Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-11-21
Life in New Orleans.

With the approach of winter season, the
gambling houses open in full blast, and they
are almost numberless, ranging In elegance
OF appointments and monetary strength
from institutions which furnish royal sup
pers, and command thousands OF dollars,
down to little seven-by-nine shantles. where
the lunch consists OF crackers and cheese,
and the 'chips cost picayune piece.
Formerly they were licensed under laws of
the STATE, and were open to everybody, but
now they are under the ban, and are some
what exclusive. People have learned to
look upon frequenters of these places with
distrust, whereas in old times everybody, ,ex-
cept the preachers and deacOns, played
without regard TO public opinion. The law
obliged the propnetors to keep their places
on the first floor, In order TO secure ease OF
entrance, and every one betting against the
bank had legal right TO demand the dealer
to change,his pack OF cards even in the mid
die of deal. Although the practice does
not obtain so uniformly now, since the
changes of the law, thousands are lost ard
won nightly on st. Charles street and other
localities, where large brazen figures over "a
door, and a screen at the top OF the stara,
gives sure indication that a game Is beng
dealt. Strange to say that, notwlthstand-
ing the influence of French manners In 9th
Creoies the most numerous players. The
gamblers WELD an important influence in the
| control of municipal affairs,
As a natural accompaniment of such a
fast place, gilded bagnioS filled with fast wo-
| men abound plentItully. Some ot the finest
| residences have been appropriated for such
purposes, and although strenuous efforts are
made TO rid the community of them, they
| always fail here as they do~everywhere else.
| New York, Boston aud Washington are
probably the only cities In the country which
excel New Orleans iii the extent of its pat
ronage in demi-moaae. The Evening Star
carried with her to watery grave some oil
| the most noted mistreSseS Of houses OF pros
tltutlon In the city, and the adjustment OF
their respective SUGGESTIONS -prOpertyiett
hehind-has furnished whispering gossop
for the whole city, as it has disclosed the
fact that male partners existed, vino had pc
cuniary interests in the houses. Or course
people don't talk of such things outloud ;
| but they got whispered ahnnt with great ce-
lerity. There is a certain boldness about
the appearance and location of these dens
of infamy here, which is, perhaps, only
equaled by New York city. For instance,
on Boston street three costly marble carriage
steps are laid on the curbstone, on which
are cut in letters the names of King, Ham
| llton and Palmer, mlstresses OF the house,
and which are in plain sight from Canal
street. King was lost on the vessel refer
red to above, and the roughs call her mar
| BILE sign a tomb stone.
| The balls of the quadroons, almost always
l fancy dress, are another prominent point ol
fast life here. OF course they are attended
by all the fast young men about town, and
rumor has it that gray heads and boards are
sometimes seen mixed up in whirling quad
rifles polkas and waltzes, with the long
black tresses of the semi-white females
They are conducted with all the rigid con
ventionalities that pervade similar enter
tainments INDUCED in by the upper crust
and no description of them is necessary.