The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-21
DR.. WEBB AND THE
NICKEL-IN-THE-SL0T
CAPTURED BY ITS SEDUCTIVE
INFLUENCES.
He Struck a Royal Flush and Now
Has a Machine of His
Own.

The Vanderbilts have stamped the nick
el-fn-the-slot machine as the proper thing
The deceptive little box with it's straights
and fushes and full hands, which sepa-
rate so many nickels from their specula-
tive owners, has won the hearts of the
Vanderbilts. and that is almost enough to
wipe out all the harsh things the preach
ers and Supervisors have said about them
The seductive jingle. of the nickel falling
into the box, the click, click of the OPP
cards have literally entranced the Van
derbilts, and now the Vanderbilts have
one of their own.
Nickel-in-the-slot gambling was the first
purse-loosening amusement that caught
the eyes of the Vanderbilt party
when they rolled into the State in their
DR.. w s. Webb, brother-in-law to Corne-
nus Vanderbilt Jr and president of the
Wagner Car Company. dropped into a
ticing the nickel-in- the-slot machine
standing invitingly on the counter he in
quired what its use was The cigar dealer
explained to his tnquisitor that all it cost
to play 1t was a nickel, and a person was
liable at any time to get a royal flush.
IF you get royal flush you get hun
dred fine cigars" said the cigar merchant
with the air of a man who was used to
paying off on royal flush two or three
times every day.
"a hundred for royal flush, and it only
costs nickel to play it," retorted the
doctor. Well, guess I'll try it,
Ine main guy or the vanderbilt. par
ty,"' as Patsy Carroll would term DR..
Webb if. he were telling the story, threw
half dollar on the counter and asked for
a few nickes.
The cigar dealer, only too willing to
change half dollars when there was
prospect of somebody going up against his
own game, handed the doctor five shining
nickels and a quarter winking at the
same time to some of his statues standing
in front.
The man of money and cars dropped
the first nickel in the slot. Click went the
rod and then the cards began to turn.
When they stopped DR.. Webb began to
count his hand
''All one what?'' Clipped in the cigar
dealer, as he stretched his neck to see Dr.
Webb's hand.
IAN one color, That's a royal. flush
isn't it?" asked the doctor, with an as
sumed air of innocent surprise
II think that's right" said the crest
fallen dealer.
DR.. Webb got his cigars, but he liked
the game and remained at the stand some
little time playing the machine.
When the VanderbiltS arrived at the
foot of Townsend street the other day DR..
Webb came up town and invested $50 in
a brand new nickel-in-the-slot machine,
and he didn't say it was for the baby,
Evidently the doctor thinks there is
more profit in running a nickel-in-the-slot
machine than building cars. Or perhaps
the doctor intends to keep dropping nick
els in the machine until he gets another
royal flush and pay himself for the win
ming. Or he may want to play the ma
chine a while and see how much percent
age he would lose if he continued to go
up against the other fellows nickel win
ner. However it may be that he may
want to do business with the members of
the Vanderbilt family.