Evening star., 1900-11-24


1 have seldom heard of an animal being
burned in this manner, however, so there is
nothing cruel in the treatment. 1t would
not do for the keeper to burn the charges
under his gre. for the scars would mar the
animal for exhibition purposes. The hot
iron is A terror. just the same. and under
its persuasion the kings of the jungle are
docile and ready TO do what is wanted OF
them.
In circus menageries the animals often
become almost .unmanageabe. rms Is true
o. the younger specimens. who do not IKE
the idea of being so closely housed, so much
ha uled about and often cut Off from the
light of the outside world. When ii be-
comes necessary to give their cages n tnor-
ough and sanitary cleaning. one attendant
holds the beast in corner by means OF
tn" red-hot iron. while another thoroughly
cleanses the remaining portion OF the cage
the work being accomplished by brooms ana
mops from the outside. In changing the
wilder animals from the cages employed on
the road to the larger and smore commo-
dious quarters at the winter station, What
we call a strong box is used. The wagon Is
hauled alongside the large cage and the
steel strong box open at both ends, Is con-
stituted a passageway. The animals hesi-
tate to make journey through sucn sus-
pcious-lookins object. however. ana asai,,
the heated iron must be brought INTO play.
:: x * x
There is one infliction which Washing
ton thus far has been spared said a
travelling man in from the west. land that
is the penny-in-the-slot poker machine. In
some of the western cities, notably Cincin-
| natl. it is very prevalent. Every bar ROOM
most cigar stores and some of the hotel
| corridors contain these most alluring and
! interesting devices for worming goodly
| sums in little bits from the casual sport.
| You put a penny in the slot, turn the
/ handle, and five cards show up. II you
hold two pair: YOU get q check good for D
| n sonnet hing the SnOp.
| Three of a kind gives you two checks, ana
! so on up to royal flush. which is Na!ued
| at twenty-five checks. The machine IS a
! fairly good chance, with odds against you'
| but a man can win if luck is his way.
| Sometimes three or four fellows will go in
| and play each a quarters worth oil pen
| nies, pooling the result, which may be
| enough checks to keep the party IN drinks
| for the evening, but the machine comes
| cut winner in the long run, of course
I'm some places there are a dozen or fif-
| teen of these and they are gong All DAY
| long. A man drops in for a glass OF beer
and the temptation to risk a penny and
maybe get three of kind. which would
| be good for two beers, is too strong. or
| course he never stops at the first penny,
| and the profits Of q row of these machines
are enormous, L have been told. In the
| evening it keeps one man busy handing out
| pennies and paying over the checks to the
| winners. | think the thing is very de-
moralizing. however. and Washington is to
he congratulated that there is nothing of
that kind here"
:: x !:
BOSS. don't you want to buy some pea
nuts? only 1 cent a bag was the inquiry
! made by an Italian vender of the article of
a WASHINGTON man one day this week.
The latter expressed his willingness to be-
come a purchaser, but when the Italian
displayed one OF the bags containing the
soobers the extreme smallness of the bag
led the gentleman to make an involuntary
comment on the same.
The Italian was equal to the occa sion and
answered: well, boss, you can't expect
| much for a cent, and, besides, peanuts is
in the trust
"Had I caught my train that night
laughed the man who has had nothing to
do for quarter of century but to sit
and watch pine trees grow to swell his bank
account. Il would probably be a farmer
| now trying to raise mortgage and few
| other things. l had gone 10 little town
| in lower Wisconsin to see colt that a
| man there wanted to sell. / was good
| judge of stock, and pretty shrewd on trade,
| but a greener country lad never broke into
| a town. I would have walked back to the
| farm after I found myself too late for the
| train, but 1 saw handbill announcing a
show that night and couldn't resist the
| temptation to see it, though it did cost a
quarter
| In my hilarious appreciation 1 was more
| of an entertainment than they had on the
| stage. especially as l was utterly oblivious
| to the fact that did not look like any one
| else in the audience. Toward the end Of the
| performance a huge fellow came out, tossed
| cannon balls in the air. held men out at
| arms length and lifted heavy weights. At
| ter this showing of his prowess, he offered
| $40 to any one whom he could not throw
| inside of two minutes. l was the crack
| wrestler in all our section, though none
present knew it, and l felt as though the
| challenge was aimed directly at me- 1
| turned hot and cold during a few seconds
| of extreme silence. Then l sprang up and
| as | came out of my old blouse, shouted
| I'll go you. b'gosh.' There was roar of
| laughter, and then some of those about me
| urged me not to go up there and have my
neck broken. But one old man told me to
| go in and do my best. 1t was a tough job,
but finally threw the giant almost through
the floor with hiplock. There was little
hesitancy about giving me the $40, but the
| crowd shouted until got it. The old man
took me home with him. and in week
had charge of all the teams in his lumber
| camps. In time 1 became a partner, and
| he cleared the way to make me rich. That
| was really a match for a MILLION
/