The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1845-08-14
GAMING FOR AMUSEMENT. 7

gaming for amusement, tells an incident, the
substance of which we will try to gives
In 1886, Mr. 6. went down the Mississippi, on
his way to New Orleans. The boat 1.-THE Mediter-
ranean) was splendid one, and had a large num-
Der OF passengers, among whom were many gam
pliers; They entertained themselves by playing,
but the pigeons were scarce The boat arrived
at Memphis, and rounded to, touched at the wharf
boat. Among those who stepped aboard was a
young man apparently of about eighteen years
Green saw him enter the cabin, and noted the gen.
teel stranger the flash of his eve, and the ele-
gance OF his exterior, told him that he was fulI of
ire and enthusiasm, fond of excitement and per-
maps lond OF play He approached him and ask
ed if he played.
L have occasionally played whist, and few
other games, merely Tor amusement at home and
IN the rooms OF College," "Will you take hand
with US at Whist p The other assented and sat
down with three sporting gents'' whom he did
not suspect to be gamsters. They shuffled, dealt
and played, and soon concluded to stake a quarter
corner, and make the play more interesting
Ihey Increased the bets they ran from the in
significant quarter to five dollars a piece The
young Collegian became excited and PLAYED with
great warmth They changed the game; whist
was too long and dull. Brag was the game
This furnished finer field for doubling bets
The young man was now playing high, but he
lost more than he won He had taken his pocket
book out and from time to time lost from it, all
ready about two thousand dollars 1t was emp.
ty. He repaired to his stateroom, took package
OF several thousands, and brought it to the table
Brag was resumed; the passion for the game was
now at its flood in the young man. His excite
ment was intense. The blue veins of his temple
throbbed and swelled almost to bursting. His
spirited eyes flashed and his cheek was flushed
and hot Yet he did not retrieve a single dollar /:
he lost, ever lost
The victim was drunk with excitement, he
played without reason and was almost blinded
with madness at his losses. The pigeon was be-
ing well plucked, he had laid four hundred upon
the table; twas his bet upon his hand. The
clerk entered the cabin, and announced their ap-
proach to Helena, where the stranger was to land,
and advised him to step to the lower guard if he
would be ready. He jumped up, left his bet up
on the cloth, and repaired to the lower guard
He changed his mind He had a faint hope of
retrieving; he would go back and play on. He
returned, the boat resumed her course, and he
sat down to play. Before morning he had not
cent OF money; every dollar lost. They arrived
at New Orleans and the three gamsters left the
boat and divided the spoils. They amounted to
$1,000 piece. Mr. Green met the young man
three days after IN the street, He was an alter
ed man. His eys was sckly his cheek was thin,
haggard and very pale; he looked like man who
had not slept Or eat for three days and nights
His gold watch was absent, and the diamond pin
he had sported before. " You have not left the
city YETI" said Mr. G. g No, am. unable to do
so for want of money My watch and diamond
have both gone for trife to the pawn broker
would leave if | could borrow the means
Could you lend me two hundred and fifty %
Mr. q. by an impulse which he could not account
for, did not hesitate to do 80 the horrid change
in appearance, the utter desolation which his
losses had worked upon the young man struck
him, and the gambler likes not to look upon the
poor victim OF his devilish arts. He gave him
the money to rid himself of the face that would
haunt him. The young man turned upon his
heel, and he never saw him again. Two years
alter, Mr. q. was sitting in the Louisville Hotel
An old man entered and asked him Sc if his name
was Green" " 1t is" Were YOU on board
the Mediterranean two years ago, on your way
to New Orleans?" 6 was" He then recount
ed TO Mr. G. the circumstances of that night, and
asked him if he had met the young man SINCE
60 No sir - * Don't tell me, aO,' said the old
man, &c don't tell me, no tell me where he isl
6 assure you, sir, have never seen him since,''
said Mr. q. The old man burst into tears. g He
was my son, sir. That was the last we've
heard OF him, I've hunted him ever since for
two long years, not word can hear, not sim
gle trace OF him throughout the land Tell me
where, or how | can find word OF him. The
old mans grief was overpowerng, and Green
could not give him a single hope.
The subject did not recur to his mind till wears
after; not till after he had reformed. Mr. Green
was passenger on boat bound from Cincinnati
TO Maysville. He there fell into conversation
with lady, whom he found to have great aver
sion to gaming. She told him that during the
younger years Of her boys, they had been in the
habit of playing whist att home with their parents
for amusement That in SO her husband went
to Arkansas to buy land Her oldest son had lust
returned from College. Wishing to transmit a
large sum OF money to her husband he was dis
patched with it; that he fell among gamblers on
the river, and was fleeced of every dollar. They
had never heard of him. 1t has broken the heart
OF every member of the family. The Young
mans oldest sister had died iunatic, another
was an inmate of the Insane Asylum at Mays-
Vile. His brother had lost his reason and was
dragging out poor lunatic's existence. The ia
Their, after two or three years travel through the
United States and Texas in search of his aban-
doned boy, had finally dissipated his property, and
died drunkard's death.
Her own grey hairs were almost nearly brought
with sorrow to the grave. She was dependent
upon charity for support. All of the wreck of
mind and happiness, the loss of her dear boy, the
death OF her husband, The insanity of her children
she attributed entirely to those first parlor games
for amusement
Verify, it is true, that there is fascination in
this gaming, that if one, but wet the soles of his