132

Chicago Globe 6/5

ALL QUIET OUTSIDE

Scenes Along Stony Island
Avenue and in That
Vicinity.

RAIDS PROVE EFFECTIVE

Catch-Penny Devices and the Circus
Lemonade Man Still Catch
Many Visitors.

NO GAMES OF CHANCE.

"All quiet along the Potomac" was
the password on Stony Island avenue
and contiguous streets yesterday. Sunday
opening has effected a noticeable
depreciation in the size of the crowds
in that vicinity which has heretofore
been the Mecca of all classes. As it
now is, only the stragglers of the great
throng going to and from the Fair stop
by the wayside to indulge in the many
diversions there to be found, or simply
to watch the others.

Within the past week many new
places of amusement and catch-penny
enterprises have sprung into existence.
There are museums galore, with a
gaudily colored array of pictures setting
forth the charms to be found within,
and oily tongued lecturers with stentorian
lungs shouting forth the many
sights to attract the passer by. Strange
as it may seem the hideous distortions
portrayed on canvas outside these shows
catch multitudes of people who willingly
exchange their dimes for the privilege of
admission. But these deluded individuals
have but one story to tell when
they have seen the "elephant," and it
swells into a mighty howl of malediction,
which even the proprietors do not
care to face.

The gambling element of these resorts
has been pretty well eliminated, owing
to the persistent efforts of the police.

Fitzgerald's retinue of crooks and
museum attaches has been scattered,
but their operations have not been entirely
stopped. In the O'Brien & Gold
smitu place there are several
of these characters, but they
are still under the ban of
the law and are very quiet. The notorious
"art annex" of this resort still
flourishes and rakes down a bag of
shekels at each performance. This is
not the only place now catering to the
lewd tastes of many people that
frequent Stony Island avenue. Several
so-called museums of anatomy,
"for gentlemen only," have opened
recently, and are to all appearance
doing a good business.

It is interesting to investigate some of
the other fake amusement places in this
locality. Every conceivable freak of
nature can here be found on exhibition,
within tents and
hastily constructed sheds, to
be seen upon the advance of a small
fee. Monstrosities, ranging from a
six-legged calf to the far famed guttapercha
girl, make up the collection that
invites the public's inspection; satisfaction
guaranteed or money refunded (?).
The blue stocking lemonade man with
his quart schooners of the delusive beverage
is not absent, while fakirs with
all manner of toys and curiosities fill
the air with their discordant shrieks.

Sunday opening of the Fair has not
interfered with the patronage of the
legitimate shows, however, and they
still continue to prosper. Buffalo Bill
had a good house yesterday afternoon
and evening, showing that the drawing
power of his varied performance is
not on the wane. The Pardo company,
who really gave a first class exhibition,
have a thriving trade and never fail to
please.

Police authorities claim that Sunday
is the quietest day of the week in the
vicinity of the World's Fair grounds,
and yesterday proved to be no exception.
Friday's raids on the "quiet
stills" and the five convictions on the
following day have had the desired effect
upon this class of would-be evaders
of the law, and the thirsty in the Hyde
Park district will have to look elsewhere
for refreshments in the future.

Police records show the arrest of two
pickpockets and a confidence man Saturday
and the prisoners now recline in
the dungeons of the Woodlawn station
waiting for trial. Lane and Burkely
are the pickpockets and were gathered
in while in the act of robbing a woman
on Sixty-third street. George Balmar,
the "con" man was captured on the
Fair grounds, being recognized by one
of Capt. Bonfield's men as a celebrated
out-of-town crook and bunco operator.

Few complaints have been received by
the authorities lately and everything
goes to show that the
profession is not making the easy thing
it expected.

Rain yesterday afternoon scattered
the crowds on the avenue, and it was
not until late in the day, when the people
began to leave the Fair grounds
that the street presented its old time
gala day appearance.

Chicago Globe 6/5

ALL QUIET OUTSID

Scenes Along stony Islan Avenue and in That Vicinity.

RAIDS PROVE EFFECTIVE

Catch-Penny Devices and the Circus Lemonade Man Still Catch Many Visitors.

NO GAMES OF CHANCE.

"All quiet along the Potomac" was the password on Stony Island avenue and contiguous streets yesterday. Sunday opening has effected a noticeable depreciation in the size of the crowds in that vicinity which has heretofore been the Mecca of all classes. As it now is, only the stragglers of the great throng going to and from the Fair stop by the wayside to indulge in the many diversions there to be found, or simply to watch the others.

Within the past week many new places of amusement and catch-penny enterprises have sprung into existence. There are museums galore, with a gaudily colored array of pictures setting forth the charms to be found within, and oily tongued lecturers with stentorian lungs shouting forth the many sights to attract the passer by. Strange as it may seem the hideous distortions portrayed on canvas outside these shows catch multitudes of people who willingly exchange their dimes for the privilege of admission. But these deluded individuals have but one story to tell when they have seen the "elephant," and it swells into a mighty howl of malediction, which even the proprietors do not care to face.

The gambling element of these resorts has been pretty well eliminated, owing to the persistent efforts of the police.

Fitzgerald's retinue of crooks and museum attaches has been scattered, but their operations have not been entirely stopped. In the O'Brien & Gold [sinitu?] place there are several of these characters, but they are still under the ban of the law and are very quiet. The notorious "art annex" of this resort still flourishes and rakes down a bag of shekels at each performance. This is not the only place now catering to the lewd tastes of many people that frequent Stony Island avenue. Several so-called museums of anatomy, "for gentlemen only," have opened recently, and are to all appearance doing a good business.

It is interesting to investigate some o the other fake amusement places in this locality. Every conceivable freak o nature can here be found on exhibition, within tents an hastily constructed sheds, t be seen upon the advance of a small fee. Monstrosities, ranging from six-legged calf to the far famed guttapercha girl, make up the collection that invites the public's inspection; satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded (?). The blue stocking lemonade man with his quart schooners of the delusive beverage is not absent, while fakirs with all manner of toys and curiosities fill the air with their discordant shrieks.

Sunday opening of the Fair has not interfered with the patronage of the legitimate shows, however, and they still continue to prosper. Buffalo Bill had a good house yesterday afternoon and evening, showing that the drawing power of his varied performance is not on the wane. The Pardo company, who really gave a first class exhibition, have a thriving trade and never fail to please.

Police authorities claim that Sunday is the quietest day of the week in the vicinity of the World's Fair grounds, and yesterday proved to be no exception. Friday's raids on the "quiet stills" and the five convictions on the following day have had the desired effect upon this class of would-be evaders of the law, and the thirsty in the Hyde Park district will have to look elsewhere for refreshments in the future.

Police records show the arrest of two pickpockets and a confidence man Saturday and the prisoners now recline in the dungeons of the Woodlawn station waiting for trial. Lane and Burkely are the pickpockets and were gathered in while in the act of robbing a woman on Sixty-third street. George Balmar, the "con" man was captured on the Fair grounds, being recognized by one of Capt. Bonfield's men as a celebrated out-of-town crook and bunco operator.

Few complaints have been received by the authorities lately and everything goes to show that the profession is not making the easy thing it expected.

Rain yesterday afternoon scattered the crowds on the avenue, and it was not until late in the day, when the people began to leave the Fair grounds that the street presented its old time gala day appearance.