The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-09-22
Uarittp..
CANNING on rae MISSISSIPPI
From the Chicago Journal.

20 W. are told that gambling prevails to
= fearful extent on board the steamboats,
that pass mp aud down the Mississippi
River. All sorts of games are practiced
there, and among those who travel are
some Of the most plausible and flushed
fogues. A short time since a party Of
elacklegs induced several returned Cali.
foruians to venture a'ftw hundred dol
lars upon the changes o: the cards or
the dice, and at the end # the game the
Oaliforuians discovered that three coun-
terfeit bills, for $50 each, had been pass
ed of upon them. They Immediately
demanded good money in exchange
This was refused for a time, as the black
legs pretended that they. had nome
They were given to understood that, IN
less they rectifed the fraud Immediately,
they would be forced to take their chance
for the night at the very next uninhabi.
ted island that the boat should reach
Finding that the alternative rather Sc.
rious, they reluctantly made the ex
change demanded, and endeavored to
eonciliste the Californians by inviting
them to drink. The same knaves a day
or two before contrived to win $1,000
from a very young merchant Of Louisi.
ana, who was on his way North to buy
goods.
Gambling on the Missis. ippi is q pro-
-fession which is followed by hundreds,
old as we'll as young. All sol is of ccm-
binations are formed by these gentry
They will come on beard a boat from
different points, ard as apparent stran-
gers, and after getting acquain: ed with
the various parties, two or three will
sit down at the gambling table, with
the object of merely killing time
Gradually, however, they will tempt the
inexperienced, by drink and excitement,
and then proceed to cheat and plusder
them, ss coolly as if they we're engaged
In some creditable employment. On
one occasion a noted counterfeitcr was
discovered to be on a boat, when lie was
immediately put ashore, and at a point
where the prejudice against counterfeit
ers was so great that they often hung
chem up without Judge or Jury. Life
on the Mississippi is characterized BY
extraordinary scenes ard incidents.
~ It il stated that on a recent occasion
. clergyman was earnestly engaged in
presiding to q considerable audience at
one end Of q steamer. while in the mil
die gambling was in busy progress, and
af the other end of the saloon were mu-
sie and dancing. Many of the boats
are fitted up in the NEST magnificent
style, aud amount, in fact, to floating
palaces. It often occurs that they are
occupied by 5000 souls and upSard.-
The cost Of a cabin passage from New
Orleans to st. Louis is about 800
That of q deck passage is, of course,
much lower. All the leading towns and
cities are stopped at, and thus constant
changes takes place in the inmates of
the boat. In some cases large profits
are realized. Thus, a few weeks since,
. steamer that sailed from New Orleans
70 st. Louis had a freight list that
amounted to SAC, 900, in addition to the
receipts of the passenger money and the
bars.
The quantity of wood that is con-
.gumed is immense; it ranges sometimes
as high as 200 cords a day. The scenes
Of "woodiDg," especially at night, are
full Of excitement. It sometimes hap
pens 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 anum,
while the freight that passes inward and
outward may be estimated in value at
millions. A friend from whom We gath
cred these facts informs us that a short
time since he had occasion to travel from
New Orleans to st. Louis, and day
o. two after he was on board the boat
he became acquainted with o modest and
unassuming young gentleman, whose
manners were SO mild, and conversation
% intellectual, that be supposed he was
. young lawyer, a physician, or perhaps
Q student of divinity. The next day he
discovered that he was one of the most
accomplished gamblers Of his age in the
2 Wn~Rorn eonnfrv