells are heard of
81. lila, ufba aolta1 nina ,,.uu