Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-09-11

rRENALENcE nE GANlnIING-

PREVALENCE OF GAMBLING.
In this day Of fast living haste 10 be rich, aud
.ubsidizing every thing to fashionable excitement
gambling, like intempcrauce and hccutiuusucss in
every form is widely and iearfully prevalent, es-
pecialy in the larger cities and towns, from which
a wise parent will seek TO keep the uninitiattd
youth OF both sexes far removed OF gambling in
New York. as the largest city, into which are
marvellously crowded The extremes OF every thing
good and everything vile, an intelligent observer
writes for religious paper in Boston what, by
much painstaking, bee has discovered
New York, hc SAYS literally swarms with gamb-
lers Their haunts of wiCktducss are hidden from
the common eye. IL is only Boy deliberate and
persistent purpose that the veil which shrouds
Them can be lifted by an observer. Hence one
might live in the city for years, aud, unless by a
rare chance, he would see nothing OF the gambling
houses. Until recently knew OF them only 10y
hearsayi now am appalled, at the facts brought
to my knowledge respecting them.
Among the thousands of gaming houses over
which the night spreads It's pail, the most elegant
and arstocratic are those in Twenty fourth-
near Broadway, within sight Of that most fashion
able Of New York hotels, the Fiith-ayenne.'
They are extremely excusiye-ior excellent reas-
ons-and no one can enter their doors without be-
ing introduced as formally as II these houses
were The residences OF our most " afistocratc ~
families.
The writer proceeds to describe these most fash
ionable gambling places-all. fair without, sump-
tuous and beautiful a. you enter parlors most lux
uriously furnished, with contempt OF expense -
then dining furnished with choistst viands
and every luxury that wealth can buy-aI cost
free and hard oy is the gaming saloon. and at
last you are a." in the heart of the gamhiiug-hell'
with q" a crowd Of the eager tempters of fortune %
" What strikes You most forcibly is The subducd
intensity Of the thing. II you scan the faces of
the players carefully, you will see strange CLEANS
Nluof their strange ftyifrItrua I'M fhp
muscles about the mouth, strange trcmblings of
the hands that reach forth here and there TO de-
post checks upon special cards. The dealer slips
out a card, and thousands of dollars change hands
at sight OF il. A fash OF wild nyillumnatos some
face that eager circle Of gamblers, only to fade
away and be succeeded by cloud Of disnay per
haps, another card is displayed in the glittcrng
box
ITO see the passions of these men at their
height my companion remarked, you should
come nj q late hour, long past midnight when wine
and the excitement of the game have together
wrought their baleiu work 1t is not long ago
that saw a man rise from the iaro-tablc stripped
of every cent be had in the world, who sat down
to it a Weather man than either you or | will
probably ever be. lie gave a hollow laugh as be
pushed back his chair and said, Well, gentle
men, I'm PLAYED out Then he wiped his hrs
with a trembling hand, looked about on the COM
pany wildly, drew out pistol, shot himself
through the head, and fell dead TO the floor Bat
the game that was under way at the time was not
stopped. 1t was only interrupted few minutes
aud then went on as before
Passing down the splendid Fith-avenue, " this 20
says our guide, " is the most fashionable club
house in New York. Us members ave all gentle
men Of wealth and leisure But club house is
not gambIng-house / said. " II You could
penetrate the walls of that house-which YOU can
not, for it is a strictly private house. and admits
none but its own membcrs-you would find ganb-
ling Of the most desperate character going on
The most of the club-houses of New York are lit
tie better than genteel gaming houses. They do
not play faro or any such games-nothing but the
card games that so common in our parors,
such as whist and the like
Walking down Broadway, our guide points out
to us place after place where gambling is going
on. 1t seems there are scores OF them in that
street was then guided into o keno saloon.
Proceeding through a long stairway and dark pas
sages entered a room. IL was packed with
men and boys that the air was laden with impure
ty, while a cloud of tobacco-smoko overhung the
scene. There were several long tables each with
its crowd Of players, all playing the game Of Keno.
n 10 quiet here
Now, if we cross over into the Bowery by way
of Houston street we can follow Acknowledgement
ing scale of iniamy in gambing-houses, till we
come to the yilcst-because the hthest- class, in
the Five Points quarter OF the town. From high
this route would see indications Of the presence
of any Of them. But if he should pause upon any
given corner, especially corner having gin
mill y on it, long enough TO be accosted qui-
city and pleasantly by good-looking young
man also Longing on the corner, he would find
that the goodlooking young man was the roper
in OF the gamblng-house
Whether genteel or iowdyish in his demeanor
he is alwayS a very pleasant fellow is the roper
in and will chat most agreeably BY -and-by he
will invite the stranger to step into the gin-mill
and take something with him. 1t is at this
point that teiotaller at once balks the artiu ras-
cal Ii the invitation to drink is declined, he iu-
fers thas his designs suspected, and leaves his
intended victim. 1.-THE stranger drinks, the two
are now acquainted and on familiar terms in a
very little while be has seduced his victim into the
gambling-hell and will not let him 90 ill he j,
skinned he terms it that is, TIL he is robbed
OF all he has. II the man rebels he will be lucky
if he escapes with nothing worse than a black eye
--Americda Messenger.
THE NEW ENGLAND FAIR
PROVIDENCE, Friddy Sent g.