A Good Citizen wishing to open a Murder Parlor needed a couple of Black
Bottles, a Barrel of Sawdust and a Pull at the City Hall.
When he opened up, he threw the Key in the River and arranged to have
the Bodies taken out through the Alley so as not to impede Traffic in
the Main Thoroughfares.
Twelve months every Year marked the Open Season for every Game from
Pitch-and-Toss to Manslaughter.
Any one in search of Diversion could roll Kelly Pool at 10 Cents a Cue
in the Morning, go to the Track in the Afternoon, take in a 20-round
Scrap in the Evening and then Shoot at the Wheel a few times before
backing into the Flax.
The Police were instructed to make sure that all Push-Cart Peddlers
were properly Licensed.
Steve roamed the Wide-Open Town and spread his Bets both ways from the
Jack.
When he cut the String and began to back his Judgment he knew no Limit
except the Milky Way. Any time he rolled them, you could hear
considerable Rumble.
All the Bookies, Barkeeps, Bruisers, and the Boys sitting on the
Moonlight Rattlers knew him by his First Name and had him tagged as a
Producer and a Helva Nice Fellow.
Steve heard vague Rumors that certain Stiffs who hurried home before
Midnight and wore White Mufflers, were trying to put the Town on the
Fritz and Can all the Live Ones, but he did not dream that a Mug who
went around in Goloshes and drank Root Beer could put anything across
with the Main Swivel over at the Hall.
O, the Rude Awakening!
One day he was in a Pool Room working on the Form Sheet with about 150
other Students and getting ready to back Sazerack off the Boards in the
Third at Guttenberg, when some Blue Wagons backed up and Steve told the
Desk Sergeant, a few Minutes later, that his Name was Andrew Jackson.
Next Day he had a Wire from a Trainer but when he went to the old
familiar Joint, the Plain Clothes Men gave him the Sign to Beat it and
he turned away, throbbing with Indignation.
The down-town Books were being raided but the Angoras kept on galloping
at the Track, so he rode out on the Train every day in order to
preserve his Rights as a free-born American.
One Day just as he was Peeling from his Roll in front of the Kentucky
Club, in order to grab Gertie Glue at 8 to 5, Lightning struck the
Paddock and laid out the entire Works.
When the Touts and the Sheet-Writers and the Sure-Thingers came to and
began to ask Questions, it was discovered that the Yap Legislature had
killed the Racing Game and ordered all the Regulars to go to Work.
Steve went back to Town in a dazed Condition to hunt up the Gang and
find out what could be done to put out the Fire.
When he arrived at the Hang-Out there was a Flag at Half-Mast. The
Roost had been nailed up for keeping open after Eleven o'Clock!
A few Evenings after that he sauntered up to a large Frame Building to
look at a couple of Boys who had promised to make 135 Ringside.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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