Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-04-15
LIFE DENVER,
A Dark and Peculiar PhRse-llaW the
timers Lose Their Money Gambling
without Rny Disguise.

AAN SsANhhts AZ ~ NV -
too. But its ways are far from in
,oceut, and its chirp, instead Of tn
emile piping learl in the quiet hours
vtnight, is tn, ra'le of gaming APP
p~liances risiI 3 above the din OF -
hundred ~yOci.erating tongues,
The pubic gambling hOuseis a re-
eognized eature of border towns.
and it is among the first of "institu-
tons" to herald the approach of civil.
cation Ct the ar West. 1t j. the in
sepera0le of tie star of empire, and
its effect may be obsery ed anywhere
along Il line Ofthat lnminary's march.
But nowhere does it assert itself more
successfully than IL such places as owe
!. heir existence 10 their proximity to
I mines.
Miners are little given to that class
i diversion which We of the quieter
h alks Of life are content with. They
re for themost part a turbulent set,
" in whom (il not naturally, then by
force OF association the animal pre-
peusities develop, to the exclusion Of
the better qualities and of a conse-
guence their conceptions of enjoyment
are realized in such amusemcnts only
as afford gross or absorbing excite
ment. Gambling houscs, with their
accompanying quarreling and drink
ing, are perfectly adjusted TO the min
er's idea of pleasure, aud they consti-
tute a means Of gratifying his inclina-
lions, as compared with which, in his
judgement, all other means are insig-
niiicant,
TIE Cricket, il would seem, has
struck a paying lead" 1t works like
a beaver from morning till night, and
night till morning and then, not
overcome by its unremitting labor, il
commences afresh, and does the same
thing over again. Its ali entcrprising
fellow, you may rest assured for it
makes hay whether the sun shines or
not, and by virtue of its industry and
the grabbing facilities it possesses il is
gradually but surely garnering an
abundant harvest.
The gaming establishment under
consideration stands in Denver, in its
principal street, and upon one Of the
most conspicuous and desirable sites.
Located within the very heart of trade
it announces itself with all the assu-
rance of a legitimate business, and its
claims to patronage are responded to
in the most liberal manner. 1t en-
joys an immunity from espionage un-
accorded to kindred establishments i'll
the Eastern States, and its scope and
publicity are as untrammeled as if it,
effort were devoted to the best inter-
ests OF the community. Admission
into it involves neither the scrutiny
of faces nor the trayersing of dark
passages, One simply opens the door
as though entering an ordinary house
and with a single step he is in the
midst Of a most extraordinary scene
The room is very large and its side,
are lined with tables, The propric
tor, from q spiri, of accommodation
restricts each table to Il distinct game
so that there are as many ditleren
games going on ut once as there ar,
tables in the room. Consequently
the peculiar tastes or preferences 0
every one wishing to play may be in
obliged, and an individual has only t,
take his cloice, and he forthwith pay
his money, Then the assembling
gathered here, One might fancy Il
had dropped into a Bill Sykes broth
erhood.
Nowhere in any civilized portion G
the earth could there he a more repl
;ive collection of physically SCUM
human beings discovered. 1t is
conclave of unkempt, hard featured
brutalized creatures, cursing an
brawling, and making the place yer
penfold OF the lowest beasts.
The room is disgustingly foul:
could hardly be otherwise, consider
ing the occupants. The croupiers, {
dealers, are corresponding " begrin
ed, and the tables, ignoring he aesthC
JIG combination o Ornamen and ntil
ty, subserye the latter purpt sc solel
and are in keeping with tn genert
hlth. In fact, to an observer who's
habits of life have associated him wit
cleanliness and decency, this ZEN, til
tole, has all the attributes , a ri
zen, and exhibits numberles. 9TH
characteristics which poverty OF lal
Isge pre- ludes a deScrib ion of.
The dealers are eminently fitted IL
ONe positions they occupy Did All
81 them yer experience dispositic
tlNyard the honest callings of life,
Avn confident that under the mo
favorable circumstances such yagai
&C nd be nothing more than momen
a"y and spasmodic. They look
CDo,rgh fey had been intended fol
Nv I'd mission; and that mission thu
Ar tulaling to the best of their abil
- | noticed one in particular; |
NJs plyire his vocation as eagerly
lie greedio I, and Yeti don't II, ollie
ever seeing more thoroughly weal
expression Ian was on his face. Il
was forty years of age, Oh thereaLoul
and his exhausted appearance toI
what crowded years they had bee
lie was us thin as a skeleton, and h
arms, with the hirt-slceves turne
back 10 facilitate the working OF h
cards, disclosed 10 the elbows, we
all but fleshless, and were marked
deep blue vel Is that seemed swOllc
to their utmo t tension,
His face W S %cadaverous, and h
eyes, though right, were shocking
%protruued. lie was in the last stag
Of consumption, and u terrible coug
parexysms of which occasional
lh'layed be game--was rapidly tea
ig him to pieces. That the strugg
" tildnt last much longer, his wa
n 4 worn-out look made unmistaki
~ evident. Still this unhappy b,
ing, on the brink OF the grave, vii
the hand OF death already upon biz
was as keenly alive to the tricks
ais trade a. ii aiong and jocund Ii