The Evansville daily journal., 1855-03-21
SANCTUARY OF THE GOLDEN CALF.
California Gam mb,ing scenes.

OF THE GOLDEN CALF.
California Gambling scenes. =
A writer in Bentley's Miscellany, whose
fortunes led him to San Francisco IN 1858,
presents fearful picture of the scenes enact
ed at that periodin the gambling bells OF the
golden capital. He says-that the most cor
rupt of the gamblers, and the only ones, in
fact, who could compete with the Span!ards,
generally so crafty and cold blooded in haz-
ard playing, were the American "boys;" that
from the splendidly decorated salon at San
Francisco, lwithits picturesqpeibyolaerie and
hundreds of tables groanins beneath the bur-
den of gold, to the scanty tent in the iurthest
mountains, where the serdpe, thrown over a
ricketty box, served as a cloth by night, and
as bed and blanket on the approach Of dawn,
they were everywhere to be found, ready at
any moment to plunder the poor miner of his
hard.earned savings; and that the Spanish
cloak served to cover the money they won,
as well as the six barreled revolver and sharp
bowie knife, as weapons Of attack or defense,
according as the moment or the prospect Of
gain might demand.
We have not space this week to give more
than one or two Of the writer's illustrations,
to justify the belief that they are transcripts
of actual occurances. After graphic de-
scription of one of the most splendid and larg-
est of the Shells" over whose entrance
cleaned in golden letters the name of GEL
Dorado" the writer says: t.- -si. s.r
The visitors are suddenly crowded round a
table, where high play is apparently going on.
Let us 90 too, and see it. A young fellow is
| al q
the table and his confederate-the first of
whom is slowly shuffling pack of cards, for
the sake of employment, till the play com.
mences, while the other watches, with his
little piercing grey eyes, the cards as they
are turned up. The game itself is strange
to US, although the Spanards on the other
side of the table, who follow it's vicissltudes
and the hands of the dealer with a scarcely
percepuble smile, and without stalking for
the present, seem to understand it better than
we do. 1t is monte, a Spanish game, and
played with Spanish cards, and the strange
figures on them, the crossed swords, and the
golden balls, the horsemen instead of queens
&C., attract the strangers eye above all, and
, impart much higher and mysterious charm
to the bags of silver and gold boldly staked
upon them. The young fellow, in whom we
feel an interest from the outset, cannot bt
more than sixteen years ofage. ...ig. ra =
He is tall anc thin, and his features woulC
: have something efeminate about them, were
} it not for the cleaning eye and the ashy
> firmly compressed lips. His right hand il
supported on the green cloth of the table, up
on the centre of which piles Of dollars form
barrier round heap OF gold, as we'll as sack
n of gold dust, and three or four largsh mug
gets and ingots, more for ornament than use
His left hand is in his pocket, aud from be
meath his hat two or three locks Of auburI
hair peep out. His stake, amounts z pcrhap
8 to twenty or five-and-twenty eagles" is OF
G the horseman, and his cleaning eyes ar
o fixed nervousiy on the hands of the deal
Ier.
The latter, an American, sits coldly an
: calmly behii his table, with the card in hi
: hand ready to turn up, and casting at inter
J. walls, a rapid glance at the stakes TO see tha
all is in order. The ace and queen are tin
: uppermost cards-the young fellow has won
u and triumphant smile plays on his lips.
!, "I'll pay you back now for the other nigh
Q Robertson" he laughed, hoarsly between hi
. scarce opened lips.
II hope SOL" replies the banker, calmly
!" with an equivocal smile. "You're in luc /
e Lowell, and ought to take advantage o
" it,
!. al leave it to the queen, and put this lot o
: !. the three" Here and there few strokes ar
. altered or withdrawn, and the cards are turn
{. ed mp again. Both lose!
It The young man growls a fearful but hardl
o audible oath; but his hand brings almos, in
: voluntarily fresh booty to light, in the shap
of a bag of gold dust, which the banker doe
g not even deign to glance at. The bag migt
?, contain about two pounds, and the Spanar,
e standing opposite, now throws couple
"a ounces on another card.
:. "You do not trust the gentleman's lucl
y senor." the banker said, smilingy, as he he
'r the cards firmly in his left hand, but kept hi
A. eye sternly fixed inquiriugly on that of th
10 Californian.
"Quien sabe?" he muttered with indiffe
!" ence; but-his card has gained.
'u The young gambler uttered another fearfl
d, oath, and his hand sought frenziedly in hi
is pocket for more money-but in vain. an,
u, thcre-not there-gone-robbed!" he stan
mers to himself; and his eve measures di:
Vi trustfully and anxiously these standing roun
he him. He meets only Indifferent or sarcast
" glances. 75Hf Ts
No "Come, stranger, if you don't play an
- longer, make room for some one else," said
[" bearded man, dressed in dirty blue ar
IS, torn blouse; "it seems 10 me you've done.
On "Pil stop here as long as like!'' ft
he "Come, sir, fy you don't play, make roo
u, for another party" said the second banke
80 who sat close to him, "our table is, beside
as quite crowded" a-7a a
81 have been robbed!' the man shoute
casting furious glance on the blouse
Ssh anne fully robbed" .ftr- .F e.st -
swell, don't look at me. young fellow,
hit that way." said the man in the blouse, gu
or etly. ssao-
~ "I'll look at whom please. and any OIL