The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-09-09

morality Is very thin and scarcely cool
ed, and burning stream of vice oozes
from the hot sea underneath at every
cane thrust. The greatest of these
streams is the gambling fever. Thous--
auds are won aud lost in the twinklipg
Of an eye. A simple spring of ajo1key
at q critical moment is worth half mills
lion, a quick turn of card will bring
its thouiands, and the soft rumble of a
white marble and its subsequent Jump
at a roulette table takes cool hundreds
frorl a bystander's pocket The faro
table aud the sweat cloth have been
planted within fifty feet of the cars -
Old gents with seedy umbrellas, spruce
young men with neckties as small as
juniper berries, loud swells with dia-
monds on their fingers nearly as
large as door plates, and majestic old
nobs with immense goldheaded canes,
stand around these tables, clicking
piles of ivory chips within their fin
gers, and closely watching the roiseless
slide of the cards and the gentle dance
Of the dice over the green baizc,
Some win. More loose The more
you put down the less you take up, and
the less you take up the more you put
down-ths is the rule frequently fol-
lowed by brainless flats until their pock-
cts are destitute of "sou margue," and
the plucked victim reels into the street
with dull ringing in his head and a
consciousness Of ruin staring him in the
face. lie is not missed from the crowd
about the tables. The dealing blackleg
lazily yawns as he sAufles the cards at
the close of the last turn, and nonchal'
antly raps the silver dealbox as the
spring clicks the deck to its place. The
eager crowd drop their chips on their
favorite cards. and the new deal is
opened.
These are genuine blacklegs, who
quietly filch mans earnings through
the secret springs of knavery, and who
would as quickly knock Kim on the head
aud rob him, were it not for their fear
of detection. Gambling is fearful bu-
siness at the best, but it almost seems to
be a necessary evil, and if we must bear
it, let it be on the square. IF man is
willing to take the risk of a thousand
dollars on the turn of card, it seems to
be, to a certain extent, his own business,
bG. the card should be honestly turned.
There is a club house in Saratoga. Here
they tell me gambling is done on the
square. Doubtless this is true. If the
reader will take my arm We will visit it
together.
Leaving the balcony Of the Congress
one hour before midnight, we cross the
street to the entrance Of the garden
fronting the Opera House. The light
laugh of the ladies lounging on the
piazzas of the hotels floats on the eve
ming air, melted in the songs of the
crickets, and the half growled curses of
the betting turfmen. Lounging through
the arched entrance the garden, we find
a scene only wanting silvery lagoon to
make it Venitiau in character. Here
are waving trees, musical with insect
life. A tiny fountain tosses a thousand
golden beads in the gaslight, and, seated
in cane. .bottomed rockers beneath whis-
pering branches, with the cool evening
breeze tossing five hundred delicate
ringlets, groups of ladies and gentlemen
dreamily chat away the midnight hour.
There is ball in the dining room, and
the lively notes Of Offenbach's music
come chasing each other to our ears.
Let us wander down the central walk.
The steady glow Of each gas light brings
out in bold relief the faces of fifty we'll
known authorities, politicians, aud men
of business. Here an idler tips his
chair against a tree, AMI lazily watches
the smoke cur ling from the end Of his
cigar There is a select party of Cubans
aud Mexicans roll soft Spanish words
from their tonges with a characteristic
ardor. Now we meet red faced abo-
riginal weariedly pIoddiug to her hut
with her unsold beads and trinketa
glistening in the basket, trembling on
her arm. We near the opera house, and
hear the hoarse tones of the pool seller,
now pleading, anon imprecating, and
then joyfully announcing heavy bid.
First it is McDaniels fly" then
Norris entry =" has it, and fually
" "Sanlords stable" brings up the rear
" Now, gen>le-m'n, how much for fust
chice-start 'em again-how much p
The circling crows below nod theil
heads and puff their cigars in lively
sympathy, while the quick-eyed Doctor
catches the bids and sturdily calls fol
more. Turn to the right and now t.
the left of the bath houses. On fifty
feet further, Here is a drab coloreC
brick building, shadily embowered, an(
surrounded with thickets of rose bushes
The crickets merrily chirp about thu
door. Up six board steps, VenitiaI
blind coGronts us. A pull at the ehint
bell knob, aud the blind flies open. \