Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-08-28
Gambling on the Mississippi.

ITotu the lineage JOurnai
We are told that gambling prevails TO a fear. nj
| extent On board the steamboats, that pass up and
| down the Mississippi River. All sorts IT games
| are practiced there, aud among those who travel
are some of the most plausible aud finished rogues
| a short time since party Of blacklegs induced
several returned Caliiornians to venture a few
hundred dollars upon the changes of the cards or
The Dice aud at the end Of the game the .Caifor-
forniani discovered that three counterfeit bills for
$40 each. had been passed of upon them. They
Immediately demanded good money IN exchange
This wa' refuse for time, the backicgs pre-
tended that they had none. They were then Civ
en- - understand that, unless they rcctfcd the
fraud Immediately: they would be forced to take
their chance for the night Mt the very next unn-
hnbited island that the boat should reach Find
Ing the alternative rather srious, they reluctant
s nIad, the exchange demanded, and en,leayored
u concilate the Calitornians by inviting them to
drink. The same knascs day or two before con-
trived TO win 81 900 from very young merchant
Of Louisiana, who was on his way North to buy
goods.
Gambling on the Mississippi is profession
which is followed by hundreds oil II, well as
young. All sorts Of combinations are formed by
these gentry. They will come board II boa,
frpm different points, and ~ apparent strangers,
and after getting acquainted with the various par
ties two or three Will sit down Mt the gaming Ia
bic, VII! the object OF merely killing time. Gradu-
ally, however they will tempt the inexperienced,
by drink aud excitement, and then proceed t.
cheat and llunder them. cooly if they were
engaged IN some crcditable employment. On one
OCCASION II noted countcrieiter was discovered t.
be on u boat, when lac was Immediately put ashore
and nj point where the pre- ludice against coul-
tcrritcrs was so great that they often hung them
up without Judge or Jury. Life On the MISSISSIPPI
pl is characterized by extraordinary scenes and
/ ,cldents.
1t is stated that on II recent occasion a clergy
~ al brp. la
siderable audience at one end Of steamer, while
III the middle gambling WAS III busy progress, and
Mt the other end OF the saloon were music and
dancing. Many Of the boats are fitted up in the
most magnificent style, and amount, in fact, to
Huatius palaces. 1t often occurs that they are
occupied by 5000 souls and upwards. The est of
II cabin passage from New-OrIcans to St. Louis is
about so. That OF II deck passage is, OF course,
much lower. All the leading towns and cities
stopped at and thus constant changes take place
III the inmates OF the boat In some cases large
profits are realized Thus, low weeks since u
steamer tina, sailed from New-Orlcans to ST. Lou.
is had freight list that amounted to $40 900, in
ADDITION To the receipts of the passenger money
and the bars.
The quantity If wood that is consumed is i'm
meu,e; IT ranges sometimes high az 200 cords
n day. the scenes of "wooding." especially ut
night, are fall Of excitement 1t sometimes hap
pens that nearly every nation the lace of the
globe has its representatives on board of one of
these steamers. The travel up and down tho riv-
ar amounts to tens OF thousands per annum, while
the rci Sht that passes inward and outward may
he estimated in value at millions. A friend from
whom we gathered these facts informs us that
short time since he had occasion to travel from
New-Orlcans to st. Louis and a dag or two after
he was ON board the boat he became acquainted
with Il modest and unassuming young gentleman,
whose manners mild, and conversation 80
intellectual, that he supposed he was young
lawyer, II physician, perhaps student Of d.
,Inlty. The next day he discovered that ! e was
one ol the most accomplished gamblers of his age
III the Western country.
DEATHS IRON IIrpRoiIonlA-A daughter of
Benjamin Buxton. Esq, OF Hamburg, died on
Friday last of ydrophobia Three or four weeks
ago, while tho little girl, about ten years Of age,
WAS playing and gathering flowers, dog spranS
upon and seized her by the Lex below the knee -
The wound was property cared for and as the
dog not known to he rabd, little anxiety was
manifested. Up to last Wednesday she was APP
parenty we'll usual, when she was seized
with spasms and died in iorty-eight hours after
suffering the most cxcruciatlng tortnre.-Bu0dfo
t"mGtciri0i.
The adopted daughter of Andrew McMnnimin,
of ilmington, Del, was bitten by mad dog
few weeks ago. and was attacked by hydrophobiH
on Thursday last. The first symptoms were u
very great thirst for water, which she was unable
to swallow. Her tongue became much swollen,
and the little creature desired that the doctor would
give her new one. She continued rapidly to
grow worse, and finally her hands had to be
cured III order to prevent her biting them and
tearing her flesh; she iuamcd at the mouth and
snapped her teeth, while she suffered extreme az
ony. In her lucid moments she was aware of her
impending fate. She expired on Friday night.
victim to this most horrible of all diseases. She
was only five or slX wears of age.
NOticc.-Ehere w II be n Regular Meeting Of
the SI" khuinis of tho Washington ung Fund Associa
ton this evening at "cloc at the Payne Chris,
tian's. - II {. W. pkICE, Secy.