The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-09-15

unit cigars at Christmas, time, and
tell her quietly that here's the chance
of her lifetime to get ller husband a
set of tine shirt studs cheap and help
out 4 deserving cripple at the same
ilme She generally bites. and once
she has opened her pocketbook to hand
one fifty for something that cost me
~ cents, l don't dare to stop my game
for fear of driving the woman out Of
the store in a huff before she had
bought nat she came for. 1t o
do to interrupt a woman when she
thinks she has a bargain on the un.
It's soft money to offer shoestrings
and other things easy to carry in your
pockets to the brokers. They toss a
bill at you and never take anything
and YOU never intended that they
should. BUT the presentation watch
came is my favorite when I feel like
enjoying myself right.
The "Phony" Watch Game.
~ buy a watch that looks like it was in
Il gold case for three seventy-iive. and
take 1t around to an ensraver l know, and
he puts In the inside of the front lit; Pre-
scented to John Jones by James Smith. in
grateful acknowledgment of his galantry
In saving my daughter at the loss of his
| leg, in a runaway. June II. 1904 Then l
tidy up a bit-put on a collar. a~nyway-and
when the pawnshops are closed | go into "a
saloon in a good quarter of the town.
Never try the game until the pawnshops
are closed; some wise guy might trip you
up By asking why YOU didn't go to a pawn
shop.
We'll. when YOU spy out a group of
drinks at a table you act as II you were
half-dazed with liquor and tumble in
your pockets for money for the drink you
ordered, and discover you haven't a red,
and declare you've been touched of your
wad. and then suddenly discover that
you've still got your watch, and pull that
out. and lurch over to the ilush-lookers
and show it to them-with the front lid
open. of course.
You humble something about being
Observation-Disclosures you don't like to
do it, but you need the money; and it's
a -- shame to treat the man SO mean
who gave 1t to you, but-and the first
thing YOU know some one bites and asks
how much do you want for the watch?
You see, he sees Il chance to get a good
thing for a song-he's a CRATER. and 1t
serves him right to touch him for q
twenty-spot for a three sevcnty-iive
watch.
But II you think there's no man In the
crowd who'll bite SO hard, you ask for a
loan of ten dollars. the watch to be left
with the harkeeper till next day. when
you'l redeem 1t, and the barkeeper can
mana Ddck lne money, dII an Nhc Ai1ii'
you're swearing you'd never part will
the watch for keeps. But | don't like TO
work the game that way unless I'm right
up against 1t, That's too much like doing
a man dirt who befrienGs you. The other
way you're simply doing up a CRATER
who thinks he is doing you up brown
Appeal of an Empty Sleeve.
Some days when l want to have the
feeling of a millionaire at the end of {;
day ! stick my right hand into the top
of my trousers; a friend straps my arm
tight against my body and ! go out into
the world minus an arm as well as a leg
An empty sleeve appeals when a wooden
leg won't; and II It's your right arm
that's gone-that's eVerybody's best arm.
you know-the more you'll feel like a
millionaire after a few hours on the
STREETS. | know a hobo wha had his left
arm strapped in when he was green at
the game, and until some one took pity
on him and put him on he didn't make
enough to pay for the pain. But when he
strapped In his right arm he was setting
EN- all round right away.
'Oftcn l don't feel like doing much of
anything, SO l a up my stand on the
street well on in the evening, and when
a man comes along 1 say to him, politely:
"Mister, can you tell me where l can
get a 5-cent bed"
streets. I know a hobo who had his LEFT
bed, and I've never got so low as to sleep
in a 1O-ccnt bed, but the man takes it
from my words that I'm no beggar and he
admircs my grit. and nine times out OF
ten he Will toss me a quarter and say,
"That'll fix you up
lone evening not long ago ] made $
this way. but X I'd done straight begging
maybe I'd picked up half a dollar, and
maybe not a cent. The hobo's got to know
IA trick or two to get along as we'll as the
frenzied fnancier, and both have got tC
know suckers when they see them.
Pooling the Hospitals.
when l want a change of Diet or fee
like viewing the passing world from g
quiet retreat I fool the police and ambu.
lance doctors and lay up In a hospital fol-
a couple Of weeks. In hot weather it's
dead easy to keel over In the street ant
make out that you've been touched by thu
heat. Sometimes when my stomach IL
telling particularly strong l eat soap ant
get palpitation Of the heart. Sometimes
let on I've got awful pains all over me
There are any number Of ways of break
ing into d hospital. Getting In is thu
principal thing. Once you're there yo,
can develop all sorts of p%uzZling symp
toms that will make interesting study 70
tho young cubs just out of medical school
well. I guess I'll go over to the square
get a seat where theirs no punk bum,
pick up a paper and read before it's tim
to go to one Of the ferries or depots t
catch suckers among the half-hol.day PEG
pie with pocket peddling. The rush'l b
over in two hours; then I'm going to tax
a troney ride. 1t beats all what fin
trolley rides there are around a big city
and they're a godsend in summer 10 tn
retired hobo when he longs for a chang
Of scenery and wants to get away froi
the suckers and such things for a breath
ing spell"