The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-08-01

in search of one. Denison's Exchange,
the Parker House, and Eldorado, stand
side by side; across the way are the Yer
andah and AgulIa de Orc; higher up the
plaza the St. Charles and Bella Union;
while dozens of second rate establishments
are scattered through the less frequented
streets. The greatest crowd is about the
Eldorado; we find it difficult TO effect an
entrance. There are about eight tables in
the room, all of which are thronged; cop
per hued Kanakas MeXicans rolled in their
sarapes and Peruvians thrust through their
ponchos, stand shonlder to shoulder with
the brown and beardred American miners.
The stakes are generally small, though
when the bettor gets into "a streak luck
as it is called, they are allowed TO double
until all is lost or the bank breaks. Along
the end of the room is a spacious bar, sup
piled with bad liquors, and in d sort of gal
lery suspended under the ceiling female
violinist tasks her talent and strength of
muscle to minister TO the excitement of the
play.
The Verandah, opposite, is smaller,
but boasts an equal attraction IN a musi-
clan who has set of Pandean pipes fas-
tened at his chin, a drum on his back,
which he beats with sticks at his elbows,
and cymbals. The pilesof coin on the
monte tables clinls merrlly to his playing.
and the thron ng Of spectators, jammed to-
gather in a sweltering mass, walk up to
the bar between the tunes and drink out
of sympathy with his dry and breathless
throat At the AguiIa de Orc there is a
full band Of Ethiopian serenaders, and at
the other hells vlolihs, guitars or wheezy
accordeons, as the case may be. The
atmosphere of these places is rank with
tobacco smoke, and filled with feversh,
sitting heat, which communicates an un-
healthy glow TO the faces of the players.
We shall not be deferred from entering
by the Geat or smoke, or the motley char
acters into whose company we shall be
thrown. There are rare chances here
for seeing human nature in one of its
dark and exciting places. Note The variety
of expression IN the faces gathered around
this tablet They are playing monte, the
favorne game in California, since the
chances are considered more equal and
the opportunity of false play very slight.
The dealer throws out his cards with a
cool, nonchalant sir; indeed, the gradual
increase of the hollow square of dollars
at his left h and is not cal culated to disturb
his equapimaity. The two Mexicans in
front, muffied in their sarapes, put down
their half-dollars and dollars and see them
lost without changing a muscle. Gam.
bling is born habit with them, and they
would lose thousands with the same indif
ference. Very different is the demeanor
of the Americans who are playing; their
good or i'll luck is betrayed at once by in
voluntary exclamations and changes of
countenance, unless the st axe should be
very large and absorbing, when their
anxiety, though silent, may be read with
no less certinty. They have no power
TO reisst the fascination of the game
Now counting their winnings by thousands,
now dependant on the kindness Of friend
for few dalIars to commence anew, they
pass hour after hour in those hot, un
wholesome dens. There is no appearance
of arms, but lie! one OF the players, i'm
patient with his losses, and maddened by
the poisonous fluids he has,drauk, threat
en- one Of the profession, and there will
be no scarcity of knives and revolvers.
There are other places, where gaming
is carried on privately and 10 more ru-
luOuS CSl0ul-TOOlIlS III the rear oil the
Parker House, in the City Hotel and other
places, frcquented only by the initiated.
Here the stakes are almost unlimited, the
players being men of wealth and apparent
resPectability. Frequently, in the alb
sorbing interest of some des perate game,
the night goes by unheeded and morning
breaks upon haggard faces and reckless
hearts. Here are lost in few turns of
a card or rolls of a ball, the product of
fortunate ventures by sea or months of
racking labor on land. How many men.
maddened by continual losses, might ex-
claim in their blind vchemence of passion,
on leaving these nells:
"out' out, tLou stIumpet Fortune! All you
gods,
In general synod, ke away her power;
Break all the spskes aud felies from her wheel
And bowl the round nave down the hill of
heaven,
AS low as 10 the fends,n
BGyard Taylor.
u We find IN the Springfield Portfolio
a touch of weather trancendentalism