The Washington herald., 1918-02-23

New York. Feb. 22-Col Jack Chinn,
one of Kentucky's most celebrated
characters. used to delight in a yarn
which proved, as he said. the plumb
foolishness of gambling with profess
sionals. Col Chfnn was hustling
along a side street of Broadway one
day when a beady-eyed person thrust
his head from q second-story win
dow and called out:
We're dealin' a little faro up here.
Jack. would you like to put down a
bet?"
BET a hundred on the ace for
me-" the colonel shouted back. I'm
in a hell of a hurry right now"
The gentleman in the second-story
window didn't even turn his head
back toward the deal box. In the next
breath he announced calmly:
Colonel, the ace loses"
This method of separating the fool
ish from their money is not a bit
simpler than the method now employ
ed in the banker and broker" dens
in New York.
These gambling places are located
in marble-halled apartment houses.
In one place there is Mime. Rich
ard"-pronounced "Ree-kard'-who
meets the guests in low neck and dia-
monds. At first the guests win, but
by the time they take the air they
are losers. This simple plan whets tn"
appetite for them to come back and
be hooked right through the gills
The guest, gambling psychology
teaches, believes if he can win once
he can win again. Many wrecked
bank accounts will testify to this
strange little slant.
The district attorney has brought out
that women have lost as high as $4,000
at one sitting at these gambling dens.
The professional cappers lounge
around the hotel lobbies for victime
and some of them even break into
social events where they whisper the
news of the place where high stakes
may be played.
Like the heather Chinee OF Bret
Harte fame the ways of the secret
service are peculiar. To take the
word of the conductor Of the orches-
ira in a hotel, Mr.. Theodore Fish
berg-he OF the meatless name-there
are few who know that patrons of
hotel and restaurants are unconscious
ly made to conserve food by the sug-
,gestion of the orchestra music.
On meatless days ii Is the aim of
the orchestra leaders to convey the
idea OF poultry into the patrons mind
and so little but one step or fox trot
tmes-known as chicken music" are
played.
Down in the Cornfield" is the
wheatless day favorite which serves
to hypnotic the unsuspecting diner,
and so IL goes. No one can escape
the secret service. Deep bass chords
suggest red meat and they are not
being played any more. Lifting tunes
suggest salads. Heigh hol The war
is terrible indeed.
Seen around the town: A preacher
buying a pair of boxing gloves. A
head waiter sitting in the box at the
opera. A secondhand store by Mich
olas Romanoff." A conductorette with
a package of cigarettes sticking out
of her skirt pocket.
There is an evening newspaper that
is found of heralding its list of world
beaters. 1t announces The worlds
foremost editorial writer" and 1t an
nounces THE worlds foremost writer
on medical topics" This from the
Morning Telegraph is interesting:
The Morning Telegraph modestly con-
fesses 1t has only one world beater.
Weed Dickinson of the sporting de-
partmtnt is the champion long lis
tance ukelele player. With hurdy
gurdy acting as pacemaked this wiz
ard thrummed the wires for seven con-
secutive hours, warbling the while to
himself.