Evening star., 1932-01-03
BY AL BURGESS.

b1 AL pOhOLSc'
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 2 (N.A.NA0.
The artistic industry OF painless
extraction, as practiced on Wash
ington-New York extra-fare trains by
gentlemen whose visiting cards are
more appropriate in poker games than
in drawing rooms, seems due for some
Government control. according to a
dispatch from Washington which an
no1lnces that the local police have be-
gun a drive against card Sharps.
But I don't think the boys have
much to fear In my 40 years Of fancy
dealing every police drive I ever en-
countered ended as push-over. 1t
wasn't the fault Of the police. They
tried hard as they always have and as
they always will. But 1t is very hard
to convince a man who has behaved
like a donkey that he ought to get up
in court and bray the fact out loud to
the whole world.
The sucker may bray Immediately
after the soothing sirup administered
in the course of the operation has
worn of and the aching wallet begins
to resemble a decayed tooth, but when
he finds it out, as he inevitably does,
that his braying serves only to attract
attention to what long ears he has, he
sops. So every police drive Is doomed
TO death from manutrition.
Excitement Wears OFF.
However, the life Of a painless ex-
tractor is not all bed of roses. There
is plenty of exacting labor even though
the pay is good, averaging $500 for a
siX-day week on good train, after
you deduct your overhead. Your over
head is high, because so cents in every
dollar you earn must go to the train
crew as a bribe if you want to avoid
trouble. But the excitement wears off
soon and the work becomes as much
drudgeTy as milking COWS.
Not much stock is needed to set up
in business as a card operator All one
absolutely requires is two other fellows
similarly inclined, train ticket pack
of cards, fineSSe in dealing them, a
sound working knowledge of human ma
ture, fluent tongue and the ability to
act nervous.
Later on certain accessories may be
added. Most important of these is a
banker, legitimate one, who, for a
commission of not more than 10 per
cent, is willing to collect checks for you
by wire. When I was in the business
had IL or l3 of them scattered over
the country.
Also If young man wishes to make
mark for himself in the industry, he
must provide himself with expensive,
but not flashy, luggage which is well
filled and an education that will en-
able him to talk as an expert on at
least three topics-for instance, agri-
culture, some manufacturing line and
the stock market.
Must Be Careful.
The stock market Is highly desirable.
think the finest sucker trade in the
world is to be found among the Wall
street brokers. Wall Street is good
territory for any confidence game, but
a broker is fish for cards. When he
sees blue chip or a pair of tens back
to back, his eyes begin to bulge, his
mouth waters, and all a chap has to
do is hold out his hands and let the
money rain.
Next to stock brokers as easy marks
come men who are in the public eye.
They are talkative easy to approach !
and are guaranteed not to squawk. All
you have to do TO become good friend
Is to listen to their brag patiently. But
here young fellow just starting in has
to be careful.
I remember once, many years ago,
laying in wait two months for John w.
0dLSo W CdAC d Jl4p 4IOIl S14ACdSO W
Pueblo. After spending all kinds Of
money to get next to him on the train, !
he beat me out. For every trick knew,
he knew two that were better and I
landed at Pueblo rich only in knowl-
edge.
However, that was about the only
card game lost in my life. About 80
years ago, dropped 81 to a hayseed
because he quit when he got that much
ahead. But I learned a lesson from
him. After that I never let sucker
get more than 81 ahead. Generally,
kept him about even or a little behind
until I had steamed him into making
a good bet. Then pulled fast one
and ripped his pockets clean.
Two Staple Fast Ones.
The fast ones that good card oper-
ators pull are limited to cold decks
and what is known professionally as
running up hands. These have worked
since Adam, and I suppose they'll
work just as well when the last indom-
liable male tries to fill a three-card
flush.
There is no need for a more extensive
repertoire. These two illnesses will
cover any situation that can arise A
cold deck, of course, is stacking the
cards TO suit your convenience. Run
sucker a good hand and your partner
O better one.
The cold deck is good when you have
time because it is absolutely inflallible.
But running up hands is the thing to
rely on for Snappy work in the pincheS.
A good operator can fix four five-card
hands in less than 40 seconds. Some
gesture to cover up the situation will
come In handy.
For instance, I have perfected an
ability to Sneeze at will and whenever
1t looks as though the sucker has been
properly steamed for a man sized bet
sneeze, turning my head politely and
fix the hands in the interim between
turning my head, sneezing and reSum-
ing ny position in the chair. But that
takes practice and it can be very ex-
hauSting. Once when my mob was
up against particularly ripe sucker,
almost sneezed myself inside out and
couldn't touch my nose for a week
(Copyright, 1881. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)
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