The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-25
GAMBLLNG no USES OF NEW YORK.

gambling, it prevails to a very great extent
in New York. There is scarcely a street with
out gambling -house-all private, of course,
but well known to those who indulge in that
excitement The game played is generally
" faro, !" and the stakes vary according TO the
class of house in which the game is played.
In some of the lowest gaming houses the
stake is as low as FIVE cents, and limited to
dolar-that is, the player cannot stake more
than dollar at time, and not less than five
cents. These latter houses are frequented by
the very poorest workmen discharged sol
diers, brollen-down gamblers, and street boys
think of all the street boys in the world, the
New York are most precocious. / have seen
a shoeblack, about three feet high, walk up
to the table, or bank" as it is generally
called, and stake his money Give oentS) with
the air of young. spenoVnrHV 10 "non
"money is no object.
the most aristooratic-if may use such
word when speaking of a republican people
faro bank, or gambling house, IS John Nor
rissey's, in Union Square, close by the head
quarters of the Feni2ns who believed in Head
Centre O'Mahony. / have often sat in the
windows of Ithis gambling-hOuse, and listened
to the wild harangues of the Fenian Senators
and Centres, ETC.. next door, and watched the
upturned faces of the Celtic dupes who, with
mouths and ears wide open, swallowed every
thing they heard, and subscribed their hardly
earned dollars to support, in luxury and ex
travagance, the unprincipled adventures who,
under the name of patriots preyed upon their
ignorance and credulity. John Morrissey was
originally a prize-fghter, and lived by
teaching the young Americans the noble
art of selfdeiense, as he was not one of
the leading men in his profession,
and seldom ventured on a public fight. He
afterwards set up "Bar,' or public house,
and over this he established small "Faro-
bank" which he enlarged and improved by
degrees until it became well known, and was
very much frequented by the gamblers of
New York. He succeeded so well at this
business that he was able last year to go to
Saratoga; and when all the country was flock
ing to that fashionable summer sresort, he,
having taken the largest house there, opened
an immense hotel, bathrooms, and gambling
rooms and it is said he cleared profit of two
millions of dollars during the season. He is
now mentioned as one of those who pay the
most income tax. His gambling house in
Union Square is magnifcently furnished; at all
hours of the day or night tables are laid out
with every description Of refreshment, which
any frequenter may partake Of The wines are
very good. Almost every game of chance is
played, and the stakes are very high and un-
limited. The frequenters of this house are the
wealthy and wild young men of New York,
and, occasionally, a Southernlooking man
who perhaps, has saved some of his property,
and the everlasting professional gambler.
sional from the ordinary gambler The latter
has a nervous expression about the mouth,
and an intense gaze upon th5cards, and alto
gether a very serious, anxious appearance;
while the professional plays in very quiet
manner, and seems to care but little how the
game goes and his desire to appear as if the
game was new to him is almost certain to
expose him.
Previous to the struggle for independence in
the South, there were many hundreds of
gamblers scattered about through the South
ern towns, aud the Mississippi steamboats,
used to abound with them. In the South
gambler was regarded as outside the pale of
society, and classed with the slave-trader who
was looked upon with lOathing by the very
same men who traded with him; such was the
inconsistency of public opinion.
When the war broke out, and there were no
longer any passenger steamboats, on the Mis-
sissippi, the gamblers Occupation was gomez
in the sunny South; patriotism he knew not
of: and fearing consumption, he made ms way
to the less hospitable aud more frugal North.
The large cities were, OF course, their prm-
cipal meeting places: New York, fhlladel-
phia and Baltimore were filled with them
The great initiation Of the currency, the
chronic state of excitement brought on by the
war, and the large bOunties issued to recruits
made those cities good fields for gambling
onerations The American gambler differs
from his European brethren in many respects;
he is very frequently, IN euuCaJlOn, appear
ance and manner gentleman; and II his
private history were known, it would be found
that he was of good birth, and was at one time
possessed of considerable fortune, but having
lost all at the gaming table, he gradually
came down to the level of those who proved
his ruin, and having no profession nor means
of livelihood left to him, he adopted their
mode of life.
On one occasion met a brother of South
ern General very famous in the late war, and
still wealthy mani, who at one time was one
of the richest planters in the State Of Louis
lana, and now acting as an agent for set
of gamblers to decOy young men OF means
from the several hotels in New York to
their gaming house. After losing everything
he had he became croupier in gambling
house in New Orleans, and afterwards piled
his trade on the Mississippi for some years;
then went into Mexico, and finally went
to New York, where he opened house on his
own account. During the war he speculated
in "greenbacks," and lost all his illgotter
gains, and had to descend to his present
position.
There is nothing very interesting in this
house of John Morrissey's the same AOcks o
welldressed and misunderstanding men o
all ages pass in and out all through the day
and night; tens of thousands of dollars arr
lost and won; the "click" Of the markers
never ceases all speak in a low tOne-every
thing has a serious, quiet appearance. The
dealers seem TO know everyone, and noe
familiarly to all who approach their tables
John Morrissey is occasionally to be seer
walking through the rooms, apparently (