The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-25

business. The police are undoubtedly aware
of everything going on in these houses, and
do not interfere so long as everything goes on
quietly. Now and then clerk spends his
employers money, and 1t Is discovered where
he lost IT, then a raid is made by the police in
force. the tables and all the gaming parapher-
MALTA are carried of, and the proprietors heavily
fined.
witnessed case Of this. young man, in
the employment of a commission merchant
appropriated a large sum of his employers
money and lost it at "faro" He was arrested
and confessed what he had done with it. The
police at once proceeded to the house where
the faro bank was kept, and the scene, when
il was known that the police were below, beg
gaIs description. The tables were upset, and
markers were flying about. Men spraying
and scrambling on the floor, fought with one
another for whatever they could seize then
the police entered and cleared the house
having arrested the owners of the bank. This
WIS in one of the lowest gaming houses where
"skin' games (cheating games) are praotised.
In the gambling-house in Broadway, near
the New York Hotel, l have often noticed a
yOung man, apparently of some eighteen or
twenty years of age, fashionably dressed, and
OF prepossessing appearance. On some days
he would play very high, and seemed to have
most remarkable luck, but he always played
with the air of an old gamester, seeming care
less as to whether he won or lost. One night
he lost so heavily that he attracted the notice
OF all the players, every stake of his was swept
away, and he still played on till his last dollar
was lost; then he quietly walked out,
whistling a popular Yankee air. He was
there next day, minus his great coat,
and watch and chain-he lost again, went
out, and returned in his shirt sleeves, having
pawned his coat studs, and everything he
could with decency divest himself of He lost
everything, and when l next saw him he was
selling newspapers in front of the Post Office.
The mania for gambling is most singular
one. have known man to win thousand
dollars in few hours, and yet he would not
eXpend dollar to get dinner, but when he
felt hungry, he went to a bakers shop and
bought loaf of bread and that same night
lost all his money at roulette.
There is another house on the corner of
Centre and Grand streets, open during night
and day. The stakes here are the same as in
the one on Broadway, which have just men-
toned, and the people who play are very much
the same-in fact, the same faces are con-
stantly to be met with in all the gambling
houses, from the highest to the lowest. When
a gambler has but a small capital he will
60 to small house, where small stakes
are admissible. | saw man win fifty or sixty
dollars at this place, and then hand in his
checks (markers) to be cashed. The dealer
handed him the money, and said, 'Now you
pay away all you have won from here to John
MOrrissey. That is the way with all of them,
they never come here until they are dead
broke, and have only a dirty dollar or so to
risk." There was some truth in what he
said, but notwithstanding he managed to keep
the bank going on.
There is great temptation to a man who
has won sum of money at a small gambling
house to 60 to higher one, as he may then
at a single stake win as much as he could pos
sibly win if he had a run of luck in dozen
stakes at the smaller bank.
The house in Grand street is painted bright
green, built of wood, and has a rather quiet
bar down stairs There does not seem to be
very much done there in the gambling way,
as half those who go in do not play. They
stand around the tables, looking on, while not
more than few venture stake on the game
In No. l02, in the Bowery, there is one of
the lowest of the gaming g-houses l have seen
in the Empire City. The proprietor is an
Irishmap; he employs three men as dealers,
and they relieve one another every four hours
during the day and night. The stakes here
are of the lowest, and the people to be seen
here of the most rough to be found in the city.
The game is faro as elsewhere.
In this place met an old friend with whom
had served in the army of Northern Virginia,
under General Lee, in his Virginia campaign
of 1866. He told me he had been in New
! York since the end of the war, and lived a
very uncertain sort of life. Whatever money
he could earn he spent at the gaming table.
| Sometimes he had a run of luck, and whilst it
lasted he dressed we'll, and stopped at the most
expensive hotels. One night he would sleep
at the Astor House; and perhaps the next
night he would not be able to pay for his bed,
and would stay all night in the parks. Strange
to say, hundreds live in this way, which is
vulgarly called scratching" in New York
afterwards saw my friend driving an omnibus;
and when l could speak to him, found that
he was still attending the banks with every
| cent he earned.
1t is amusing to watch the proprietor of this
place at the Bowery; he has joke for every
one he sees. "Hallo, old sport ~ he cries;
"come and try your luck-you look lucky this
evening; and if you make good run you may
sport gold watch and chain, and velvet vest,
like myself" Then to another, "Young clear
the-way, you look down at the mouth tonight
come along, and have turn and never mind
your supper tonight"
In this way the days and nights are passed
in those gambling g-houses.-London Society.