The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-10
TALE NO II.
The Big Graft Shows at Mt. carme

The Big Graft SHOWS at Mt. Saruei'
We of the Society of Ex-Troopers had con-
cluded the solemn ceremonies incident to
the initiation of the Reformed hally.hoo man.
and were gathered in the office OF the Re
passed around and fond "reminiscences painted
In softened colors a somewhat rugged past.
1.-THE days of the graft are all but mum
bered,' ventured the ex-billposter, the lusu-
brious member of the society, after the re-
formed press agent had finished his eXpiana-
ton of the mysteries of the flat game, ana
how the swinging ball' brought in hundreds
OF dollars day at quarter a throw
Initiated member. we've seen some pretty
strong circus graft right up in this terri
Listen, the hally-hoo's going to talk -
commanded the reformed press agent who WI!
by right, of seniority acted as presiding Off
Ger at the society's festivals.
'Who ever heard of a bally-hoo who could
biHP ~ Remember a bally-hoo man
from eating the dope or something and they
put him in the bug house and he kept spiel-
1ng the sideshow banners until he croaked
"Oh, shut up. you old raven commanded
the members of the society, and the lugu-
brious ex-billposter retired into his shell
Well, as I WAS saying" continued the Eek ex-
in the way Of a circus graft right here among
us this season and 1t was about as strong as
anything Of the sort I've seen since first
ventured out among the interesting circus
Il refer" said the bally-hoo man." to that
aggregation which recently gave the youth OF
this community some interesting exhibitions
Of what the wild west is not.
There were things doing around that show
that lead me to remark that 1t was about the
rankest stall for graft that ever carried
canvas. AS you gentlemen who read the
papers chance to know this same aggrega-
ton played few of our neighboring vii
lagos before 1t arrived In our midst. As
you may also chance to know, the place called
St. Cloud and that other borough know as
Saltwater were variously cleaned up.
LAS long as the sun shine and the moon re-
fleets the suns radience, as long as men do
live and move and try to get something for
toy with the enticing shell game, pick out the
wrong card in three card monte and get
counted out of his spots when the dice turn
over in the plate game:
"Oh, finish, f1nish,'' growled the lugubri-
Gus eX-billposter.
Touch at Saltwater.
well, as was going to remark, before
the member from the advance brigade in
terrupted me- said the bally-hoo man, gaz-
ing sadly as the lugubrious person." this
wild west show did Saltwater up brown
Just cleaned 1t out under the walls of the
state pen, where lot of things come off.
They even got away with the money for
the lot and the manner of their getting was
thusly:
1.-The ancient prominent citizen who had
made the contract for the lot was standing
around the show telling everybody how he
had made good on this year wild west
GIVE got hundred dollars for the lot
and ten tickets to boot, and I'm doing right
WE'LL says he, looking around and SWELL
sore about it and he putting it onto them
pretty hard. Finally one of the bunch with
the show heard the old cock Growing and he
cut in with: