The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-23
.REM|TT|TUR DEADLY
To SLOT MACHINES
Poker Games No Longer Dec.
crate Cigar Stores; Busi-
ness Deteriorates.

The other day, when word or two
was written here concerning the gentle
little slot machine, II was said that a
remittitur was not a high running fever.
That was a mistake A remittltur Is the
most deadly of fevers That statement
is amply verified by the widespread cpl
demic of remittituritis that came as an
appalling visitation upon this town yes
terday. Hundreds OF deaths, In many
cases death in It's most agonzed form.
followed in the wake OF the scourge, and
last night gray and silent headstones
marked the spots where only a few hours
before there was animation. whirr. whizz
and eager life.
Some will say that il was not a dis
ease at all that killed the slot machines,
but that 1t was relentless warfare. Very
well, then, the conflict between the re-
mittitur and the slot machines was brief
but sanguinary. When the battle was
over tine remittitur marched from the
scene gloriousy triumphant. leaving a
field strewn with dead and dying. 1t may
be added that none OF the wounded sur
vived
The remitttur began preparations for
the engagement Monday, II left tho SD
prema court full panoplied for war. 1t
reached the district court with banners
flying and drums bea ting. From the dis
trlct court to the office of the chief of
police was but a short march. and from
the office of the chief of police to the
slot machines still shorter.
What must we do to be saved?" asked
the slot machine owner.
bnI re in ba IA 2cpnent-fNr
keeps"
And so il was. BY noon yesterday there
was not slot machine to be seen and
last night cute piles Of candy boxes.
cigarette packages and punches Of red
ribboned cigars rested upon the ooun-
ters where the Industrious slot machine
had risen. flourished and died.
"Our business today shows decrease
OF about 25 per cent from that OF last
Tuesday," said one cigar dealer In whose
place slot machines were large factor
In salesmanship. IT do not think we sold
any fewer cigars in number, The lose
was in candy. chewing gum and the high
er priced cigars and tobaccos. We no
ticed that the men who played the ma
chimes almost invariably bought Bit ci-
gars with the checks they won. or high
prlC6Q LODaCCOS, or look nome BOXES OF
candy. Today those same men bought
l0-cent cigars and scent cigars. Also
the men who smoked 5-ceDt cigars fell
back notch and bought srogies.
EFT seems that a man is more likely
to hesitate in laying down quarter and
buying two cigars outright than he is to
bug five nickels for his two-bit piece. It
comes, therefore. to sort OF question MS
to when is O Qunrter not a Quarter2' "
B f. Doran, who filed the petition In
the supreme court for rehearing in the
slot machine case. which was denied
Monday. said yesterday that he would
take no further steps to rehabilitute the
machines Like expressions were heard
from other proprtetors of places where
machines were used, 1t Is generally con-
ceded that the slot machine Is dead. since
all legal avenues have been exhausted
Having the remittltur safe in Its pos
session. the district court will now inform
the city court Of that momentous fact.
This will be done for the reason that the
case originated In the city court, where
Mr.. Doran was convicted OF a violation
OF the city ordinance and where he was
upcd