Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-08-19

verbal account of some df the splendid halls
Of vice which exist in California, and OF some
Of the thrilling details which may prove 10.
terestipg 10 our readers.
The gambling saloons Of San Frame isco
are the most splendid in the world. The
saloons OF London, Paris, Hsvsna, New
York, or New Orleans, are far beneath in
.splendor Of decoration and msgnirnde of
dealings, The Bella Union. FL Dorado.
and the Verandah are conspicuous for their
interior a'rangements,an The number of per
sons which nightly can be seen in them. IL
seems to be a monomania which seizes all
Adventures Immediately upon their arrival
there. They forget their resolutions, their
determinations to rapidly Acquire an nde-
pendence. and rush Al once TO the faro or
monte backs, the roulette or vingt ct un IA.
bles, or the puzzling 'check IA deck" wheel.
! TO tempt the blind GOODIES, and become easy
prey for the cunning. willy and experienced
gamblers who so plausiby encourage them
I 10 try again. Men who Al home never
thought 81 trying games of chances become
infatuated. and eagerly seize every opportu-
4 nifty. apparently. TO lose their money.
/ The hels are fitted up with superb
furnit and appointments. On the
gilded walls. often painted in hesco, are
I 3
modern and ancient art. Among them, the
world famous dancing girls Of Canova, with
their rounded rms wreathed above the love.
ly Pytherean heads sea. born Amphiiriie,
rocked TO her lived rest by the glad waves
lesping tumultuGusy about hei cradle shell
eager TO kiss the new born loveliness; Asa
creon, crowned with wincbathed roses. har
ping TO the Cyprian maids; Apollo, with the
Eliseas poised, and the Greek god breathing
/ through every limb; Cassandrs, with her vi
oIet braided tresses shading with their pur-
/ Piled splendor those prophetic eyes, alas new
er to be believed; Jove's imperial eagle. with
his curving neck barhed IN nectar by the
cleaning fingers Of roses Ache; Cleopatra,
looking as If she desired anoiher Antony in
her strong tolls of grace smiling with royal
ewes at the W orm of Nilns trailing the death
stain across the sphered beauty of her ivory
! bosom; Mercury lowering with winged feet
! between The earth and heaven: Iris, gliding
on her rainbowed chariot into the presence
OF her mistress Juno; and many other sedu-
cling and vouptious imsgeres, most beauli-
fully and arris,ically portrayed, at uemen-
dous cost. The couches, lounges, dvans,
etc.. scattered along the sides Of these tenn
Piles OF chances, heaped with cushions, green
and gold, purple and azure, are Of very
| graceful and lovely shape. Now carved
sea-shell, an antique ch,riof, Gothic non
descrip, carved with all the exquisite min.
uteness Of .he Elizebathean age. Upon the
marble tables are scattered flower shaped
vases OF alabaster or Bohemian gloss of eve
ry hue, and quaint jars of costly pocean.-
| The lamps are yelled, until their light softly
! floats in the air. aud mysteriously reveals
! the surrounding obisots.
But the Parsian mirrors reflect from their
polished surfaces, in contrast TO all this
! splendor. The haggard faces of desperate
| men--wild with loss anu excitement. To
them this splcudor is tanning; it affords
( nothing of pleasure, tut all Of disgust. The
daylight softly s,reaks the skies. but still
they stake their little remaining with the
vain hope Ola sudden run, until completely
drained. they rush exhausted and irenZied
from the room.
! Dealing the treacherous cards from an or
namented silver box, SITS AT the table the
keeper Of the faro bank. The game requires
all his attention and that Of an associate, who
generally sits by his side TO aid 10 paying
and taking. The crowd press eagerly to
make their several bets, until "Time' is
called and the cards glide out Of their con-
finement for either loss or gain. Perhaps a
series Of winnings draws attention TO par
ticuIar caid. and hundreds Of thousands
are Immediately s,aked upon il. As il wins
or loses. re ejoicinGs or cursngs fill the air
but, needless of both. the game goes on, till
sheer exhaustion or the banks i'll luck closes
| it.
In one Of these. the Ell Dorado gaming
| house. we saw young man, certainly not
more than nineteen, walk boldly TO the table
and deposit large sum upon the ace-he
| ha snnr nj
remain, he won again seizing the
whole he walked coolly away the winner o
twenty-five thousand dollars in dust.
He was followed bv a "miner'-a rough
reckless, hardy, yet honest-lookiug fellow,
who placed his bag Of dust, recently ac-
uuired. upon the card " hich had thus proved
so lucky for the youth. He won also, aod
doubling the ber, won again. Elaied by his
success. he placed the whole on the same
ca,d anc was followed by at least dozen
others All around and on the card were
heaps Of gold, money, dust, ore, and cou1-
ters. The ace had proved so remarkably
lucky, all were induced TO risk a great deal.
Time was called by the dealer, and in
stantly all was hushed aud still as desth.-
The faces Of all were blanched with suspense
both the dealers and the betters. Slowly
| the cards went forth-not a sound was heard
until the ace was revealed. favorable To The
bank. Curses and imprecations-shouts of
foul FOUL resounded. Hoarse threats and
expressions--uniil tho two dealers cooIy
produced their revolvers, dec laired every
thing lair. and announced the bank win
ner Of nineiy-fve thousand dollars! These
scenes are less frequent now than at the
commencement Of the gold excitement. but
the truth Of them will be readily testified TO,
by hundreds Of returned adventures.
Another evening in the Bella Union. we
saw three games Of seven-up' played for four
thousand dollars game. One man won the
whole. twenty-onc thousand dollars, and
walked away. seemingly unconcerned as pms
sible, 10 the faro bank, where he risked and
lost ten thousand dollars at one bet; and then
departed. satisfied with the remaining por-
ton Of the seven up winnings.
An intimate friend of The writer. having
occasion to go up the river, took passage on
board a small steamer. On the way up he
had lille "ukcr" with the captain, and won
thirty. five hundred dollars in cash. and the
steamboat and all her fittings! He gencr-
/ ooslv returned the boat to the captatn. how