Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-28


yht that they were matching wits
with one man. The ever present de-
sire to get something for nothing and
the love Of being humbugged already
referred to was the great drawing
card in the business.
One of the games was the one where
YOU knock the little pins down with
sprig from the bush over by the fence
and get more money than you can
make in a month at hard labor. That's
the way it looks on the surface but
it's some different under the skin.
This game has been exposed time and
time again and still there are victims.
But they are getting very wary and
ii takes more skill to draw them into
the net But withall it Is done very
neatly. This particular game had a
good supply of cappers. There was
usually one on each side of the board.
The first lay down was usually so cents,
and this drew great prizes. The man
behind the pins delt out tives and tens
from a big fist full and occasionally one
fell to the victim. The notes were
well worn from passing from cappers
to the manager and from manager to
changed hands could have been count
ed the rate of circula ton of the money
of the country would take a big jump.
But the people have become some
what familiar with the capper and
this character has developed along
with the games. The old shell games
had great run and almost any kind
of capper would pass with them.
But now he must not have too many
signs of his profession sticking out
and he must work rather quietly.
But he is still part of the game and
the way he works is one of the most
interesting things connected with il.
The game started with a capper or
two and several victims. The capper
might look as if he had just come in
from rubbing down horse or he might
look like a hard working man out for
a holiday and not so very particular
how much it cost him. The lay downs
gradually increased in size and the
cappers became more numerous. one
by one the victims dropped out 1t
was the capper's chief business, how
ever to keep them in line. The pot of
little less than 500 was losing its
down gradually increased. and the
paying numbers We're very scarce on
the pins He thought he wouldn't go
in again.
But the capper had him in hand
and busting into the crowd like a new
conner exclaimed. What's that, 4
chance of winning s75 for 81. I'll just
take that while it's going" He throws
down a couple of cart wheels while
the manager of the game remarks that
any man with any sporting blood in
his grandfather wouldn't miss chance
like that. Then the victim shoves over
another 81 and the game goes on. The
cappers grow thicker as the pot in
creases and when there is no victim in
play the pot goes TO one of them and
the crowd is duly impressed. There is
fresh crop of victims on the next
play and the game goes on.
This is the old pin game where a
timber tongue with figures is money
maker. But there was another one
where little innocent looking maj bic
figured and which looked all square on
the face. The principle of doubling
the lay down and the pot is about the
same and the cappers have the same
chance for displaying their talent.
When you put your money in YOU
have the privilege of dropping the mar
BILE in one of the slots and of watching
it amble down through the pegs to the
little stalls arranged for it, If it hits
the right number you win. 1t looks as
If you were having a pretty fair show
with the manager. OF course he may
hos
risks more money, so there you are.
a nice little game to vile away the
time between heats.
But the fact is your chance of winn-
ing is less on this board than with the
pins. \ little unobtrusive pressure of
the hand on the side of the ia bic
directs the marble and the cappers
can take vacation and the board will
keep right on winning. Their prin-
ciple work with this game is in pro-
tecting the big pots and they do il
well. Pretty little pastimes, are they
not?
Then there is the little game of the
ball and the pin with the usual equip
ment OF capperS, of course. This
looks very simple and innocent. The
machine consists of a table with wood
en- uprights in the form of an arch
above it. A large ball swings from the
center of the arch on chain The
arch itself is placed in holes on the
table. The cone shaped pin Is placed
beneath the center of the arch on the
table. The game is to swing the ball
around the pin and knock it down
from the rear Perhaps the game
starts rather slow and every one is
given try just for fun. 1t is just as
easy as finding money. Then you pay
and it is still easy and you find some
money. Others are interested and the
game livens up bit. The manager of
the game hits the top Of the arch a
few times with the ball. Apparently
it is simply working loose and getting
shaky. But in reality the uprights
sink a half inch or so into the holes
end this brings the ball half inch
farther down on the cone shaped pin
which increases rapidly in size near
the bottom. This decreases your
chance of winning but just so much
and the victims suddenly find that it
is extremely difficult to make the ball
hit the pin from the rear.
With good capper backing this is a
very pretty game. All these are de-