Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1889 — A Diabolical Merry-go-round. [ARTICLE]

A Diabolical Merry-go-round.

Until a tew days ago a merry-go-round made a dismal vacant lot on Fifth avenue a very-paradise to the young folks ofSoho.savs the Pittsburg Dispatch. The man who owned the whirligig made lots of money while he tarried there. A gentleman who lives near by calculated that no less than S6O were exchanged for rides on the mer-ry-go-round every day that was fine. Still the owner of the flying horses did not have things all. his own way. Now and then a gang of toughs would descend upon him and insist on running things to suit themselves. After one or two such visitations the showman determined to give the toughs a surprise party the next time they came. A day or two afterward a dozen hard characters, ranging from 12 to 16 years, appeared upon the scene and a young fellow with closely cropped hair, a black eye, and a square chin stepped up to the showman and said: ‘'Say, mister, We’se goin’ to ride on dis yer machine an’ we ain’t goin to pay—--see!” To the surprise and even disappoint□ffiEttLOf the young sluggers their victim smiled pleasantly and said: ‘All right!—geton.” So the short-haired citizens mounted the flying horses, and the showman started the machine. Around went the toughs in great glee. The machine went a little faster, and the riders howled for joy. Again the speed increased and the howls grew fainter and further apart. The showman turned ou all the steam, and the mer-ry-go-round 'whirled_ like_ a Jiumming top at its first gait The boys were shotting no longer. Silence would have reigned but for the rattle and creaking of the machine. For two or three minutes the big wheel revolved with tremendous rapidity. Then like ripe apples the young toughs, with pale, scared faces, began to hustle through the air. They struck the ground anything but softly, but they usually got up quickly and staggered away. ' If they lingered the showman helped them along with a base-ball bat. When the machine stopped only two desperadoes, looking deathly sick, still clung to the hobby horses. * They looked so miserable that the showman allowed them to climb down and slink away without any assistance from his club. He was never bothered with the noble comrades of the owl gang again.