The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-15

into a fire at the end of each month
and melt them down. That always de-
creases the number of slugs in the
world considerably.
1.-The use of slugs is due largely, 1
believe, to the fact that many slot ma
chine owners purchase brass slugs from
the companies, to operate their ma
chimes, instead of using nickels. Others
have slugs for setting in operation
these slot pianos. And, of course, worst
of all, is the trade check, which is
made of brass and is just about as
heavy as a nickel
MANY of these are so near the size
and weight of nickels that 1 believe
some are put in the phones by mis-
take, but they can't all do this. The
majority are no doubt put in with dis
honest intent.
"The majority of the plain iron disks
come from machine shops, where wash
ers are made. Many of them are no
doubt punched out with the express
intention of beating the telephone COM
panies.
"There are no special phones where
we get the majority of the slugs. We
find them in every pay station in the
Office buildings down town and now
and then run across them in the
phones in private offices and resi-
dences. We get them everywhere.
Phones and Machines Often Damaged.
"The use of slugs also costs the
company a great deal for repairs Siugs
too large or too light and placed in the
slots do not work well. Sometimes
they are showed through by the use
of a nickel dropped on top of them,
but generally they stick there, and
then we have to send a man to repair
the machine.
can old trick, which used to be
worked great deal, is now about worn
out, because it never did work very
successfully. People use TO bore
hole in a nickel or dime and fasten
string or wire to the coin. They would
drop it in, and when it had fallen
through the slot and placed the phone
in operation, attempt to pull 1T out.
They were seldom if ever successful,
for when the coin dropped from the
slot into the receptacle it began spin
ming and the string or wire generally
broke. in an effort to pull it back. We
use to find lots of coin with strings on
them in the machines and now and
then we yet find one"
The troubles of the Twin City COM
pany are similar to those of the North
western. az never go out on a collec
ton trip but what I bring back q
dozen to twenty, and many times more,
of slugs, plugged money and other
articles with which people attempt to
operate our phones. 1t is very cost
ly practice for the company and a good
many machines are ruined by it,
The telephone people are not the
only sufferers. The man who has
weighing, punching, lifting or one Of
the many other varieties of slot ma
chimes in his place of business is sure
to find when he Games to open the
cash box at the end Of the month a
number of slugs among the nickels.
Even the penny machine man suffers
now and then, although less than any
of the others. II find chunks of metal
the shape of pennies in my gum ma
chine every Snow and them" said
grocery man. "Most of them, though,
are put in by children, who find them
on the streets. 1 don't know where
they come from, although some OF
them probably come from machine
shops and are cut out in making
washers.
1--WE suffer the worst in getting bum
nickels," said a cigar man. Il tell
you / generally have quite a collection
of all kinds in my machines each time
I open them. 1t is a mystery TO me
where all the punched, plugged, Clipped
and counterfeit nickels come from.
The game of beating slot machines
is prevalent all over the country. The
owners of the machines lose thousand
of dollars each year, and seldom are
any of the owners able to get even by
catching the man in the act to get evil
dence on which to prosecute him.