The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1855-04-19
4Aistellnmeous.
CALIFORNIA
GAM BLING SCENES,

A writer, whose fortunes led him to San
Francisco, in 1859, presents fearful pic
ture of the scenes enacted at that period In
gambling-hells of the golden capital He
says that the most corrupt of the gamblers,
and the only ones, in fact, who could COM
pete with the Spaniards, generally so crafty
and cold -blooded in hazard-playing, were
the American "boys;' that from the splen-
didly decorated salon at San Francisco,
with its picturesque byOnterie and hun
dreds of tables groaning beneath the bur-
den.of gold, to the scanty tent in the fur
therest mountains, where the SeTdpe,
thrown over ricketty box, served as a
cloth by night, and as a bed and blanket on
approach Of dawn, they were everywhere
to be found ready at any moment to plum
der the poor miner of his hard-earned sa-
wings; and the Spanish cloak served to
cover the money they won, as well as the
six-barrelled revolver and sharp bowie
knife, as weapons of attack or defence, ac-
cording as the moment OF the prospect OF
Gain might demand. After graphic de-
scription of one of the most splendid and
largest of the "hells," over whose entrance
cleaned in golden letters the name of GEL
Dorado" the writer says:
The visitors are suddenly crowding a.
round a table, where high play is apparent
ly going on. Let us go, too, and see it.
A young fellow is standing at the table,
between the keeper of the table and his con-
Gederate; the first of whom is slowly shuf-
fling a pack of cards, for the sake of en-
ployment, till the play commences, 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 Spaniards on the other side of the ia
BILE, who follow its vicissitudes and tn
hands of the dealer with a scarcely pre-
ceptible smile, and without stalking, for tn
present, seem to understand it better thai
we do. 1t is monte, Spanish game, AM
) played with Spanish cards, and the strang
figures on them, the crossed swords an
golden balls, the horsemen instead c
queen, etc., attract the strangers eye abov
all, and impart a much higher and mystC
; rious charm to the bags of silver and gol
boldly staked upon them, 9.,
= The young fellow, in whom we feel a
interest from the outset, cannot be more tina
sixteent years of age. He is tall and thil
|. !, and his features would have something e
: Terminate about them, were il not for tt
I I cleaning eye and the firmly compresse
lips. His right hand is supported on tt
green cloth of the table, upon the cent
of which, piles of dollars form barri
i around heap of gold, as well as sacks
gold dust, and three Or four largish nuI
!. gets any ingots, more for ornament thi
ID use. His left hand is in his pocket, al
from beneath his hat two or three locks
y auburn hair peep out His stake, amou
ST ting perhaps to twenty or fve-and-twen
eagles" is on the horseman, and his ge
ming eyes are fixed nervouly on the ham
of the dealer.
:. The latter, an American, sits coldly al
p, calmly behind the table, with the card
ls ,s his hand ready to turn up, and casting,
m m,e intervals, a rapid glance at the stakes
~ see that all is in order. The ace and quee
= are the uppermost cards; the young mi
has won, and triumphant smile plays
e. his lips.
Y am pay you back now for the other nlgf
Robertson" he laughed, hoarsely, betwe'
ne his scarce opeRed lips,
al hope so," replies the banker calml
with an equivoCal smile. "You're in luO
a Lowell, and ought to take advantage Of it
= M leave it on Mcqueen, and put this
= on the three." Here and there f
stakes are altered or Withdrawn, and I
cards are turned up again. Both losel
The young man growls a fearful, b