The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-03
AMERICAN PUBLIC
easy TO GOLD Brick
Gift Shows Give Way to
Other Sources of Revenue.
P. T. BARNUM WAS RIGHT
Once Said the Yankee Loved to Be
Swindled-Prominent Theatrical Man
ager Explains How to Gather in the
Long Green in Time of Want.


Long Green in Time of Want.
1t is surprising how easily the average
American can be fooled. The saying OF
the late p. T. Barnum tat Americans
love to be swindled" certainly depicts
the true status of the average man and
woman in this country. better. perhaps
than anything else that has been said on
the subject.
This tendency of the people does not
seem to be decreasing. although of late
years the majority of the fake entertain
ments and gift shows that deluged the
country until scarcely decade ago have
been compelled to quit the business
Until even less than ten years ago every
small city. and particularly country
town. was beset with all manner of shows
and entertainments that promised to give
the public five dollars in return for
twenty-five cents.
A Good Thine.
One of the most notable of these fake
exhibitions. and one that never failed to
raise the wrath of the persons duped to
the boiling point. was show that tray-
eled around the country about twelve
years ago. Its tour was confined to pros
porous country towns, where the box Of
fee receipts amounted to $3.50 or $500
Nearly a month before this attraction
Struck town" an advance agent appeared
and posted large. neatly printed adver-
tisements of the show These were in
variably the same. and merely stated:
Coming.
To the Town Hall.
The Great Prof So-and-so"
To this abbreviated announcement was
attached the date of the show and the
price of admission. fifty cents
Crowd Turned Out.
AS nothing was mentioned regarding the
nature of the attraction. or what the
great professor would do. much specula-
tion was usually INDUCED in concerning
the entertainment. The result of this was
that the hall was always packed. Men,
women, and children from all the country
around would flock to it and give up their
money to see the show.
On the stage hung q drop curtain with
large sign in the centre. In big black
OF course, left the audience in as much
doubt as ever concerning the nature of
the attraction. Their curiosity was cor
respondingly aroused.
When all had arrived and the sale of
tickets was over. without a word of an
nouncement or a bar OF music the drop
curtain was drawn up.
There. to the surprise and chagrin of
the spectators, was a similar curtain
bearing another sign. This. too, contained
but one word--'Gone"
When the enraged audience recovered
its senses and realized how it had been
taken in" the men sprang upon the |
stage to search for the swindlers But |
not even the man who had hoisted the |
curtain could be found. In reality the !
professor who had been coming had /
gathered in the receipts and gone" 1t |
was fully two years before this fraud be- |
came SO generally known throughout the |
country that it had to cease business.
"Gift" Game Always Won.
Another of these fragrant hoaxes was |
the gift entertainment This imposition |
was practiced in various forms throughout |
the country for number of years. IN |
fact. Georgetown suffered from its inroads |
many a dozen times. Its operators |
visited the public schools Just at the time |
when the pupils were being dismissed.
Cards were distributed to the children |
setting forth the fact that if a card was
presented with 10 cents at the hall on
such date TIE bearer would be admitted |
to a grand entertainment. At the close /
of the performance hsndsoem and costly
gifts would be distributed absolutely free |
TO each persoE present.
To lend color TO the authenticity of the |
scheme. number of prizes were placed |
on exhibition in the windows of some OF
the leading stores in Georgetown. They
consisted of pairs of skates. handsome
silver spoons. sets OF chinaware and even
watches and chains.
As often as the inhabitants of George
town were swindled by these gift enter
prises they were always ready to patron
ize another. hoping. presuma bly,. that ii
might prove authentic. Sometimes the
performance was actually held.
Upon such occasions the audience was
requested TO wait a few moments at the !
close OF the entertainment so that the
presents could be brought upon the stage
and placed in readiness for distribution. |
The audience invariably waited but the |
entertainers never returner. Nor were the
presents ever seen again.
Georgetown It's Mark.
The last of these gift shows held in
Georgetown took place in Forrest Hall,
on Thirty-second Street, seven years ago.
1t is n large Dafullhe STRUCTURE, with the |
hall upon the second floor. There is a
hack stairway leading down from the
stage to an alley an the rear. On that
occasion the audience consisted chiefly of
high school pupils and school children
The presents had Leen on exhibition for
several days in the window of a drug
store, which was then located under the
ball Even the police had been convinced
that The affair was TO hoax.
When the appointed time came a large
crowd assembled. Presently one of the
men connected with the affair came out
on the stage and begged the indulgence
of the audience for a few minutes. as |
some of the apparatus necessary to the
performance was broken and required re-
pairing.
The gentleman promptly made his exit |
from the hall by the back stairs into the
alley and took his departure. For nearly
an hour the crowd waited Then an in
Vestigating committee went behind the |
scenes and discovered they had been |
duped. The high school boys were furi- |
Gus and a number of them stood down |
in the alley and threw stones through |
every window in the rear of the hall |
Even 10 the present time the windows
remain out Of repair as a reminder of !
that occasion.
Proves It's Easy.