Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-12-14
ADVENTURE IN A GAMING HOUSE

sihSie exception, had formed no travelling
acquaintance on board OF the boat The in
diyidual with whom singularly enough fra
| ternlzed, seemed like myself, to have but lit
| lie inclination to extend his acquaintance "a
| mong the passengers, though he seemed to be
constantly upon the look out for some one and
the close manner in which he regarded the
| operations of two or three of those indiyidu-
ais, whose profuse display of vest chains and
Jewelry, and proficiency with cards at the
tables in the saloon, betrayed their profession
made me at once set him down as some sort
| of police detective in disguise.
| He called himself George Thorn, of Ken
| lucky, SO his card read, which he gave me in
| exchange for mine. Full six feet in height
| light curly hair, muscular arms, and the chest
| of Hercules, he challenged the admiration
| OF more than one of the passengers, with
his serious never smiling face, he paced the
| promenade deck, or sat apparently buried in
| thought in the saloon.
| f'Do you ever play at cards ?' said to him,
as he left the group that were standing about
| table of four players, and noting the progress
| of the game. | had frequently seen him invi-
| ted, but he invariably, like myself, refused to
| participate in the game.
s'Oh, yes, he replied, ssbut where is the use
| of playing here these fellows, noddng to-
wards the players, tell any card in the
| pack by their backs, and they are trying to
| pluck some poor pigeon from among the pas
| sengers, but as yet with indifferent success :;
| beware of them, sir.''
To convince me of the truth of what he
| said, he called the steward OF the boat and
ordered fresh pack of cards, which were
| brought, and he handed the pack TO me, bid
| ding me to shuttle them. l did so when he
| Immediately selected nearly every ace and
| king from the pack without looking at the face
| of them. Next he dealt them in two parcels,
| one to me and one to himself, when upon ex-
animation, l found that all the cards of real
| Val n in han6 oil uuh onTlA Il O
! tect no unfarneSs as he dealt them.
"You see,'' said he, s.the advantage an eX-
| pert has over even q skilful player.''
81 do, indeed,'' | replied, astonished at my
fellow travellers dexterity, and beginning to
think he might be reformed gambler, or one
| ''playing posSum' for some purpose or other;
| but as he did not urge or even invite me TO
| play, nor had played with any one else, and
! threw the cards aside with an expression of
| disgust too natural to be assumed, came to
the conclusion that my suspicious were unjust,
| and my travelling acquaintance was riddle
| yet to be solved.
| Early the next morning the boat arrived at
| New Orleans, and amid the hurried hustle of
! debarkation, lost my friend the kentuck ian,
| not even seeing him to bid adeu. The same
evening, however, after visiting the theatre, |
was enjoying the cool air, and fragrant Ha-
wanna, in the rotunda Of the st. Charles Ho-
| tel, and conversing with friend from the
| North, whom had fortunately met, when who
| should [ encounter but my steamboat acquain-
| tance.
| After the usual greetings, our conversation
| turned upon our trip down the river, our tel-
| low-pasSengers, ETC., when my fellow-traveller
| remarked that, if l would like to visit the
interior of gambling house, or hell, as it is
sometimes more appropriately called he would
| be pleased TO show it to us one of the sights
of the city. Never having witnessed anything
| of the kind, both and my friend assented,
| and after short walk, we found ourselves
within the precincts of one of those glittering
| and gorgeously furni shed establiShments-ves-
| tbules to the Internal regionS-whcre men are
/ engaged in various games of hazard. The
interior OF o gaming house has been too fire.
quently described to need repetition. The
| faro bank with its crowd of visitors, the rogue
ct nor table, with its anxious circle. and groups
| of other games, of which was ignorant of
| the name, were all busily engaged we en-
tered. We had passed through two apartments,
and reached the third, in which were but four
players, playing in pairs at different tables.
As we entered we sat- down at an unOccupied
table for a moment, when, as we did so, we
heard one of the two men nearest to us say to
| his opponent:
ssThat's the last dollar luck is yours, and
Pm cleaned out.
ssBut you good ring" said his op
ponent. eSee, will back my ring against
| yours the next game. It's ring that
won at play from Kentucky boy that came to
| New Orleans to the sights,'' said he care
lessy.
AS the player, who was sitting with his back
partially toward us, mentioned Kentucky in
his conversation, l Thorn listened with
| eagerness, and as he twisted the ring which
he offered to bet, upon his finger, the Ken
tuckian turned deadly pale. His eyes glowed
\ like fire for an instant, then his countenance
again assumed its usual calm and placid look,
] nd to amazpment- he and walking
across the apartment to the player, who had
Just been left by his companion, courteously
| proposed to try hand two with him if
agreeable, and if we, his friends, would ex-
cuse him for short time. Of course, we
| assented-so did the gambler, who appeared
| at first somewhat surprised at the proposition,
bnt probably resolved to try his skill upon the
| new conner. The cards were dealt and the game
commenced. We were sufficiently near to see
| that the piece of gold which constituted the
first stake, was won by our friends opponent
so also was the second. The third stake Thorn
| gained. And thus they alternately went on,
winning and losing, till at last Thorn careless
| ly observed:
| ssThat's pretty ring you offered to bet a.
while ago, stranger will you sell it ~
s.Well, as to that" said the other, sslt's
| pretty enough, and cost me enough tor young
| fellow pledged it to me some three years ago,
as sort OF note of hand, which he promised
to redeem with five hundred dollars he owed
me-a debt of honor. slr,-out ne eouian dr.
come to time very we'll, for he paid the sdebt
| of natures as they say, the same night, and
that cancelled my obligation. All! the stake
| NINE. I believe,'' said he, as he drew the
money towards him, sssuppose we try larger
stake-anvthing from one to i've hundred T.
and he threw bank note OF that denomination,
careessly, upon the table.
ol1aff frr