The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-28
GAMBLING ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

From the Chicago Journal
We are told that gambling prevails to fearful
extent on board the steamboats, that pass up and
down the Mississippi river. All sorts of games are
practiced there, and among those who travel are
some of the most plausible and finished rogues A
short time since party of backlegs induced soy
eral returned Catornians to venture few hundred
dollars upon the changes of the cards or the dice
and at the end of the game the Caifornians dis
covered that three counterfeit bills, for $50 EACH
had been passed off upon them. They Immediately
demanded good money in exchange.
TINS was refused for a time, as the blackegs pre-
tended that they had none They were then giyen
to understand that, unless they rectifed the fraud
Immediately, they would be forced to take their
chance for the night at the very next uninhabited
island that the boat should reach. Finding the al
Tentative rather serious they reluctantly made the
exchange demanded, and endeavored to conciliate
the Californians by inviting them to drink The
same knaves day or two before contrived to win
Sl,9OO from very young merchant of Louisiana
who was on his way North to buy goods.
Gambling on the Mississippi is a profession which
is followed by hundreds old as we'll as youno All
sorts of combinations are formed by these Gentry
They will come on board n boat from different
points, and apparent strangers and after getting
acquainted with the various parties, two or three
will set down at the gaming table with the object
| of merely killing time. Gradually however they
will tempt the inexperienced, by drink and excite
ment, and then proceed to cheat and plumber them
as coolly as if they were engaged in some crcdita-
BILE employment. On one occasion a noted conn
|
was Immediately put ashore, and at point where
the prejudice against cOunterfeiers was so great
that they often hung them up without Judge or
Jury. Life on the Mississippi is characterized by
extraordinary scenes and Incidents
| 1t Is stated that on recent occasion a clergy
| man was earnestly engaged in preaching to a con-
| siderable audience at one end of steamer, while
| in the middle gambling was in busy progress and
at the other end of the saloon music and dane
ing. Many of the boats are fitted up in the most
| magnificent style, and amount, in fact to floating
palaces. 1t often that they are occupied by
| 5000 souls and upward. The cost of a cabin pas
| sage from New Orleas to st. Louis is about $40
| That of deck passage is of course, much lower
All the leading towns and cities are stopped at and
thus constant changes take place in the inmates of
the boat. In some cases large profits realized.
| Thus, few weeks since, a steamer that sailed from
| New Orleans to st. Louis had freight list that
amounted to $4,000, in addition to the receipts
| of the passenger money and the bars.
The quantity of wood that is consumed is i'm
mense; it ranges sometimes high 200 cords per
day. The scenes of 'woodng,' especially at night,
are full Of excitement. 1t sometimes happens that
nearly every nation on the face of the globe has its
representatives on board of one of these steamers.
| The travel up and down the river amounts to tens
| of thousands per annum, while the freight that
passes inward and outward may be estimated in
| value at millions.
| friend from whom we gathered these facts in
forms us that short time since he had occasion to
travel from New Orleans to ST. Louis, and day or
two after he was on board the boat he became ac-
quainted with modest and unassuming young gen
| tleman, whose manners were mild and conversl-
ton intellectual, that he supposed he was a
young lawyer, physician, or perhaps student of
divinity The next day he discovered that he was
one of the most accomplished gamblers of his age in
the W estern country.